When choosing the absolute best

[truck driver]

What do you guys recommend for the guy that wants a good scope, but doesn't want to sell his house to get one?

I have Zeiss, Leupold and Minox plus a couple of old Bushnell Banners. If you check out Camera Land NY they have some very good prices on open box scopes. The Minox ZA 5 can be had for half price depending on what you want. Optic Planet has Vortex Diamond backs on sale if you want made in America. The Minox is assembled in America but they use Schott glass same as Zeiss.
The Vortex that's on sale is a 1.5-7x32 BDC reticule I believe for $179 with free shipping.

 

[FOTIS]

What do you guys recommend for the guy that wants a good scope, but doesn't want to sell his house to get one?

Leupold some zeiss

 

[Oldtrader3]

I just bought a Zeiss Conquest HD5 (3-12x42), open box demo about a month ago at CameralandNY and it is a screamer in performance for about $800 demo cost. This scope is very close to my Swaro Z3 and Zeiss Diavari V and is a miracle for its price! Boy, do I like this scope and its features!

 

[ccoker]

Yep
You are screwed once you spend real field time with the top end glass.

I have a SB 1.5-6 Zenith Flashdot 9 that will never be sold.
I have owned or tested just about all of them.

Best glass for the money is Meopta but they lack some features like reticle choices and target/tactical style turrets.

Zeiss, Swarovski, Kahles, Leica, etc.. All good.

Really impressed with this new Leica 3-12x50 I am testing right now.

Charles

 

[nvbroncrider]

No doubt got a pair of Leupold glasses that are dark and fuzzy 45-60 mins before my Z6 on my 280AI. You know what my next investment is!!! A RF Bino I just haven't had the cash to pull the trigger.

 

[BK]

warning, when somebody finally buys top shelf optics one suddenly sells off the lesser optics to buy more of the top shelf optics. its funny how after looking through a schmidt, premier, hendsolt, swarovski or the like, your not as content as you were before doing so.

That's what I'm afraid of! I have too many rifles to replace everything with Zeniths and PM IIs!

 

[Oldtrader3]

When I switched from Leupold binocs and Nikon scopes to Zeiss Diavari scopes and Zeiss Classic binocs it was a big change in my hunting style and the ability to dig antler details out of the scrub oak at 300 yards, even at dusk

 

[usmc 89]

idaho, i run the schmidt pmlls on my guns, my teammate uses the premiers. I cannot tell the difference between the two in the glass department. It would come down to what options were available in deciding between the two. Premier and schmidts are both at the top of the scope game.

If you could buy any scope right now, S&B PMII, Premier, a US Optics or even a Vortex HD? What would you buy and why?

For what application? Are you just going to hunt with it or do you have a multi-purpose role in mind, IE competitions? I use my comp guns to hunt with as well, I killed my antelope last week with the 300 jazz, breaking my longest shot record on a big game animal in the processs.

 

[257 Ackley]

The clearest, sharpest glass in a scope for me is either S&B or Premier. Steiner has made some significant progress in their glass (especially tactical FF plane scopes) in the past couple years. The high end Zeiss, Kahles and Swaro all fall into the next category.

Application matters...p-dog shooting can be done with a decent Leupold or NF. KD competions are the same for quality. Anything else, I want the best that won't require a new mortgage on the house. I think quality binos and spotting scopes are more important than the scope glass due to the amount of time spent using them while hunting.

 

[Oldtrader3]

No brainer for medium priced (under $1000) premier scopes. I would buy the 3-12x42 Conquest HD5. I just bought one recently and I am really impressed with this scope for $800. It is almost as good as my Zeiss Victory which cost three X as much.

 

[longrangehunter]

idaho, i run the schmidt pmlls on my guns, my teammate uses the premiers. I cannot tell the difference between the two in the glass department. It would come down to what options were available in deciding between the two. Premier and schmidts are both at the top of the scope game.

If you could buy any scope right now, S&B PMII, Premier, a US Optics or even a Vortex HD? What would you buy and why?

For what application? Are you just going to hunt with it or do you have a multi-purpose role in mind, IE competitions? I use my comp guns to hunt with as well, I killed my antelope last week with the 300 jazz, breaking my longest shot record on a big game animal in the processs.

For myself, I can hit anything with a first hit out to 600 yards, but for 600-1500 yards, I like knowing the equipment I'm using will give me the best possible advantage to make the impossible, possible.

 

[SJB358]

No doubt got a pair of Leupold glasses that are dark and fuzzy 45-60 mins before my Z6 on my 280AI. You know what my next investment is!!! A RF Bino I just haven't had the cash to pull the trigger.

The RF Binos are just awesome. Everytime I use them I'm all smiles. Great glass and range right at your fingers.

 

[usmc 89]

idaho, i run the schmidt pmlls on my guns, my teammate uses the premiers. I cannot tell the difference between the two in the glass department. It would come down to what options were available in deciding between the two. Premier and schmidts are both at the top of the scope game.

If you could buy any scope right now, S&B PMII, Premier, a US Optics or even a Vortex HD? What would you buy and why?

For what application? Are you just going to hunt with it or do you have a multi-purpose role in mind, IE competitions? I use my comp guns to hunt with as well, I killed my antelope last week with the 300 jazz, breaking my longest shot record on a big game animal in the processs.

For myself, I can hit anything with a first hit out to 600 yards, but for 600-1500 yards, I like knowing the equipment I'm using will give me the best possible advantage to make the impossible, possible.

When shooting at distance "700+ yards" I myself think the ammunition becomes the most important factor. Great glass, rifle, shooter are key but all is worthless if the load your using isn't up to it.

 

[longrangehunter]

I mostly use my weapons for hunting and/or target use in field conditions. I'd like to get involved in something like the SAC competition or others like it that I could participate in. Hard part for me would be finding a partner I could work with, but I'd enjoy the field craft and shooting aspect of the sport.

 

[usmc 89]

Washington state has a match on the 7th of december, there is also a match in three forks montana on the 7th of december. Get on snipershide and go to the tactical matches section, they will have matches posted on there.
I will be going to the three forks match here in december, I have won it both times this year. You can pm me if your interested in coming out, three forks is a good place for a new guy to get his feet wet.

 

[longrangehunter]

Thanks for the info USMC..... that's too bad, I was planing on heading to Billings earlier that week for a dentist appointment, but I have to take my beautiful GF to her best friends B-day party that day. How about I take you up on that another time?

 

[usmc 89]

If you have time when your in billings give me a call, 406-396-2325, we can shoot on my private range, steel out to 2k yards.

 

[longrangehunter]

I'll take you up on that for sure. I still need to schedule an appointment, just not sure if I should make it the week before X-Mass or after the new year? Is either one better for you?

 

[usmc 89]

Doesn't matter, I will be in wisconsin from the 19th-29th.