New scope time

[338edgehunter]

Iv gone thru 2 vortex viper lht scopes there complete trash iv bought 2 leupold vx5hd 3-15 scopes to replace them and im impressed 1 is on a 6.5 prc the other is on a 8 pound 338 edge aka 300 ultra mag necked to 338 shooting 280 barns lrx at 2780 fps

[MOOSE MILK]

Leupold, excellent warranty, shot one for over 30 years. After many rounds from .338 she started giving me problems...brand new one sent to me in under two weeks.

[moosinaround]

I'd suggest leupold, the vx3 stuff is pretty awesome. Saying that though, I would not hesitate on buying another crossfire II, they have never let me down yet! moosin

[Leveraction]

Budget being $600-$1000

[huntingfamily]

Budget being $600-$1000

Easy decision then...
Leupold VX-3i or the new VX-3 HD

[downsouth204]

Swarovski Z3

[Downwindtracker2]

Just like everybody when asked what cartridge for his first rifle will get 30-06, so it will be when asked what brand of 'scope the answer is almost always Leupold. So it was when I asked about 3-9 s. I haven't payed any attention to scope reviews for the last few years, the only answer I got was Leupold. Back when I was much more involved there were under the radar gems. Before Tasco, yes that is right, got bought out by Bushnell, their top of the line was a great scope. Weaver Gran Slam scopes were also first rate, easily a better scope than the VX-3 which was Leupold top line in those days.

Scope design is a compromise. Cost versus profit . When you see made in China, one automatically gets suspicious, with good reason. BTW, the best glass comes from China, they, unlike the Europeans, can use lead. Optic law says if you got a great eye box you have small field of view. As the power goes up, the requirement for more precession goes up, it multiplies . Precession, no matter where it comes from costs money. To get a 10x binos with the same level of clarity as a $500 7x you have to pay twice as much. Clarity is more important than power. Solid internals will jack up the weight, makes sense doesn't it. The same goes for tubes, one famous brand gets the rep for using aluminum foil for tubes. Doesn't work well.

A rep for great warranty service should raise a huge red flag. Scopes shouldn't need warranty unless they bounce along a river bottom or drop off a quad. Done both. Even then the very best don't. I can't afford those brands. One of the problems here is most weekend warriors don't know their rifle and it's load . If a 1" rifle shoots a 3" group. Off comes that scope and it goes to Ontario or Alberta. It takes 3 weeks to go to Alberta and back, but it takes 3 months to go to Ontario and back.

Scope designers work with a life expectancy . If the weekend warrior uses one box of shells a year, and if he doesn't even know if the scope goes for a chit. He is going to sing it's praises. When Leupold brought out the then new VX-2 2-7 , my hunting partner bought a couple. Light and compact with good optics . At the deal he got less than half the price of a VX-3 2.5x8. It was too good to be true, two boxes of 50 bullets and they were done. He warrantied them, then sold them.

I have Leupolds and Bushnells.

Sightron (sp) don't get any praise for their great warranty, nor any complaints, that in it's self should tell you something.

[Ride Red]

I have many Leupolds so I’m a little biased, but you can’t go wrong. And, I’ve never had a warranty either.

[Firstblood]

Leupold, all my scopes except one rimfire are leupold and its a vortex. Every brags about the great warranty of vortex replacing broken scopes, people brag about the quality of leupold scopes.

[Downwindtracker2]

I got sucked big time. $200. Early in the journey I bought a used Bushnell Scopechief. This was the top of the line scope in it's day. This is the scope that taught me about group size and changing point of aim. It went in twice to get tightened up . It ended up on the Canoe rifle where it went for a swim. The cross hairs ended up on the bottom of the tube. So for the third trip east it came back with a new cheap line Bushnell as well. When Bushnell took over Bauch&Laumb (sp) they picked up the Balvar line. Without a doubt the toughest variable out there then. It continued as the 4000 series. They were built like a tank and weighted like a tank. I have three of the 2.5-10x40s. They also made a another tank, a 1.5x6 4200. . I bought one used, it had lived on a 375 H7H . I found it to be loose. It got sent in. Bushnell 4 trips, of that the Scopechief was 3 of them

Leupold score isn't really any better. 2 trips but one was a bad new scope, a VariX-111 2.5x8. When Leupold went to the VX-3, I got a couple on close out from the states. Leupold s in the states are affordable. From the get go, that was bum scope. It cost me a minor fortune in bullets and powder trying to get a load. Any time something costs me money, I get annoyed. The other trip was VX-3 3.5-10 that bounced off the quad.

Bushnell doesn't sell the Japanese made 4200s anymore, so I can't recommend them. What they sell now is Chinese and Korean.

But what said in an earlier post are simple logic.