What Happened to Pentax Scopes? – Full Overview, FAQs & More

In the shooting community, people often ask…

What happened to Pentax Scopes?

We are here to answer!

Pentax Rifle Scopes – Are They Any Good?

Pentax riflescope line includes several different types of scopes. Some are designed for hunting while others are made for target shooting. All of them are of excellent quality and affordable.

Pentax History

Pentax is a camera manufacturer. The company was originally named Asahi Kogaku KK (Asahi Optical Co., Ltd.). In 1920, it changed its name to Asahi Kogaku Company Limited. In 1929, it changed its name again to Asahi Kogakukai Corporation. Finally, in 1937, it became Asahi Kogaku Corporation.

The company changed its name to Asahi Optical Co. LTD. During World War II, the company supplied cameras to the Japanese military. After the war, the company returned to making camera lenses for Japanese camera manufacturers.

The company that produces cameras is called Pentax. Pentax makes cameras, lenses, binoculars, telescopes, and other optical equipment.

Still cameras, binoculars, spotting scopes, camera lenses, riflescopes, medical-based optical equipment, and more.

Hoya Corporation continues to sell cameras under the Pentax brand name. Ricoh owns the rights to the Pentax brand name concerning cameras and other sporting optics equipment.

Ricoh Imaging Company ceased producing and selling riflescopes. However, they continue to sell binoculars and spotting scopes.

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Pentax Scopes

The Pentax brand of riflescope consists of the following scope series. Gameseeker scopes, Lightseeker scopes, Pioneer scopes, Whitetails Unlimited scope does, and specialty models for hunting deer.

Pentax Gameseeker Scopes

The first generation of GameSeekers was made in China. The second generation of GameSeeker scopes was made in Japan. The third generation of GameSeekar scopes was made in Korea. The fourth generation of GameSeeker scopes was made in Taiwan. The fifth generation of GameSeeker scope was made in Taiwan.

Each series has a different theme. Gameseeker 5x was the first series. Gameseeker 5 X was the second series. Gameseeker 2 was the third series. Gameseeker 3 was the fourth series. Gameseeker 30 was the fifth series. Let’s discuss each of these series in more detail.

Original Gameseeker Scopes

The original Pentax Gameseekers were made in China and were built on a 1-inch tube. These scopes had a fixed power setting of 10x magnification.

This scope family had many problems. First, it didn’t work well under heavy recoil. Second, it often got fogged up inside. Third, it was expensive.

Pentax discontinued the original GameSeeker line of scopes in 2007 and replaced them with new models called GameSeeker II.

Gameseeker x Scopes

This scope was introduced in 2008 and had only one power magnification range and 2 reticle options. The Power Range was a 3-15×50 with either the Penta-Plex Reticle or the Pentax Precision Plex Reticle. Pentax took sales data from the Penta-Whitetail Unlimited scopes and built this configuration to sell towards the deer hunting community while the Gameseeker 5x scopes were a decent selling model for Pentax, but the Gameseeker I & II scopes were better selling models.

This scope series was built on an inch tube and was made in China. Pentax discontinued this scope model at the end of 2014 because it had been phased out.

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Gameseeker II Scopes

Pentax introduced the Gameseekers II series of scopes. These scopes were designed to be an upgrade over previous models and correct some of their problems. New power magnifications were added to this line as well.

The Gameseeker II was made in China. It consists of two models: 2.5x-10×56 and 2x-7×32. These scopes offer improved optics compared to the original Gameseeker.

This scope family was phased out by Pentax in 2012.

Gameseeker III Scopes

Pentax discontinued the lower powers in the Gameseeker III line but kept the most popular configuration from the previous generation.

The third generation of the Gameseekers was very popular among hunters. Unfortunately, the third generation of the Gamesseeker scopes would not last long because Pentax decided to leave the riflescope business at the end of 2014, but the second generation was still available until 2015.

Gameseeker Scopes

The Gameseeker 30 scoped rifle was introduced in 2011. It was marketed as a 30mm option within the Gameseekers line of riflescopes, but it was a cheaper version of the Pentax Lightseeker.

The scope was made by a Chinese optical factory. It was sold as a Pentax product until 2014 when it was discontinued.

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Lightseeker Scopes

The Lightseeker family of scopes was Pentax’s highest performing rifle scope. These scopes were made by Burris Optics in the US. Some Lightseeker models were also made in Japan.

The original Lightseeker series was made by the company called “Lightseeker”. The Lightseeker II series was made by the same company as the first series.

Original Lightseeker Series

This scope is a great choice for hunting because it has an excellent viewfinder and a wide field of vision. You can see everything around you very well. The scope also has a nice range of magnification.

Lightseeker XL Series

The new scopes are more powerful than the old ones. They are lighter and smaller. There are three models available: the 2.5-10×40, 3-12×50, and 4-16×56.

These rifles are similar to the Burris Signature Select series of scoped rifles.

Lightseeker SL Series

The Pentax Lightseeker is a compact hunting scope that was designed to be more compact than other hunting scopes. This model was built by Burris at their U.S. scope factory.

This rifle uses a short action and features an adjustable rear aperture sight. It also comes with a detachable box magazine.

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Pioneer Series

The original version of the Pioneer was designed by Carl Zeiss AG (now known as Carl Zeiss Jena) and manufactured by Kowa Company Ltd. The second version was designed by Carl Zeis AG (now known as Zeiss Vision GmbH) and manufactured by Kova Optical Co., Ltd.

Original Pioneer Series

The Pioneer Series of scopes was introduced by Bushnell in 2005. The first Pioneer scopes were made in the Philippines at the optical factory that also produces the Burris Fullfield 2 scopes. The Pioneer scopes were phased out of production at end of 2007 and were replaced with the Pioneer II Scope Models.

Pioneer II Series

The Pioneer II scope models were made by a company in China. Their optics are inferior to those of the original Pioneer scopes.

The Pioneer II models were phased-out in 2014 when Pentax moved out of the riflescope market.

Whitetails Unlimited Series

The Whitetails Unlimited series was a joint venture between Pentax and the Whitetails Unlimited Organization. Each riflescope sold included a free one-year membership to the organization. Scope models include: “

The Pentax Whitetails line of scopes was discontinued in 2007.

Pentax and Burris

Pentax uses Burris as a brand name for several different types of scopes. These scopes are made by Burris but are branded as Pentax products. Some of these scopes are identical to other Burris scopes while others are not.

Both scopes have similar technical specifications. However, the field of view is different, and the power range is also different. I suspect that Pentax made some slight adjustments to the specs to get Burris to agree to outsource production.

That’s why you should buy a particular model of scope.

Pentax scopes were withdrawn from the market at the end of 2014. They do not offer any scopes for purchase anymore.

The first change was when Pentax changed from a division of Konica Minolta to a separate entity. This happened in 2003. Then in 2006, Pentax sold off its sporting optics division. In 2007, Pentax started selling its scopes under a new brand name, Bushnell. The warranty for Bushnell products ended in 2009.

Two Different Warranty Programs

This warranty program was very generous. It covered any defect in materials or workmanship for life.

This limited warranty applies only to binoculars and scopes originally distributed in the United States by Pentax USA, inc. 35 Inverness Drive East, Englewood, CO 80112 Make sure that the Pentax equipment you are purchasing has an original product registration card issued by Pentax USA Inc.

The new warranty covers any repairs needed for any Pentax binoculars, spotting scopes, or riflescopes. Any repairs done by an authorized service center should be covered under the warranty. However, there is a catch. The warranty doesn’t apply to any scope that was modified by the user. That means if you modify your scope, then the warranty won’t help you.

Pentax doesn’t make the scopes anymore, but you can buy them used or new from other companies. You might need to contact the manufacturer directly to get your warranty fixed.

Pentax scopes are made in the USA by Burris and in the Philippines by Burris. The mid-range models are made in both countries. The low-end models are made in China.

Pentax scopes were once very popular among hunters, but now they’re out of style. Their prices have gone up, and their quality has dropped.

Pentax scopes were never really popular, even though they had some pretty neat features. In 2011, the company sold the sporting optics part of the business to Ricoh Imaging. Ricoh decided to leave the riflescope business in 2014. However, they kept the binoculars and spotting scope section of the business.

Conclusion

Pentax scopes were withdrawn from the market at the end of 2014. They do not offer any scopes for purchase anymore.

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