Evergreen said:
You mentioned Bushnell Tactical earlier, but then said you wouldn't buy it? Why suggest it and also why wouldn't you buy it?
I said I wouldn't buy the Elite 6500 ... I'd
consider the tactical version that I mentioned
if I could confirm the elevation adjustment range.
Evergreen said:
What is the advatange/disadvantage of an illuminated reticle? I am hearing that some say it results in producing some fuzziness of the illuminated area.
I like the illuminated TMR reticle ... three of my Mark 4s have that reticle and I use it in bright sunny conditions sometimes. A black reticle on an F-Class target aiming black can be hard to see so a little red can help.
Evergreen said:
Sounds great, now what would you buy if you had $1000 +/- $200 to spend?
I'd stretch the budget a little and buy a Mark 4 4.5-14x50mm with an illuminated TMR reticle without a single regret or concern. I'd contact Steve at Liberty Optics, Inc. and find out what sort of discount he'd give me and I'd also check out poor_fish on Ebay. He sells Mark 4s NIB and I've bought one from him along with a bunch of Spyderco knives ... he's a great guy to deal with.
http://swfa.com/Leupold-45-14x50-Mark-4-LRT-30mm-Riflescope-P3323.aspx
By the way, if you look at the Nightforce elevation and windage turrets, you'll notice that +MOA (up or right) is counterclockwise (unscrew) ... the same as the Mark 4 turrets. This is how they should intuitively be on a tactical scope. My Conquest is backwards i.e. counterclockwise is -MOA (down or left) so I'm betting that the external target turrets on the Zeiss have the same retarded system. It's no big deal on a "set 'em and leave 'em" hunting scope with an RZ reticle, but on a scope where they actually get used a lot ... HELL NO!!
I have to say, all of these scope threads have got me looking at manufacturers that I never would have considered. I can honestly say, the more models I see, the more specs I read, the more features I realize are missing or are just plain wrong, the happier I am that I bought Mark 4s. I'm not totally deluded about Mark 4s, I realize that there are better scopes around, but the price increase to step up to the next level is SIGNIFICANT. You're talking $500+ for a Nightforce or Premier Reticles and $1000+ for a Schmidt and Bender.
I bought a $1000 Swarovski Laser Guide based on some reviews and recommendations from members here (who shall remain nameless) and yet less than a week later, it's heading back to Austria. I will say that I'm impressed that Swarovski has sent me a loaner to use while mine is enjoying Oktoberfest, but I would have preferred that it hadn't failed in the first place. I have six Mark 4 scopes that get the crap shot out of them on a .300 Win Mag, .300 WSM, .308, AR15 and two .45-70s but only one has had to go back for dust on the reticle. It didn't fail, it didn't stop working, it was merely annoying so back it went. Less than three weeks later it was back on the rifle. I had to send it back a second time for the same issue ... dust. When I called Leupold and spoke to a tech guy, he was VERY apologetic and he told me to send it back to him and that he would personally handle the repair. It came back again within three weeks and has been perfect ever since. That kind of customer support speaks volumes and the fast turnaround combined with the fact that they'll fix it for EVER is really impressive and worth every penny. To only have one of six go back for dust gives me a great deal of confidence in the product.