Leupold vxII 6-18x40 vs Nikon Buckmasters 6-18x40

[efm77]

"Also remember, not everybody's eyes are the same."

Very true.

"so if glass is similar warranty similar why wouldn't you buy the American made tube? buy american and americans work! besides japanese tubes are all infected with radioactive material that will give you eye cancer. "

Already said I buy American as much as possible and never said that I had decided against the Leupold. I haven't decided at all yet. The problem with wanting to stay American with scopes is you don't have much choice other than Leupold. Burris doesn't make anything American that's in my price range anymore, and I can't afford a Nightforce, US Optics, or Trijicon either. You know I think Leupold gets their glass from Japan so it could be radioactive too. :o Anyway I'll probably end up with the VXIII 6.5-20x and have been thinking about a Bushnell Elite too lately but will probably get the Leupold first. I've even bought quite a few Swifts lately and have been very pleased with them for the money. They're made in Korea but Swift claims they use American made glass in them so I still feel like I'm supporting Americans when I buy them as well.

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate your input.

[JCalhoun]

My Nikon Monarch is made in the Phillipines but my Weavers are made in Japan. ???

[Trent]

I have 6 Leupolds... Two fixed 24power competition, two 6.5-20x40 competition(1 old and 1 new), an old fixed 12x and a 6-18x40.

I have a 4.5-14 Nikon Buckmaster and a 6-18 Buckmaster. In the field and at the range the Leupolds win hands down in clarity. On nice clear days the Nikon Buckmasters are fantastic scopes and I think they are a great "bang for the buck(master)" scope. When lighting goes to pot, or when the mirage really starts to kick up that is when the Leupold scopes shoot way ahead in what you see through them. Their clarity is absolutely a step above the Nikon Buckmaster.

Leupolds are expensive, but it is EASY to find deals on them. Buy them used and you can find some great deals. With a warranty like Leupold has I will NEVER have a 2nd thought about buying used ones.

I shoot in silhouette competitions 4 times a month and have traveled to some big matches. You can stand at one end of the line and walk down and all you will see are gold ring Leupolds (with a very few old Weavers mixed in). I have not seen a Nikon on the line in 2 years.

I do like my Nikon 6-18 though. Like I said, it is a great value. The Leupold is better glass, period.

[jpdown]

The VX-3 Leupold scope definitely has better glass/coatings than the older VX-III they replaced a few years ago. I bit the price bullet a couple of years ago and replaced my Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x40 with a Sightron Big Sky in 4.5-14x42 with AO because it had better clarity and contrast than the Leupold VX-III's and Nikon Buckmaster I was using for comparison. When Leupold released the VX-3 models I had to try a 6.5-20x40 LR with side focus, 30mm tube and varmint reticule. The Sightron Big Sky had a very slight edge over the Leupold VX-3 in terms of contrast and clarity in the field. However, the VX-3 with the side focus and varmint reticule beats AO and turret turning hands down when the P Dog shooting is fast and furious. Somewhere in there I also tried a Leupold VX-II 6-18x40 with AO and LR reticule. Based on my experience, I could of bought a couple of Leupold VX-3 for what I lost in resale value trying lower priced scopes that never quite measured up to my expectations and the marketing hype.

[rez187]

ther are only a handful of glass makers in the world 4 or 5 i think. leupold has stated it uses glass from other countries as well as the usa. usa glass cannot supply the needs of leupold, leupold makes a tremendous amount of tubes. the key to glass is not the glass per say but how the end user cuts it and with what they use to coat it. by leupolds own admission glass and a few screws are purchased over seas the rest is made here in the usa. it may seem im not a fan of nikon but thats not true i think they make good quality optics for their price point i just think leupold is ever so slightly better and the icing is its made here. do not downplay the fact we are in a huge depression and even one scope purchase helps!

[Creeping Death]

Getting back to the original question. 6-18 Leupold vs. 6-18 Nikon. Was able to compare and shoot two rifles with both scopes. My 6-18 Nikon and a friends 6-18 VXII. At full magnification the Leupold hands down was the better scope. Clarity was similar in both but the eye relief of the Leupold was the difference. Pulled up on three set targets @ 364 yds. (clay pigeons) and was able to gain a comfortable sight picture with the Leupold quicker than the Nikon.

Any scope @ full magnification that maintains a forgiving eye relief is one fine scope. I like my Nikon's because I've got them fairly cheap. I'd swap them for a comparable Leupold in a heartbeat.

I live in the land of the Leupold and I guarantee you they will take care of you.

Guess it's up to you. If your going to shoot from a bench and take your time a $250 Nikon will be fine. If your looking @ long range, split second hunting scenarios, the Leupold is the one you want.

This was a first for me comparing two similar scopes by two different manufacturers. Had you not posted this thread My comparison would not have even crossed my mind. My two cents. CD

[r29l20]

I'm not knocking Leupold, they are fantastic scopes, but for what it costs for what you get, of course they can replace it with a new one. They can probably replace it 3 or 4 times and still be making a profit. They are pricing themselves way above what I would pay. They're is alot more compitition out there now. They are not the only game in town anymore. I would love to have Leupolds on all my guns, I just can't do it.

[Trent]

Yes, they might be expensive, but I think that they are appropriately priced for what you get. There are tons of less expensive scopes available... but you cannot get Leupold quality on a Nikon budget. Leupold is FAAAARRRRRR from the "expensive glass". In the real world Leupold is in the middle ground as far as money and quality goes.

Another scope company that is bringing great optics to the table is Sightron. They make great glass that is slightly less expensive than Leupold.

[efm77]

Wow! I didn't know this thread would take off like it did! I'm not knocking Leupold either, I like them and am going to get a VX3 for my '06. However, they do have a few quirks that I don't particularly care for but easily over look (like the true magnification a lot of times not being even close to what it's advertised. Yes I know others do this too but it seems theirs is a lot closer to the advertised number). As to not being able to get their quality for less I have to respectfully disagree. I've looked through some Bushnell Elites that were every bit as good if not better glass than a VX3. Now the biggest drawback to the Bushnell is limited adjustment range. They're also Japanese made instead of American and I've heard good and bad about their customer service which is a lot of what goes into the cost of Leupold. And I understand that but boy those Bushnell's are awfully nice for the money.

[HogFan4Ever]

I own both scopes, I actually like them both but if I had the money i would go with the Leupold all day long. My man reason is the crosshairs on the Buckmaster (With the BDC) are to thick and I have a hard time seeing the target, even at 100 yards because most of it is covered up. My Leupold had the fine crosshairs and in my opinion is a must clearer scope, and I saw that someone else put in here that the heat mirage (sp) seems to not be as big a factor with the Leupold, and this is something I would also agree with. My 2 cents........ ;D