Re: Bushnell 2.5-16x 6500 ELITE VS 3-18x IOR.....
Mr. Humble,
I had no problem with your references to Optics Talk. Good call. It was the rest I had a problem with.
Of course I know the difference between good glass and not so good. I've owned and used scopes by Zeiss, S&B, Nickel Supra (there's a blast from the past), Lyman, Baush & Lomb, Bushnell, Leupold, Redfield, Weaver, Burris, Nikon, SWFA, Falcon, and more I can't remember.
Am I an "expert" nope. Just 45 years of experience using scopes. And I know the limitations of a Falcon, and it's not an S&B, nor does it pretend to be.
The point being, your Tikka's accuracy has precious little to do with the S&B mounted on top. There are probably more than a dozen scope makes that would do the same damn thing. You could put your S&B on a H&R Topper, but that would not make it 1/2 MOA shooter would it?
Sure you get what you pay for, and that is especially true of optics. But don't look down your nose at someone who has a $1k rifle, and can only pony up the green for a $600. scope. Your opinion on how much one should spend on a scope was uncalled for, and not asked.
You have experience and you have the knowledge to be an asset; use those skills to help educate new shooters and not discourage them by saying "you have to spend twice as much on your scope than you do on your rifle". What kind of claptrap is that? I guess if a shooter orders a new Rifle from GAP or Tac Ops, he won't be able to scope it until someone develops a Tactical scope costing at least $6K......bummer.
If a $1k scope is the best that someone can afford, what do we say to them? Wait another year or two to shoot your damn rifle until you can afford a USO, Nightforce or S&B? "Buy once cry once" is a good slogan, and has a nice ring to it; but what we really should be saying is "buy the best damn optics you can afford".
And sometimes that means you pony up right away and buy that USO or S&B; and other times it means buying that "POS" Falcon, Bushnell, or Nikon.
I hope that is OK with you, Sir.
Thanks,
Bob