Redfield Scopes?

Back in the good ole days

I purchased several redfield scopes back in the good ole days when they were being made or at least assembled by Redfield. Leupold Stevens took them over when they ran into financial trouble. It became the budget arm of LS. I never had a spot of trouble with my scopes however mine were only used on field varmint rifles. Several people I know who have purchased them in recent years have.
 
Andy Cross said:
I purchased several redfield scopes back in the good ole days when they were being made or at least assembled by Redfield. Leupold Stevens took them over when they ran into financial trouble. It became the budget arm of LS. I never had a spot of trouble with my scopes however mine were only used on field varmint rifles. Several people I know who have purchased them in recent years have.
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What kinds of issues did they have if you recall? I've got mostly older Redfields and never had a lick of trouble with them. Even bought a couple direct from them on closeout. Like most other things in life, some swear by em and some swear at em. Was halfway thinking of replacing the Bushnell that came with the Rem. 783. There are some decent buys on 3 x 9 or 4 x 12 among Leupold, Nikon, Redfield, Sightron, etc. in the $200 area.
 
Well

antelopedundee said:
What kinds of issues did they have if you recall? I've got mostly older Redfields and never had a lick of trouble with them. Even bought a couple direct from them on closeout. Like most other things in life, some swear by em and some swear at em. Was halfway thinking of replacing the Bushnell that came with the Rem. 783. There are some decent buys on 3 x 9 or 4 x 12 among Leupold, Nikon, Redfield, Sightron, etc. in the $200 area.
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Well apart from obvious point of impact shifts, there were click adjustments that lost the clicks. Some had friction drives that would turn so easily you would call them loose. Paralax adjustments the wouldn't adjust. One of them developed a rattle when shaken. One fogged internally with temperature or humidity changes. All these showed up about 3 years after the take over.
 
Andy Cross said:
Well apart from obvious point of impact shifts, there were click adjustments that lost the clicks. Some had friction drives that would turn so easily you would call them loose. Paralax adjustments the wouldn't adjust. One of them developed a rattle when shaken. One fogged internally with temperature or humidity changes. All these showed up about 3 years after the take over.
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Those seem like typical things that could go wrong with any scope. They went OOB about 1997. The issues described occurred in scopes from around 2012 or earlier manufacture I'd guess. Wonder what current production is like.
 
Yeah I wonder also

antelopedundee said:
Those seem like typical things that could go wrong with any scope. They went OOB about 1997. The issues described occurred in scopes from around 2012 or earlier manufacture I'd guess. Wonder what current production is like.
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Most of the faults that occurred outside the warranty period except for one. Apparently its replacement gave up the ghost also. That was around 2013. So I guess the Leupold warranty in Oz doesn't apply to redfield. Whether things have improved since then is a good question. If there weren't enough troubles probably not.
 
Thank you for Redfield. The first time I hear about them. Is shipping worldwide?
 
I have a couple of 2-7x33 Revolutions and a 4-12. One of the 2-7's seems to have tracking issues that impede sighting in but once sighted it's OK. Brightness and clarity on all three seem OK. Still, I would go for the Leupold VX-1 over the Redfield Revolution. I have a 2-7x33 VX-1 that I would rate better. It is only a few dollars more and will retain lots more resale value.
 
Years ago there was a Texas based company by the name of Stith that offered a line of scopes referred to as "bear cubs". The glass for these scopes was made by the Kollmorgen optical company of New York. When Stith quit marketing them Kollmorgen took over and continued still calling them "bear cubs". This was the company that Redfield bought out and moved to Denver. Unlike Leupold they continued to make their own glass. During those years they had a lot "firsts" in the business. Back then Leupold was playing "catch up.
I believe there was a fellow by the name of Hilliard that was running the company and was killed in a mountain climbing accident. I'm not sure but I think that was the beginning of the end for them. Don Burris worked for Redfield before he started his company. The Redfields that Leupold are marketing today are not related to the Redfields that I grew up with.
 
vtmarmot said:
I have a couple of 2-7x33 Revolutions and a 4-12. One of the 2-7's seems to have tracking issues that impede sighting in but once sighted it's OK. Brightness and clarity on all three seem OK. Still, I would go for the Leupold VX-1 over the Redfield Revolution. I have a 2-7x33 VX-1 that I would rate better. It is only a few dollars more and will retain lots more resale value.
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One would think that if one took on another product line that they would make the product to the quality of their own product line. Be that as it may, even tho I don't really need it I sprang for a Leupold VX-1 in 4 x 12 for a shade under $220.
 
stith

Dad said stith scopes were the Cadillac scopes of the day back in the 60s. He never felt like he could afford one so he bought lymans. Doug
 
Even the el cheapo Bushnell that came with the Rem 783 doesn't seem too bad. Not sure how it would hold up with a heavier recoiling rifle tho.
 
I have several old

Denver made Redfields in 2=7X configuration. They are all I need for mag. and they are smaller and lighter than the higher X variables. Everyone tracks and holds POI faithfully. I had to send two away to have the front objectives cleaned and re-cemented. Once done those two are as good as new. Often they can be bought real cheap...the old if it isn't made now it can't be any good.
 
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