best scope in the 650.00 range

[257WM_CDL-SF]

hello all I just bought a Remington 700 CDL-SF in a 257 Weatherby Mag Id like to get a scope for it,I have a budget of about 650.00.Ive looked a a few Zeiss Conquests online and 2 Kahles in this price range.Also had previous exp with a Black Diamond to date best scope I have owned.Does anyone have any opinions on a scope in this range

 

[lipadj46]

I've always thought this was a best buy for a target scope:

http://www.swfa.com/pc-9847-185-bushnell-6-24x50-elite-4200-30mm-rifle-scope.aspx

Kahles are great scopes but their US importer is shaky and to get any warranty work you have to send them off to europe. The Zeiss Conquests are great but to get them in a configuration like the Bushnell above you are talking almost $1000.

 

[257WM_CDL-SF]

id prefer just a regular scope with out the big adjustment knobs.I have also looked at the new elite 6500 how are the bushnell elites

 

[lipadj46]

The 6500's are nice. They have the same glass as the 4200's (nice glass) with a different erector set for a really big zoom range. If you are just looking for a nice hunting scope (no target turrets) then the Zeiss Conquests are hard to beat. The 4200's and Nikon Monarchs come within about 95% of the conquest performance for less money though.

Also forgot to add the Sightron SIII's and Leupold VX-3's are also real nice as are the Sightron SII Bigsky, also Vortex Vipers are good in that price range.

 

[Wesson Smith]

Here's a great scope, right in your price range:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=216033&t=11082005

I have a Meopta, and they're hard to beat at their price point.

 

[JWF III]

Though the Zeiss and Kahles you have looked at are great scopes, the European scopes lose SOME quality, clarity, and low light effectiveness when they step down to the 1 inch tube. They are still far ahead of most 1 inch American made scopes.

For $650 you can buy one hell of a good Leupold with a 30mm tube. You'll have a clearer/better scope than the cheap Euro versions. (Cheap relative to their 30 mm tube lines.) It'll be American made (granted this doesn't mean as much to me when comparing to a European optical product). And you'll have a no questions asked, lifetime warranty, from a very reputible and long lasting company.

With a .257 Weath. Mag., I'm assuming you're looking at extended range shooting/hunting. You could get the Leupold Vari-XIII Long Range (LR has the 30 mm tube) scope, with 6.5-20x power with (or real close to) that $650 budget. Or you could step down in power, and save enough money to buy an extra box or two of ammo for practice.

Wyman

 

[rundm]

if you get in touch with Doug at cameraland.com, you can buy one of the conquest's you talk about off of the never used still in box "demo list' that he has and save some real coin. you can get them for much less than street price.

 

[MinnMooney]

Please give us some more info on how you'll be using your rifle. Long yardage antelope hunting? Coyotes at various ranges including very long range (500 yds+)? Mountain goats? Whitetails in heavily wooded terrain?

It really makes a world of difference on the best scope for that price range.

P.S. The Leupold company make scopes with exceptionally clear optics and they are in the process of discontinuing a very fine scope line - the VX-III. they are on sale/clearance almost everywhere right now.
I have the VX-III LR 6.5-20x50 with the Varmint Hunter's reticle and I can easily read target bullet holes at 300 -350 yards. With my eyes, on the same day and the same conditions, I can't do that with many of my other scopes of the same or higher magnification.

 

[UnTainted]

Burris makes great scopes in that price range and a little less. They have a new 2-12x series of scopes that look promising!

 

[Runningman]

You may want to check out Sightron SIII scopes.

 

[257WM_CDL-SF]

thank you all for the feedback The rifle will be used maily for deer hunting.I have several places i hunt,and shor from say 50 yds ti 500 yds Id not try any farther than that,And maybe some occasional groundhog hunting

 

[lipadj46]

thank you all for the feedback The rifle will be used maily for deer hunting.I have several places i hunt,and shor from say 50 yds ti 500 yds Id not try any farther than that,And maybe some occasional groundhog hunting

3.5-10 is a good zoom range for deer hunting and the occasional long shot. Look at Zeiss Conquest, Sightron SIII and SII Bigsky, Leupold VX-3, Bushnell 4200 or 6500, Nikon Monarch.

The Sightron has the best customer service followed by Leupold and Zeiss and Bushnell is great too. Nikon is OK for the Monarch lines.

Here is a nice scope with a real wide zoom range good for deer hunting and varmint shooting:

652164MD Bushnell 2.5-16x42 Elite 6500 30mm Rifle Scope
Matte
Mil-Dot
30mm
Side Focus
Rainguard
$699.95

In your price range there are tons of great scopes so it will be hard to pick a bad one.

 

[Lucky]

British scope called 'falcon', can have mil turrets, mil reticle (!) and FFP in variable zoom for far less than your posted price.

Almost certainly made in China, but good scope.

 

[257WM_CDL-SF]

one question all Ive read some scopes have wire reticles and the conquest has etched.What the the pros and cons of each

 

[nksmfamjp]

For a mid range hunting scope, I would love a Sightron SIIB 4 - 16 x 42. They have great coatings. Also, Burris Eurodiamond 3-10 x 40 would be a nice hunting scope IMO. I have the Burris XTR, but I think you would not like that weight and size.

 

[CB900F]

.257WM;

I've got & use the Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10X mil-dot, Nikon Monarch mil-dots, Leupold Vari-X III and VX-III & will have a mil-dot reticle put in a new VX-III 2.5-8X 36mm. I've had both the means and opportunity to purchase some of the very expensive Euro glass also. As with any product, the price rise for quality improvement is logrithmic as one climbs the ladder. You pay a lot more for a smaller increase in quality the higher you get. My personal good enough for the buck seems to stop at Zeiss Conquest.

The lost child in optics seems to be the Weaver Grand Slam scopes. I only have a single example, but I'm damn glad I've got it. It's a 3.5-10X 50mm on a .30-06 & it's been there about 7 years. The glass is extremely good, particularly for the price. I've not had to put the warranty to the test though. The biggest reason I don't have more than the one is mil-dots. Once I learned to use the dots without having to do the mental gymnastics, I fell in love. And I won't go back. Weaver seems to be effectively ignoring the mil-dot reticle, so I've been ignoring Weaver.

Back to the original theme though. I think that any Zeiss, Leupold, Nikon Monarch will serve you well. With that said though, I don't have any experience with the new Monarchs. And I did rank them in order of personal preference.

900F

 

[slzy]

two things that have amazed me since getting a computer: the number of women with no clothes on,and the incredible selection of sights and spotting scopes.

 

[257WM_CDL-SF]

lol are the new vx3 clearer than the old varix 3

 

[lipadj46]

lol are the new vx3 clearer than the old varix 3

Yes Leupold is actually giving some bang for buck on them. They are very close to a VX-7 now.

 

[CB900F]

257WM;

I agree with lipadj46. I've been given to understand that the current VX-II is the old Vari-X III with some very minor changes. I'm certainly impressed so far with the new VX-III 2.5-8 that I just got.

900F

 

[lipadj46]

Note that the VX-3 is an upgrade to the VX-III which was an upgrade to the old vari-X III. So the VX-3 is 2 generations better than the vari-X III.

 

[cal74]

I'd look into a VX3 4.5-14 in either one of the standard configurations or send it back to Leupold and have whatever turrets you want put on it.

I think that's probably one of the most useful power ranges for a deer sized hunting rifle.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

It depends on what magnification and objective lens size.

The best value for that price with a lowish magnif. & obj. lens size is going to be a different answer than the best value for that price with a highish magnfic. & obj. lens size. What magnif & OLS are you looking for?

 

[lipadj46]

I'd look into a VX3 4.5-14 in either one of the standard configurations or send it back to Leupold and have whatever turrets you want put on it.

I think that's probably one of the most useful power ranges for a deer sized hunting rifle.

I think 2.5-10x is better. I would rather have a lower low end than a higher high end. The Bushnell 6500 2.5-16x42 is the best of both worlds.

 

[cal74]

I haven't had any first hand experience, but I haven't been reading any raving reviews regarding the Bushnell 6500 series. The magnification range would be nice though. I've read on more than one forum that they don't compare to the 4200 series as far as clarity. If someone wanted to send me one I'd sure test it out though

Personally I seldom set a scope below 4 power anyways and really like the two Leupold 4.5-14's I have on two different deer rifles. I've taken two deer with it around 600 yards. Those shots I wouldn't have complained about having a 20x.

I do have a 3.5-10 on another and it fits that rifle perfectly. If whomever is going to be using it where a 20-30 yards shot may present itself a lower power would be nice.