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Old January 8, 2018, 06:56 PM   #1
Spur0701
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Should I automatically dump these scopes?

Cabelas had a sale on Axis and Axis II rifle and scope combos on Halloween and at a good price, made even better by a Savage rebate. .....so I picked up an Axis in 30-06 and an Axis II in .308 (what they had left in stock by the time I got to the web site).

The 30-06 came with a 3-9X40 Bushnell and the .308 with a Weaver Kaspa 3-9X40. I'm a little leery of the Kaspa and a lot leery of the Bushnell, especially given the calibers of the rifles involved. I'm thinking of just taking the Bushnell off before I even take it to the range for the first time and just start out with a Vortex, say at least a Crossfire II.....and craiglist off the Bushnell for whatever I can get out of it. I've never had a Bushnell (except for a cheap set of binoculars once back in the day).........or should I take a chance? Opinions/thoughts?
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Old January 8, 2018, 07:00 PM   #2
ms6852
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I do not know anything of the Kaspas, but I bought a Savage 110C about 35 years ago that came with a Bushnell banner scope. The caliber is 30-06 and the Bushnell has held its own all this time. I find Bushnell to be a very reliable scope.
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Old January 8, 2018, 07:19 PM   #3
243winxb
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The Bushnell 3x9x40 on my Axis 223 is a $50 scope when i looked it up online.. Its ok after 2200 rounds fired. Do check tightness of base and rings.

My 30-06 Bushnell scope is a better model and from the 1970s and still works fine.

Had a 22 lr scope go bad after 21 years. Warranty was only for 20 years.

Yes, still had the paper work. Returned it to Bushnell.

Now this makes no sense to me. Bushnell sent a replacement, a Trophy model for a high power rifle.

Sold it and bought a 22 lr scope.
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Old January 8, 2018, 07:22 PM   #4
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I believe Bushnell just start a 'no questions asked' / Ironclad lifetime guarantee.

There was a .50 BMG shooter that was getting one to save a few thousand, with the idea that if it didn't hold up he'd keep replacing it. Apparently it's hanging in there.

Here's a link to their guarantee:

https://youtu.be/8AUPZAMGQUY
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Old January 8, 2018, 07:35 PM   #5
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I've never owned either........but I'd at least give them a shot.You might be pleasantly surprised.If not just do what I do........go find the best online deal on your favorite Leupold and jump in with both feet.
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Old January 8, 2018, 08:03 PM   #6
FrankenMauser
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Quote:
I believe Bushnell just start a 'no questions asked' / Ironclad lifetime guarantee.
I took them up on the "no questions asked / money back" offer a little while after the Elite series of scopes was reintroduced.
I had to prove that it had been registered.
I had to provide original packaging.
I had to prove that I was the original owner.
I had to provide an original receipt.
I had to insure the shipped package for MSRP.
I had to provide a receipt for said insurance.
And I had to wait thirteen weeks for my check.

There weren't any questions ... just hoops to jump through, and the need to keep original packaging and paperwork.
I was surprised that I didn't have to provide breath, blood, urine, hair, stool, and saliva samples, as well as fingerprint cards and front and back copies of my birth certificate, driver's license, social security card, marriage license, and Last Will and Testament.
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Old January 8, 2018, 08:13 PM   #7
ThomasT
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And the name of your dog.:

I wouldn't just get rid of them out of hand. Give them a try. If nothing else save them for a 22 or 22 mag rifle. They should be fine for that.
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Old January 8, 2018, 09:22 PM   #8
bedlamite
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Friends don't let friends use Chinese optics.
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Old January 8, 2018, 09:23 PM   #9
std7mag
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The Bushnell will get the job done out to 200 yards, maybe more.
The Kaspa line is supposed to be fairly decent.

Neither are top end glass. Of course your not paying top end glass pricing either.

Shoot em.
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Old January 8, 2018, 09:37 PM   #10
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Kaspas have short eye relief and a fussy eye box. IIRC the Banner series doesn't have an abundance of eye relief either. It may be just my eyes, but the Banner series scopes aren't very bright. If you are satisfied with the eye relief and glass, go for it. I wouldn't worry too much about durability.
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Old January 8, 2018, 09:40 PM   #11
godale
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Should I automatically dump these scopes?

I have used trophy and elites for years . Never a problem . Of course I don’t buy their. CHeap lines either such as the banner line


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Old January 8, 2018, 09:58 PM   #12
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Most of them work, most of the time. But they will fail sooner than a better scope and they never fail at a good time. Usually just as you really need it to make a shot on the buck of a lifetime.

I'd be looking for a better scope when feasible.
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Old January 9, 2018, 05:36 AM   #13
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Quote:
The Kaspa line is supposed to be fairly decent.
I just mounted one of the 1-4X 24mm on a new shotgun for turkey hunting and I am very happy with it.
Every bit of the 4" eye relief claimed and sharp bright optics for Chinese glass. I don't expect to have any problems with it, but anything is possible I guess.
Great glass for $140 in my opinion.
A couple of my favorite low magnification and longer eye relief scopes that I own are older model Banner scopes.
They're still ticking and I've no complaints.

Try them, you may be pleasantly surprised.
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Old January 9, 2018, 08:38 AM   #14
PlatinumCore16
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I had a no-name on the Rem 770 (I know, not really even in the same league as the Axis), and it kept biting me, so I would replace if you don't have enough eye relief. But seeing as they aren't no-name scopes, you are much better off than what I was. What I learned was that good-glass is worth every penny. Why would you pay anything for a scope that you can only use 1/3 of the magnification range? If they work for you, shoot em. Only you can come up with that answer.
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Old January 9, 2018, 08:57 AM   #15
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I have the kaspa on my axis II. I plan on upgrading for me the cross hairs cover too much at highest mag setting for target work, for hunting its ok
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Old January 9, 2018, 11:51 AM   #16
Don Fischer
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I'd either give them a shot or use them on a 22RF. Wouldn't be losing a lot if they broke!
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Old January 9, 2018, 01:03 PM   #17
RC20
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I don't think a working scope should be dumped.

Granted they are not great scopes, but I have found uses for that type.

I got a Nikon something or the other on a Savage pkg. Its now on my K-31 and doing fine. Not shot a lot and its not going to shoot more than 1 MOA, but the scope suits that service.

Always good to have a backup scope or two to cross check a suspected bad one and you don't have to pull it off a good working gun and then re-do the setup.

And over time some of my scopes have been moved onto other rifles.

One was a 270 that had a good but old Leopold. For the life of me my eyes don't like that scope (three other people have shot it fine, go figure)

As I build the rounds for it and its a hunting rifle, one of my Redfield 3-12X went on it. So that free scope got used.

Seems there is always juggling to be done and having a couple extra low cost scopes is a good deal.
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Old January 9, 2018, 01:04 PM   #18
T. O'Heir
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"...Neither are top end glass..." But are not the junkers Savage used to put on their package rifles. Vista Outdoors owns all 3 companies anyway. Bushnell is not the company it once was though. Mostly about which Bushnell scope it is too.
In any case, there's no need to replace 'em anymore.
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Old January 9, 2018, 01:08 PM   #19
turkeestalker
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For my application on turkeys the Kaspa reticle is fine, but for finer work with a rifle I can see your point stillquietvoice if other versions are the same thick line reticle.
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Old January 9, 2018, 01:50 PM   #20
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I have a 1.5-6x Weaver KASPA on my FDE AR. Got it because it was offered in that color, so didn’t have to have a scope refinished to match the rifle.

Is it the same as my Leupold Mk 4? No... but it is a good optic for basic use. I don’t feel that I wasted money on it. It isn’t top of the line, but I don’t put it as cheap garbage.
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Old January 9, 2018, 07:20 PM   #21
Kvon2
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I usually end up putting them on rimfire rifles or pellet guns at some point.

I often will keep them for a few months because a new gun and new glass are not usually in the budget at the same time.
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Old January 9, 2018, 09:47 PM   #22
Mobuck
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You can "dump" those scopes on my doorstep. I've got some Grandkids who can use them.
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Old January 10, 2018, 02:34 AM   #23
Danoobie
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I'd dump them, but that's me. Wasted a lot of time re-zeroing tatty scopes,
just to lose game animals on the next shot. Leupold, Zeiss, & Nikon have proven dependable, to me.
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Old January 10, 2018, 06:02 AM   #24
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I've bought a half dozen axes and 111 hunter combo rifles over the years--they all came with low-end optics which I generally ditched or they fell apart themselves in short order. So yes--I'd bail on them if they are not at least Nikon prostaff grade. The math doesn't work out by the time all the wasted ammo is calculated IMO--and considering the inherent accuracy of savage barrels you're doing yourself a disservice (or savage figures ho-hum accuracy is good enough for the average core-lock or nothing hunter) by using cracker-jack box optics.
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Old January 10, 2018, 06:49 AM   #25
THE
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I have not had any experience with those two scopes, but my experience with rifle / scope combos has not been good. I am two for two in getting bad scopes with Howa 1500 rifles. In my book those scope are give a ways.

Not one of my rifles that came with a scope has that scope on it now.
All are one a shelf in the basement or I have given them away.

Last edited by THE; January 10, 2018 at 06:56 AM.
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