I am having a custom 243 built mainly for coyotes and maybe a whitetail once in awhile,and taget shooting at 200 yards or less.My hunting shots will be mostly under 100 yards.I was thinking of either:
Zeiss conquest 3-9
weaver grand slam 4.5-14x40
nikon monarch 2.5-10x42
bushnell elite 4200 4-16x40
nikon monach 4-16x42
leupold 3.5-10x40
Leupold 4.5-14x40
which one should i get? decision's, decision's

quote:

I am having a custom 243 built mainly for coyotes and maybe a whitetail once in awhile,and taget shooting at 200 yards or less.My hunting shots will be mostly under 100 yards.I was thinking of either:
Zeiss conquest 3-9
weaver grand slam 4.5-14x40
nikon monarch 2.5-10x42
bushnell elite 4200 4-16x40
nikon monach 4-16x42
leupold 3.5-10x40
Leupold 4.5-14x40
which one should i get? decision's, decision's

Not the Zeiss; I've heard warranty service can be problematic.

Not the Bushnell; I've had a personal negative experience with their warranty department.

The Nikon may be OK; I really like their cameras but have no experience with their rifle scopes.

Leupold and Nightforce scopes are what I've come to like the most.

As far as scope power is concerned, a 3-9X is plenty for 200 yard hunting. For target shooting, of the scopes you list, the Leupold 4.5 to 14X would be my choice. At 14X, you should be able to see your bullet holes at 100 yards without a spotting scope.

Well, let me go the opposite direction of Grumulkin.

The Zeiss3-9x40 is a fantastic scope. I have had one for several years and consider it one of the best scopes I have used. On the other hand, I have never had to deal with a warranty issue, so I can't speak to that.

Nikon makes a great scope for the money. I think it's the best value out there in terms of price for quality. You can still find a few deals out there for the now discontinued and soon to be replaced Monarch line. If you are looking at the 4-12x Monarch, you might want to look at the 5.5-16.5x model because it is almost the same size as the 4-12x but with much more magnification, and you did say you might be target shooting at 200 yards.

So if the hunting at 100 yards or less is more important, I'd go with the Zeiss 3-9x. Otherwise, look for a 5.5-16.5x Monarch.

Regards,

LWD

I have a Howa .243 I use a Nikon Buckmasters 4.5-14x40SF with a mildot reticule. It's very clear and holds zero. I'm very pleased with it as it is not an expensive scope, but the quality is very good.

I have a Zeiss conquest 4.5x14SF that I like and no problems ....I also have a couple of Leupold 4.5x14 40/50a.o. and they are clear and sturdy.....I like the side focus/parallax on the Zeiss with the 1" tube and the reticle seems? to be darker-more vivid in the Zeiss but the front AO on the leupold works well once you use them a while and Leupold stands behind their products firmly......also use 3.5x10AO Leupold on a couple of guns and the extra field of view at the 3.5 works well in closer woods type or moving coyote ...if shooting is more close moving shots the 3.5is better and the 10 still good for distance...if needing longer shots more often the upper 14 might be worth the little loss of fov at 4.5.....zeiss or gold ring either a winner.....good luck and good shooting!!

Don't know how good your eyes are but, I prefer at least a 14x for 200 yard target work. Sure, you can shoot at 200 with a 9x but, with a 14x you can get a much better view of the target and see you bullet holes without a Spotter.

I actually prefer a 18-20x for the sole purpose of punching paper.

I'd suggest to get at least a 4-14. IMO the best low end in that range is a Nikon BMs and mid range $ would have to go to the Conquest.

Good Luck

Reloader

I recommend the Nikon Monarch 4-16x42. I think you'll appreciate the higher magnification for some of your shooting needs. I use several Nikon scopes and think they have excellent quality.

quote:

Originally posted by tnyotehunter:
taget shooting at 200 yards or less. My hunting shots will be mostly under 100 yards.

Since this is primarily a hunting rifle, I have to assume that your "target" shooting will be informal target shooting, not match.

A scope in the power range that doesn't exceed 10X will be the most versatile. You often need the low end field of view offered by 3 or 3.5X when hunting. The higher magnification scopes also tend to require much more precise eye placement, making them poorly suited for quick action that might be required on coyotes or whitetails. By the way, if you can't see a target well enough at 200 yards when magnified 9 or 10 times to center your crosshairs on it, then the solution to your problem lies with an optometrist, not in a more powerful scope.

Among the scopes you listed, the Leupold will be somewhat the least expensive in terms of retained value and resale, however there are other good scopes on the list if you have the economic luxury of spending without regard to preservation of capital.

For a dual purpose coyote/whitetail gun that will be shot to 200yds target I would suggest either a 4.5x14 or 4x16 power range. If your coyote hunting includes nighttime, look at a heavy reticle like the z-plex or heavy duplex. You're looking at the best in mid class scopes......leupold and conquest will hold the best resale value, the new monarchs which just hit the market the other day may just be the best bang for the buck out there, 4200 elites are very bright and the one I have really tracks and holds poi on a varmint gun, shooting at night over snow in the moonlight would make me reach for one of the conquests, weaver grand slams are also very bright and precise trackers but meade instruments service leaves me cold. All will work well and all have good warranties.....service can be another issue. Good Shooting.

woods