Rifle Scopes Valdada IOR Scopes? Are their scopes any good?

Generally considered not good around here. There are a few supporters here but they take quite a beating for it. As many will tell you, spend your money on a more proven brand. For the same money you can get into S&B, Kahles, Steiner, Vortex, etc and your resell value would be better as well.
 
Let me put it gently, if you listen to Rex and get one of these you're gonna be like those
pieces of shit out there who beg for
change. They walk around like a bunch of
fuckin' zombies, they sleep in garbage
bins, they eat what I throw away, and dogs
piss on 'em. They got a word for 'em,
they're called bums. And with one of those scopes, that's what you're gonna be – a fuckin' bum! Hope this helps.
 
Let me put it gently, if you listen to Rex and get one of these you're gonna be like those
pieces of shit out there who beg for
change. They walk around like a bunch of
fuckin' zombies, they sleep in garbage
bins, they eat what I throw away, and dogs
piss on 'em. They got a word for 'em,
they're called bums. And with one of those scopes, that's what you're gonna be – a fuckin' bum! Hope this helps.
Interisting. I am new here and I was only looking for scope Info. I didn't realise those scopes were that hated around here. I guess I really want to know why they suck at this point.
 
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Interisting. I am new here and I was only looking for scope Info. I didn't realise those scopes were that hated around here. I guess I really want to know why they suck at this point.
I’ve not owned one but I have followed the threads as they are sometimes entertaining. My understanding is the glass is good but the rest of the internals are not and service is almost non existent. Also there was some fiasco where they put the Snipers Hide logo on one of their scopes without permission. So on top of the poor scope, they burned their bridge here...
 
For the same money you can still get a very good, proven optic. Vortex gen ii razor or amg, Leopold mk5, sig tango 6, and if you're willing to go used probably nightforce, schmidt and bender, etc.
 
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Way back when I got a NF NXS 5.5-22, in same time frame my friend had to have a IOR 9-36 trying to save money. Two replacements later, because both broke, he sold the last one NIB that they sent him. He got a Vortex R1, actually two also, because neither of them tracked, lol, he sold the second one. He had horrible luck until he bought a Hensoldt and all was good.

At one point I bought a Gen 3 IOR 6-24, it lasted a year and I sold the replacement NIB.

I bought 2 more NF 5.5-22's and one NF F1, well a 2.5-10x24 too, they all worked except for one weird and unrepeatable thing.
 
I loath IOR as much as the next guy, but I will go out on a limb and state that IF, and that is a very big if. IF they would cost 50% of what they do, and they would offer service that was at least half decent, then they might be worth it.

However, when things are the way they are. All you have to do is add another few hundred bucks and you will be able to get scopes from proven performers such as Schmidt & Bender, Nightforce, Vortex and more. In what ever way you look at it, IOR is not up to this standard, never was and probably never will be.
 
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Early on in this long range thing I went down the IOR trail. 3 times (slow learner). All were sold, at considerable loss. Now I run Vortex Gen 1 and 2, S&B and old M8 Leos.
One can do better than an IOR.
 
I've not owned any, but based on all the scathing reviews (and a few good ones) the general consensus seems to be the glass is good, but the tracking may not be. Some models seem to have a good reputation for tracking but others not so.
The customer service for when they break seems to be the biggest complaint, with some folk having had abysmal service.

A friend of mine is dead keen on buying one, so I'm hoping to see for myself what they are like. Personally, I'm sticking to manufacturers with a better reputation.
 
I own 6 IOR tactical scopes. Great glass, tracked perfectly five are bomb proof, the ocular lens fell out of one.

The other problem occurred when I ran one of my 2.5x10's on top of a precision .308 and noticed some really strange numbers when I went to true dope at distance. There was such a discrepancy by 600 yards that I stopped, reset and I did a box test at 100 yards. What I discovered is that the scope tracked true but was actually a .2 mil click scope even though documentation and the the knobs claimed that it was a 1/2MOA click scope. That was IOR approach to marketing a mil-based scope in the US ... just change the labels on the knobs and user manual to MOA ... I mean, 0.2 mils is just about 1/2 MOA right? - who will know? "Fail."

All my IOR scopes now sit on hunting/varmint rigs and work well for that purpose.

I agree if you pay IOR published prices (I didn't) there are better scope values out there. If you can get them cheap, my experience is that they are great glass but do not recommend them for precision rifle work. For that I like S&B, TT or NF ... maybe a Lupey Mk6 ...
 
Let me put it gently, if you listen to Rex and get one of these you're gonna be like those
pieces of shit out there who beg for
change. They walk around like a bunch of
fuckin' zombies, they sleep in garbage
bins, they eat what I throw away, and dogs
piss on 'em. They got a word for 'em,
they're called bums. And with one of those scopes, that's what you're gonna be – a fuckin' bum! Hope this helps.

Best IOR thread response ever. You have a special way of shining a light fucktardery.
 
My first "long range" scope was an IOR 3-18x. It worked very well. The one thing I didn't like is that I couldn't mount it back far enough. It would have worked great on an AR since you wouldn't need a cantilever mount to mount it forward. I ended up selling it and getting a lightly used gen I Razor. Then I had the opposite problem- getting it mounted far enough forward. I got an extended rail it then it was great.
 
I don´t get it, but something seems obvious.

What I don´t get, is that the IORs over here on the old continent have a pretty good reputation.
Especially in the Austrian community (here in Germany are not much Longrangers) they praise them.
Malfunctions etc., none.

And what seems obvious to me, is that all those inhere who tell that the IORs are crap begin their statement with:
"Way back..."
"In the old days..." or
"Many years ago when..."
and so on and so forth.
And all those, who praise the IORs still use them or had them short time ago.

So, just a simple question from someone who has no clue but searchs for a scope and an IOR would fit the bill in 95%:

Is it possible, that IOR was trash once and isn´t now?

Or is here someone who has an IOR right now (a newer one, not an old model) and has trouble with it?
 
I bought my first IOR in 2011, a 2.5-10x42 FFP model, and I was really happy with it. Then I noticed the reticle was canted, so I contacted Val to get it repaired. There was no hassle, I sent it back in the original box and received a new scope a couple weeks later. Upon receiving the new scope, I noticed it came back in the original box I sent in the old scope but had a new serial number so the box and scope were mismatched. No big deal, just odd.

I used that new scope for a few years without issue on an LMT .308 from 100 to 600 yards. I even used it in the Burris Team challenge in 2017 and it didn't skip a beat. It tracked great, had very clear glass and held up well. Somehow, on my way home, the Pelican case must have taken a good hit because the ocular bell had been struck and jumped a couple threads. It was my fault because I kept the scope on the rifle and had a few boxes of ammunition in with it. Still not sure what hit it so hard but the damaged was done. This locked up the magnification ring and led me to contact Val for a repair.

The process went smoothly with a few emails and I sent the scope in for evaluation. I even offered to pay for repairs. I was told it needed to go back to the factory for repairs after several weeks. Here is where it gets frustrating. I waited 3 months before sending my first email to check the status. Val just told me we were waiting to get it back. I continued to send one email every 4 weeks for a status update. Finally, after 7 months from when I sent the scope in for repairs, Val says he had some other scopes he could offer me, at a discount, if I wanted to get on with things. Eventually, I chose to pay an extra $900 to buy a new scope to get the ordeal behind me.

The whole situation made me leery of IOR, from the canted reticle to the "lost" scope after a 7 month wait. I quickly sold the new scope and moved on with my life. I would rather put my money into a product that can be repaired in the US, should any issues arise.

Best of luck on your purchase.
 
I have a 4-14x 30mm tactical SFP scope that the ocular lens fell out of. I sent the scope in 3 weeks ago and didn't hear anything. I called to see if it even arrived or was logged into the system. I spoke to Val who seemed nice and surprised that an ocular lens fell out of its mounts. He said that he would check into it for me ... if it takes him 7 months to sort this out ...

What I just learned is that I need to call once a week ...
 
I don´t get it, but something seems obvious.

What I don´t get, is that the IORs over here on the old continent have a pretty good reputation.
Especially in the Austrian community (here in Germany are not much Longrangers) they praise them.
Malfunctions etc., none.

And what seems obvious to me, is that all those inhere who tell that the IORs are crap begin their statement with:
"Way back..."
"In the old days..." or
"Many years ago when..."
and so on and so forth.
And all those, who praise the IORs still use them or had them short time ago.

So, just a simple question from someone who has no clue but searchs for a scope and an IOR would fit the bill in 95%:

Is it possible, that IOR was trash once and isn´t now?

Or is here someone who has an IOR right now (a newer one, not an old model) and has trouble with it?


The most common response I see is, "there are much better choices in the price range. Choices that are built with modern technology. No threaded on bells to strike and jump a thread. One piece tubes. No need for 40mm tubes to fit erectors that are made much smaller today, with the only compromise being the cost to build them. So maybe they have a good reputation on the old continent because people from there don't know any better. Who knows?

They finally wised up and had someone else make their Recon, then they let their retard flop back out by putting in a 40mm tube still.
 
The most common response I see is, "there are much better choices in the price range. Choices that are built with modern technology. No threaded on bells to strike and jump a thread. One piece tubes. No need for 40mm tubes to fit erectors that are made much smaller today, with the only compromise being the cost to build them. So maybe they have a good reputation on the old continent because people from there don't know any better. Who knows?

They finally wised up and had someone else make their Recon, then they let their retard flop back out by putting in a 40mm tube still.
I have no dog in this fight. But do you seriously believe that European shooters don't know they have options like swarovski, s&b, Khales, vortex, etc?
 
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Of course we do.
Living on the wrong side of the ocean doesn´t mean that we still live in caves.
;)

I saw this video, which brought me to the IORs.

And I don´t know this gentleman personally, but he seems to have some experience.
I don´t know if he has some interest in the industry or not, but he sounds honest to me.

Also did I google him and found some pretty good reputation about him in the Brits forums, so....

 
Of course we do.
Living on the wrong side of the ocean doesn´t mean that we still live in caves.
;)

I saw this video, which brought me to the IORs.

And I don´t know this gentleman personally, but he seems to have some experience.
I don´t know if he has some interest in the industry or not, but he sounds honest to me.

Also did I google him and found some pretty good reputation about him in the Brits forums, so....




WTF 55 minutes, is this the euro version of Rex reviews? I am not watching that mush mouthed limy quote me specs like a 55 minute infomercial. What was that supposed to prove?
 
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From personal experience and that of a friend of mine, as well as watching the for sale posts here, If you get an IOR scope all other things aside, expect to take a huge hit when trying to sell it & also find it very hard to sell.

If you plan to buy it and keep it forever, then it's not an issue.
However taking a 50% or more hit in value, or waiting near a year for it to sell, is a bit rough if you want to upgrade like many do eventually, regardless of the scope brand/model
 
I have a 2.5-10 on an AR that is used for song dogs it works, I have a buddy with a 3-18 that will not track and one with a recon it also will not track. I have a GenII on my long range gun and it tracks everytime from 0 to 14 mils dont waste your money and buy a quality scope. The buddy that has the 3-18 has a ATACR on his long range gun that should tell you all you need to know, some mistakes are expensive but if you can learn from others mistakes you will be money ahead.
 
WTF 55 minutes, is this the euro version of Rex reviews? I am not watching that mush mouthed limy quote me specs like a 55 minute infomercial. What was that supposed to prove?

Well, he does a review of a bunch of scopes which came out in 2017 or close before.
He has shot all of those for a while, compares them one after the other and climbs up in quality from his point of view.

Finally he compares the Vortex Razor and an IOR Recon as the best of all of them, with a hair above for the Razor.

That being said, the IORs are very much cheaper over here and the Razor costs about 1k more than the Recon.
 
I own three, a 3.5-18 SFP on a custom 308 have had it for 7-8 years zero issues. I have a 12-52 Terminator on a custom 6.5, I've had it around 4-5 years with zero issues, I just bought the new 4.8-30 FFP Recon on another custom 6.5. that rifle is at my Smiths shop geting some bolt work done, but I will post pics and my thoughts on it shortly, it's my first FFP so I'm kinda excited about it.
 
I still own one of the 3.5-18 IORs with MP8 reticle in SFP, it has been great so far but primarily used for hunting since in my opinion has very good low light performance other than that it has been used for goofing off paper punching out to 600 yards.
When I bought it I wasn't a member here so didn't know of the bad blood or issues that have noted even though I haven't had any problems so far with it, I would however have passed it up would I have known about the difficulty of selling one and their lower resale value.
 
Like I said, the Austrians love it.
Here it is so-so, what a pita!

I have no clue what´s right or wrong but I can´t afford to waste money, so I will look for other tubes I guess.
 
Like I said, the Austrians love it.
Here it is so-so, what a pita!

I have no clue what´s right or wrong but I can´t afford to waste money, so I will look for other tubes I guess.

I think cost is the big rub. Here they cost as much or more than a Schmitt and Bender. I would still never go for a 40mm multi-piece tube scope {Thats just my shitty opinion}, but in the price range of the Crounus or the Delta, which I hear is very similar{no experience with the Delta} I think its a viable option. Especially if their warranty is up and working now, and if they are anodizing them instead of painting them now.
 
I think cost is the big rub. Here they cost as much or more than a Schmitt and Bender. I would still never go for a 40mm multi-piece tube scope {Thats just my shitty opinion}, but in the price range of the Crounus or the Delta, which I hear is very similar{no experience with the Delta} I think its a viable option. Especially if their warranty is up and working now, and if they are anodizing them instead of painting them now.

Athlon Cronus, Delta Stryker, IOR Recon - all of them are in the same price range, somewhat under 2k.

I have no clue about their warranty, but there is only one dealer in Germany for IOR.

And from what I´ve seen from the pictures, the finish is still painted and looks poor to me.
BUT I won´t give a **** if the scope is better than the anodized ones.

On the outside I´m not the prettiest either, but inside I´m golden....
;)
 
Well, he does a review of a bunch of scopes which came out in 2017 or close before.
He has shot all of those for a while, compares them one after the other and climbs up in quality from his point of view.

Finally he compares the Vortex Razor and an IOR Recon as the best of all of them, with a hair above for the Razor.

That being said, the IORs are very much cheaper over here and the Razor costs about 1k more than the Recon.

I found that video on youtube and actually put a post up here about a month or so ago asking if anyone knew of him etc who could vouch for his credibility. Didn't generate much response I imagine you would have to go to the UK forums to finds more. I believe he has some kind of interest with one of the big shops in the UK who bring in scopes I think he might mention them in his videos a few times cant remember the name??

Anyway like a lot of people on here I'm EXTREMELY wary of taking advice from people pushing certain products without knowing if they have some sort of conflict of interest. I think the only people that can be trusted are those who have paid full price for their kit like the average joe no sponsorship no conflict of interest etc.
 
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I’ve owned 2 and really liked them for the purpose I bought them for. My 8-36 didn’t have the best eye relief.
I think the point everyone is trying to get you to appreciate is that spending 2-3k on an IOR, ymmv. And when spending that type of coin, that’s not an acceptable possibility. I never had problem with either of mine, but I’m also not going to tempt fate again.
 
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I think the only people that can be trusted are those who have paid full price for their kit like :oops:the average joe no sponsorship no conflict of interest etc.

Thank you.
Very serious and thoughtful words, you got me there.

IOR is very controversial, I saw that Uttings is naming that UK warehouse some times in the comments and that Rex did a bunch of vids, praising the IORs, that made me think a bit they way you mentioned here so cristal clear.

My problem is, that 2000 Euro is quite some money for me, and I want the best scope I can get for it (like we all do).
But now I´m stuck.

I wanted my Tikka to be a "all-utility-rifle", a rifle which can be used for serious target shooting AND hunting situations.
That this always leads to some compromises is clear to me.

For the scope specs, the 4-28x50 IOR would fit this bill almost perfect, as the Delta Stryker 4.5-30 or the Athlon Cronus 4.5-29 do.
Not to big, not to heavy, great zoom ranges, christmas tree reticles and so on.

IOR crap? Delta and Athlon completely unknown here.
Worth 2000 bucks?

None of the premium manufacturers has such scopes.
They seem to have low-magnification and high-magnification scopes, but not really something in the middle.
Well, there are some new ones like the 3-27 S&B or the 3-18 Kahles now, but those are 1000 Euro above my budget and the new Nightforces are almost double the price, with over 4000 Euro here.
My wife would kill me, and she would have the right to do so.

But I don´t really want to put an affordablbe but huge and heavy scope on this rifle.
That´s not my idea what it was meant for.

Thanks so far for your help.

Thanks to all of you.
I will go now and robb a bank or so.
:oops:
 
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My problem is, that 2000 Euro is quite some money for me, and I want the best scope I can get for it (like we all do).
But now I´m stuck.

What do New / Used S&B 5-25x56 scopes with for example the P4F go for over there?

Over here it's $2000 to $2400 used and usually $2300 to $2600 new

The 3-27x56 is hugely more expensive over here and while it's a "nicer" scope, in my opinion, for the money the 5-25x56 is a much better deal even if the design in a bit older.