Rifle Scopes Oculus scope Has anyone heard of them

5R Milspec

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Sep 29, 2009
582
1
51
South Carolina
OK my boy needs a scope but the buying of a rifel has set him back a little.As of now he's useing a scope of mine but really needs a better scope.

So here I'm asking if you guys have heard of an Oculus before.My boy was told about them but not really up to date on them.Their web site only shows a little and I say little.So if any of you guys have heard of or even used one can you post a little about them.He's looking into a 6-24x50mm so thats the one in question.

thanks,John
 
I read good reviews..saying they where alot of scope for the money.. Try and find a used vortex or Leupold.. or NF on ebay first... let me know cuase I was curious also
 
They are a relatively new company, not too many people have had their hands on them yet. The brand is owned by Basspro and the scopes are made overseas; most likely China or the Philippines. They might well be decent for what they are, but no manufacture can overcome the compromises they are forced to make to arrive at a balance of feature set vs quality of components at a certain price point. The $300 for their 6-24x tactical scope IMO, could be better spent on something more balanced; either less magnification or less features.
In general, High magnification low cost scopes are a tourist trap, especially when coupled with an "tactical" features. What kind of rifle is is going on? And what kind of shooting and distances? Not saying to necessarily avoid Oculus, but there probably already exists a good compromise for a budget optic for his new rifle.
 
In general, High magnification low cost scopes are a tourist trap, especially when coupled with an "tactical" features. Not saying to necessarily avoid Oculus, but there probably already exists a good compromise for a budget optic for his new rifle.

You are right. I see too many rifle scopes that seem like a great deal on paper, but when you look through it, all of the intangible aspects of the scope are lacking. Then some break or cannot keep a zero and the fun begins. My general rule, spend at least as much if not more on the optics for the rifle. That way, the most complicated part of the rifle/scope combination is ruled out.
 
Just bought a Oculus 6x24x50 30mm tube at Bass Pro in Dania Florida. Got Warne high scope rings via mail order for my new CZ455. The rings provide adequate clearance for the scope and mount directly to the 11mm dovetail on top of the receiver. I put some bore cleaner and ran a patch thru a few times followed by a bore snake. Loaded the mag with 36grain 22lr federal bulk ammo out of the 550 box. First 10 shots at 25yds , group was about 1.5 inches. My buddy who works at the range and I took turns going for the tightest 3 shot groups. The first 3 shot group would be covered by a dime the second group was a single ragged hole. The third just had on flyer that still had the group covered by a dime and my buddy admitted to pulling it otherwise it would have been a single hole again. I like the mill dot scope just wish it was a first focal plane instead of a second. The crosshairs are thin and because of the scope being a second focal plane scope they stay that way through all magnification levels. The glass is pretty decent IMO, not as nice as my Leopold VX III Or VX V. I'm going check the 50 and 100yd groups soon. The scope has a pin on the ring that I took off because at some magnification levels the pin got in the way of the bolt when cycling rounds. The pin is threaded and comes off easily. Scope seems to work OK at least initially on a small caliber rifle. Can't wait to go to the 100 yd range with this setup. It's going to be fun. I adjusted the CZ factory trigger as low as it would without modification and it measured at 3.5 lbs with a RCBS trigger scale. Trigger started at 4.5 lbs out of box.
 
My decision to try the Oculus was based largely on what I saw in the store and the warranty backed by Bass Pro. Bp is 9 miles from my house, so a return is reasonably painless. No standing in line to ship back to factory. I didn't find much hands on experience on the forums so I guess I'm the test case. My understanding is they replace on the spot. No mailing back to the factory. I've been through the hassle of sending scopes and firearms back to the factory and what a pain that is. I may be setting myself up for mounting a lot of replacements on my CZ455, but I hope not. The optics are pretty clear, and I like the fine crosshairs on the mill dot reticle. So for its a tentative thumbs up on the initial experience.

I was looking for a mill dot,high magnification scope in the $300 price range for my 22lr. If Leopold had one in that price range, my cz would probably be sporting a gold ring scope. So far not unhappy with the purchase.
 
Last edited:
My only hands on to date was one of their spotting scopes. IMHO, the Oculus line is nothing more than a store brand comparison to BSA or Tasco. I would buy Vortex if he can't wait or just hold off until a higher end scope could be purchased.
 
I see oculus scopes as far more than your typical tasco or BSA scopes. I have an astigmatism in my right eye that causes problems with scopes. Looking through oculus scopes, no problems. The local bass pro shops to me is rather large. Looking through higher end scopes, then comparing to the oculus, the oculus actually makes everything appear more clear and brighter. I have two now, a 3-9x40 on a savage Bmag shooting quarter inch groups at 100 yards, and I just picked one up today for a 700 tactical .308 in 6-24x50. It is very clear. I do not see anything that can even compare in the same price range.
 
In that price range I would pick up a used or closeout viper 6.5-20. Not a perfect scope by any means but I'm betting it's still way better than any house brand big box store scope. The eye box gets kind of right near max magnification, but is clear, repeatable, has a great warranty. Oh and you won't lose your short when you upgrade down the road.
 
A 6-24x50 at the $300.00 price point would probably make a great .22 LR scope. However, if you mounted it on anything with some stiff recoil I bet the scope would sound like a castanet within 50 ~ 100 rounds. I know that one from experience...not the Oculus, but another comparable mass produced scope that Tasco slapped their label on. Don't get me wrong, the Chinese and Japanese can turn out as fine an instrument as you're willing to pay for - but $300.00 won't cover the bill to have a sound scope built and sold with the features they are offering. They cut a corner to get the 30mm tube, and cut another corner to get the 6-24 magnification zoom and finally the have to compromise to get the parallax adjustment mounted on the turret housing. You end up with a scope that should work fairly well under light use. I know whereof I speak having wrecked several of the lower price point scopes on rifles that had moderate recoil.

A short information-starved presentation of an Oculus scope...but at least you can see it and gauge how large it is while he's holding it and pointing out different features.


Rifle Scope Review: Oculus 4-16x42 - YouTube
 
Last edited:
Id also like to throw out there that the local police and swat teams have all switched to oculus scopes after testing. I also have a friend with one mounted on a .50 bmg thats been through god knows how many rounds and it still holds zero perfectly fine. All im saying is, dont knock it til youve tried it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2dhunter