# Leupold or Zeiss



## Elkoholic8 (Jan 15, 2008)

So I am in need of a scope for my new rifle. I had it all narrowed down to a Leupold VX-II in 3x9x40. Now that I have been shopping around a little more, I kind of like the Zeiss Conquest as well. Anyone have any real in the field experience between the 2? Which way would you go, Leupold or Zeiss? 

The scope will go on a .338 win, but I think both of these will handle the recoil.... I hope.

I have to stay under the $450 range. If money wasn't an option, I would be looking into a different scope for sure.

Thanks.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Tough choice, but I have to give Zeiss the slight edge in that comparison. I own several Leupolds in VX-II and VX-3 and really like them. I do not have any Zeiss, but have looked through them outdoors and they are very, very nice. They seemed a little brighter and sharper to my eye when comparing them to the Leupy's.

Cant go wrong with either one really. My best advice would be to look through each outside and choose the one that looks best to you.


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## sagebrush (Sep 8, 2007)

you might want to step up the power if you are putting this on a .338 the 9x will not do this caliber justice. a 4.5x14.44 is what I would put on the rifle. I have the Zeiss and it tracks really well. if you want to look through it stop by from work one day. i hope that you plan on reloading for this also can get expensive to shoot.

you do know were i live right?
Doug


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I have a few Leupolds and a few Zeiss. I recently had a Zeiss 4.5-14x44 take a dump. First one ever. If you have to choose one or the other and you have to stay under $450, the Leupold is your only choice. I don't think Zeiss even makes one for under $450.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I hae both and like both. Honestly dont think you could go wrong with either. Only thing I would say is that Zeiss has really good customer service. I havent had to ask Leupold for any help so i dont know how they hold up, but Zeiss was sure friendly


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## 10yearquest (Oct 15, 2009)

Bax* said:


> Zeiss has really good customer service. I havent had to ask Leupold for any help


hmm? yes, I read between the lines but it does say something about leupold. I just bought a leopold VX-II 3-9x40 last summer and I am totally satisfied with it. Its bright and clear and holds zero. It has very generous eye releif so its easy to get on target. My twins had no problem with it. It was far less than 450 dollars too.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

If you are not in a real big hurry wait and check the sales both on line and locally. I bought my .340 Weatherby and waited 3 years before I found the scope that I wanted to put on it a Leopold VXIII 3.5-10x40 on sale for less than $400. Now in those 3 years I was chomping at the bit to put a scope on it but I knew what I wanted and just waited.

As for customer service Leopold can't be beat from what I have heard but I have never had to use them and I have been using their scopes on 4 different rifles for over 40 years now.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

10yearquest said:


> Bax* said:
> 
> 
> > Zeiss has really good customer service. I havent had to ask Leupold for any help
> ...


Ha ha I could see why you would come to that conclusion. I had to call Zeiss because I was confused how to use the turret system and where to sight it in, and they were very helpful and informative on how to do that. Havent had a problem with the scope at all.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Leupold all the way. I have used their scopes my whole life and had several opportunitites to benefit from their customer service. None were their fault. A few years ago I dropped my rifle two weeks before season and bent the scope tube on my 10 year old Leupold scope. I hurried it to Leupold in Oregon and started trying to figure out how I was going to get a new scope before the upcoming hunt. The next day a guy from Leupold called me and said that if I paid $50.00, they would send me a brand new VXIII 3.5-10. I gave him my credit card number and I had a new scope at my house two days later. That my friends is customer service. I rate hunting scopes by eye relief and integrity more than optical quality as premium european optics are not needed for aiming. If you must have Swarovski or Zeiss, get the binos where you can take advantage of the optics. Leave the aiming business to the boys from Beaverton Oregon. As for me, I use Leupold all the way around.-----SS


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Wow. That is excellent customer service SS!


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## Elkoholic8 (Jan 15, 2008)

Thanks guys. I am kind of leaning towards the Leupold, but mainly because of price. I like the idea of Zeiss's rapid-z but for that gun they reccomend the Z-800, which is also $700.
The Zeiss conquest is on sale at Cabelas for $399, and the Leupold is $265. 
While I can certainly appretiate good optics, this will be on a gun that will get little use. I am mainly a bowhunter, so I only use the rifle for cow hunts or like this year, the spike elk hunt. I won the rifle last year at the RMEF banquet so I wanted to find a good low priced scope (hence the VXII). So I guess I just answered my own question :lol: 

As for ammo, right after I got the gun, Cabelas had a sell on their 225 grain Federal Accubonds. They were $30.00 a box so I bought 5 boxes. For the amount of times I will probably shoot that gun, that should last a life time. Maybe I'll get rich and be able to use that gun for some Alaskan adventures before I die!!

Thanks again.


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