Tasco Varmint & Target 2.5-10X 42mm Riflescope

Getting ready for a prairie dog hunting trip to New Mexico I had assembled a little Ruger rimfire rifle with a new Green Mountain barrel in 17Mk2. I was anxious to try out the new barrel and this little cartridge for prairie dogs under 100 yards. I did not want to put a cheap rimfire scope on the rifle and really needed an adjustable objective and a mil-dot reticle to handle the wind, distance and parallax problems that come with shooting on the prairies of New Mexico. I just could not justify nor afford to put a Leopold or Nikon on the little rifle. I stopped in at my local Academy Sports store to see what they had available and saw a Tasco on the shelf that was called the Varmint & Target 2.5-10 Variable. It looked the part and had a little prairie dog etched on the side of the scope. I know, what difference does that make, but I am a sucker for signs and omens. I looked the scope over and decided to check out the reviews online before I took a cheaper scope on a hunting trip, as you usually get what you pay for in most cases. I went to Cabelas website reviews to check out the scope and was really surprised at the reviews. There were a couple of not so good reviews but a boat load of 5 star ratings. I have found that even some of the high dollar scopes seem to always have a few bad reviews. It seems as if you can buy a lemon from anyone these days.

By the way Cabelas and Bass Pro reviews on their websites are great places to see what others think of gear and equipment before you lay out your hard earned cash for them.

The retail price of the scope was $96.99 so it was offering a lot for under 100 dollars at 2.5-10 power, Adjustable Objective, a true mil-dot reticle and a lifetime warranty. I was even more surprised when I found out the price at Academy was only $69.99 including the image of the little prairie dog on the side of the scope. To make a long story short I bought the scope and mounted it on my .17MK2 for the trip. I shot it for 4 days and it performed just like my high dollar scopes that I had on my .223 and my .243 rifles. I took over 200 prairie dogs on that trip with that rifle and scope combination and later moved the scope to an AR-15 that I bounce around in the truck and use for predators. I did not want to beat up one of my high dollar scopes on that rifle. It has performed flawlessly for hundreds of shots and just keeps on going. No, it is not as clear or bright as my Nikon, Leopold, Simmons or Weaver scopes but none of the predators, hogs, varmints or deer that have fallen to that little .223 could tell that they were shot with a less expensive scope. I just ordered another one for an airgun to see how it performs on it. I found them for $59.99 including free shipping in the USA. That is a lot of bang for not many bucks in this shooter’s mind. Here is a link if you need an inexpensive scope that has worked well for me.


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/328858-REG/Tasco_VAR251042M_2_5_10x42_Target_Varmint.html/BI/4851/KBID/5370%22%3E/BI/4851/KBID/5370



Don't just take my word for it, go to the Internet and Goggle reviews for the scope. Check out Cabelas, Bass Pro and any other outdoor review sites and see what others say about the scope. Then you can make up your own mind. I try to tell you about the bargains I find that are worth the money or not. So far this one is a winner.

The prairie dog on the side of the scope is free with purchase, Wild Ed

2.5-10x42mm, Adjustable Objective, Varmint Matte Finish, True Mil- dot reticle
Lifetime Warranty

Specifications
• Magnification: 2.5-10x
• Field-of-View: 35-9ft. at 100 yards
• Exit Pupil: 16.8mm at 2.5x / 42.mm at 10x
• Lens Coating: SuperCon/multi-layered, fully coated
• Focus Type: Eyeball
• Parallax Setting: 10 ft to infinity
• Objective Lens Diameter: 21mm
• Eye Relief: 3in.
• Reticle Type: True Mil-Dot
• Windage/Elevation: 1/4 M.O.A. Glove-Grip Turrets
• Tube DIA: 1in.
• Weight: 19.1 oz.
• Length: 14in.
• Finish: Black Matte.