Rifle Scope Question

quality of lenses, quality of lens coatings and spectrum of light that these coatings are optimized for, large ocular lens (large field of view), range of adjustment, greater durability and rigidity, mechanical locking rings instead of adhesive, highly tuned and precisely machined internals for repeatability, large eye box, different reticles and external features, First vs Second Focal Plane, illumination, zero stop feature, etc etc.

I could go on and on. don't skimp out on glass.

Look at a deer through a NightForce NXS or Zeiss Diavari at dark and you'll know

I sometimes questioned it too until I tried it and saw the difference.

I have a Tikka with a Nikon Monarch as my primary deer gun. I have used plenty of other scopes including Zeiss, Schmidt and Bender, Meopta, and Swarovski to hunt and shoot with. Until you can get behind a gun with good glass, you will never know. Some of the other ones allow you to extend your hunt at dark. My nikon was around $400 and it works for sure but I would upgrade it in a heartbeat if I hunted more than I currently do (I do between 7-10 deer hunts currently per season).

Thanks guys. I have zero experience with high quality rifle scopes if high quality is above the grade of a Leupold VX I or II. these have always gotten it done for me even late/early.

A $1000 dollar scope vs a $300 Nikon Monarch at 10:00 am on a clear morning shooting a doe at 100 yards you will notice no difference. It's at last light when you are trying to see if that is your target buck coming to the food plot, shooting at further distances and such that it matters.

I've got an old Remington 700 in 30-06 that I need to hang new glass on. It had an old Bushnell Legend on it, but that bad boy's gotta go.

Rifle is very accurate, but you can't see squat through that scope. What, oh what, should I put on it?

Co-worker trash talked the hell out of me for spending $1000 on scopes. Said he's killed deer with $50 scopes. I replied "Me too, but never will I do it again". I told him if he hunted enough he would regret having that cheapo scope. This guy has never killed a buck worth mentioning in his life. It finally happened to him... Really nice buck he's been getting pics of showed up at last light. Said he could see him fine, but not in his scope. He's shopping now!

When your nikons fog over and you cant shoot the biggest buck you ever saw....then u will realize the importance of good glass

so no love for simmons? I upgraded from my tasco a few years ago and have really noticed a difference in clarity especially in low light conditions.