I haven't seen anyone say illuminated reticles were a gimmick. But 36 color options come at a price, as do different reticle options. No $50 red & green reflex sight can hold a candle to an RMR in durability, reliability, repeatability or battery life. Again, for a range toy, eh, no biggy. For something that needs to work when I need it, hard pass.
Yes there is. I've already covered some of it, but another column where cheap scopes come up short is adjustment repeatability. Sorry, but unless you happen to find some kind of blowout liquidation, you don't get a good scope for $80. You get something that's a bit better than a $40 scope.
Unless we're talking about Elite series, saying "I chose UTG over Bushnell" doesn't exactly demonstrate that you're a discerning optics buyer. Most Bushnell scopes aren't very good, especially the ones that come on budget rifles at Walmart.
Again, yes, they are. $80 is a cheap optic. Honestly, twice that is still a cheap optic.
Back to not being discerning. If you can't tell the difference between your $80 bug buster and a Leupold VX-III, nothing I can say will help you.
The "does it cost more because it's better or is it better because it costs more?" argument is loaded with fallacies from both the snobby crowd and the cheapskates. A more accurate platitude is "you don't always get what you pay for, but you never get what you don't pay for."
Unless you're shooting squirrels in the eyeball to make stew, there's not much reason to use any magnified optic inside 100 yards. But yeah, even a cheap POS with a wandering zero isn't gonna seem that bad at such close range. I own a number of cheap optics. Most of them are either on equally cheap rimfire guns or collecting dust. UTG, NCStar, Simmons, BSA, etc.
You seem to have convinced yourself that cheap stuff works just as well as much more expensive quality stuff. Any for some people, it does. These are also the people who buy & fill their tool box at Harbor-Freight and then carry on about how MAtco & Snap-On are overpriced junk, no better than their $20 Taiwanese wrench set. Or rave about how their $70 Costco tire is every bit as good as the $200 Goodyear or Firestone.
Guess what? They're not. It ain't a matter of opinion, it's a fact. The cheap stuff may be good enough for some uses, some people, but the equal of premium products it isn't.
I'm as cheap as the next guy, always like to get the best value I can for my money that I work 80 hour weeks running two businesses for whilst raising 4 kids. I buy a lot of used and NOS, especially machine tooling. The 13" Yamakawa 4 jaw chuck on my big lathe is a $1,200 chuck. I just happened to get it for $350. That's something to gloat about. But bragging up the $150 Shars 5" 3 jaw I stuck on my mini lathe as being just as good as the $650 Bison or Buck I couldn't justify for the machine's purpose would be asinine.
Oh for Christ sake lol. No I do not need you to tell me the difference between a Leopold or a UTG. You are throwing around a whole lot of pure Pompous BS. Lol, and I buy Micheline tires Big Guy. I have ownd a Leopold as well as other higher end scopes, In fact I mentioned a few that I do own. I do not buy from Harbor freight,(not that there is anything wrong with that) I think Bushnell scopes suck at least at the lower end. Have had only one in my lifetime, a Bushness Banner. Do not ever remember how I came across it, or even where it is.I believe it came with a cheap air gun I bought for my son when he was young. Sorry, not as great as your are at shooting Squirrels at 100 yds. Don't even think I have shot one that far off or want to. But then I am not as great a shot as you. Gee, must be nice to have such great eyes that you do not even need a scope at 100 yds. Part of your greatness I presume.
I could care less about your chuck or your lathe. I think NCStar, Simmons and BSA are cheap scopes, and never once said anything about them. Actually have never owned one, So I will not run my mouth about them. Look, you do not like UTG, fine, so do not buy one. I never buy cheap, I seldom buy high end. I usually look for quality at a reasonable price. And yes I even wear a Timex watch. Have had the same for more years than I can remember. Have swam with it in the Ocean, ran with it, fished with and it has taken a beating. I thought I would throw that in, so you can tell us all how we are so much lower than yourself. And Please do not go off on what great watch you have. Not really interested.
And,By the way, Your comment toward the IZH that I have convinced myself that cheap stuff works, shows that you know nothing about Air rifles any more than you do scopes. I am sure that is the first you ever saw or heard of a IZH MDL 60. If you had, you would not have made such a ignorant statement. Might actually take the time to learn about them before making a judgement. That statement alone said a whole lot about your knowledge of anything.. Yes I am big into Airguns. And I buy quality. Have not bought one in years that was under $600. . But I am sure you know more about them than I do.
The OP started this by saying Illuminated scopes were Gimmicky. I responded they were not, many manufactures make them including Leopold etc. And I said UTG is a nice scope for the money and it is. It is a nice budget scope. And I said it is very rugged and it is! !! !!! I proved that by owning them. You started off with a lot of BS about how they fall apart in every way etc. Sorry Big Guy, that was a complete untruth, total BS, nonsense.
No Mr. Consumer reports, it is not to be compared to high end scopes.
And not one person here needs your to explain the difference.Most of the posters here have been using scopes since we were kids. None of us need a class from you.If there is a newbie or beginner that wants to lean about scopes, I know of a lot better sources than yourself to go to.
Sounds like you like you are the one bragging about yourself. Some need to tell us all about your Machine skills, your gun smith skills, your lathes, your consumer buying greatness etc? Don't care about how many kids you have, how many jobs you have or your erudition of other folks that do not buy as smart as you do. At least I do not hear them bragging about themselves.
Man, thank God, I did not say I bought something from
Harbor Freight. I feel sorry for anyone that has, knowing how your would come out of the work work to tell them about your great tools and how stupid they are.
By the way, Mr. Consumer Reports, Never heard of a Costco tire. Maybe you could tell us all about them and give a class on what tire to buy. Hope you don't mind if I pass.
How about we just move on? I am already tired about talking about scopes, don't really care about what you think of the UTG etc. The OP was simply talking about reticles being illuminated. You want to talk about Reticles, There are pages upon pages that can fill books about them. Go for it!
This has gone on long enough. I suggest if you want to continue to just pm me rather than continuing this here. I get the point, you do not have any use for the UGH, that is fine. (And please refrain from cheesy expressions like ("Discerning buyer")
Also while we are at it, here is another Baikal Mdl.46. Made by the same company that made the little rifle above. And I bet you know more about this gun than I do. Yea, it is another cheap gun. Would run about $6-$700 if you could even find one. And yes, touted as good a gun costing 3 times as much. I won't get into the accuracy. I sure you would just bash it anyway.
