If not a Leupold then what?

[Va varminter]

I am going to be getting a new varmint gun soon and need help with scope. I would really like a LeupoldVX3 6.5-20x40 w/ varmint reticle. But the cheapest I have seen it is $839. I was thinking of maybe settleing for the 4.5-14x40, but I want a little higher magnification. Should I maye get the VXII at 18X or another's top shelf offering, i.e. Burris, Nikon, B&L.

[acloco]

The Vortex Viper or the Elite 4200 would be the pick.

Scopes:

1 - MUST have fully multicoated lenses. If they do not have those two words, keep looking.

2 - Buy the scope with the largest elevation and windage adjustment. You might not need it, but you also, just MIGHT need it.

3 - LOOK through the scopes. Watch out for thick reticles, they cover too much.

[Glen]

I have no complaints with the VXII 6-18 on my 204 & rather like it for my needs.

[Rick in Oregon]

I'm shooting one of the VX-II's in 6-18 on my 17 Ackley Hornet, and it's hard to tell I'm not shooting one of my 1" VX-III's. I'd think it would work just fine on your 204, especially if you had it set up with their Long Range reticle. Check it out on their website before you buy anything. That scope is also eligible to have different turrets installed by their Custom Shop if that matters.

[ah929rr]

I just purchased the LeupoldVX3 6.5-20x40 w/ varmint reticle from a local guy that is a dealer and you really need to give him a chance to price it for you! I got mine for alot less than what you are finding them for! he had mine in three days and it is a great scope! I am working up some more reloads so I can get out to the range and try out my new glass! http://www.lucastactical.com/ He doesn't have alot on his website but call him you should be able to save alot!

[maverick]

I just purchased the LeupoldVX3 6.5-20x40 w/ varmint reticle from a local guy that is a dealer and you really need to give him a chance to price it for you! ... http://www.lucastactical.com/ He doesn't have alot on his website but call him you should be able to save alot!

Ditto on this guy's pricing on the Leupolds. I was set to pull the trigger on one from him, and then happened across a Zeiss for "close" to the same money and went that way instead. If you like Leupold's varmint reticle, you'll also like Zeiss's "Rapid Z" reticles, which can be tailored to varmints, 600, 800, or 1000 yd applications. Likelihood of finding them at a price comparable to the Leupolds from Lucastactical is not very high though.

[futuretrades]

I have to agree with previous posters on the Leupold VXII 6-18x40 with the LRV reticle. I have 2 of them, one on my 204 and one on my 223. The one on my 204 is a target model with tall turrets for easy dial a rat if prefered, or can use the mil-dots also. when I bought mine about 4 years ago, both were under $500.00 ea. And the newer VXII's are the same as leupolds older VXIII's as far as glass and coatings and such. Also as stated peviously, Leupold scopes have one of the best warranties on the market, lifetime, and can be customized by Leupold before or after buying. Their customer service is, in my opinion, the best available!

[ah929rr]

maverick what model Zeiss did you go with? I just bought a Zeiss 3x9x40 from basspro about a month ago because I had some rewards points to use up. I still haven't put the new Zeiss on anything yet to try it out. The glass in it seems very nice and I like it alot and I think it will work out great for a night time coyote hunting rig. I should of had Lucas tactical check price on a Zeiss for me as well but I ended up going with the VX3 6x20x40 VHR instead because I was mounting the scope on a CZ and I was afraid the 50 Objective would be to big and I would have to raise the scope even higher.

[Jim White]

I should of had Lucas tactical check price on a Zeiss for me as well but I ended up going with the VX3 6x20x40 VHR instead because I was mounting the scope on a CZ and I was afraid the 50 Objective would be to big and I would have to raise the scope even higher.

You did good. Those new Leupold VX-3's are very superb scopes with good brightness, clarity and resolution and they'll hold their own with the Zeiss Conquest (which is good too).

Jim

[maverick]

maverick what model Zeiss did you go with? I just bought a Zeiss 3x9x40 from basspro about a month ago because I had some rewards points to use up. I still haven't put the new Zeiss on anything yet to try it out. The glass in it seems very nice and I like it alot and I think it will work out great for a night time coyote hunting rig. I should of had Lucas tactical check price on a Zeiss for me as well but I ended up going with the VX3 6x20x40 VHR instead because I was mounting the scope on a CZ and I was afraid the 50 Objective would be to big and I would have to raise the scope even higher.

I went with Zeiss' 4.5-14x44 with their Rapid Z 800 reticle. Was pondering the 6.5-20, but being able to "zoom out" to 4.5x was more important to me than being able to "zoom in" to 20x for this rifle... Also, 50mm scoped rifles haven't ridden very well for me in the scabbard while on horseback in the past, so I preferred the smaller objective as well. I'm pretty sure I would have been extremely happy with the Leupold had I gone that route, but I've got another Zeiss in the fold that has been my favorite for some time, so went with what was "tried and true" for me. Tough thing about the Zeiss seems to be distribution. I asked three different firearms dealers (including LucasTactical) to check on price/availability and none came back with anything on my scope/reticle preferences.

[acloco]

Of note...there is a 6-20x50 with TMR reticle (Leupold custom shop) on Snipershide.com...for .... $800.

THAT is a good deal with an excellent reticle.