Rifle Scopes Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

[Jellybean]

Before I start, yes I understand that no matter how "good" any particular brand of optic is, it's still a mechanical object and can/will fail. I am also not trying to justify buying a certain brand. This is not about any of that.

I am currently researching scopes, and in the course of this I have been advised that it may be better to skip over the USO scopes, in favor of others like S&B, due to the USO's apparently having issues.
I have been reading around here and other forums, and there seems two be two opinions:
Group A raves about how awesome they are- yay for them

.
Group B states that there are problems, but I can't seem to find many places where they state EXCACTLY what the problems were. Just seems to be a lot of hearsay and rumor.

So, for the folks that have actually had issues, OR have seen them first hand- what EXACTLY went wrong?
(If there's a thread for this I missed, feel free to direct me there as well)

Compared to the other brands, would you consider US Optics a gamble?
Or generally reliable and just having had some random flukes that pop up now and then?

 

[microsuck]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have 3 of them. I havent been able to find a problem yet. And my rifle recently fell off my ATV and got driven over. Tested it afterwards and made a 1st round hit at 300 on a 4" steel plate. Guess it held zero when run over.

 

[KNIGHT11B4]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

USO is nothing close to a gamble. Ive have had several and continue to run them on my match rifle. Solid, durable, outstanding optics.

If something were to go wrong, USO has the best CS in the game.

 

[jbailey]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have 4 of them and never had a problem.

Is it the best glass? Probably not. Is it very good glass? YES. Do they have great customer service? Absolutely. Will they build you a scope however you want it? YES. Are they tough as nails? YES. Do they have some nice features and designs? YES (EREK is great). They are a tad big and heavy, but some of that is their toughness.

I gather that they had some QC issues that annoyed the hell out of some folks and those folks remain pissed. That is fine, that is what makes a free market. I would not let that deter you from purchasing one however, because USO CS will work hard to correct any issue that you might have (low probability of that based on my experience).

 

[hamstur]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

FWIW ... I recommend posting the timeframe of the issue, and if/how it was resolved.

Aside from the crowd who had 1 defect & spent the rest of their their lives pissing on a product ... there's also the crowd who can't get past known issues from years ago but has since been addressed.

Anyways, I've had 5 USOs pass thru my hands and still own 2. Zero mechanical & quality issues. I have high product confidence in them.

 

[RTH1800]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have two and like them both, neither have the glass of a S&B, but one is a MST 100. The other is the 3-17 SSDS, I like them.

 

[997/2man]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I own 6, three SN-4s and three SN-3s's. Had a T-Pal also (3-17x). Sent one back for a small problem, was fixed and returned in 3 weeks. I think that is pretty good turn around.

I like mine. I'll buy more in the future.

Good luck.

 

[Bedlam]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have an SN-3 and love it.

Very good in low light.
Love the EREK knob and zero stop.
Parallax adjustment is good.
Turrets are crisp and track well.
Shot in the rain and stored wet--nothing corroded.

ARD + sunshade together enabled me to shoot at angles very close to the direction of the sun during sunset without getting washout.

I do have one complaint. When I turn on the illumination, many many particles get illuminated too, as if there were dust inside. I cannot see the particles in any other scenario.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another or to recommend them.

 

[bcrich]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have the ST22 on my .50 and haven't had any problems (yet)but glad they are local incase I have to return it for repairs and would get another one if I had the $$.

 

[71firebird400]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I had a 3.2-17x44 TPAL. I was very disappointed in the resolution of the glass; it could not resolve small targets that much cheaper scopes of mine could. The EREK knob was great, but the US #1 Windage knob was vague in comparison. Other than that it was a great scope, but I moved on and purchased another NF to replace it.

 

[Jellybean]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hamstur</div><div class="ubbcode-body">FWIW ... I recommend posting the timeframe of the issue, and if/how it was resolved.

Aside from the crowd who had 1 defect & spent the rest of their their lives pissing on a product ... there's also the crowd who can't get past known issues from years ago but has since been addressed.

Anyways, I've had 5 USOs pass thru my hands and still own 2. Zero mechanical & quality issues. I have high product confidence in them. </div></div>

That crossed my mind as well- that maybe some of the chatter about whatever problems happened could be old news being regurgitated endlessly? I'm assuming like any other company USO had some teething issues when they started out....

Or do whatever issues there are keep popping up enough to warrant being brought up.
Although so far, all I seem to be hearing is slightly less than perfect glass, and tracking issues- and while those could be a big deal, nothing seriously catastrophic like stuff breaking off and generally self destructing.

 

[johnsta]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: microsuck</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have 3 of them. I havent been able to find a problem yet. And my rifle recently fell off my ATV and got driven over. Tested it afterwards and made a 1st round hit at 300 on a 4" steel plate. Guess it held zero when run over. </div></div>

That is impressive!

 

[Sapper524]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have several and they have served me well. The down side to USO is they are heavy and the erector boxes are big. For those looking for a slim/trim/lightweight scope look elsewhere. Mounting them can sometimes be an issue with the large erector box. In the past couple years a lot of new one piece mounts of various shapes and sizes have hit the market and made this easier to deal with. Otherwise ... I wish I could afford USO glass on all my rifles.

 

[Slickrick0999]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have one rifle with one scope. Now, I know that I will someday wish I had a backup rifle and scope, but right now I just have one.

My scope is a USO SSDS and has never let me down.

 

[shootist2004]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

Ive had 2 with no problems....its the only scope company where you can have one custom built.

 

[gebhardt02]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have owned two in the past, both had problems. The first one got water in the eye piece after being hosed off after a very dusty match. No it was not high pressure. USO was great to work with and told me to send it back. When I received the scope back from USO it went immediately into a water tank and leaked yet again. It was then sent back to USO for the second time. When I got that scope back was October some time in Eastern MT, either 2005 or 2006. The scope came indoors off the FEDEX truck and it was fogged up internally. I contacted John right away and he built me a new scope from scratch that day and sent to me, provided me with their FEDEX acct number to send the previous scope back. The new one was the second USO I had.

That particular scope did not have very good glass at all. I spent lots of time swapping back and forth between the USO, NF, and a Mark 4. The Mark 4 and NF had much better glass at all hours of the day. The USO would not give a clear sight picture or decent enough resolution. I was looking specifically at tree bark at 100-400 yards and target dots at 100. I'm not sure if the performance degradation was dut to the USO having a long eye relief or not, didn't matter to me. Both scopes had ERGO adjustment.

On the plus side, yes USO took very good care of me. The adjustments of both scopes were spot on every time. I didn't feel though that for the money spent I should have had any of these issues. That second USO was replaced with a NF.

 

[broke_again]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

Nearly everyone I shoot with owns and uses one. I previously had a 5-25 that was loaded. The only thing that I did not like about it was the milestone feature.

I currently have a 3.2-17 being built that will be loaded also, to include a custom reticle.

If you want custom features, USO is the way to go!

 

[buckey]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I'd say the biggest two are:

Schmidt & Bender

NightForce

 

[bengates]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I've had 6 or 7 USO's and really enjoyed them. My issues were mostly with QC issues. One of the scopes had a large hair on the reticle - it was really big! I sent it back, but I was frustrated that I even had to send back something that should have been caught in the first place. Two other scopes also had fuzz in the lenses, but they were not as bad as the large hair.

I currently have an SN6 that has a LOT of play in the magnifier adjustment. It moves about 1/8 inch back and forth before actually engaging the adjustment mechanism - it's pretty annoying and I'm sure I'll be sending it back to USO shortly.

Finally, I noticed that the TPAL parallax was noticeably less clear than the ERGO parallax scopes. I've hear that this is pretty common with USO, but I've also heard that they have since gotten better at this, but I have yet to take the chance to get another one and find out.

So, these are the specific issues that I've had, but I still have a sweet spot for USO because they are built in the US, they are pretty tough, and they are fully customizable. However, I'm now using S&B's on my precision rifles because I've not had these kind of issues with S&B's. I will likely try another 5-25 USO in the near future to see if they're any better.

 

[steve123]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 71firebird400</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I had a 3.2-17x44 TPAL. I was very disappointed in the resolution of the glass; it could not resolve small targets that much cheaper scopes of mine could. The EREK knob was great, but the US #1 Windage knob was vague in comparison. Other than that it was a great scope, but I moved on and purchased another NF to replace it. </div></div>

This mirrors my experience. In the end I learned something about myself, I prefer lightweight-ish scopes. It would be awesome to see them come out with a lightweight line of scopes with 10 mil knobs and 10Y parallax.

They were very nice people to deal with and are very generous with donating certificates at tactical match's. USO and their scopes have many things about them that are great, especially CS.

 

[chrfuh]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I had a 3.2-17 with EREK and ERGO once. After owning it for a couple months, debris showed up on the interior glass surfaces. Sent it in (#1), and received it back. I took it out to shoot. Again, stuff showed up on the lenses again. Sent it back in (#2). Took the scope out to shoot. Again, debris found it's way onto the interior lense surfaces. Sent it in AGAIN (#3)!! There is NO excuse for that with any scope. Much less with a $2000 scope. That is also the only scope I've ever had an issue with, ever....That was approximately 3 years ago.

 

[ggmanning]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have 4 and have owned 7. Had some internal grease smudge the lense on one. That was my first one, an 05 build, that I bought heavily used. It came back to me in about 2 weeks looking brand new at no charge. That kind of CS on an obviously heavy use scope that I was the third owner is rare. I have had no other issues on any others I have owned. I have found the ones I use to be tough with spot on adjustments. Glass is not that of a SB but not much out there is on par optically with SB. They are are also heavy and long comparitively. For me they represent the best blend of quality, durability, cost and CS. On top of that USA made is a plus. Everybody has different needs in a scope and choice is good. As far as a gamble......not even close in my opinion. That said there are some fine scopes out there and SB is surely at or near the top of the heap, but USO is very good and meets the needs I have for my scopes perfectly.

 

[RemingtonSPS]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have had two. One of them functioned perfect. Both of them had subpar glass.

I was at a competition and among all the shooters there we had a Schmidt and bender, premier heritage, mark 4, nightforce, and a Uso. We got the idea to compare them at the same power for edge to edge clarity and resolution. The s&b had only a slight edge over the premier but compared to the rest it was the clear winner. The order I listed them above was the order we all ranked them.

My conclusion was, if you are a mil guy, the s&b is by far the way to go. If you are picky about the features Uso is the way to go. If you prefer an moa setup then nightforce is the way to go.

Now that nightforce has the hi speed turrets I sold my Uso and went back to nightforce.

 

[BigJimFish]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

My current long range scope is a USO. I have owned or had friends who I shoot with own at least 8 of them. I may be forgetting a few. All of these have had excellent glass though I have only had them side by side with Zeiss, March, and Leupold Mark 4 stuff and not S&B or PR. Having bought the three I personally purchased used, I did not pay S&B prices anyway but rather, Nightforce or less. USO's can be had for very nice prices for those with patience and who are not totally set on a specific configuration. I eventually sold two of the three I bought and didn't loose anything on either.

Only one of the 8 scopes I have used had any problems. It had a speck of dust on the reticle from paint they use to prevent stray light problems. This seems to be a common issue for USO. I did not send the scope back because I didn't think it was a big deal. The speck was only visible below about 5x and I had purchased that scope at an insane price to sell anyway. The illumination knob on this scope was also a bit looser than I would prefer but functioned fine. I have noticed some variation in the firmness of the illumination controls. This variation does not seem to be present in the elevation and windage adjustments. The speck of dust issue was present in the the oldest and most used USO I have encountered.

In summary, in 8 scopes I have encountered 1 1/2 issues. This issue an a half did not effect the scopes functionality. The scopes I have used are the SN4 1-4x, SN3 3.2-17x ERGO, ST10 ERGO and SN3 5-25x T-Pal. My favorite USO is the SN3 3.2-17x ERGO. It has a more comfortable eyebox, is lighter, and focuses closer than the 5-25x. I don't much care for the SN4 as I do not care for the available reticles, the illumination is dim, and the eyebox is touchy. The ST10 is a fine fixed 10x for those with such a need but I like to see the holes at 100 yards and dispense with the spotter at that range. The 5-25x is just a bit heavy and large for my taste.

 

[Augustus]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I have a 3.2-17 Tpal. Recoil from a 338/408 or a 375/408 will knock it out of focus. I have just ignored the problem so far. I also have a 3.2-17 Ergo that has POI shifts on the 338/408 and the 375/408, I sent it back and it was returned with a note stating there was nothing wrong with it. That particular scope simply will not stay hooked on the big boomers. I have it on a 308 and havent had any problems.

I just bought a new 3.2-17 T-Pal w/Erec, So far none of the rifles I have mounted it on groups as well as they do with the other T- Pal I have. Both scopes are fitted with Badger Max 50 rings. The difference seems to be about .3 Moa across the board. I'm still not for sure what is going on.

In side by side comparisons of USO, Leupold Mk4, and a Horus Falcon I can't see a dimes worth of difference in the glass.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

Currently run 5 USO scopes and have owned 7.

I have had one problem with an ST6 that had coil binding problems in the windage knob. Sent it back and it was fixed in an instant. My T-Pal 5 - 25 is going back in June for some upgrades, but it is the finest scope I've ever owned.

I can't say enough good things about USO products, responsiveness and customer service. Nothing compares. I was at a school last week and had an opportunity to get behind some classmates' S&B and Nightforce scopes and they are also great optics. And Zeiss, Kahles and others have some really amazing products. But I like the overall USO package (and that includes their people) better.

I wouldn't trade my USO's for anything. USO is a great (AMERICAN) company run by great people with an outstanding product line. Once you drink the USO Kool-Aid, there is no going back! Call me biased... I'll agree with pride.

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[Erud]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

I am a USO true believer. I've owned at least 12 and currently have 5. I've purchased every single one second-hand or received in trade. Only problem ever was with grease on the glass inside of one. Sent an email to USO with a pic and got a reply from JBW#3 within about 10 minutes saying to send it back and they'd take care of it. They did and it was very quick. They included some USO swag in the package when the scope came back. It was a few years ago, but I seem to recall less than 2 weeks turnaround time. I don't think I could ask for much better service than that.

Like Sirhr said above, this is an American company building top quality scopes by hand in America with American employees. That's worth something to me.

Erik

 

[smschulz]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

You NightForce salesman are pretty tricky.

 

[Luke]

Re: Exactly What Problems Are There w/ USO Scopes?

My SN-3 was supposed to be Mil/Mil but was sent to me with what appeared to be MOA windage. Noticed it when it wasn't tracking correctly during a box test (yet another reason to always box test your scopes). Sent it back and had it fixed pronto. Other than that never had any problems concerning ruggedness, glass quality, etc.