I bought one of these at this great price. The first one came with a cracked lenscap,and the tape on the box seal was broken. But SportsmansGuide quickly shipped me a new scope and paid return shipping on the original when I pointed out the issue. New scope arrived with seal tape intact and in perfect condition.
The scope is very nice - especially for $29! I have it temporarily mounted and have played with it, but I won't get to shoot with it until next week. MidwayUSA lists this exact same scope in their master catalog as item number 380-808. They list it for $135. The manufacturer website lists is as "was $169, now $99".
On mine, the variable power ring is smooth and just a little stiff to turn, but not bad. The AO focus ring is stiff and takes a good grip to turn. It also has a large amount of turn to it to move focus from one extreme to the other. When doing the full turn from infintiy focus to close focus there are areas where it's noticeable easier to turn than other places. Hopefully that stiffness/variability will ease up with a little use. I doubt I'll be adjusting focus point all that often, so it's not a big deal to me. The windage/elevation turrets are perfect in smoothness and turn effort. The image looks good through the scope. The AO does really focus close - 12 yards per manufacturer claim (I think), and I'd agree with that. The eye relief feels pretty short. The front bell of the scope is quite large for a 44mm objective. You will need high or high-medium rings most likely. I don't know how it will hold up to springer recoil, but mine is for a Savage bolt action .22 so recoil is not a concern for me.
I would buy this scope again - in a heartbeat - at this price!
