Opinions on these two scopes

[montanacruiser]

I am looking to bye a scope for my 30-06. I will use the gun to hunt elk and deer. I have found two that I like. They are used scopes each in excellent condition. One is a Leupold vari x iii it is the older model with the adjustable objective its a 3.5-10x40. The other is a Zeiss conquest 3-9x40 mc. The Leupold is $260.00 and the Zeiss is $360.00.
What do you guys think?

 

[ShootDots]

I still have my Leupold 3.5 x 10 (non-adjustable) from when I bought it in 1980>>still going strong. I also had a ?-14power Ziess Conquest. They are on equal footing with the Leupold.. Get whatever one suits you and don't look back.. However, remember this: Leupold will have your scope fixed and returned in a month if something should happen. I do not know about the Conquest..

 

[montanacruiser]

Is the older model vari x iii going to be as good as the zeiss conquest?

 

[ShootDots]

I bought my Leupold 3.5 X 10 (sans A.O.) in 1980 and mounted it on a Ruger #1 .300Win. Mag.. It is now on a Browning Bolt in 7mm Rem Mag. It has NEVER failed me and the optics are pretty dang good.. The Ziess MAY have better glass (my eyes can't tell) ... I had it mounted on my Kimber LongMaster .308 until I thought it too cumbersome. I re-mounted a Leupold 2.5 X 8 on that rifle where it still sits.. I traded the Zeiss for something or other, I honestly can't remember.. They are BOTH worthy scopes of which you will find excellent service from..

 

[montanacruiser]

Thank you for your for your reply. I think I have decided on the leupold. It also comes with some leupold rings witch is a bonus.

 

[ShootDots]

Thank you for your for your reply. I think I have decided on the leupold. It also comes with some leupold rings witch is a bonus.

You will be happy. If, and hopefully never, if you have a problem, send it in to Leupold and get it back fixed in a month or less... That is the BIGGEST bonus!

 

[fdshuster]

Have a Zeiss 6.5-20x Conquest that I bought new about 7 years ago. Excellent scope, assembled in Richmond VA, from parts made in Germany, so repairs may be available at the Richmond location. I don't know, never had to send it back.

Glass is very high quality, scope is very bright, never had a tracking issue. My only problem is the windage & elevation turrets: the direction of travel is opposite of USA scopes. Up is clockwise and windage left is right. Screw-in lens caps, (my favorite) not available.

Gotta stop & think about it before making turret adjustments. Still, an excellent scope. Nothing wrong with Leupold. Have a number of them.

 

[Catfur]

Is the older model vari x iii going to be as good as the zeiss conquest?

For the most part, sport optics are a relatively commoditized business. In general, you get what you pay for. That doesn't mean that two comparably priced items will be the same, they may each be superior in different areas, but in general more expensive is better.

Leica, for example, charges high prices for their sport optics, but the quality is generally comparable with similarly priced optics (Zeiss, Nightforce, etc...). In the camera business, it's a whole 'nother game, and there, Leica is in the Luxury goods category, and charges astronomical prices for optics that are not as drastically better than comparable items as the shocking price differential might suggest.

There are players in the Luxury goods space in sport optics, but both Zeiss and Leupold's average offerings are not in that space.

 

[slm9s]

The Zeiss is much brighter, at least to my eyes.

That's a bit high for a 3-9 Conquest, they were closed out brand new at $299 a year or two ago.

Either is a good scope, but the Conquest is better IMO