Tasco is a well-known manufacturer of sport optics. They are perhaps best known for their telescopes, but also manufacture microscopes, binoculars and a variety of other optics equipment. Based in Miramar, Florida, the company was founded by George Rosenfield in 1954. Before being renamed to Tasco, it was originally known as the Tanross Supply Company. In its early days, the company distributed fishing tackle and hardware. The company name was later abbreviated to Tasco as different types of products (such as binoculars) were added to their inventory.
In 1998, Tasco purchased Celestron, a telescope manufacturer that focused on a different astronomy market; Tasco telescopes are marketed to amateurs, while Celestron telescopes are considered professional-level astronomy equipment. In 2002, Tasco Worldwide liquidated its assets after suffering from financial difficulties. Meade Corporation, one of only a few major competing telescope companies, was interested in purchasing Tasco but the buy was ultimately blocked by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). At the time, Celestron (owned by Tasco) and Meade were the only two companies manufacturing a particular type of telescope (Schmidt-Cassegrain) in the US, which would have given Meade a monopoly on the item after purchasing Tasco. Tasco was later purchased by the parent corporation of fellow optics company Bushnell Performance Optics. Tasco and Bushnell were both sold to an equity firm in 2007.
One of Tasco’s most popular sport optics products is their World Class line of riflescopes. This line is currently available in a dozen different variations. These models offer objective apertures of 32-40mm and a range of different distances. Tasco World Class riflescopes are designed for rugged use, and are waterproof, fog-proof and shockproof. World Class scopes are also treated with Tasco’s trademark SuperCon coating for clearer images. The World Class line are available with 3 different reticle types, the 30/30, and Tasco’s trademarked ProShot and True Mil-Dot reticles. Tasco market themselves as a budget line of quality optics, competing with higher-end scopes by Leupold and other companies at far more reasonable prices.
Tasco’s Target & Varmint rifle scopes are also popular products. Unlike many rifle scopes, these aren’t designed for big game like moose and deer. Instead, these are designed to catch small, quick game such as rabbits. This series of Tasco scopes features objective apertures of between 40 and 50mm, offering a comfortable viewing range for the targets they’re designed for while also allowing in enough light to see critters in less than ideal lighting situations. These scopes begin with a fixed 10x magnification, and also offer 2.5-10x and 6-24x configurations.
Unlike many rifle scope manufacturers, Tasco also sell some accessories for their scopes. They offer their own mounts, rings, and a kit for bore sighting your Tasco riflescope, which includes studs for 14 different firearm calibers. Tasco are also known for honoring lifetime and other warranties. Though this was somewhat tenuous during the periods where the company changed hands, many customers report good service and honoring of their Tasco warranty.
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