Rifle Scope Comparison Chart

[ishootbambi]

^^^^ ok elk....but still missing the question. forget leupold. lets use the conquest. do you believe that a 2000 dollar swarovski is 3 times better quality than a 650 dollar conquest? or for that matter, zeiss has some models in that price range...again i just dont believe that they are 3 times better.

[elkhunter11]

ok elk....but still missing the question. forget leupold. lets use the conquest. do you believe that a 2000 dollar swarovski is 3 times better quality than a 650 dollar conquest? or for that matter, zeiss has some models in that price range...again i just dont believe that they are 3 times better.

It all depends on your hunting conditions.I have passed up two shots with Vari xIII scopes,that I would likely have taken with a top end Swarovski,Zeiss,S&B,or Kahles.I could see the animals in the timber with my binoculars,but I wasn't totally confident in my ability to properly place the crosshairs in the fading light.And yes this was during legal hours.For some people,having to pass up a shot or two is worth the price difference,yet other people like myself,do not find it acceptable.As such,I do hunt with scopes that would normally retail for around $1200.I also have a Zeiss Diavari that retails for over $3000,that I will be using on my precision target rifle.I am willing to pay the extra cost,in order to have the very precise tracking,and extreme clarity at longer ranges that this scope offers,in comparison to a Leupold..

[ishootbambi]

^^^^ wow, i knew you had eye trouble, but i didnt realize it was that bad. legalities aside, if i were so inclined i could hunt during the moonlight with my scopes. i have been to the opthamologist far too many times over the last few months with my own eye inflammation and have been told that my eyesight is far better than the average. maybe thats why i dont see the difference? it seems that possbly my excellent vision just makes up for what my optics lack. for that matter, one of my hunting partners has an elite 4200. i look through both scopes at dusk an see not much difference, but he seems to think my scopes are way better than his. i guess it is very much a personal thing what each of us see.

LOL...likely best you stick with your Leupolds then Dale...some people can justify higher end optics and some can't...it's those differences in opinion that make this world a great place

[elkhunter11]

wow, i knew you had eye trouble, but i didnt realize it was that bad.

Actually ,aside from the last couple of years,my vision has been 20-15 in both eyes,and I have normal night vision.The shots that I passed up were before my present eye issues,when my eyes were 20-15,which is better than 20-20, which is considered normal.

As for yourself,if your eyes can't tell the difference between the various optics,then you would be wasting your money on better optics.

By the way,I consider the optics of the Elite 4200 every bit the equal of the VXIII.

[ishootbambi]

^^^^ im really not stuck on any brand sheep. my rifles wear leupolds, but my other optics are not from them. im only 38. maybe as i age and my eyes lose a little my needs will change. if that is the case then i will be looking to upgrade.

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

By the way,I consider the optics of the Elite 4200 every bit the equal of the VXIII.

like i said....me too.

[fluxcore]

Originally Posted by ishootbambi

^^^^ I'm really not stuck on any brand sheep. my rifles wear leupolds, but my other optics are not from them. im only 38. maybe as i age and my eyes lose a little my needs will change. if that is the case then i will be looking to upgrade.



like i said....me too.

I found the newer VX3 blows Bushnell Elite 4200 or 6500 out of the water. I compared the elite 4.5 30x50 to a leapy VX3 6.5 25x50 and the difference was astounding, the bushy had bad edge distortion and got blurry once you dialed it past 20x where the leaups stayed nice and clear throughout its power range. I was really excited about getting the new 6500 scope but after looking through it my opinion changed.

[elkhunter11]

I found the newer VX3 blows Bushnell Elite 4200 or 6500 out of the water. I compared the elite 4.5 30x50 to a leapy VX3 6.5 25x50 and the difference was astounding, the bushy had bad edge distortion and got blurry once you dialed it past 20x where the leaups stayed nice and clear throughout its power range. I was really excited about getting the new 6500 scope but after looking through it my opinion changed.
__________________

One thing that I found about the 6500,is that the parallax adjustment becomes very critical above 20x,but once fine tuned,it was fairly clear.As for the VX3 6.5-25x50 scope you mention,I haven't seen one,so I can't comment on it.In fact,I couldn't even find such a scope on the Leupold site.I am familiar with both the VX3 6.5-20X50,and the VX3 8.5-25x50,and I wouldn't own either due to the eye relief that varies so much as the magnification is adjusted.I find the VX3 the worst with a change of over 1-1/2" from 8.5x to 25x.To me it is just ridiculous that Leupold can't make a scope with a more constant eye relief.As a result,I spent the extra money and went with the Zeiss Diavari 6-24x56.I find it clearer,with more precise tracking,and the near constant eye relief is much more comfortable to use,since I don't have to change my cheek position on the stock,as I adjust the magnification.

[decker]

I still like my Leupold glass.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by decker

I still like my Leupold glass.

Me too but don't the comparison charts give you the urge to look through some other ones? The way that they rate the Leupolds makes me wonder what looking through a higher rating, lower costing one looks like.

[Mountain Guy]

I'd say don't get hung up on that comparison chart. I think it's been said earlier, but how was that comparison established?
This is a retailers comparison. MAybe they got the best deal on Sightron scopes and have a swack of em' in their warehouse.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

This is a retailers comparison. MAybe they got the best deal on Sightron scopes and have a swack of em' in their warehouse.

Maybe. For the Sightron rating you'd have to research the costs of the various scopes listed and see if the following chart from Optics Talk is close. They don't have, or are not supposed to have, any hidden agendas. If the two charts are out to lunch then there might be something fishy.

Leupold Mark 4 VX III & VX-L, Meopta, Nikon Monarch Gold & Titanium, Sightron SIII & S2 Big Sky, Vortex Viper

Burris Black Diamond Signature Select XTR & Euro Diamond, Pentax Lightseeker, Trijicon Accupoint, Weaver Grand Slam

Bushnell Elite 3200, Leupold VX-II, Millet Tactical/Buck Gold, Nikko Stirling, Nikon Buckmaster, Sightron SI & SII, Vortex Crossfire & Diamondback, Super Sniper Fixed

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Maybe. For the Sightron rating you'd have to research the costs of the various scopes listed and see if the following chart from Optics Talk is close. They don't have, or are not supposed to have, any hidden agendas. If the two charts are out to lunch then there might be something fishy.

Leupold Mark 4 VX III & VX-L, Meopta, Nikon Monarch Gold & Titanium, Sightron SIII & S2 Big Sky, Vortex Viper

Burris Black Diamond Signature Select XTR & Euro Diamond, Pentax Lightseeker, Trijicon Accupoint, Weaver Grand Slam

Bushnell Elite 3200, Leupold VX-II, Millet Tactical/Buck Gold, Nikko Stirling, Nikon Buckmaster, Sightron SI & SII, Vortex Crossfire & Diamondback, Super Sniper Fixed

Wasn't there discrepancies between the two comparisons?
Don't mean to muddy the waters and it is all good information to help base a decision on but.....
I would pay more attention to what I read from the guys/girls here than I would from a comparison chart that may have some monetary motives.
I agree those Sightrons look appealing. Is there any backing here that would substantiate what their saying.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

I would pay more attention to what I read from the guys/girls here than I would from a comparison chart that may have some monetary motives.

I wouldn't rule out using those charts as a source of information when making a purchase. It can be pretty tough to get an unbiased opinion on here at times, seems many recommendations are based on the "it's what I own so it has to be the best" attitude.

[elkhunter11]

Maybe. For the Sightron rating you'd have to research the costs of the various scopes listed and see if the following chart from Optics Talk is close. They don't have, or are not supposed to have, any hidden agendas. If the two charts are out to lunch then there might be something fishy.

I would put more faith in a rating chart developed by the people at Optics Talk,than a comparison chart put together by a single optics dealer who has a financial interest.

This is a retailers comparison. MAybe they got the best deal on Sightron scopes and have a swack of em' in their warehouse.

That is certainly possible.

[IR_mike]

The sightron scopes get very favorable reveiws and comments on other forums and shooting sites than just optics talk.

[gitrdun]

I feel somewhat of a looser. 4 outa 3 animals were shot thru a Leupold VXIII and the last one thru a Redfield Evolution. All one shot kills. 3 of them with TSX's and one with a cheapo Hornady Interlock. My mistake, I'm so sorry, I shoulda spent a lot more money on my equipment. The fact that I used a Redfield and Hornady bullets makes me ............ashamed of myself.

[HunterDave]

What happened to your Sightron? I think it was you that first mentioned it to me on the "Scope Choice Advice" thread wasn't it?

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

Wasn't there discrepancies between the two comparisons?

I agree those Sightrons look appealing. Is there any backing here that would substantiate what their saying.

Yeah, for one the chart in the op had them in the same catagory as a Bushnell Elite 4200 and the Optics Talk chart had them lumped in with the Bushnell Elite 3200.

I just bought a Sightron II and I'll let you know what I think in comparison to my other scopes.

[gitrdun]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

What happened to your Sightron? I think it was you that first mentioned it to me on the "Scope Choice Advice" thread wasn't it?

It's a 36x scope that I purchased as a BR scope, hardly a hunting scope.

[KegRiver]

Okay, this is all very interesting, but here is the problem I have.
I will not pay three times the price for half the value for anything.

So what is worth the money, to me?
I have known for a very long time that Leupold was nothing more then a high priced Bushnell, and Bushnell is junk!

So is Tasco, and those three comprize 99% of what's available. So who can I trust to tell me what will work for me at a price I can accept?

The clerk at the sporting goods counter? A kid, he probibly has never even shot a rifle. Maybe the manager? Sure, he'll tell me to buy the most expensive Leupold in the cataloge.
How about my neighber. You know the one, he drives a jacked up 4x4 Ford diesel pickup and works at the mill on the outskirts of town. I'll bet his rifle wears a $4,000.00 scope. Probibly something made in Switzerland, with a name no one can pronounce.

I KNOW that my old Weaver still preforms as good as the day I bought it 35 years ago. But Weaver is no longer the Weaver that I know.

I'll tell you what I did. I bought the cheepest scope I could find. A Simmons Eight Point. I have no idea if it will turn out to be good, bad, or ugly.
But if it turns out to be junk like the rest, at least I haven't spent the price of a new Touring Bike on it.

Dang I wish my eyes were what they used to be. Then I wouldn't bother with this high priced junk. Give me a peep sight. At least I can hit with them and if they get knocked around I can see if they are off.

With a scope, all to often, the first indication something is wrong is when a shot goes way off target.

I have had four new scopes go bad for no decernable reason. And they weren't cheap. I have never had to replace an iron sight. Ever.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

So who can I trust to tell me what will work for me at a price I can accept?

I don't think that anyone can answer that question for you. All that you can do is do your homework and decide what you are willing to pay for your scope. Charts, reviews, etc are a good place to start but ultimately you have to decide for yourself what you like and what you can afford. I would have loved buying a Zeiss Conquest Rapid Z 600 but with my budget and needs I went with a lower priced scope.

[tchardy1972]

Sightron is probably the best bang for your money. The glass in these scopes is top notch and they track like scopes worth way more money. I also have several burris scopes and the high end Black diamond and XTR have better glass than other scopes of the same money.

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Okay, this is all very interesting, but here is the problem I have.
I will not pay three times the price for half the value for anything.

So what is worth the money, to me?
I have known for a very long time that Leupold was nothing more then a high priced Bushnell, and Bushnell is junk!

So is Tasco, and those three comprize 99% of what's available. So who can I trust to tell me what will work for me at a price I can accept?

The clerk at the sporting goods counter? A kid, he probibly has never even shot a rifle. Maybe the manager? Sure, he'll tell me to buy the most expensive Leupold in the cataloge.
How about my neighber. You know the one, he drives a jacked up 4x4 Ford diesel pickup and works at the mill on the outskirts of town. I'll bet his rifle wears a $4,000.00 scope. Probibly something made in Switzerland, with a name no one can pronounce.

I KNOW that my old Weaver still preforms as good as the day I bought it 35 years ago. But Weaver is no longer the Weaver that I know.

I'll tell you what I did. I bought the cheepest scope I could find. A Simmons Eight Point. I have no idea if it will turn out to be good, bad, or ugly.
But if it turns out to be junk like the rest, at least I haven't spent the price of a new Touring Bike on it.

Dang I wish my eyes were what they used to be. Then I wouldn't bother with this high priced junk. Give me a peep sight. At least I can hit with them and if they get knocked around I can see if they are off.

With a scope, all to often, the first indication something is wrong is when a shot goes way off target.

I have had four new scopes go bad for no decernable reason. And they weren't cheap. I have never had to replace an iron sight. Ever.

Finally something logical !!!