best scope for your $$

[Triple Threat]

Just looking for some advise for a scope.Is there anything good for 400-500 or do I need to spend more.Any help would be appreciated thanks:wave:

[M70]

For that price, the Elite 4200 is a good choice.

[JohnB]

Ziess Conquest; I would not buy another elite 4200 again.

[spurly]

Leupold has some models in that price range. The good part is if you need warranty it is available in Okotoks.

[M70]

Why not?

[Duk Dog]

You talking rifle or spotting scope?

[willy]

i like my burris fullfield II and it costs less then ur price range. If you spend 400-500 on a scope it will be a good scope in any of the name brands.

[Triple Threat]

both would be nice know that you mentioned it.

[Duk Dog]

For a spotting scope a good bet is the Bushnell Elite 15 - 45 x 60. For a rifle scope try the Bushnell Elite series or Leupold.

[rugatika]

Get an elite 3200 and a bunch of ammo for target shooting.

[Triple Threat]

thanks for the info.

[stubblejumper]

The elite 3200 is a great scope for the money.and if your budget is a little larger,so is the zeiss conquest.

[bowchaser]

look at the Nikon Monarch. Do some reading on actual tests between competitors. Can usually find some on savage shooters, or riflescopes.com

[Mike_W]

I would agree with both Leupold and Nikon I personally find the Elites to be a little dark for my liking however I belive they are a great quality scope otherwise

[The Moose Whisperer]

I know this is pretty much a Ford vs. Chevy type question, but my 2 cents is get a Leupy... VXIII if you can swing it, otherwise VXII - both are great glass for the money and warranty cannot be beat.

[7 REM MAG]

i have a elite 3200 5-15X50, a leupy vx2 and vx3 and to be completely honest i prefer the 3200 over either the leupys, my dad shoots a swaro 2.5-10 that other than being a little crisper doesnt really have that much over the 3200, the only thing that i dont particularly like is the front adjustible parallax, it would be better on the side or a lower power range be not have it at all, but for the money the bushnell is a good scope as long as you dont plan on putting it on a heavy hitter

[WCTHEMI]

I would say the Elite 3200. I have one on my old Savage 99, very happy with it, I have a FF2 on my 270 WSM and have noticed it doesn't seem to want to hold its zero.

[Scott N]

I'd also go with the Leupold VXII, which is right in the price range you mention. One advantage the Leupold has over most other scopes is their customer service / warranty is hard to beat. And in the unlikely event that something goes wrong with your scope, they are serviced in Okotoks. Just about everything I have ever heard or read about the agency that repairs them has been positive and the service quick.

[Dick284]

What ever you get get an Adjustable Objective scope.
Most scopes in your price range are parralax corrected to around 150yds.
At 400 or 500yds you'll stand a darn good chance of having enough parralax that you can not consistantly hit anthing at those ranges anyways.
Spend till your budget screams, go as expensive as you can, you wont regret it.

[Gunner22a]

Elite 3200 gets my vote. All 4 of us in the hunting camp use them and we all fill the tags every year. They have taken dings and drops in stride. For the money I swear by them and the warrenty is as good as they come.

[NS Beagler]

The best for the money, I think, is Nikon. Great light gathering. Once sighted in I have never had to make another move on them.
I am thinking about trying the Ziess Conquest in the near future but as of yet not tried one.

[Brady]

Them elite 3200's are damn fine scopes. If they fit into your budget, I would go with one. I have a 3-9 X 50 and a 5-15 X 50 AO. Can't go wrong, they hold zero, while taking a bit of abuse, and I find them bright enough for where I hunt. I was going to go with a Leupold on my new spring rig that I am going to be getting, but am rethinking it somewhat. I might just get another elite, and that way I can go with another project I have in the works as well.

[JohninAB]

I really like my Elite 4200. Does everything I want it too and then some.

[bigD1979]

What exactly does the paralax adjustment do. Does it change your point of inpact. I have several scopes with it but am afraid to use because I don t know what they do.

[Dick284]

What exactly does the paralax adjustment do. Does it change your point of inpact. I have several scopes with it but am afraid to use because I don t know what they do.

Read away:http://www.myoan.net/tipstricks/riflescopeterm.html

[nekred]

leupold

[snetzer]

I don't think you can go wrong with either an Elite series or a Leupold...both have lifetime warranty...

[stubblejumper]

I will never say that Leupold does not make a good scope,in fact at one time all of my rifles wore leupold scopes.However,the competition has caught up,and there are better optics available for the same or less money than a comparable leupold.I prefer the elite 3200 over the vxI,the elite 4200 over the vxII,and the conquest over the vxIII.

[GrandSlam]

Sure love my Conquest and Leupolds. Worth the extra money IMHO.

[harv3589]

You couldn't give me anything with Bushnell on it...their service is horrible.

You are far better off to go with something else that provides service to their customers.

[JohnB]

You couldn't give me anything with Bushnell on it...their service is horrible.

You are far better off to go with something else that provides service to their customers.


X2

[Huntnut]

You couldn't give me anything with Bushnell on it...their service is horrible.

You are far better off to go with something else that provides service to their customers.

With over 25 years of using bushnell I've never had to use their service. 4200 elite all the way.

[243 Killer]

Leupold gets my vote, hands down.

[surhuntsalot]

Best for the $$$ is the Burris Fullfield II 4.5x14x42 with the ballistic plex reticle. It has an adjustable objective, and if you look around on Ebay you can get them for under $300 shipped, which is about 1/2 of what most places try to sell them for around here.

[harv3589]

With over 25 years of using bushnell I've never had to use their service. 4200 elite all the way.

I hope you don't have too, because it's not a pleasant experience...Leupold out shines them hands down when you want service.

[Triple Threat]

This is great, thank you very much it is a big help thanks.

[NS Beagler]

Just wondering if the people that like the Bushnell have ever looked through a Nikon? They are not carried in many stores out here. I don't think they are in the same league at all. Not a salesmen but they make some damn fine optics.

[Outcast]

What ever you get get an Adjustable Objective scope.
Most scopes in your price range are parralax corrected to around 150yds.
At 400 or 500yds you'll stand a darn good chance of having enough parralax that you can not consistantly hit anthing at those ranges anyways.
Spend till your budget screams, go as expensive as you can, you wont regret it.
Does parallex really have that much of an affect on hunting rifles? If so how the hell did I hit a coyote sillo at 400 yards 5 out of six with my 25-06 Sako 3x9x50mm Vx-II last weekend. How did I anchor 2 bull elk, one at 520ish the other 400plus. Not to mention a moose at long range about 5 years ago and the whitetail I shot this year at 527 lasered yards. The truth is that 90% of the game I have taken is 150 yards and under but the other 10 % sure didn't know my rifle only had a standard scope on it without an AO. The truth is that AO's come into play if you are taking headshots at gophers at extended range but for the average guy that needs to extend his range every once in a while, standard parallex scopes will do.

Leupolds on my rifle.

[bowchaser]

anything with an AO tends to be very heavy so think about what you're shooting and the ranges you normally shoot at. Most shots are 150 yds or less, so why spend a bunch of money on a overweight scope when you don't need the power. If long range is your thing, or coyotes etc then sure, but on a general big game rifle a 3-9x40 or 50 is more than enough. So if you stick to that range you can get a great scope, compared to ok glass with a higher magnification. 3-9 tends to be the threshold from a pricing point of view. If a general hunting scope is what you're after, look at a leupold vxIII in 3-9, or if you can get a nikon monarch in a 4-12x42, for the same price. I have read numerous tests where nikon's outshine both leupold vxIII and elite 4200. There are not a lot of dealers for them unfortunately...