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Is it just me or has there been a deluge of "new" scope brands come on the market recently?
Sightmark, Vector, Swampfox, Crimson Trace, Zero Tech and more. Some of which are up there in pricing competing with the more "traditional" brands we are accustom to in NZ.
A lot coming from the same Japanese or Chinese factory.
These brands have all been out in the US for a while now, but yes there have been a huge influx of brands, and as Friwi pointed out they are all coming out of the same few factorys.
Nowdays, anybody with a bit of capital could start their own optical brand by subcontracting the production to one of those Asian factories and sorting out the marketing from their home country .
If you buy on price alone you will regret it.
You really are better sticking to the brands that have a record of good service when ya wreck something.
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So an Element, Athlon or Arken scope could well come out of the same factory as a Nikko Sterling, Bushnell or Vortex Makes it difficult to determine what is good value for money.
Some brands will spread the manufacturing. For example Vortex caters to wide range of prospective buyers from a few hundred bucks to their top end Razors so the cheaper ones may be Chinese, the mid range from the Philippines and the top end from LOW in Japan. A lot of Brands use LOW in Japan or Gushin in China but its the specification and tolerance's the brand asks and pays for that make the difference.
Long story short yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
The Element Theos and Nexus are made by the same company who make the Athlon Cronus, most Bushnells, Vortex Razor, most (if not all) Nightforce, Delta Stryker, Tract Toric, Maven, etc.
The Athlon scopes are made by the same company that makes the Vortex Strike Eagle and Venom scopes, the Bushnell Match Pro, many Element scopes, etc.
I'd say stick to the more better known brands, especially the ones with a NZ presence, unless you are looking for something in particular.
I'd happily by an Element or Arken scope in NZ, but would be a little more nervous with Riton, Swampfox, Blackhound etc, especially if you are importing one.
Country of origin isn't as important today and there are scome really good scopes coming out of the Philippines and China, and you can get a turd from Japan.
Alot of the atacrs are made in the states.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beetroot
Yes LOW optics do make a lot of nf products but under stringent Qc which you pay for.
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But is the extra you pay for quality control or the Night Force name????Quote:
Originally Posted by andyanimal31
The other end of this is outfits getting the components made to spec all over the planet and then shipped to a place for assembly. You see a lot of scopes with German glass, Asian made mechanical bits but assembled in the US and plastered in US flag stickers.
I dont know all the consumer laws in the usa but i know that a lot of there imported beef gets sold as product of the usa just because its packed thereQuote:
Originally Posted by No.3
I think there has to be a certain percentage of labour going into the product inside the US to qualify as US made, but most of the labour that seems to qualify is in assembly and not the actual component manufacturing. I know some of the older Minox scopes were like this, Schott glass, Chinese and Korean mechanical bits and parts, assembled in a Japanese contract manufacturing outfit and stamped "Made in Japan" then sold via the US...
Nightforce is quality!Quote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
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Made in USA/America criteria.
https://www.google.com/search?client...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
A bit of both, high end or low, there is always some money going toward the branding. Pay a bit more and you have the luxury of not having to suspend your disbelief if you want to believe the hype.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
You're pulling yourself rather vigorously if you don't think the name attracts a fair chuck of your dollar too.Quote:
Originally Posted by andyanimal31
There is a reason it is at the top of the heap, and it's not the name that put it there..Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwijames
Rugged reliable repeatable.
Thatz what counts .
Not many brands can do all three.
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Depends if you consider 'made' to be interchageable with 'assembled'.Quote:
Originally Posted by andyanimal31
Leupold has been putting out scopes that are on par with Chinese products (exemption being the MK5HD line), but priced 3-5x the cost for several years now.
Yup but the penalties are 1. Price 2. Less than stellar glass quality and 3. If you do happen to break one or get a lemon, it's a long wait for repair. Possibly weight depending on modelQuote:
Originally Posted by andyanimal31
Nightforce and /or Vortex!!!
Not only the quality but the warranty(s) that cone with them…. Haven’t tested the warranty as I’ve never had an issue……
Generally the term … “ you get what you pay for”….. there are plenty of reviews( if you take the time to read them).. and the testimony from forum authors here
Regarding Nightforce scopes and their origin/manufacture follow this link. https://riflescope-review.com/where-...-manufactured/
Don't forget it's an Ozzie company (Lightforce).Quote:
Originally Posted by woods223
Yes a subsidiary company of, based and producing scopes in USA since 1992.Quote:
Originally Posted by caberslash
Pretty amazing company owned by one family.Quote:
Originally Posted by woods223
They use what they make alot.
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Same true of Swarovski, but they actually 'make' their stuff...Quote:
Originally Posted by andyanimal31
There is VORTEX ( upper to top of the line products) and there is vortex ( the made in China bottom of the line stuff) same company but a product range miles apparts in quality and reliability.Quote:
Originally Posted by A330driver
It’ll be interesting to see what impact a 60% USA import tariff will have on Chinese manufactured ( but USA owned brands) products in the not too distant future. Should we be buying up now?
Attachment 265103Quote:
Originally Posted by Ponchorello
I have an Arken and a leupold vx3. The Arken shits over the leupold, everything is smoother clearer clicks are better. Would buy another for sure. Not sure what the warranty would be like tho but hopefully wont have to use it. Seem robust.
That tariff is a bargaining chip. Don’t get your hopes up of neckbearding and turning a profit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ponchorello
Actually I’m not “hoping or neckbearding” for anything, I’ve got all the scopes/ gear I need.Quote:
Originally Posted by 260madman
What I am saying is it’s a high probability the tariff proposals could impact prices to us ( negatively or positively). How that plays out is anyone’s guess. BUT if some is in the market to buy timing of purchase may be important.
The tariffs are not going to really change the price of Chinese stuff anywhere but the America, probably will only affect the things imported from America. China is already having a recession so I don't think they would want to lose any more customers. So we should be fine
New term for an old guy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ponchorello
Neckbeard" is a pejorative term and stereotype for an adult man or teenage boy who exhibits characteristics such as social awkwardness, underachievement, or pretentiousness.[1] The term is derived from the neck beard style of facial hair stereotypically associated with young men of more introverted dispositions,[citation needed] who may neglect social facial grooming and identify with nerd, gamer, or geek subcultures.[2] The term has also been associated with anti-feminist internet users.[3]
Wouldn't it be easier to use normal English?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tahr
Hahaha ��… must admit I had to look it up too… there’s some classic characters out there… I assume it relates to gamers or the like?? Not quite sureQuote:
Originally Posted by Tahr
So it was just poor grammar and the comment didn't need to be inserted in the sentence or make sense?
@Friwi…. You are correct,and that could very well be said about many products….. The vortex stuff I have is “supposedly” verified on the top end … I make sure it is,buy from reputable gun stores ,and check the batch and serial numbers,even calling them to verify…..
I buy from a local gun store,(14 scopes)….. never on the internet….and always try to verify the product,The guy I buy them from is very reputable….( Keith’s sporting goods)….. buyer beware is always an issue with these types of products,you just have to do your homework and buy from reputable sources
Attachment 265218
I shot the section22 match with DNT 7-35 scope the other day. The scope has a lot of improvements over the older Arken models (EP5 5-25 specifically).
- Better parallax control
- More refined 0.2mil subtension. (compare to 0.5mil on Arken EP5s)
- Better glass quality in terms of the CA.
