Good/Bad Rifle, Optics

[OldMenRule]

Given no other choice, what would be your choice? An average rifle ( AR, bolt etc. ) with a great scope or great rifle with an average scope? 

[BHC]

Glass

[Bucksnbows]

Glass 100% of the time. 

[electric10162]

Optics always

[DJ0808]

Glass. 

A decent average rifle with nice optics on it will consistently perform fine at most typical ranges.

If you've got mediocre glass that may have issues retaining zero,fogs up easily, etc... it doesn't matter how great a rifle is because you may not be able to reliably hit your target each time. 

[Sako76]

Great rifle with great glass, never compromise!

[Haskell_Hunter]

I'd rather take the rifle than the glass.  What's the point of getting a good look at something you can't hit?

Learn how to shoot with iron sights.  If you are out in the field and your scope gets banged up, are you coming out of the woods or are you taking the scope off and hunting with iron sights?

Rifle every time.

Edited October 19, 2022 by Haskell_Hunter

[Bucksnbows]

1 minute ago, Haskell_Hunter said:

I'd rather take the rifle than the glass.  What's the point of getting a good look at something you can't hit?

Learn how to shoot with iron sights.  If you are out in the field and your scope gets banged up, are you coming out of the woods or are you taking the scope off and hunting with iron sights?

Rifle every time.

I’m coming out of the woods for another rifle. Most of my rifles don’t have iron sights, at least not the ones I use for game like deer. A “bad” rifle might need a group of 2” at 100 yards. That will still kill dead every shot. A busted or fogged scope and your SOL. For what it’s worth, in my now 44 years using a rifle to hunt deer between PA, NY and VT, I never once had a scope issue. But I buy Leupold scopes so that I won’t have any issues. 

[electric10162]

49 minutes ago, Bucksnbows said:

I’m coming out of the woods for another rifle. Most of my rifles don’t have iron sights, at least not the ones I use for game like deer. A “bad” rifle might need a group of 2” at 100 yards. That will still kill dead every shot. A busted or fogged scope and your SOL. For what it’s worth, in my now 44 years using a rifle to hunt deer between PA, NY and VT, I never once had a scope issue. But I buy Leupold scopes so that I won’t have any issues. 

Hunted in lots of places in lots of weather.....never an issue with Leupold. Saw guys have issues with Bushnell, Meopta, and others. Ruins your hunt quick 

[nmc02]

Rifle....no doubt. Rather have a good rifle w cheap scope than crap rifle w great scope 

[bman940]

I hunt and used to shoot a lot (ammo prices). I do local competitions and usually hunt in TX/OK/KS every year. Through all of this, I have yet to come across one guy in the filed who has had an optic failure.  In KS we have had sleet on our objectives lens that was easily wiped away, but never an internal issue. These days I have switched many of my scopes out to Europen manufacturer, Meopta. They make great scopes and don't outsource major components so you know you are getting a well made optic. By not outsourcing major parts, you truly can't beat their quality to price ratio either. Optika5 for hunting and Optika6 for my longrange shooting/carbine competitions. 

[TDietz]

I did most of my rifle shooting in the 70s and the average/cheap guns of today are way better than the average guns being made then. So I would lean towards an average rifle with a great scope. On an ar15 I would put a red dot 

[Nomad]

People use telescopes on their rifles? I thought you were supposed to use iron sites.

[electric10162]

12 hours ago, nmc02 said:

Rifle....no doubt. Rather have a good rifle w cheap scope than crap rifle w great scope 

Good rifle is worthless if the scope is fogged. I've seen grown men cry over missing a chance at a buck of a lifetime.

[BowhunterNJ]

A highly accurate rifle with a bad scope will shoot terrible.  An acceptably accurate rifle (100% killzone) will maintain its accuracy with a quality scope.