Ok when it comes to handgun scopes I think Leupold is the best however I only have two due to the cost. When it comes to be best value for the money I think Burris is probably the best. (They even seem to hold up good on the big boys).

So I have these and rate them in this order
1. Leupold
2. Burris
3. Nikon
4. Weaver
5. Bushnell
6. Simmons

So if Leupold is the best why would you I anything else the easy answer cost--- the second answer I usually buy a good inexpensive scope for the new guns. This way I can take it to the range try it out and see if I think I am going to like it. Once I have worked the new out of it I will either sell it or put it in the do not swap pile. If I sell it no great loss on the scope (you never seem to get you money back out of the scopes) With that said what is the best scope for the money. I am leaning hard to the Burris camp.

Any other opinions

Actually i have a bushnell trophy 2-6x32 on my super 14 30-30 ack and love it its clear and stays true. Still paid $164 for it though. Never owned a leupold they just cost too much , and for what that little gold ring. Anymore quality is an old wives tale and the cost of fuel is making it all too expensive. As far as i'm concerned its pretty hard to beat a burris!!!!

I agree with the order you have things in, the only variation would be when you bring the 3-12X Burris into the mix since leupold dosn't have one that high powered but I think Leupold takes Burris on the rest mostly because of the constant eye relief on the variables and the fixed power Leupold is more compact.jmo

1. Leupold - The best variable but cost too much, I have only one
2. Burris - Don't care for the eye relief, or lack thereof, had only one
3. Nikon - No personal knowledge, looked through in store, seemed OK
4. Weaver - Next to the Leupy IMO, clear as air, compact, good ER
5. Bushnell - Forgiving eye relief, nice glass, good price
6. Simmons - Don't know about their variable, but my 4x is OK
Honorable mention, Tasco 1.25-4x, don't laugh, I have these on a 10" Max and a 14" 45/70 and eye relief is great, glass is good, and they hold up. Anyone got one for sale ;-)

SCOPES, an interesting question. Ask ten people; get a whole bunch of answers. I own at least one of every example given except the Simmons. I didn't see the TC scopes mentioned. I have had 3 TC scopes, actually 2 but the one was replaced by TC and upgraded at no cost. It did not fail, but the inside coating had started to come off and flakes were getting on the glass. The scope was a fixed 4X rail mount. I sent it in with a little description as to what was going on. In less than 2 weeks a box shows up. In the box was a NEW 2-7 scope, Weaver base, and rings. A little yellow slip of paper that said "old scope not repairable, new scope, NO CHARGE".

I guess if I had to list them from 1 down, taking into consideration, use/abuse factor, clarity, and eye relief from my experience;

1 Leupold
2 Burris
3 Bushnell, Elite, then Trophy
4 TC
5 Nikon
6 Weaver

You mention cost. That sure is a factor when buying new. I try and keep a look out for the Leupold and Burris at gun shows and gun shops. Sometimes you can get a good used scope for as little or less than half what it's worth. I was lucky enough to pick up a Leupold silver 4X scope off a guy at work that was hard up for beer money. $50.00.

If I remember right, TC’s handgun scopes are made by Bausch & Lomb. Their riflescopes I think are made by Nikon.

I had a Burris scope that I thought was hard to use. But compared to the one I have now, it is night and day difference. I think they have come a long way with their product.

i have teo Leupolds variables and one 2x7 TC scope with a lite reticle. i love both companies, but if i can find another TC scope with the lighted reticle, i will but it. the eye releaf is good, the glass seems great and the lighted reticle really helps early and late in the day. with it, i can find the cross hairs early in the morning.

Hi there Hunlee here!!!Hunlee have 2-6x power Bushnell for 375 Windchester barrel and Hunlee allso have 3-12x power Burris on 7-30 water barrel!!!!Hunlee like Bushnell butt now that 3-12x power Burris came to Hunlee it is Burris all the way!!!!!They is big differance betweenst 2-6x power and 3-12x power!!!!!Burris allso have PA on they barrel and Bushnell not have this!!!!PA is very good for Hunlee when shooting out at long range with 7-30 Water barrel!!!!Hunlee is friend to all,,,has fathered many children,,,is very good looking,,,and has a fat belly

hunlee

At the risk of sounding like a politician, which I'm totally sick of hearing about at this point. Which is best is matter of what caliber and type of gun it's going on in my opinion.

For a big game hunting revolver it's hard to beat the Leupold 2.5x8, Bushnell Elite 2x6, Nikon 2.5x8, or the T/C 2.5x7. They are all great scopes.

For a small game hunting revolver or semi-auto any of the above manufacturers scopes in 2x or 4x. Small bore revolvers are often small framed guns and the variables tend to make them feel unbalanced to me.

For a single shot pistol in a big game caliber I prefer something in 2.5x7 up to the 3x12. I prefer Burris for my contenders but have the Leupold on my Encore .416 Taylor. I honestly doubt the Burris will hold up to that amount of recoil for a long time and I had a bit of a problem with not enough vertical adjustment when I mounted it on the Taylor so it ended up wearing a Leupold.

For single shots in varmint calibers the 3x12 Burris is the only way to go.

I have no experience with the Weaver line so I can't really comment but I hear they are pretty nice.

For a pretty complete list of scope specifications visit this page, Scope Specs. Page

I have tried about every piece of glass on the market for handguns and to date the Burris has been as good as you can get for the money.

I have a 3X9 and a 3X12 Burris and both are very good.
For rifle scopes I am a leupold fan. [I own 6]

Low power pistol scopes Nikon is ok

The big issue is that the choice is so limited.

Well the good news is that there may be a couple of new scopes on the market in the next year. No I can't tell you from what company but they should be excellent scopes.

I like the Burris as well but I prefer a lighter scope on a revolver. The Burris 2x7 weighs 13oz. while the Leupold 2x5x8 weighs 8.3oz. The Burris 3x9 (no longer available) and the 3x12 are even heavier at 16oz.

Gary I am sorry if I reopened an old wound. However I was just trying to get a data point on what I thought to be true. I wound up getting several. I would say that I have confirmation that Burris is most likely the best “Value” for the handgun. One thing did surface in my mind as a result of this post. The complexity and application of handgun scopes change dramatically when you go from fixed to variable. I only have one variable. All the others are fixed 2X or 4X I just like the simplicity of the fixed power. However for those shooting long-range guns xp’s and such a fixed power scope would almost be like putting golf cart tires on a 4 wheel drive 4 wheeler--- you really limit the application. However for revolvers it seems a bit over the top to put anything over 4X on it. Just my opinion. Any how I thank everyone for the feedback

BUG, you didn't open an old wound. This is a very worth while discussion in my mind. Hunting handguns can be very specialized pieces of gear and people set them up based on what they perceive their needs to be.

Hopefully our discussion has served to inform others about the different preferences and considerations when selecting a handgun scope. Armed with good information they can select a scope that will meet their needs including the budgetary requirements.

I have used fixed and variables in every power range there is and I've decided what meets my needs. I hunt in a lot of relatively open country so I like a little more power than a lot of other folks. That doesn't mean my needs are the same as your needs or anyone else's. In the past few years I've used an iron-sighted gun on many occasions because I didn't feel a scope was necessary and I didn't want the additional bulk of a scope.

Gary said it best, great post with lots of info.

Scopes and applications are as diverse as the individual.

Hey BUG, if we really want to open this up lets talk rifle scopes on handguns!! LOL<LOL

I love all of my Leupolds and have them on every make and model including a .50AE Desert Eagle that has destroyed two other scopes made by makers on your list and a Leupold/Gilmore red dot. I would be hard pressed to go with anything other than Leupold at this point as I've had a Bushnell that literally fell apart on a .44 Desert Eagle. Also, if you can find one, the old Simmons Gold Medal line are great values for the money, but I haven't bought any of their more recent models so I can't say how I'd rate them.

I only have reasonable experience with the Leupold 2x and 4x and the Burris 2-7. I like all of them fairly well and favor the Leupys because of their simplicity and light weight. The Burris is nice in good light, but fairly heavy and I find that anything over 4x on it is useless at low light. The FOV seems to get washed out by the light making viewing thru the scope difficult.

I have two Burris scopes so far but wouldn't mind trying a Bushnell Trophy 2x-6x on my 30-30 AI barrel.

The Leupold is the best scope in the world. And thier made right here in Oregon and we all know the best things come from Oregon. LOL
I have only owned one and that was the only one that didn't break when it was on my .375 H&H Mag. rifle. I'm sold on them and when I can afford one it will go on my SBH Hunter.

Hunlee allso reelily like Leupold scope butt they not offer AO in they scope for pistol....If you shoot out long range like Hunlee you need AO!!!!!Hunlee think if Leupold have AO on pistol scope they have about best going!!!!Hunlee have 4x power Leupold pistol scope once and paralex was very bad at certian yardage and this make groups from 375 Windchester of hunlee little bigger than should be!!!!This is very reason hunlee sell 4x power Leupold pistol scope!!!!Now that Hunlee have nice3-12x power Burris Hunlee is very happy and very proud!!!Hunlee stand very tall,,,,is very good looking and has fathered many children

HUNLEE

Lot of good talk on pistol scopes. I have at least one of each, but it is a toss up between the Leupold and Burris. Of all I have had only one scope come apart and require repair, a Burris 2x. The cross hairs came apart on my Ruger BH Hunter in .45 Colt. Sent it back and they paired it with no problems and returned in short order. I was pleased.

The one I am impressed with the most is the Burris Posi-lock Ballistic Plex. I have a 2x-7x-32mm on my TC G2, .375 JDJ barrel. This is by far my heaviest recoil handgun in my safe. I feel that the locking mechanism has performed as advertized.

In my opinion you get what you pay for with all optics. I have a Tasco, Bushnell, and Burris on various contender barrels and a Bushnell and Weaver on a rifle. The Burris is the best but I paid twice as much for it as the others. The Burris did have defect that revealed itself after I moved the scope from a 30-30 barrel to my 375 JDJ. After 6 shots the scope internals failed but Burris fixed it quick and after 20-30 rounds no problems have arised. If money did not matter I would put a Burris on all my guns but not the ones I use in heavy cover. Which leads me to my next point. In my opinion if you plan to hunt where your shot are less than 50 yards use iron sights. I have missed a couple of bucks because of the limited field of view at 15-20 yards with the handgun scope. I have a 44mag barrel and 45-70 without scopes for the heavy cover hunting now.

You bring up a good point Dad. I have had to go to my woodsgun when the shot is very close, inside 20 yards. With these old eyes I can still make a good shot out to 25 or 30 yards with open sites.

Anything beyond that Is a tough shot for me.

It is hard, but it also requires practice. I would say 50% of my game has been shot under 30 yards in heavy cover with a scope. I have the scope because it adds shooting time at dusk and dawn. But that is something that I definitely practiced. Right now I can hit the bottom of a coke can at 25 yards off hand with my scoped SRH. I would feel comfortable shoot a deer under those circumstances. But I have practiced that scenarios!

On the flip side I do agree about being able to shoot with open sights. I have two hunting handguns that will never see a scope. A Ruger MII Comp. with a 6 in barrel and a SBH with a 4 5/8 in barrel. I think the main thing is doing what feels comfortable to you and practice it. But that is just my .02 cents.

Food for thought, the VP of Burris is a handgun hunter!

The following is a list of scopes that failed on my Freedom Arms
454 with a 7 1/2" barrel....T`SOB base and rings.
1) Basch & Lomb 2-6X Elite. The scope tube came apart
from the turrent. They replaced w/2-6 Firefly
2) Burris 4X. The otics went south. Repaired for free
3) Leupold 2.5-8X The optics and settings went south
Repaired for free on two different scopes
Any brand scope thats used on a hard kicking handgun , thats fired alot, will eventually fail because of all the recoil forces involved. What I have found that works best for me is to
install the best quality ( highest priced ) scope on my hardest
kicking handguns like my 454 of 475, which would be my Leupold`s.
My 44mags and lower calibers carry Burris or whatever is available to me. The point of this being that the harder kicking
the handgun...the higher quality (price) scope should be installed.James
PS-its funny but the longest lasting scope that I used on my FA 454 was the
disconntinued Redfield 2-6X.

Goodness! Two failed Leupold 2.5x8?? I've just topped one of my .44mags with such a scope and I certainly want it to keep itself together despite a heavy fodder for the gun. Lifetime warranty is always a good thing though...

I don't understand why yours broke, that is almost unheard of. The QA guy must have been a sleep when those when by him.

Scopes are mechanical devices and any of them can break. Scopes typically fail at two times. 1. Within the first rounds. 2. At about 500 rounds. If they go past 500 rounds or so then they will usually last a long time.