Weaver Kaspa 3-9×40 Scope Review

 

The Weaver Kaspa 3-9×40 is considered affordable. However, the saying “You get what you pay for” makes me ask the inevitable question, “Is this just a low quality scope?”

In this review, I’ll explore many details of the Weaver Kaspa scope in an unbiased way, so that you can make an informed decision.

Glass : 3.5/5

Glass Quality

Looking through the Weaver Kaspa scope, I found that its image is as clear as many big name scopes within the same price range such as the Nikon Buckmaster II. Color contrast is not that great, but acceptable. Making game spotting not a difficult feat. Plus, there’s no strange refraction of purple or blue tint at the edges to frustrate you like some lower end scopes.

Light transmission is not as good as higher priced scopes. The Weaver Kaspa gets dark much faster and is not recommended for serious hunting during dawn and dusk. That said, there’s not much irritating flares when the sun is at your front and back.

If you hunt a lot during low light, higher end scopes or bigger objective lens scopes are recommended.

Reticle

The reticle is sharp and easy to spot. There are 2 reticles to choose from :

• Dual X – similar to a simple duplex reticle
• Ballistic X – BDC reticle

The Dual X reticle is an option for those who like simple, no-clutter reticle. While the Ballistic X reticle features 3 elevation holdovers for longer range shots, It’s not a devoted long range holdovers, but should be sufficient for 150-250 yards shot (depending on your caliber and bullet grain weight.)

See Dual X reticle
See Ballistic X reticle

Varmint EB-X, Fine Dual-X, Slug/Muzzleloader, Illuminated dual and Turkey reticles are available, but with significant added cost.
 

Turrets : 3.5/5

Turrets are finger adjustable and caps are provided to prevent unintentional adjustments. Elevation and windage adjustments are not that precise nor repeatable, which means it could take more time and ammo to sight in your scope.

For more information on how to sight in your scope, please see here.

Since the turrets are not repeatable, the Weaver Kaspa is not suited for long range shooters. Please note that this quality of turrets are to be expected for scopes around this price.

Recoil Durability Grade

The Weaver Kaspa holds zero well with .308 caliber. For higher caliber, consider choosing sturdier scopes for satisfactory product life.

 

Ease of use : 3.5/5

Magnification ring features a knurled knob, which is smooth to turn even with your gloves on. The turrets adjustment are also easy to operate, and come with caps to prevent accidental adjustments.

Eye relief is generous. And the scope has fast focus eyepiece which would be useful if you share this scope with others or have old eyes where you need to adjust your reticle’s focus often.

For long range shooters, this scope is not ideal as there are no features such as indexing and zero stops.

 

Looks : 3.5/5

The Weaver Kaspa is a plain matte black scope. It’s suited for hunting, as it doesn’t reflect sunlight and is unlikely to spook game. But there’s not much tacti-coolness to boast about. Fortunately it doesn’t look like a $20-$40 cheap Chinese knockoff.

The scope itself is compact and lightweight (11.5 oz). It’s easy to carry around and light enough for your kids.

In terms of brand awareness, Weaver is deemed as lower than the likes of Leupold, Nikon and Vortex.

 

Durability : 2.5/5

The Weaver Kaspa works well under normal conditions. It features 1 piece tube which tends to be more durable, but is not made to withstand heavy abuse like higher end scopes. It can endure light rain just fine, but dropping or submerging it is not recommended.

Lifetime Warranty also comes with the scope. Weaver will cover any defects while the scope is owned by the original owner. This warranty is not transferable, so make sure to keep your receipt in case you need to claim for any defects.

 

Value : 3.5/5

The Weaver Kaspa 3-9×40 is an affordable scope with not that bad glass. Perhaps its downfall is that it doesn’t offer much durability. Furthermore, quality control for low end scopes like this just isn’t great, meaning you might need to use your warranty soon enough.

Looking for an affordable scope? See Best Scope for the Money.

 

Others

Know the Weaver brand

Weaver Optics is one of the oldest name in American Scope History. Back in 1930, rifle scopes were not affordable nor popular among mainstream American shooters. The cheapest scope cost about $50, which was a hefty sum back then. But William R. Weaver believed things should be different.

He started introducing the Weaver 3-30 scope in 1930. It’s price was only $19 (a 60% decrease in price!). Combined with other successful models, Weaver Optics became the largest producer of riflescopes in the world.

Weaver mounting system was also such a runaway success, such that competitors copied and called it “Weaver Rail Mounts”.

Admittedly the owner of the brand changed hands multiple times, but the affordability mindset is still at the core of Weaver Optics.

Tech Specs

Technical Specifications of the Weaver Kaspa 3-9×40

Length (Inch)	12.4
Weight (oz)	11.5
Tube Diameter (Inch)	1
Finish	Matte Black
Magnification	3-9x
Objective Diameter	40mm
Eyepiece Diameter (Inch)	1.5
Linear FOV (ft/100 yd) – Low	32.6
Linear FOV (ft/100 yd) – High	9.9
Reticle	Dual X Ballistic X
Reticle Focal Plane	Second
Reticle illuminated	No
Eye Relief (in) – Low	4.37
Eye Relief (in) – High	3.81
Turret Height	Low
Finger Adjustable Turrets	Yes
Turrets Resettable to Zero	No
Zero Stop	No
Adjustment Type	Click
Adjustment Click Value	1/4 MOA
Elevation Adjustment Range (MOA)	50
Windage Adjustment Range (MOA)	50
Fast Focus Eye Piece	Yes
Parallax	Fixed at 150 yards
Waterproof/Fogproof/Shockproof	Yes
Warranty	Weaver Limited Lifetime Guarantee

Models

Based on magnification power, objective lens diameter and adds-on, Weaver Kaspa is available in 9 different models :

(Numbers in front indicate magnification, 3-9x = 3x-9x magnification. Numbers in the back are objective lens diameter in millimeter, 40 = 40mm objective lens diameter.)

• Weaver Kaspa 1-4X24 Shotgun/Muzzle Bal-X ; 30mm Tube
• Weaver Kaspa 1x20mm
• Weaver Kaspa 2-7x32mm
• Weaver Kaspa 3-12x50mm
• Weaver Kaspa 3-9x40mm
• Weaver Kaspa 3-9x40mm Illuminated
• Weaver Kaspa 4-16x44mm Illuminated
• Weaver Kaspa 4-16x44mm Side Focus

Weaver Kaspa 6-18x44mm Varmint Fine Cross

Want a good scope for plinking? See Best .22 Scope and Best Rimfire Scope.

 

My verdict on the Weaver Kaspa 3-9×40

The Weaver Kaspa is a nice starter scope. Optics quality is nice with acceptable price. Compact and lightweight, the scope is also suitable for kids and women. It’s downside are durability and the lack of turrets features & repeatability. The warranty is also non-transferable, which means your reselling value could drop a bit.

Pros	Cons
✓ Affordable	✗ Non-transferable warranty
✓ Acceptable glass quality	✗ Not durable
✓ Compact and lightweight	✗ Turrets lack features
	✗ Turrets not repeatable

 

Looking for a scope for your AR-15? See Best AR15 Scope.

Alternate Scope

1. Nikon Buckmasters II 3-9x40mm

• Better glass
• BDC Reticle
• Similar price

 

2. Leupold VX-2 3-9×40

• Better glass
• Better light transmission
• Much more durable
• Superb warranty
• Higher priced