Home AR-15 $200 Scope vs. $3,000 Scope

$200 Scope vs. $3,000 Scope

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In this video, I compare 3 rifle scopes ranging from $200 through $3,000.
Arken LH4: (Code “texasplinking” saves 25%)
Blackhound: (Code”texasplinking” 15% off)
Vortex Razor:

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47 COMMENTS

  5. I believe this are better brand.
    Please stay away from discovery scopes.
    So called Life Time warranty sucks!!!

    This are definitely better options.

  7. I’ve kinda become an optics snob in the last several years since my career has grown and I’ve had a small amount of disposable income (and a discount).

    I put a Viper Pst Gen 2 5×25 on my Bergara Wilderness Terrain 7mm Rem mag, and I really wanna upgrade my 338 Lapua mag.

    I want a Razor Gen 3 6×36 with the Vortex 4000 Ballistics calculator, as well as a suppressor and a new trigger group for my Ruger rpr.

    Really expensive I know, but $7500 or so total in a 338 Lapua Mag isn’t all that unbelievable. The most unbelievable thing would be the weight, I’m pretty sure it would be a 23-25# setup with all of it combined.

  11. I bought a 338 lapua and a vortex. I went to sight it in, I went through 3 boxes of ammo until I realized the scope wasn't staying true. Went back to the store swapped it for a nightforce and after 200 rounds the scope stays true. Just my experience.

  12. I’m reading all the comments and most are justifying not buying the $3000 dollar scope that can actually be found for $2200 with discount codes. My buddy bought one from EuroOptic yesterday actually with a 25% discount code which is VTXLMTLS25. The vortex is just a better scope . You won’t even need to buy a spotting scope that’s how damn nice the glass is . Save up and don’t skimp yourself.

  13. Excellent comparison video. I haven't seen anybody else put this subject to rest. I have Four of their scopes EP-8 1-8×28 LPVO FFP Illuminated Reticle – 34 mm, $399 X2, EP-5 5-25X56 FFP Illuminated Reticle with Zero Stop – 34mm Tube $529, and SH4 6-24X50 GEN2 FFP VPR Illuminated Reticle with Zero Stop – 34mm Tube $339. I also bought their mounts, bubbles… But just haven't had the time to mount them on my rifles. One last scope I am going to buy from them is their night thermal scope with range finder: ZULUS HD 5-20R Day/Night Digital With Laser Rangefinder And Ballistic Calculator which retails for $933 minus 25% off $699.

  14. Great video Brandon. Lots of great points made. Here's my thought on it. Unless you're a professional competition shooter that is consistently scoring in the top 10, you've got NO business throwing away 3K on a damn scope! I've played around with some of the most expensive scopes in the world and they ARE VERY VERY NICE. However, they're not worth 3K+ US dollars. The shooting public has been duped by the lies of "great glass"! Yes you need GOOD quality glass, but there's no glass worth 3K+ US dollars. There's just no point to spending more than 7 or 800 bucks on a scope, it's just dumb. The only reason there are scopes costing 3K+ is because suckers believe the hype and throw away their money. It's what happens when guys don't understand or appreciate the value of their dollars.

  16. I get the pay as much for a good optic as the gun if you are shooting long distances regularly or need very high precision. Where I deer hunt, you would be lucky to get a 150 yd shot, so putting a $3000 optic on a 150 yd gun is just insane. There is a point where depending on your needs, high end just isn’t worth it. Not to mention, the many shooters could never come close to having the correct discipline to make a 1000 yd shot no matter what optic is on the gun, which negates the need for a precision optic of that caliber.

  24. Athlon makes very good scopes for lots less than Vortex, I have a 1-4x Talos that is outstanding and a 4-14x Talos that is better than $800 scopes.. I also have a Primary Arms 4-14x scope also that is very good.

  25. Fortunately I took advantage of picking up a Nikon P223 BDC for my AR15 and a Nikon P308 BDC for my AM10 before they were discontinued. Both were right at $200, had excellent optics and coatings allowing 98% light transfer, lots of windage and elevation adjustment (100 MOA for the P223 and 60 MOA for the P308), and turrets resettable to zero. Only things they're lacking is zero stop and they're not first focal plane but I can live with that for their price range. The BDC on the P308 is Nikon’s popular BDC 800 reticle was specifically engineered for the 168-grain HBT Match bullet at 2,680 fps but their app allows you to plug in just about every bullet made for the .308/7.62 and atmospheric condition to give you the altered hold at the distance you are shooting. Same with the P223. I don't know why Nikon stopped making these excellent scopes but I'd guess they weren't making much money on them at that price point.

  26. I got my first optic when I was 18, $100 truglo. It holds zero and it works. Still use it on some rifles, even holds up to 308 surprisingly. Covered turrets (it matters to me) basic cross hair and no illumination, bare bones basic but does what it needs to.

  32. It also depends on where you live. Here in North Georgia, you can’t see beyond 200 yards before a hill or some trees blocking your view. With that, you don’t need something like a 3.5K NF! Yes, my local shop has them, but even the store clerks admit they’re overkill in Georgia. They recommend a Trijicon Creedo for my DD5V4 at $1,200. But after a bit, I’m now thinking another Sig Tango MSR first focal plane 1-10x LPVO for my DD5 and save $600. Simply put, you don’t need a super high tech scope here.

  33. I wonder where my Sightron lies. I bought the old Sightron SIII 10x fixed mil-dot hash, made in Japan, Japanese glass, no chromatic aberration that I can see.. I got it for $300 on clearance on Midway since they stopped making that particular model. I was waiting for the Leupold M3 Ultra 10x to go down in price from $1200 and it never did. I feel like this scope is actually just as good… now both are discontinued.

  36. I've had a LH4 4-16 ordered since early January. I have 3 other Arken scopes, very good I wish they would send my LH4. They said 4 to 6 weeks when I ordered it . Been 8 weeks now ! Hmmmm you have one.!

  38. You compared apples to apples for sure, ALL the same quality/ALL made in the same place = identical scopes – just all the other overpriceing schmuck's companies bend you over & rams its so-called-"best"up your A$$ & don't even give it a second thought as rape,….whotex being the worse of all – they're charging VERY close to the same price as the Innovators – European Mfg'd. Optics companies charge for their TRUE investments, unlike all the rest in the industry which are just copied knock-offs of the Euro-Mfg'd Optics & are disposable, all you have to do is look at their warranty – they don't fix nothing, they just send you a new POS……lol

  41. A fool and his money is soon parted. A 3k scope? You can pay it. There are differences. $2800.00s worth unless you're a hitman or sniper? No. Seriously I've taken groundhogs at just over 400 yards with a 1960s Remington 700 243 Win with a 3×9 Redfield from the 1960s. I've taken deer with same set up , scoped shotguns and the like. Today's extreme market is complete overkill and snobbery.

  42. Great video. Appreciate this honest advice to get what you can afford and it will get you there for the average shooter. Always heard the “spend as much on the optic as the rifle” adage and it seems unnecessary these days with the advances in optics.

  45. I have an Arken EP5 5-25×56 and i have to say it's slightly better than my Vortex Viper HS-T 6x24x50. I will give the slight edge to Arken for the zero stop. Its alot easier to set it up. And parallax is better. Arken has come along way. And at least with my EP5 it uses Japanese glass

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