Need new glass... Zeiss? Leupold?

[longrangehunterII]

I am also looking for a new scope. Think we could stop seeing who has the biggest "opinion" and maybe get back on the track of the thread?

If you were to purchase a new scope, let's say for a .308, shooting out to say 800 yards, for under $1000.00 what would you buy?

Please support your position with facts and comparisons to current models (let's say less then 3 years old)

I don't mean to be rude, but if I wanted to watch a bunch of dogs **** on each others spot, I go to the dog park.

I think some features are required for shooting long distance, tractability, the amount of elevation range within the scope, that the reticle and turrets match (either MOA or Mils) and it should be rugged (I slipped on a steep hillside and as my gun came off my shoulder I grabbed the sling only to have it swing the entire gun and the scope objective bell collided into a rock with such force it but a huge dent in it, but it still shoots to the same POI). But then so is fitting the right weight and size scope for the purpose it going to serve?

I've owned the major players, and have for years. Do I like the european glass, yes, typically the glass is clearer, but I also like the glass in my NF. I also have a MK4 M3 on my 6.5/300 WSM, the scope is eleven years old but it works totally fine for its purpose. Is it as good as my Kahles K312II 34 mm tactical scope, no, not even close for field of view, but it cost twice as much! But I like having the reticle and the turrets the same, and that it is in the FFP, which the Leupold is not in either one in this case.

Having the reticle and the turrets the same allows me to make a adjustment by the POI with the mil-dots in the scope, and then making the adjustment without having to convert from Mils to MOA. And having a FFP scope means no matter where the zoom ring is I can still range the target accurately. Which is sometimes necessary when those high tech lasers wont give a range reading, or is way to far for them.

I little research and look through the various scopes will help with your decision. Check out this video series:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTca3wF35Og]SNIPER 101 Part 14 - Scopes for Extreme Long Range Shooting - Rex Reviews - YouTube[/ame]

Hope that helps without saying which "you should buy". I don't want anything to do with that last dog fight.

 

[Sako7STW]

The Viper PST is a great scope with alot of good features. It will not treat anyone wrong for sure. BUT, it really depends on what you want out of your scope. Of the scopes mentioned so far that are being asked about, IMO the Zeiss wins the clarity and brightness and edge to edge contest hands down. The PST and Nikon Monarch are very comparable optically as both have a glare issue if you know what to look for. I have not been able to resolve test sheets any better with the PST than I could with the Monarch, both did very well though.

I am not a Leupold fan. I think they bank on the name they earned years and years ago and charge way to much for the product you get. In tests I have done they have not scored anything better than a mid line scope at best. I have owned 2 of them and both have been back to them for repairs so not impressed that way either and both have been sold.

For in the $1000 range, my choices would be #1 Trijicon 5-20 x50, #2 Zeiss Conquest 6-24 x50 with Kenton industry turrets.

BTW, the Conquest line is now the mid level Zeiss scope and the entry level scope is the Zeiss Terra 3X.

 

[Magnum72576]

I've always been a Leupold fan. However I picked up a Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10 a few years ago because I liked my brothers so much. I think its a much better scope than my Var X III, 4.5-14 Leupold. I think the Zeiss is a crisper image, and the power adjustment is MUCH easier to adjust especially in cold weather. And I find that with the leupold I have a harder time getting the proper eye relief where I don't get the black ring around the edge. The Zeiss is perfect every time.
Tony

 

[highridge1]

At your price point Zeiss is clearly the best choice. I have a new HD5 5-25x50 very nice scope. I have owned many leupolds and vortex PST's and the Zeiss is just a nicer scope. I have also used Zeiss Conquest scopes right next to VX-3 and Mark 4's and the Zeiss glass was clearly better. I get a kick out of guys that have a beef against the Conquest because it will run with their scope that is 3-4x more in price. Next up in that price point for me is the Vortex PST which for me is a much better choice than a leupold.

 

[longrangehunterII]

Honestly I'd have to agree with those statements about any Zeiss. I've owned them for more then 20 years. I still have a VM/V 5-15x42, and just sold a Conquest 4.5-14 AO a month ago because I wasn't using it, and the Zeiss glass is clearly better, and a much wider field of view.

Even the Conquest has better glass then my Leupold M4 3.5-10x40 M3, which maybe a decade old, but is a better built scope then the stuff they make today. I sold two Kahles AH 3-9x42 TDS's that blow away any Leupold Mark 4. I only sold them to pay for another Kahles that has Tactical knobs.

As much as I've owned Leupold VX-III scopes over the past 35 years, 7-10, the European manufacturers have always produced a better quality product.

I can't speak for the vortex, but it looks like a good product.

 

[MudRunner2005]

At your price point Zeiss is clearly the best choice. I have a new HD5 5-25x50 very nice scope. I have owned many leupolds and vortex PST's and the Zeiss is just a nicer scope. I have also used Zeiss Conquest scopes right next to VX-3 and Mark 4's and the Zeiss glass was clearly better. I get a kick out of guys that have a beef against the Conquest because it will run with their scope that is 3-4x more in price. Next up in that price point for me is the Vortex PST which for me is a much better choice than a leupold.

Agreed! I've had guys at the range that sat down with a $5K .308 tacticool rifle with a Mark IV on top, and they asked about my "boom stick" which is my 7mmSTW, which has the Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50 on top. I let them shoot it, and they always mention how clear the glass is, and how crisp the image is. Then they are more interested in the scope than the gun that originally drew their interest.

I have seen several guys who came back to the range with the Zeiss scopes on their other rifles after that. Funny how that happens.

I am definitely NOT knocking the Leupolds at all, b/c they ARE great scopes. However, the Zeiss clearly has the crisper lenses. As far as HD and image quality, the Leupold is about on-par with the Zeiss. But when following and leading with the scope the Zeiss seems to have crisper edges on the images you are looking at. I mainly notice this when hunting, b/c there is ALOT more stuff to look at through the scope, than at the range.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Honestly I'd have to agree with those statements about any Zeiss. I've owned them for more then 20 years. I still have a VM/V 5-15x42, and just sold a Conquest 4.5-14 AO a month ago because I wasn't using it, and the Zeiss glass is clearly better, and a much wider field of view.

Even the Conquest has better glass then my Leupold M4 3.5-10x40 M3, which maybe a decade old, but is a better built scope then the stuff they make today. I sold two Kahles AH 3-9x42 TDS's that blow away any Leupold Mark 4. I only sold them to pay for another Kahles that has Tactical knobs.

As much as I've owned Leupold VX-III scopes over the past 35 years, 7-10, the European manufacturers have always produced a better quality product.

I can't speak for the vortex, but it looks like a good product.

I have a Kahles Helia KX 3.5-10x50 sitting on top of my Browning A-Bolt II Composite Stalker 7mm RemMag for deer hunting.

I am Zeiss to the core, however, those upper-end Kahles scopes are phenomenally clear. I mean, it will take your breath away the first time you look through a Helia KX.

Those scopes are on up there, and there was no way I could afford one, so I acquired one in a trade with a buddy of mine, who worked for the local outdoors store, bought it new for really cheap, put 5 rounds down the pipe sighting it in, and then him and his wife had 2 kids, and his deer rifle just sat in the safe. So he wanted my old Carolina Skiff, said he'd trade me his Kahles for it. I would have been stupid to say no.

This is just like mine, but mine doesn't have the illuminated reticle...

Kahles KXi Rifle Scope 3.5-10x 50mm Illuminated 4D Reticle Matte

Seriously, they are worth EVERY penny.

 

[Sully2]

I've always been a Leupold fan. However I picked up a Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10 a few years ago because I liked my brothers so much. I think its a much better scope than my Var X III, 4.5-14 Leupold. I think the Zeiss is a crisper image, and the power adjustment is MUCH easier to adjust especially in cold weather. And I find that with the leupold I have a harder time getting the proper eye relief where I don't get the black ring around the edge. The Zeiss is perfect every time.
Tony

Right on! My sentiments exactly....

 

[sendero21]

I have a Kahles Helia KX 3.5-10x50 sitting on top of my Browning A-Bolt II Composite Stalker 7mm RemMag for deer hunting.

I am Zeiss to the core, however, those upper-end Kahles scopes are phenomenally clear. I mean, it will take your breath away the first time you look through a Helia KX.

Those scopes are on up there, and there was no way I could afford one, so I acquired one in a trade with a buddy of mine, who worked for the local outdoors store, bought it new for really cheap, put 5 rounds down the pipe sighting it in, and then him and his wife had 2 kids, and his deer rifle just sat in the safe. So he wanted my old Carolina Skiff, said he'd trade me his Kahles for it. I would have been stupid to say no.

This is just like mine, but mine doesn't have the illuminated reticle...

Kahles KXi Rifle Scope 3.5-10x 50mm Illuminated 4D Reticle Matte

Seriously, they are worth EVERY penny.

 

[sendero21]

I have one on a pro hunter in 30/06, I zeroed it 15 years ago and I have never ever had to touch the turrets. You can't say that for most Scopes. They are as good if not better than Smith& Bender or Zeiss. They are the oldest Scope maker in Europe.
You can't go wrong with one of them.