Redfield Optics Owners/Users...give me your opinions

[FL2AK-Old Town]

Hey folks. Guess this probably should go int he Outdoor Optics section, but that looks to be merely an advertisement space for the sponsor, rather than a space for peer review and discussion.

I was in the big camo box store last night looking at field glasses and spotting scopes and found I liked the Redfield Rebel field glasses, even over the comparably priced Leupold product.(And a LOT better than my 10 yr old Bushnells). I was also taken in by their 80 mm spotter. I have their Revolution scope on my 243, but really haven't used it in the field yet, sure is nice to shoot through at the range, though.

Anyway...I'm seriously thinking about buying one or both of those aforementioned products in the near future (pre hunting season), and I'd like to hear what you guys who have had them for a while think of them. I recognize they are low budget (as is a lot of things in my life) products, so with that in mind...how would you rate your glasses?

[GrassLakeRon]

I have an old (90's) golden five star and it is great. The new parent company meade has great customer service which I have used three times on my telescopes.

[FL2AK-Old Town]

I have an old (90's) golden five star and it is great. The new parent company meade has great customer service which I have used three times on my telescopes.

Who makes that? Never heard of it. I'm realy just looking at the Redfield stuff because a.) I can afford it. b.) te display models seem pretty decent, and c.) they're availalable in Alaska. But having been almost a day with no responses...I wonder if thatmeans no one in AK buys Redfield stuff, and I wonder if there is a reason for that.

[GrassLakeRon]

Meade optics in California bought the name Redfield about ten years ago. Meade makes telescopes and has for 50 years. I have owned meade products for 30 years including one of their research grade telescopes. Redfield in the mid 90's produced junk and the company was bought out. I have not used a new one, but meade is good stuff. I own a spotting scope from meade and it is nice. Part of my background is astronomy, I am a planetarium director, so I do use optics.

[FL2AK-Old Town]

Meade optics in California bought the name Redfield about ten years ago. Meade makes telescopes and has for 50 years. I have owned meade products for 30 years including one of their research grade telescopes. Redfield in the mid 90's produced junk and the company was bought out. I have not used a new one, but meade is good stuff. I own a spotting scope from meade and it is nice. Part of my background is astronomy, I am a planetarium director, so I do use optics.

OH OK. I didn't know that Meade once owned the Redfield name. I am familiar with Meade through my Astronomy and Biology college courses (telescopes and microscopes), and I used to teach Astronomy Merit Badge. The current "parent company" owning the Redfield name is Leupold. But, much like Baush & Lomb once owned Bushnell (and I own a pair of Bushnell field glasses), I've learned that just because a high-end company that produces expensive, high quality products owns a similar, budget oriented company, doesn't mean that you are getting the higer quality product for a lesser price under the less desirable name brand.

For exampele, I bought my Bushnell field glasses thinking I was getting Baush & Lomb glass (the only important part of the glasses). Maybe I did get B&L glasses, but these have never been what you would call great field glasses.

I bought a Redfield rifle scope last year, but I bought the USA made one. Maybe that one IS made in the same plant as some of the more costly Leupold's-I don't know, but all of their field glasses and spotters are Chinesium. (As are Leupolds and most others-all other field glasses in fact.)

So yeah, I'm just trying to decide if the Redfield field glasses and spotters are a good VALUE for my money spent. So far, the rifle scope was, even though I rarely ever use it, but like I said, that one was made here-these others are not.

[GrassLakeRon]

That is news to me about Redfield. I had a Zeiss two years ago, made in the US that broke twice. I sold it after I got it back. I have looked through high end optics and low end stuff. My spotting scope is $60 new. I can see just fine and if it dies in the field it was $60. I just dont pay for the upper end stuff. My most expensive scope was $300 for my 375. Why, because it could the abuse of the mag, but the Zeiss could not. My binoculars are $50 celestrons. They are truly nice. Now my astronomical scope was different because of my computers and ccd work.

[FL2AK-Old Town]

That is news to me about Redfield. I had a Zeiss two years ago, made in the US that broke twice. I sold it after I got it back. I have looked through high end optics and low end stuff. My spotting scope is $60 new. I can see just fine and if it dies in the field it was $60. I just dont pay for the upper end stuff. My most expensive scope was $300 for my 375. Why, because it could the abuse of the mag, but the Zeiss could not. My binoculars are $50 celestrons. They are truly nice. Now my astronomical scope was different because of my computers and ccd work.

In many ways, I agree with your theories, but in many ways, good scopes aren't cheap and cheap scopes aren't good. (Which can be said about a lot of things.) But I do believe it is possible to get adequate and satisfactory perfomance from less than the most expensive scope (or other product) on the market. These Redfields are priced at about the high end of my budget. However, if they're going to be junk, I'll either not buy, or buy the cheaper junk further on down the price list. (Because junk is junk regardless of the price.)

That's why I used the phrase "good value." I know they won't be the best performers. I just don't want the worst performers, either.

Interesting, and a bit telling, that no one seems to know anyting about these scopes and field glasses.

[Yukon Cornelius]

Hey folks. Guess this probably should go int he Outdoor Optics section, but that looks to be merely an advertisement space for the sponsor, rather than a space for peer review and discussion.

I was in the big camo box store last night looking at field glasses and spotting scopes and found I liked the Redfield Rebel field glasses, even over the comparably priced Leupold product.(And a LOT better than my 10 yr old Bushnells). I was also taken in by their 80 mm spotter. I have their Revolution scope on my 243, but really haven't used it in the field yet, sure is nice to shoot through at the range, though.

Anyway...I'm seriously thinking about buying one or both of those aforementioned products in the near future (pre hunting season), and I'd like to hear what you guys who have had them for a while think of them. I recognize they are low budget (as is a lot of things in my life) products, so with that in mind...how would you rate your glasses?

I only own a red field scope. I can speak of it's ability to hold zero. I mailed it in my rifle from GA. It arrived in a busted up case. Took it to dump and zero was still true. I've dropped it twice and it's held it's zero. If I'm not mistaken red field is luepold's budget line. So it's a quality glass just at a smaller price.

[GrassLakeRon]

I just looked at the sight. Seems the last time I looked was before 2008. Yikes time flies. The scopes look good and their prices are also good. If Leupold is behind it you should be fine.

[Akheloce]

If you like Leupold VX-1's you'll like the Redfields. Best I can tell side by side, they're almost identical. Good scope for the price IMO

[ak_cowboy]

I've got a Revolution on my 338. Holds zero fine and is as clear as I need. It's a 2×7. What really sold me was the lifetime warranty on a 180 dollar scope

sent from my igloo

[FL2AK-Old Town]

I only own a red field scope. I can speak of it's ability to hold zero. I mailed it in my rifle from GA. It arrived in a busted up case. Took it to dump and zero was still true. I've dropped it twice and it's held it's zero. If I'm not mistaken red field is luepold's budget line. So it's a quality glass just at a smaller price.

Wow cool story. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not certain that we can safely assume that just because Leupold is the parent company, the Redfield's have Leupold glass.

[GrassLakeRon]

You know that most people have scopes for a long time and generally have brand loyalty in most cases. If Redfield was junk it could have chased a lot of people away in the late 90's. Look at my scopes: 1992 Redfield golden five star and a 2006 leupold vx2. So for 14 years I did no research or even looked at scopes. I may end up dying only having ever bought two. The only optics now are my telescopes and that I have put on hold till 2021. If leupold is behind it now, based on their companies ethics and commitment to its customers, that would make me look and buy one. The only problem is my other scopes may last a lifetime or two.

[4merguide]

If you like Leupold VX-1's you'll like the Redfields. Best I can tell side by side, they're almost identical. Good scope for the price IMO

If what he says here is true then...... I have a very old (70s-80s) vintage Leupold 3-9 on my 8mag and has been a phenomenal scope. All it says on it is VX. not even a 1 or 2 or anything else. I don't know what price range Leupold had on it at that time as I bought it with the rifle. But like I said, if the Redfields made by Leupold are as good as the VX 1 series, then I doubt you'd have a problem with it.....

[FL2AK-Old Town]

I wonder if the scope quality carries over to the field glasses and spotter scopes and across to the Redfields. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be pulling the trigger on one or the other, probably not both, very soon. $350 for 20x60-80mm? The next nearest was a hundred buck Burris (no thanks) and a 600 dollar Vanguard. So, if the axiom of getting what you pay for holds (it doesn't always), then this is probably the best option I could afford.