Rifle Scopes Vortex PST vs. Leupold Mk 4.

[Rinky]

I am in a slump between choosing optics for my Custom Rem 700 project. The project is by no means a corner cutter and so I am curious as to whether the extra cost for less features on the Leupold is worth the significant cost difference.

The Vortex is 900-950$ and has a lot of features.
The leupold is 1150-1500$ depending on illumination.

The leupold is the mk4 6.5-20x50 LRT
The Vortex is the PST 6-24x50 FFP

I like the illumination option because I plan to use this system for coyote hunting. But also for range fun and long shots at prairie dogs. Its a 243AI. Also the FFP option and zero stop are major selling points to me too.

Now to throw a wrench in the works here..

I can get the Leupold with Illumination for 1175$ but there's a hold on orders currently (assuming its the LE/MIL budget 2013) hold?

1175$ Yes. But it could be 6months until I even get to see it.

What's everyone's thoughts? I love my Leupold mk4 I already have but I admit I have a soft spot for Vortex.

 

[MadmetalP238]

i choose a vortex personally, love the company the warranty and all the features offered for what you end up paying. I think ultimately the vortex is a better value because its just as clear and tough.(shot it side by side with my bro in laws mk4) both preform great, there is just nothing better IMO about the Mk4 to justify the extra cost.

 

[Rinky]

i choose a vortex personally, love the company the warranty and all the features offered for what you end up paying. I think ultimately the vortex is a better value because its just as clear and tough.(shot it side by side with my bro in laws mk4) both preform great, there is just nothing better IMO about the Mk4 to justify the extra cost.

That's pretty much how I see it. Just would like to hear both sides of the story.

 

[30Hart]

Since you can buy the Leupold through the mil/le program the Mark 4 is the better value the reg Mark 4 is the same price as the Vortex and will lead to higher resale value. W/O the program I'd get the Vortex. We tend to upgrade scopes as we go. You can use the Leupold and lose maybe $50-75 over a couple of years then sell it and upgrade. I love my Mark 4's too!

 

[thrusty]

I currently have a Mark4 4.5-14x50mm Illum TMR and a Viper PST 6-24x50mm FFP EBR-1 MOA.
My new GAP R700 build will have the Vortex glass on it. I find the PST to be worth the money and the glass appears just as good, if not better than my Mark4. I especially like the MOA/MOA turret/reticle that the PST has over the Mark4.
I like my Leupold, but I would go Vortex on your build...

 

[DrDanMD]

Vortex has best CS in the industry. That alone leans me towards the PST

 

[fdkay]

6 power is too high a bottom end for hunting coyotes.

If you MUST have a 6-24, have you considered the bushnell 6-24X?

Possibly better for your multi-role is the 4.5-30

 

[bodywerks]

I've owned both. I still own the Leupold and for good reason - all the bells and whistles in the world are WORTHLESS if you can't see what your shooting at.
I couldn't spot 308 hits at even 100 yards it was so blurry. Twisted the parallax knob 3 ways from Sunday to no avail. Its just crap glass.
I can spot hits at 200 yards clear as day with my Leupold. I went with the mk 4 m5 in ffp, as it is the only way to get turrets that match the reticle. I made my own zero-stop so the only thing i don't have that the pst did is illumination. Yeah, its more expensive by a sizeable margin, but really, Leopold glass is in a whole different class compared to vortex. I even looked through a razor HD and had the same problem with not being able to get it focused.

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[pawprint2]

Leupold has had/ and does have the best CS in the industry. Leupold was delivering a lifetime warranty service and top service to the industry generations before vortex was even in business. Vortex has good customer service, but don't let anyone try to tell you that Leupold doesn't, or hasn't etc. For generations of American Sportsmen Leupold has served them very well, their quality is top shelf, in fact they are the standard by which most compare other products to. Buy the scope you like the most, but don't buy into anyone telling you that the old American company-Leupold doesn't make good quality, or deliver high end customer service.

 

[stu2]

I have both now. I feel the Vortex is a better value. Vortex owners get the VIP CS kinda like Leupold so CS is about the same. I have a Razor HD and it is very clear and crisp. I love it. It was the only scope that could offer me all the options I wanted with no sacrifice for $2000. To get the same options in other scopes, you'd have to spend way more $$$. I also have the Vortex PST 1-4 X 24 on my AR and love that one too. I actually like it better than a Schmidt & Bender I saw and paid less. Way less. True you don't get the FFP on the Vortex PST but I see no need on an AR. I'm not going to be doing that much ranging with an AR platform anyway. Always consider "intended use".

 

[pawprint2]

I believe the question would be better if a dollar amount were placed on the scopes in question, as it stands right now, you can be comparing S&Bs most expensive scope with Bushnells least expensive scope, that may have an effect on the results. Just saying.

 

[Rinky]

I believe the question would be better if a dollar amount were placed on the scopes in question, as it stands right now, you can be comparing S&Bs most expensive scope with Bushnells least expensive scope, that may have an effect on the results. Just saying.

I have the prices of the scopes in question in my original post. Also I think its pretty clear which scopes are being compared as I have the model names displayed in both the poll and the post.

 

[bodywerks]

Yes, but it's a Ford v6 mustang vs Corvette zr-1 comparison.

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[shoots100]

Leupold has had/ and does have the best CS in the industry. Leupold was delivering a lifetime warranty service and top service to the industry generations before vortex was even in business. Vortex has good customer service, but don't let anyone try to tell you that Leupold doesn't, or hasn't etc. For generations of American Sportsmen Leupold has served them very well, their quality is top shelf, in fact they are the standard by which most compare other products to. Buy the scope you like the most, but don't buy into anyone telling you that the old American company-Leupold doesn't make good quality, or deliver high end customer service.

Same here.I own a couple of vortex scopes and they've performed well.Lets see how well they perfrom over a couple of decades,Then you can Compare them to a Leupolds quality,and their customer service.
I've never had to send any of my Leupolds,or my Vortex scopes in for service yet,but if your buying a scope because they have excellent customer service,your not buyig it for the right reason.

 

[GhostFace]

damn double tap....

 

[17874]

I have a Leupold MK4 4.5-14x50 mildot with illuminated reticle with TPS med alloy rings I would let go for 1K and you pay shipping if interested. I can send pictures if you want. Scope is one year old and in good shape. Had a paint job, but it all came off like new.

 

[GhostFace]

I have the 6-24 PST and a shooting partner has the 6.5-20 loopy, we have comared both to everytime we get together which is at least once a month, somtiems more.. He couldn't believe my scope's image was as good as his, My tracking is dead nuts on as well as his too. But mine has a zero stop and matching reticle and his does not. When I told him how much my scope costs he came back and said well see how long it holds up. Now we crank our turrets back and forth as we shoot longer range (730 yards) and close up (25 yards) too. So far no problems with tracking. Our mutual friend was so impressed with my scope that he went out and bought one for his AI, another partner is wanting to sell his 4-14 MK IV to buy a PST like ours. Also Loopy doesn't make a MOA reticle which is another reaseon I voted PST...


ETA I think both are good scopes but the PST is a better value.

 

[17874]

Owe I also have zero stop shims I made for the Leupold.

 

[Nysios]

Leupold. There are plenty of reasons for both. But I go with Leupold as I like it better.

 

[Rinky]

I have a Leupold MK4 4.5-14x50 mildot with illuminated reticle with TPS med alloy rings I would let go for 1K and you pay shipping if interested. I can send pictures if you want. Scope is one year old and in good shape. Had a paint job, but it all came off like new.

Thats a very generous offer and much appreciated, however I am looking for a 6.5-20, I already have a mark 4 in 4.5-14 and I have at times wished I had that extra power.

 

[Killer Spade 13]

Always wondered why someone would buy a product for the warranty or customer service capabilities. If I had my druthers, I'd druther buy a product for which I would never have a need for either of the two of those resources . . .

Kinda sorta makes ya think that you're expecting the product to go south on ya . . .

 

[BCP]

The vortex PST is better for less money, seems like a no brainer to me.

Also i think vortex will do an LE/Mil discount if you call them.

 

[FedCop]

Im on hold for a vortex too LE/Mil purchase. I would go with the vortex, I did

 

[Rinky]

Always wondered why someone would buy a product for the warranty or customer service capabilities. If I had my druthers, I'd druther buy a product for which I would never have a need for either of the two of those resources . . .

Kinda sorta makes ya think that you're expecting the product to go south on ya . . .

Its not that were intentionally buying the scope expecting it to crap out on us but at the same time it says a lot about a company that will take your destroyed and beaten scope in no questions asked and replace it brand new. That to me is worth its wait in gold especially when hunting. If you were to drop it on a rocky slope and watched it roll down the mountain crashing and banging the whole way, it may not work but it will be new within a week of coming home. Now would the leupold work after such a incident? I cant speculate but it is possible. Battle tested means a lot to me. However were this to happen and i were to call leupold they would almost definitely say tough tit as it was wholly my fault.

I understand they are both great scopes and I truly feel Leupold is better to an extent. To what degree better is what im trying to ascertain. From the looks of it very little to justify 20-35% higher cost with less features

I put my hands on both of them today and I will again before I buy but from what I felt, the turrets on the Vortex felt more positive and the optics were quite similar. I took them both outside side to side but like I said, I will again. Im not seeing 300$ hiding in value of the leupold just yet.

 

[finefire]

Vortex has best CS in the industry. That alone leans me towards the PST

Better than Leupold's? In 20 years we'll know the answer to that, but for now, the folks in Oregon have that trophy.

 

[LRRPF52]

I'm an optics snob. I was raised basically on the M3A in the Army, but I have a taste for really good glass. I was spoiled later on with S&B, USO, NF, March Optics, Hensoldt, etc. One thing that I can't personally compromise on is turret quality. While I am continually impressed with higher end Leupold glass, every time I crank down on the turrets, I cringe and jerk away.

The Vortex PST turrets are very tough to argue with. I'm so glad I found out about Vortex, because instead of being able to afford one scope, I can now buy more for my blasters, and get more features than even the Hensoldt (no zero-stop on the 3-12x56FF) offers, and there is no real comparison with the Hensoldt glass clarity and lowlight performance. They also have a 19% return rate for warranty-related issues.

Vortex is the company to beat right now.

 

[Rinky]

I'm an optics snob. I was raised basically on the M3A in the Army, but I have a taste for really good glass. I was spoiled later on with S&B, USO, NF, March Optics, Hensoldt, etc. One thing that I can't personally compromise on is turret quality. While I am continually impressed with higher end Leupold glass, every time I crank down on the turrets, I cringe and jerk away.

The Vortex PST turrets are very tough to argue with. I'm so glad I found out about Vortex, because instead of being able to afford one scope, I can now buy more for my blasters, and get more features than even the Hensoldt (no zero-stop on the 3-12x56FF) offers, and there is no real comparison with the Hensoldt glass clarity and lowlight performance. They also have a 19% return rate for warranty-related issues.

Vortex is the company to beat right now.

That's the opinion I was hoping this post would bring. I felt the Leupold m1 turret was soft and not nearly as tactile as the vortex.

Judging by the poll I'm far from alone in one way or another. I never expected this much of a response and would like to thank you all for your input. You've saved mea couple hundred dollars and with that I can get reloading components rockin! Thank you all.

 

[bodywerks]

Hope you can see what you're aiming at. The 6x24 units are the ones known for having fuzzy glass...
The poll is also a result of numerous, non-objective, vortex fanboys fluffing it up.

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[kurt]

got hte 6-24 hs lr ffp it is basicly the same as the pst 6-24 but with out illumination and has 1/2 moa turrets. I can see the holes from my 6.5 creedmoor at 200 yds easily and i have no fuzziness what so ever in the scope. Out on sunday in overcast and snowing conditions we comapered it to a 6.5-20 loopy and the vortex looked better than it to all four people there. A couple of guys are hard core loopy guys and it was hard for them to admit it. turrets are better, reticle is better, glass is as good or better. Change is hard for some people

 

[bodywerks]

Hmmm. It was easy for me. I owned both. Sure, i could have tried out vortex's "top notch" service, but the real measure of the quality of a company is in whether or not you ever need to use that service. The reason you see so many posts about how awesome their service is is because so many people have had to use it.
I don't deny that you have crystal clear glass. You got lucky. But don't be fooled into thinking that vortex has found some magic way to have CONSISTENT Leupold/nightforce durability/quality for 2/3 the price. The lower price comes from paying less to have them made in the Philippines and in lower QC. If its a risk you're willing to take then go for it.

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[kurt]

leupold is not in the same class as nightforce and after having 2 go down on differnet hunting trips last year persoanly not immpressed with the new stuff. They were the king but times are changing.

this kind of tells a story also http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/showthread.php?t=157708

 

[Tonmarchelli]

Like said above. Vortex scope are top notch for the money

 

[Outdoorsman9]

Hope you can see what you're aiming at. The 6x24 units are the ones known for having fuzzy glass...
The poll is also a result of numerous, non-objective, vortex fanboys fluffing it up.

Don't get all butt-hurt over there. There's plenty of Leupold "fanboys" out there too who argue their scope is better only to make themselves feel better about spending a couple hundred more. Also it was the 4-16 model that had the review saying it had "fuzzy" glass, not the 6-24.

 

[bodywerks]

No butt hurtrdness here, and you're right. It was the 4-16. My bad.
I remember now that after my experience with the 4-16 i tried to order the 6-24 and then sell the 4-16. They didn't have it in stock and i was talked into the loopy. No regrets here and definitely not trying to justify my purchase. I'm glad to have paid extra for an American-made product.

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[Facemelter]

I had the same question as you do when I went looking for a scope to buy for my newly purchased rem700. I actually found a scope retailer selling at a local gun show that "took me under his wing" so to speak when I told him I had some money burning a hole on my pocket. We spent some time at the gunshow talking and he ended up saying im not selling anything untill you swing by my shop and have a look at some more glass.

I went to his place where we spent some time looking over lots of scopes. My last two picked out,the MK4-leupold and the Vortex PST. The only thing that turned me off of the leupold is the turrets. The soft squishy feel of those turrets was a let down. The side parallax adjustment knob that is numbered is also nice thing that I like to have,which is not on the Leupold.

If the turrets had a nice click and feel to them when I turned the knob and the parallax not been so freakin hard to turn I would have bought the Leupold. My money went to Vortex.

 

[Opticsspecialist]

pst by far

 

[LRRPF52]

I know a guy who has had to send his Leupold 2.5-8x36 MRT back 3 times because the turrets would get stuck, then adjust for every turn you made that didn't move in one final click...i.e. tracking was like a Barska.

I have purchased and extensively used the snot out of:

Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44 Mil Dot
Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10x44 MRAD
Vortex Viper HS Tactical 5-15x44 Mil Dot

Vortex Nomad Spotter
3x Vortex Viper 8x28 R/T Mini Binos with Mil Scale and Silhouette range finder (I can't hold onto them, as people steal them from me.)

I have shot the Viper 6.5-20x44 from 100F+ at 4400ft ASL, to -30C 80% humidity on a .260 Rem, then 5.56 SPR with 77gr. Zeroed at 100m, run transitions out to 700m, crank back down to zero, shoot the first group of the day...in -20C weather.

I have taken the 2.5-10x44 MRAD out to 1000yds in boiling mirage, and shot a 9.25" group with my GA Precision .260 Remington on the bipod off my truck bed.

Guess how often I have used Vortex's warranty? Never-not on one single product to date. I know others have, but it isn't common, and many of the posts I have read here where someone had a "problem" was where they just weren't happy with the glass quality.

Imagine how I felt when I got my USO 3.2-17x SN-3 after waiting for it for 18 months, and there was a bugger floating around on the reticle. I could have purchased 3 Viper 4-16x50 PST's FFP, or one 6-24x50 Viper PST + one Razor HD for the price of the USO.

Imagine how I felt right before heading overseas for a Sniper Competition, airfare paid for, hundreds spent in shooting 3 days a week, travel expenses to and from the range, range fees, etc. when the Side Focus died on the Schmidt & Bender 5-25x56 PMII I had mounted up on my .338 LM. You ever dealt with S&B CS before they set up the US services facility out East?

And as much as I truly love the Hensoldt glass, they have a 19% return rate for warranty-related issues, often SF or illumination.

When I see fellow shooters who are on the National F-class Team for one of the biggest names in the US rifle industry, and all the shooters were using NF, but couldn't get customer support-even after beating other nations on their home turf, and then all of a sudden they are sporting Vortex Razor HD's on personal guns, that says a lot to me, and NF has the reliability reputation to beat.

So yeah, you can label me a Vortex fanboy, as there is no shame in it. They're a company that defied my way of thinking about optics and how seriously I took a scope based on price point.

 

[longrangefool]

I have both these scopes. I'll do a little writeup of my opinion tomorrow because I had a real struggle with the same decision you are going through.

 

[longrangefool]

OK, as promised...

For the purposes of being clear: I have the Leupold 6-20 FFP ER/T model (MRAD). Quality of optics and should be the same as your model. Mine does not have illumination, so I will not comment on that aspect. I have the Vortex Viper PST 6-24 FFP (MOA).

I've had the Vortex for about 2 years (just after they were released? maybe longer?) and I've had the Leupold for a tad over a year and a half. Both have seen quite a bit of use.

I originally purchased the Viper PST 4-16 FFP (MOA) model on pre-order. I used it for a few weeks and ultimately decided that the optics were pretty fuzzy and called up Vortex. They offered to trade up for $100 bucks to the 6-24 because, their words, the 6-24x was clearer than the 4-16x. They were absolutely right.

Body
Both scopes weigh within a few ounces of each other, but the Vortex looks heavier and definitely feels bulkier. The eyepiece of the Vortex just seems huge compared to the Leupold especially with the illumination knob sticking out the side. Thunking my finger onto the metal gives the sound impression that the Vortex is sporting thicker metal walls. Win: Tie.

Turrets
The turrets on the Vortex are very nice and crisp - the Leupolds should take a lesson in knob crispness from Vortex. With very thick gloves, you have to watch the Leupold when you make adjustments. The Vortex knobs are SUPER high traction and it makes gloved work pretty easy, but the drawback is that the knobs have been accidentally moved many many times by putting into a padded case or sliding in/out of my Eberlestock lodrag bag. The indicator numbers and lines are bolder on the Vortex. On the Vortex, you are supposed to be able to see the magnification you are currently using just by looking at the indicator on the eyepiece without having to pull your face off the optic, but honestly, you can’t focus on it without pulling your face back far enough that you would be able to see it on the Leupold. When I bought the Vortex, I thought the Zero Stop would be awesome. I've never set it up because with all my other scopes, I got used to either just remembering where I was from zero or resetting after use. Even without it, you can see on the rotation lines where you are at in your adjustment range. Win: Tie. I really want to give the nod to the Vortex, but I HATE that they have rotated on their own.

Parallax Adjustment knob
I put this in its own place because I the parallax adjustment on my Vortex is very stiff. Stiff enough that I have griped about it a few times. I don’t have very tough skin on my hands and you can feel it on your finger and thumb after adjusting it a lot after a whole day shooting. Win: Leupold.

Clarity
Flat out, the Leupold is sharper than the Vortex. Its very easy to see that on a target 600 yards away, I can more clearly make out the lines with the Leupold. At 300 yards or so, I have a much easier time making out 22 caliber bullet holes with the Leupold. Somewhere between 900 and 1200 yards it becomes about a wash, because the Leupold is a tad sharper, but the Vortex has a bit more magnification. The Vortex definitely has a bit more chromatic aberration than the Leupold and is easy to see on a bright white target on a bright day, or with heavily backlit objects like right now where the house on the top of the hill is against a lit up cloud at sunset. The Vortex does maintain image clarity a bit better near the outer edges of the picture. I would say it’s a tie for low light work between these two scopes and both are pretty color neutral. Win: Leupold

Reticle
I hands down prefer the TMR to the EBR reticle. The EBR is marked in 2MOA and 5MOA and that’s it. The TMR has quite a few smaller subtensions that help with ranging. Another thing I like about the Leupold over the Vortex is that the reticle is open in the center. My biggest gripe about the Vortex reticle is the thickness of the reticle. The Vortex reticle is still thicker at 12X than the Leupolds is at 20X. The Vortex may be a bit easier to use at low powers than the Leupold, but I generally shoot on higher power in highpower matches.

Once thing that I think is worth mentioning that really bugs me about the Vortex is that when you adjust the magnification ring, you can see the reticle rotate ever….so…..slightly. You really have to be looking very closely at it near the edge of visible picture to see it. That just bugs me. How much does it skew? Not sure, it’s really hard to say, but I prefer my reticle to not skew for precision work. The 4-16 I had did this, and this one does as well. Win: Leupold

Illumination
Due to the Leupold reticle being so thin, I would recommend you get the illuminated model for hunting on lower powers. I never hunt or shoot at dusk/dawn so this is not an issue for me, but if I did, I could see it maybe being an issue. Since I never use it, I can't even comment on it on my Vortex. EDIT: I forgot to mention that right now the battery is dead on my Vortex. Its been that way because the knob somehow got turned to on at some point in the last two years and left on - further proof the knobs do grab on things.

Warranty
You can’t beat the Vortex warranty. Honestly, I’m not quite sure what the warranty is on my Leupold scope, but I didn’t buy it planning to use the warranty. So far, I haven’t had any issues with either so no dealings with warranty issues - I hope that it will stay that way for a long time. Win: Vortex

Conclusion
As far as value goes, the Vortex is a clear winner. I bought my Vortex and Leupolds in this order: Vortex, Leupold (6-20 ER/T), Leupold (8.5-25 ER/T). After I got my first Leupold, I couldn’t believe how well the Vortex held up for almost half the price. My second purchase would have been a Vortex had it not been mainly my issues with the reticle.

If you’re right on the edge price wise, go with the Vortex, you’ll be happy and use the money to spend time behind the gun. I went Leupold for my third scope after thoroughly evaluating both brands because it was in my budget and had an edge on a few things I cared about. But I'm not a fanboy of either - I'm in the market again and I'll probably be looking at another Vortex product (Razor HD) as well as everyone else's offerings.

I hope that helps you out, let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[pinkhair]

As others have said, if you're eligible for fed/mil pricing you should contact vortex directly regarding that, it will help to make your decision much easier.

 

[HD1911]

I say neither, get a Bushnell 3.5-21

 

[m41]

Vortex PST hands down. I have had a number of Mark 4's and they were OK. I would take a Vortex over the Leupold's any day. Leupold kind of had the market corned for a long time in this country. But once they started getting tactical scope competition, IMO they never rose up to meet or beat the new comers.

My Vortex PST is a medium priced optic but high quality. I use mine hard and don't treat it very nice at all. I have never had any zero shift and it tracks 100% perfect every time. Hoping to have a Razor in my near future.

 

[MarineMD]

I am facing the same decision. I have NF, Mark 4 and a Viper. NF is best glass sharp at every mag level, second by a hair is Leupold, third by far is Viper. But the kicker is that at 1/3 the cost it does everything else pretty darn well.

 

[josephberry]

Well, I'm sold. Looks like my next scope will be a PST. What's this talk of fuzzy glass in the 4-16? This was the magnification I wanted.

 

[MarineMD]

Well, I'm sold. Looks like my next scope will be a PST. What's this talk of fuzzy glass in the 4-16? This was the magnification I wanted.

My 4-16 is blurry at the edges between 4-6 mag levels: hardly noticeable but it's there. It doesn't affect the function in any way. I did a box test where I shot 3 round groups and adjusted to shoot the corners of a box and it did return to zero. I have it mounted on a superb Kimber 82 22LR, and it has plenty of head shot squirrels at many ranges. BTW try calculating a shooting solution for 22LR at 250 yards. It requires lots of adjustment! Not an exhaustive test I know, but I don't compete and I'm not going to war with this scope so...

 

[jasonZ]

I'd have to say the Vortex is better from my personal experience, but that's all I can say. I thought it out performed the Leupold hands down. The glass was as good or better. As far as all the other options, well in my opinion they performed equally well. In the resale category, I took a few hundred loss on the Leupold, where I sold the Vortex for pretty much what I paid for it. I just think the Leupold is behind in optics, or at least at that time. I had the 4.5-14x50 illuminated mildot MK4. I don't remember the exact model number. It was almost $1400 retail if I remember right. I think I paid about $1200 for it. Anyhow, the Vortex I bought was $800 or $850. The Vortex was FFP and the Leupold was not. I was simply not impressed with the glass on the Leupold. I felt like the Vortex Viper (not pst) that I had was as good or better glass and it was only a $400 optic! Durability was good on both, but neither really ever saw any punishment. Just my thoughts on it and I'm not an accomplished shooter or anything like that, so I'm probably not really qualified to say. I do prefer to spend the minimum on optics that I can, which will perform as I need them to for their application though. I can say that the Leupold was my first "high dollar optic" and the Vortex PST would be the second, but I'd put a PST on anything on any day and believe it would perform for me and my needs for LR shooting. Good luck with your decision.

 

[josephberry]

Any opinions on the new Sightron S3 with exposed turrets? I had the old model with caps and it was very good. Glass was comparable to my NF. Tracking was dead on, return to zero. Just wanted exposed turrets and matching reticle. The new model has these features. Anyone compared the Sightron and Pst?

 

[kristian55]

I am in a slump between choosing optics for my Custom Rem 700 project. The project is by no means a corner cutter and so I am curious as to whether the extra cost for less features on the Leupold is worth the significant cost difference.

The Vortex is 900-950$ and has a lot of features.
The leupold is 1150-1500$ depending on illumination.

The leupold is the mk4 6.5-20x50 LRT
The Vortex is the PST 6-24x50 FFP

I like the illumination option because I plan to use this system for coyote hunting. But also for range fun and long shots at prairie dogs. Its a 243AI. Also the FFP option and zero stop are major selling points to me too.

Now to throw a wrench in the works here..

I can get the Leupold with Illumination for 1175$ but there's a hold on orders currently (assuming its the LE/MIL budget 2013) hold?

1175$ Yes. But it could be 6months until I even get to see it.

What's everyone's thoughts? I love my Leupold mk4 I already have but I admit I have a soft spot for Vortex.

Leupold ER/T 6.5-20

 

[OptedOut]

Unfortunately most peoples opinions are highly influenced by their wallets no matter what they say in justification.
Vortex makes a good line of scopes and has a good rep for customer service. They also have, in the past, put out scopes that should have been kept in R&D a bit longer before being released.

To me what matters most is clarity and quality of optics and in a one or the other choice I'd pick Leupold without hesitation.

 

[Tacsnipe73]

To me what matters most is clarity and quality of optics and in a one or the other choice I'd pick Leupold without hesitation.

+1, Especially with the mil/leo program, you would be getting a lot more value.