Rainier ED HD Model 856

Incredibly disappointed in this scope. I opened the package today and was crestfallen the minute I touched the scope.

First impression was good as the view-through field case was included and sitting just under the lid. I lifted the foam to expose the scope. Everything was good until I lifted the scope out of the box. A loud clank and rattle as I moved the scope into my hands meant bad news. Evidently a large internal part broke loose inside the scope and had been rattling around in there for who knows how long. The objective lens was a mess (aka it appeared to be scratched and damaged from the inside), and I couldn't get an image when I looked through the scope.

The scope seemed to be shipped properly, the box was not damaged and didn't appear to have any unusual handling. In other words it seemed reasonably shipped to protect the item. This leads me to believe that Alpen's quality control is seriously lacking. There is no reason a scope of this price should have experienced such a catastrophic failure.

Now, this is Alpens top of the line scope. Outdoor Life have it their top rating in 2014. Based on my prior experience and the glowing Outdoor Life review, I felt this was going to be the best value. I was very wrong.

I have a lower cost Model 788 and am very pleased. This scope is over 4x the cost at $1300.00 and I was expecting to be impressed. I was comparing this scope to the slightly more expensive Meopta MeoPro HD 80 at $1500.00. I am kicking myself for being cheap and I question if high dollar Chinese scopes are worth the risk. If this failure would have occurred a year from now what would I have done? I would suggest that when you get into this price range go with a name brand scope with solid customer service.

My fall birding season will be without the scope I had dreamed of. By the time I get my refund and order a replacement, I will likely be out of time.