I am looking for a new scope for my 280 Rem. I am looking at the Burris Signature or Leupold VX II. Something in the 3x12x40 range. Thanks

replaced most of my leupys with Burris Signatures. Havn't looked back.

Haven't you heard of all the Burris customer service horror stories yet? Leupold stands behind their product. Burris has not done so since they were sold a few years ago. I got burned twice...never again.

Haven't a clue what Burris will do, but my personal experience with Leupold's service, was as good as any company I have ever dealt with. It was impeccable Thank you Leupold.

I would say just flip a coin. I have nothing but Burris' on my rifles, but that is more because I am a creature of habit. I personally have never had an experience with their customer service so we'll see when that time comes.

I've had to send back two Burris' in the last 6 months, both for problems that I caused. In both cases I recieved the scopes back in approximately 10 business days. Coincidentally, the one I sent in several years ago also came back in 10 business days. All of them have always been fixed properly with no further issues.

You wont get any complaints from me. I have nothing against Leupold, but for the price, my money is on Burris. Just bought another one off of Ebay last week in fact, an old style Signature 8-32x with the "peep plex" reticle.

My experience with Burris Customer Service has been very good; only used twice in 40+ years. Both scopes came back in 10-14 days fully repaired and no problems thereafter. My opinion of Leupold Customer Service, although very good, is that your paying for it in the original price. My current "go to" scope is the Zeiss Conquest.

Too close to call. I'd say for the money you probably get more scope for the dollar with Burris but they do have a lower resale value.

The whole point is to never need Customer Service IMO. Yes, it's great to have great CS but, the huge amount of great Leupold CS stories makes me wonder why so many are returned

I like and use several Leupolds, but they are far over priced when you compare them with scopes of equal quality and better glass.

Good Luck

Reloader

Discriminating users will note that Burris suffers from the need for rather critical eye placement in order to acquire the sight picture. In a scope of similar magnification, the Burris is usually longer and heavier than the Leupold.

While there is always disagreement in the Ford-Chevy sense when it comes to brands, the preponderance of serious shooters regard Leupold as the more desirable optical gun sight.

As Reloader above notes, the resale difference in the two brands is significant. This tells you the market's judgement. The market can make mistakes, but rarely does in such a consistent manner over such a long period of time.

There is a Burris Sig 3x10x40 $380 and 3x12x44 $410.
There is a Leupold VXII 3x9x40 $300 and 4x12x40 $400

But neither are available in 3x12x40.

You can get an S&B 3x12x42 for $2,000.


I have never even seen an S&B, but I own Sig and VXII scopes, and they are just fine.

There have been a lot of vx3 4.5-14 B&C series go back to leupold for repair.

i really think a scope of this "quality" and price, shouldnt have to sent back at all. i think 7% of
leupolds needing repair would be enough.

The greatest bargain of the momemt IMHO-

Sightron SII39x42

3-9x, Parallax-corrected @100 yds. Matte Black 1"

$200 internet. (Lock, Stock, and Barrel.)

Lifetime replacement warranty to orig. owner.

Made in their own plant in JAPAN for about 15 yrs. now.

The benchrest guys are starting to use the target models.

Very bright and sharp.

quote:

Originally posted by FLBill:


Sightron SII39x42


Made in their own plant in JAPAN for about 15 yrs. now.

Sources?

http://www.lockstock.com/

$200.00, free shipping

for info:

http://www.sightron.com/

I'd say shoot whichever you have the most confidence in. I been using a 3x9 Burris FF II for quite a few years, never needed their customer service and this scope has been put thru the wringer, used and abused. I think there's alot of great scopes out there nowadays, Nikon, Bushnell, leupold, just to name a few. You'll shoot better with the scope you trust. I spent quite a bit of time at the range before the season. I hope this helps.
31 bertram

Have used leupold scopes for years no complaints but must admit new burisses on both the 375 & 338 .

The only times my 21 yr old Leupold has been back is when I had one drop from a cleaning vice landing on the scope bending the tube fixed for 0$ and when I fell on an elk hunting trip with the same scope knocking out the erectors -no charge.Sightron is available at Midway & the Sept Sale for an S1 3x9x40 at $109.99 is stll in effect same one I have at the same price I bought mine for several years ago--- lifetime warranty they replace the scope with a new one!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for all the great input. I am leaning towards the Burris. I already own two only one Luepy. I have never been impressed with the Luepy.

quote:

Originally posted by Switchback:
Thanks for all the great input. I am leaning towards the Burris. I already own two only one Luepy. I have never been impressed with the Luepy.

It's refreshing to see that some people still have "eyes wide open" when it comes to choosing optics.

There was a large comparison done sometime ago on scope brightness. The Nikon won followed closely by Swarovski and Burris. The Leupold came in 4th. I own several of both Leupold and Burris and have no issues with any of them. The Burris on my 458 Lott suffered a broken reticle wire due to recoil, but it was repaired and returned in less than two weeks and has not happened again. I have sent three Leupold's back over time, all for a fading Zero under recoil. One was a 3.5x10 m3 Tactical that was beat to death by my 338-378. That rifle now wears a Burris Black Diamond and it is the single finest piece of glass that I own. Should I buy another heavy recoiling or long range rifle, it would have either Burris or Nightforce on it. The Nightforce is dead tough and clear as crystal.

That being said, I have seen several of the Sightron target models showing up on the benchrest seen. Might be a good time to see if they can compete.

Has anyone seen the laughable price on the new Leupold VX-7 scopes? You have got to be kidding me.

Well the burris is alot heavier and I don't like the power adjustments the whole eyepiece turns and you can't use flip up scope covers if you put your gun on a rest and push up,down,left or right your crosshairs move and impact and the more you use the variable the looser it gets and the more it will move.I sent them back for this problem and they came back tighter but I could still move them by just touching the eyepiece sold them and now I use leupold, bushnell elites, and nikon

I have had very good repair service from BOTH Burris and Leupold..

I'll NEVER own another Burris product.

I won a Burris handgun scope at an SCI event and put it on a Ruger .480 handgun. The reticle broke on the second round fired. Sent it back and they fixed and returned it. This time I put it on a S&W 500 and it started coming apart after 50 rounds. Returned again and "fixed" again. Thinking about putting it on a Ruger .22mag handgun now. Maybe it will handle that recoil level???

I've used Leupold exclusively on my rifles for 36 years from .223 to .458Lott without any problem, ever. I did send them a pair of binos I purchased in 1974, after 30 years of hard use and they completely re-furbished them and returned them to me without charge. Also returned a 6x that came on a used 7mmRem, same story.

quote:

I've used Leupold exclusively

+1 for Burris! Sold my Leupolds.

God Bless, Louis

Another for Burris, I only needed their customer service once and it was great.

I like both and it is really splitting hairs today. I would have more issue with the model of each rather than the brand.

I've owned two kinds of scope.
I've never had a problem with Leupold, I've had troubles with virtually every other scope brand I've owned.

I use to use both Burris and Leupold until they changed ownership a while back. Now I have all Leupold; the Burris just don't look or feel like they're as well made as Leupold. Also, the one Burris I did try had the "looking down a tunnel" effect, which drives me crazy.

Lou

In the past two years I have sent two scopes back to burris. One for a reticle change the other for repair. Both needed to be sent back multiple times to actually be repaired correctly. The scope that was sent in for a reticle change was brand new when I sent it in. It came back looking like a disabled 5 year old put it back together. That scope took 6 months of phone calls and lies to get replaced. I was told at least a dozen times it was either going to ship or had shipped. The best was when I called to check the status the last time. I had been dealing with the head of customer service. I asked to speak with him. He was not in and no one knew anything about the scope that was supposed to be shipped two weeks prior. I was told he must of forgot as he was real busy getting ready for his elk hunt and how he left 6 hours late for his hunt. I lost it on the phone. I went into one of those swearing fits were you feel like you blacked out and don't remember what you all said. I did not get to hunt with my gun of choice because I had no scope!! The scope was finally shipped two weeks later. A month after about the seventh or eighth promised ship date.

The other scope was a four month ordeal. It went in for debris floating around in it. Again numerous promised ship dates came and went. When I finally got it back it looked as though someone took 40 grit sandpaper to the inside of the rear lens. Took about two weeks of phone calls to finally get somewhere. I was promised a shipping label would be mailed out. Three weeks and several phone calls later still no label. So I had to ship it back at my expense. Along with the scope a very nasty letter was sent. Scope came back via next day air after them having it for four days. It was fixed except for the whole eyepiece being a little loose. Twenty rounds later I have crap floating in the scope again.

I am done with Burris. I have a back up scope for this gun. As soon is his scope dies which I figure won't be long it is going back to Burris. Hopefully they just replace it instead of trying to fix it. I have owned it four a bout four years and it was been to the factory six times now. Either way it will be sold and replaced by something else.

I know it is not in the options listed, but the Nikon Monarch 3-12 is superb. Consistant eye relief through the power range, very clear, repeatable adjustments, competive price, and great warranty.

Comparing a burris to a leupold is crazy! Leupold is 5 times the product. Sorry but Burris is not even in the same league. Optics/parrallax, gears, guide system, shock and durability are far superior to Burris and return rate is a big? Look down the line at your next BR, FT/R match and count the Burris scopes then do the same at a tactical match. The ratio? perhaps 100:1 especially in tactical! I own 9 Leupold scopes and never a single problem. My tactical partner slammed his rifle/scope (MK-4 ERT/5) in to a corner post during an event breaking the el. gear knob and denting the tube. It hit so hard it even broke free the rear PGT mount! He didn't think Leupold would replace it since it was his fault. Wrong, he received a brand new one 7 days after he returned his broken one! This is not part of the prices of a Leupold as they hold an ext: insurance company for coverage. Nothing at all against Burris, I use them on ALL of my hunting rifles, but I think a fair comparison would be perhaps Weaver, Redfield and other middle of the road optics.

this thread was just about 3 years old until it was revived.

20+ years ago I was told that my brand new Nikon 4x12x40 (my first scope ever) was a lesser quality than a Leupold. I never had a problem with my Nikon but after hearing all the riff raff about how I used a "substandard" scope, I gave in and sold my Nikon that was bright and perfect, and bought a Leupold 4.5x14x40. My eyesight told me the Nikon was superior and I regret that I ever made the change.

Out of habit, I continued to buy the same scope for subsequent rifles. When my brother built his custom 270, he installed a Nikon on it. Guess what? It's a helluva lot clearer and brighter than any Leupold I've got.

As to Burris, I don't really have an opinion. I would gladly replace all of my Leupolds with Nikons, and I'd replace both with Zeiss Conquests!

I have had one of the cheap Burris Fullfield II scopes on a 30-06 for the past 8 years. It has retained its zero the whole time even after various hunting trips, road trips, and airplane flights (knock on wood). Been very happy with my Burris and would buy another.

I bought a Leupold VX-I based upon the rave reviews I have heard about the company. Scope has been back to the factory twice because the variable power ring was too tight. The scope works, but I haven't been overly impressed with it. Maybe the VX-II and VX-III are better, but I don't think I'll be buying a another Leupold anytime soon. For the cost of the VX-III, I'll just get a Zeiss.

I just bought one of those Vortex Viper scopes from Cameraland. They have some excellent reviews and, since they're on sale, the price was right. It'll be interesting to see if it lives up to the hype when it arrives.

I had an old redfield on my 270 which encountered a broken reticle during hunting season. I bought a Burris Signature series w/posi because Burris advertised the toughest scopes on the planet, at the time. This was nearly 20 years ago and the Burris has never failed nor have I had to adjust the zero. The signature series was the top dog at the time but was soon replaced by the black diamond.

+1 on Burris Signature.