Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Guns N Gear $300-400 Rifle Scope

One of the things that use to bother me about Leupold is their reticle was almost a brown instead of black and you couldn't see it in the woods. I have a couple and hunt with them and I got no real complaints. Good scopes in my book. It is a shame that the Battlefield Barbie crowd has distorted what to me is common sense and some of these scope manufacturer's aren't offering good hunting reticles. Instead they are offering more and more reticles that look like Aircraft sights which are worthless to someone shooting less than the MPBR of their rifle. Which in reality is MOST of us.

Yep, I hate all the busy "tacti-cool" reticles and big turrets and stuff. I bought into all that stuff years ago and wish I hadn't. The scope on my main hunting rifle is a fixed 10x with a mil-dot reticle and the big knobs....the mil-dot reticle is ok but the knobs just get on my nerves and I never use them as they were intended anyway. I just leave them at zero and hold over/under as needed. Whatever I buy will have a duplex reticle and, most likely, traditional adjustment turrets with the cap on top.

Just to add some more to the conversation, I own both a vx3i and a meopro. Meopro definitely wins the reticle argument, I like everything else on the leupold better. Eyebox, eye relief are both superior on the leupold. I like to be able to get on target faster and easier with the leupold versus the thicker duplex in the meopro. The meopro is extremely picky about eye placement and you don't realize this until you compare with other scopes.

Both are a wash in clarity even in low light. The meopro will give you about 3 or 4 minutes shooting ability with the thicker duplex.

My meopro also adjusts incorrectly at 100 yards. Each click is at least 1/2 inch of adjustment or more, nowhere near the claimed 1/4 inch. Very small quibbles, but it seems like no one has said anything negative about the meopro. Both are excellent scopes, but I am getting leupold from now on.

Get a used Zeiss Conquest. I’ve got two, a 3X9X50mm and a 3.5x10x44mm. Both great scopes and will stay zeroed in year after year.

I like my Meopta and conquest Zeiss lot better than I did my Loupold - got rid of my loupold

If you get to go to Sporting good store - maybe they will let u take a few out late evening (Just outside the door of the store while they hold your license or something)to compare - I hav done that

I also had buddies w scope I was considering and we go out and test them side by side late evening With what I had - then the proof is in what U see - I hav done it both ways

I'm totally brand loyal to Luepys. There is probably better glass out there for the money but the eye relief with other scopes is never as good as with Leupold for me. I even had a Kahles and ended up selling it for this reason. $400 will buy you a dang good scope that will help you kill a deer in Alabama.

Dr. B

Once compared an older 50 mm Vari-XIII with duplex reticle to a 50mm Conquest. Both rifles were on a bench, both sitting securely in shooting rests, both looking at the same object, both on same power. Started looking through each every couple minutes starting at 5:00pm, taking notes as I went. Both were equally bright and clear all the way to dark. Lost the reticle in the Leupold a solid 10 minutes before the Conquest. What prompted me to do this? Weekend before I had a good buck step out just before dark, damn near gave myself a migraine trying to see the Leupold's reticle. That Leupold was sent back shortly after to have a heavy duplex put in it. With the heavy duplex, that 280 went from a .5 MOA shooter to a 1.25 MOA rifle. Reticle was so thick it covered the entire center dot + some on the target. Sold that Vari-XIII to someone here on Aldeer several years ago. Good scope, reticles sucked.

Midway USA has blemish Leupolds on sale, some good deals on there.

Gomer, I've got a Minox ZA-5 2-10x40 (Google it - has German glass) that I picked up (here I think) a while back as a spare hunting scope, and I've never mounted it on anything and don't really need it. I'd be happy to let it go for $375.

BCLC’s response is perfect! Nothing to add. He is spot on!

I just ordered a GPO 4-12x42 and they can be had for around 400 bucks. You could get into a 3-9x42 for under 400. GPO is good glass I’d compare them to the older conquest.

https://www.opticsplanet.com/german-precision-optics-passion-trade-3-9x42-riflescope-1in-tube.html

If you are talking a brand new scope right now it's hard to beat a Leupold VX3i in that price range. I have one on a 7mm-08 and have zero complaints. No raised turrents. No ballistic plex reticle. No fancy dialing system for doping 1000 yard shots. Just good clear glass with as good a low light performance as you are going to get without spending more money.

Someone suggested a Meopta Meopro and they are good scopes as well even though they are the lower end model that Meopta makes. But I doubt you will find a new Meopro under 400 dollars. The upper end Meopta scopes, the Meostar line, might be the best scope for the money out there it it's price range. You can still find a 3-10 x 50 Meopta Meostar for about 899.00. A buddy of mine has a Meopta Meostar and one of the really expensive upper end Zeiss scopes and if there is a significant difference in the two at dusk dark I cannot see it.

A used zeiss conquest with #4 reticle.

If wanting new, I’ve really enjoyed hunting with my new Meopta Optika 5 2-10x42 the last few days. Can be had under $300 with a nice standard duplex reticle. Found it to be wayyyy more quality feeling than a VX-Freedom it replaced, and adjustments were dead on.

Update...After looking through a few scopes, including a Leupold VX-3i, I ended up ordering the VX-3i...spent a little more than I originally planned and got a 4.5 -14 x 40 (non CDS) for $450...should be here later this week.

I really like the ones I've had and still have

Good choice gomer, it'll serve you well

I bought the same scope for my son's rifle. Like it other than the thin duplex reticle.

Yeah I really wish they'd start making heavy duplex reticles again