The Ugly Truth About Budget Optics and Gear...

Comments · 1.3K

• BI

  @billalumni9142 · 1 year ago (edited)

  The owner of Gideon optics had a great video on just this subject.  He was being interviewed about his red dots and the first question he was asked was, 'So this is the best Red Dot on the market right'.  He looked at the interviewer and said, "Noooo, that would be a Trijicon or Aim Point'.  He then went into very great detail on where the money goes for Trijicon or Aim Point and that their optics need to be able to handle pressure changes of going up to 25,000 feet then jumping out and landing and going under 30 feet of water and still function flawlessly.  He pointed out his optics are not designed to do that and therefore can be made much cheaper.  Really a great video about how and why manufacturers make the choices they do and then what they can charge for them and still remain in business.

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• RA

  @Rancott · 1 year ago

  My budget dictates the brand of optics I can purchase.

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• BR

  @briannewton2778 · 1 year ago

  Theres a reason theres a range of price, there absolutely is a range of quality. &nbsp;But a rule of thumb i use with most things: 20% of cost gets you 80% of the quality. &nbsp;So you have to pay 80% to get that last 20% of quality. &nbsp;<br><br>The questions becomes: how much is that 20% worth to you?

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• JO

  @joshjohnson1653 · 1 year ago

  @ the 24-minute mark is the most important part of this video. If you never want to spend that $3000 on an optic it wasn&apos;t made for you! I shoot on a budget and my $350 Arken allows me to shoot more. Is it a nighforce? No. ZCO? Definitely not. However, I have been able to shoot 1000s of more rounds because of my choice. It works for ME! Not everyone. If you wanna send one my way of any scope I&apos;d take it. Just not in the cards for me.

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• DB

  @db-xp6zw · 1 year ago

  I&apos;m no elitist here, I&apos;ll be the first to admit that sometimes budget optics is the answer just because of someones current financial situation. &nbsp;Having said that there is obviously a reason that these higher end companies exist. &nbsp;Can I get by with an $900ish vortex viper, absolutely. &nbsp;Would I like a 2k or higher nightforce? Best your a** I would. &nbsp;But at the end of the day shoot what you got or can get and as you outgrow it move to bigger and better. &nbsp;Budget optics will take you to a certain point and IF you progess beyond that then upgrade.

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• BO

  @bobmccune9381 · 1 year ago

  Thanks for all the training you offer all of us at no costs. Many of us have to stretch to spend 3000 on a car to drive to work. 600 is all we have for an optic. Thanks for the honesty. &nbsp;That is worth more than money.

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• 22

  @224valk4 · 1 year ago

  My Arkens &amp; vortex scopes are good enough to hit steel @ 1,000yrds. Ot allows me to launch prairie dogs airborne at 4-500 yards!! Works for me, and if it doesn&apos;t. The lifetime warranty will send me another one!

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• GA

  @garrettsayger1275 · 1 year ago

  The $5-600 optic is directly on par with the absolute top of the line 20 years ago. I think the main grip from people that don’t see the value in spending $2500 on an optic is that the optics &nbsp;industry will have you believe that anything less than the top of the line will not serve you well. Many people did much more with much less. I think it’s fair to reject the marketing and just be informed while buying what works for your own purposes. Arken and vortex strike eagle type optics are fine for almost everyone. If your eyes are terrible, of course, better glass. But no, I don’t think most people need anything over $1000.

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• IM

  @iMatthew98 · 8 months ago

  I bought an EP5 because of your review. It works great for me and I had $2500 to spare on ammo for more range time.

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• MI

  @mike6252 · 1 year ago

  I count myself as one fortunate guy who can own some amazing gear! I own optics ranging from Vortex Strike Eagle&apos;s to a Tangent Theta. There&apos;s a place for gear of every price range but if you really want to be the best rifleman you can be the quality gear is gonna set you up for success! <br><br>I often chafe when the cult of the &quot;good enough&quot; standard begins to take over the conversation... I understand and respect that not everyone can afford the best gear. But the law of diminishing returns applies to everything in life! I have multiple budget friendly optics that I use and enjoy! However, I don&apos;t hold them to the same standard when it comes to what my entire rifle system is capable of. <br><br>I admire Gary for being a man of integrity and giving us the straight up answer to this topic! Keep up the great work! <br><br>BTW, I happened to notice you have a beautiful Accuracy International ATX/ATXC behind you... When are you becoming an AI dealer?!?! Hahahaha! Take care!

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• MA

  @markbryan2287 · 1 year ago (edited)

  I have been shooting since I was about 8. I&apos;m 60 now. After the very basics one of the things my father taught me was that in the area of optics, the old adage reigns true. You get what you pay for. Optics like many other productd have advanced exponentially since I was eight, but that still is a fact. Not saying if you&apos;re not made of money you can&apos;t get decent products. With that said there is a big difference in decent and excellent products.

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• DA

  @darrylryder8114 · 1 year ago

  Finally! Someone finally said what everybody that has shot behind in Arken has learned. Even my maven scope I Can See Clearly at a thousand yards and it&apos;s only a $1,500 scope, they are definitely not a long range scope. They get dark really really quickly and the eye box is so small

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