Customer Reviews

BARSKA 6.5-20x50 AO Varmint Target Dot Riflescope

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I use this one myself on a varminting rifle and am generally satisfied with it. Having said that, the low price usually means compromise on features and quality, and this one is no different.

The good- 1/8 MOA adjustments with covered finger adjustable target turrets, very fine cross hair with center dot that doesn't cover up small targets at distance, solid repeatable adjustments for windage and elevation. Clear and bright glass at low and medium power settings.

The bad - At high power settings, particularly over 16x, the view becomes distorted and has glare, and gets worse with every power setting up to 20x.

The bottom line is this a is a pretty decent variable to 16x scope with adjustable objective for the money, if you can live with the obvious flaws with it, (with higher magnification problems limiting its usefulness). Despite them it performs well enough I am not looking to get rid of it myself.

Buyer Background: I am new to the gun world. 7 months new at time of this purchase with about 3,000 rounds fire in different calibers. Target shooting is lots of fun. First scope owned was a retail store $55.00, 3-9x32 for a 10/22 purchased four months before this Barska. Really enjoy the scope on the .22. Desired a larger more powerful scope for a Saiga AK 7.62X39 to be able to see further down range. The reviews before purchase were promising to me so I went with this scope. Because I appreciate those who take the time to do indepth reviews I thought I would pay it forward with this review to help future buyers.

Delivery: I got the free shipping from Amazon and it took about 10 days. I little long but it was free.

First Impression: It is big. Looked through it out my office window and I thought WOW. All I knew at this point was the scope on my .22 and this was a few steps up in magnification. Although the appearance is nice, it does look a little simple or cheap compared to the $500+ scopes out there.

The Mount: I went with a UTG 5th Gen. quick release mount since my Saiga has the mount "slot" on the left (opposite of the slide). It wraps over the dust cover sitting a little high which is perfect for the big 50mm front lens. This helped to not need taller mounts. Look for my review in the mount itself for more info..coming soon. Seems to be to big and heavy to withstand the recoil of my Saiga, we will see.

Appearance: My Saiga is stock (live in CA, bummer) but the mount and scope makes it look a lot more serious. Check out the pictures.

Weight: Probably added another 3 lbs. from scope and mount.

Sighting: I used a bore laser to sight it in at home up to 25 yrds. Took it to the range and sighted it 50 yrds, it took some patience because it was a bright day and I had a hard time seen the laser dot. I finalized the sighting at 50 with about 20 rounds (like I said I am new at this).

Field Test: After sighting it in I fired another 40 rounds and ended my field test on this peace on day one...switch firearms. First day was windy and a little frustrating. Went back three days later with the 10/22 and the Saiga both scoped. I had targets at 50 and 100 yrds and went to work. At 100 yrds I used the Barska scope to find where the .22 landed on paper, my eyesight also is not the best but with this scope, no need for a spotting scope. You can see .22 holes very clearly at 100 yrds. Just to be clear, I would fire the 10/22, put it down and grab the Saiga to look through the Barska scope.
My second day was perfect for sighting in and practicing with the Saiga. The air was very calm, I don't think the air was moving at all. I put a bunch of targets at 100 yrds and hit them consistently. Since my Barska scope was sighted at 50 yrds I had to aim about 4 inches lower to hit a bulls eye which I did a few times. Here is my ammo count so far on the Saiga. Day one = 40, Day two = 20, took off scope with quick release mount and slid it back on to test for accuracy after unmount/remount. Still centered, maybe 1/2 inch off at 50 yrds but it could have been me. Fired another 20, removed scope and mount again, remounted and fired another 5 and still good to go. Total shots fired: 85. I removed the mount in order to know if I will be centered after cleanings. Will test soon at 150, 200, 250 and 300 yrds.

Scope Clarity: Blurry after about 17 power. I am satisfied with clarity up to 17. The 50mm lens is incredible. It comes with handy lens covers.

Price: I left my price comments towards the end because well...had I paid $1 and had it not worked, I would have overpaid. This is not the case though, It works fine so far it handles the recoil of an AK well (just hold the rifle tight). I priced others and I am very happy with it and for under $61 this is awesome. I am planning to hunt with this during the next deer season.

Other: I can't help you with the MOA, wind knobs, and all that. I do not know the terminology yet. What I do know is you can poke an eye out at a 100 yards (the eye of the game you are hunting that is) with this scope and an AK.

I use this scope on a .270 with a fair amount of recoil. It requires the use of steel bases and steel rings to prevent the weight of this unit from causing loss of zero. The field of view is outstanding and even with a bad eye I am able to repeat impact points at the target range. I consider this as a great buy for the economy minded. It works well.
Carrie Jenkins

My dad bought this scope for his 30.06 deer rifle about a month ago. He raved about it's performance during the sighting in process. He then used it to bag a monster 12 point @ appx. 200 yards, drilled it right where he put the xhairs on opening morning.

The old Simmons scope on my .300WMG broke that morning and fogged up. Since Dad's hunt was done, I borrowed his rifle/scope combo and hit the woods the next three days, where I used it to drop a nice 5 point at about 75 yards, popped him right where I set the hairs. This scope provided an unbelievable field of view and really cut through the glare as I was looking into the rising sun. I could barely see my deer with the naked eye due to the glare, but he was crystal through the scope. I could see the individual whiskers on his face!

I love Barska products' performance and price. I can't attest to their reliability but that's only because I have not owned any of their products for more than a year, but so far so good. I will be buying this model Barska to replace that craptastic Simmons on my .300WMG

4 stars only b/c the reliability grade is "Incomplete;" otherwise it would be a 5.

The scope works flawless. Crystal clear sight on any magnification. Has alternate distance settings to focus anywhere from 25 yards to 300 yards. Lightweight so there is not a lot of weight to affect your aim. Finger nob turret adjustment so no coin or screwdriver to adjust the scope.

I use this scope on my 22-250 it is awesome I love the mil dot for varments, it is a strong scope with large optics which brings in the light..

Great product for the money. Good Eye relief, light weight enough to enjoy carrying, and for my money as accurate as some of the big boys out there. I've got mine attached to a 1942 Mosin Nagant Carbine with a replacement trigger assembly and a synthetic stock upgrade and I can reach out 200 with that 7.62 x 54 without any hesitiation. For a varmit gun scope under $100 you can't beat it.

I had been looking for an inexpensive 6-24X50 scope for bench shooting out to 300 yards. I came across this scope & it was too cheap to pass up. I figured if it wasn't up to snuff; I would put it on rim-fire & have some short range fun with it. Wrong - I love it - nice and clear up to 16 power; It starts to get fuzzy on max power. This works so well; I use as a spotting scope when using a 3x9-40. Great scope for under $ 75.00. Knowing what I know now; I would probably pay up to $ 125.00 for this.

Whilst it is true that at higher magnification (above 16X, you will experience blurry and a very poor sight picture) at 16X or less, this scope is a gem! It's large, but not very heavy. Be sure to order good rings even if not part of a package deal sometimes offered on this site. I paid a few bucks more for well reviewed rings that are tall enough to let the 50mm lens have good clearance. All in all, price to performance, this is an excellent buy. Sometimes they go on sale. My particular scope arrived very much ahead of scheduled delivery and in fine shape. I credit Amazon and the seller for a fantastic deal. Cheers!!

I was pleased with my purchase; I have a similar Leupold scope and this one is very compatible; plus you cant beat the price. I believe that it will be a great distance scope or target shooting scope. It has very nice visibility and would be a good scope for dawn or dusk shooting as well.