cost of scope vs cost of rifle

[Divernhunter]

I do not figure a % for the rifle/scope combo.
I always use a Leupold on all my serious hunting(big game) rifles.
I have a bunch of Varri X-II 3X9X40 Duplex reticle scopes and a couple of Varri X-III 3.5X10X40 scopes with Duplex reticles also. I only use Duplex reticle scopes for hunting. I also have a 6.5X20X40 Varri X-III on a 204ruger varmint rifle.
It does not matter if it is a $150 or a $1000 rifle I select the Leupold scope suited to the cartridge, game hunted, type of area hunted and such. Usually a 3X9X40 or 3.5X10X40 will work just fine.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

I don't mind saving money on guns and often buy a used one.
But I don't save money on scopes.
I did before, but learned the hard way that it is a waste of money.
I will easily spend 4-6 times the money for the scope than for the gun it is going on.
Today I usually buy some sort of German made Zeiss.
This started since I bought my first Zeiss Victory and saw what a huge difference in quality there is, specially in low light conditions.
If I need to buy a scope for a gun and lack the money for a German made scope and am only going to use it in good light conditions, I buy a Leupold.

So to me it is very easy when deciding on scopes as I only consider two brands. Zeiss or Leupold.

 

[gillettehunter]

We all have opinions so I guess that I'll give mine. Been an avid hunter over 40 yrs. I have used a lot of different scopes. I will agree that the Leopold is a good scope for the money and they have great warranty. I personally lost a shooting opportunity at a bull elk by using one. This is due to the fact that that the focal distance changes with the magnification changes..... So you have to change your cheek weld to see through the scope as you change the magnification. Because where I hunt long shots are not uncommon and my scopes top end on a variable is usually 12-16X I won't use a scope that has that change. For basically the same money I can buy a Zeiss Conquest and have slightly [to my eyes] better optics.
To the original question. I can easily see spending $500-$1500 on a scope. If you can't see him then you can't shoot him. Better coatings on scopes means more $$ as a general rule. Example of the above was when I was hunting essentially between Yellowstone and Teton Nat parks for elk. Packed in 8 miles. I got a 5X6 bull on the first AM. Next AM I went back to ck on the gut pile to see if a black bear might be on it. Got there 15 min late.... Another hunter from camp was already watching the hillside. Had been a griz on the guts. He had also seen a 6 pt bull elk walk across the hillside. I asked why he hadn't shot the bull. He said the glare in his scope was such that he couldn't see him and all he could do was watch him walk away.... I asked him if he still had glare. He checked and still was unable to see clearly. My scope was clear and he was pissed. Thought he had the best optics available at the time. Mine was the Conquest...... Coatings make a BIG difference early and late. Good scopes can be transferred to a new rifle. Don't be afraid to get a good one to start with. They will give you yrs of service and might be the difference between getting a trophy and not getting a shot.
Take it for what its worth. Bruce

 

[JamesJ]

You can never go wrong spending the extra cash on the glass. Good optics make good rifles more effective.

 

[Rob404]

I really never had a problem with Moderately priced Glass,,Cheap stuff you bet,,,Iv'e had my M1A Kick the crap out of Cheaper Simmons and Bushnells and were demoted to lighter recoiling rifles where they do fine,,Is a Buick as Good as a Cadillac maybe not but it will still get you there in style

 

[BigSteve57]

I don't mind saving money on guns and often buy a used one.
But I don't save money on scopes.
I did before, but learned the hard way that it is a waste of money.
I will easily spend 4-6 times the money for the scope than for the gun it is going on.
Today I usually buy some sort of German made Zeiss.
This started since I bought my first Zeiss Victory and saw what a huge difference in quality there is, specially in low light conditions.
If I need to buy a scope for a gun and lack the money for a German made scope and am only going to use it in good light conditions, I buy a Leupold.

So to me it is very easy when deciding on scopes as I only consider two brands. Zeiss or Leupold.

I am in agreement with you.
I hunted with Leupold VariX II, III scopes for 25+ years and swore by them and I still do. However I have moved to Zeiss and will now only buy Zeiss Victory. In fairness to Leupold, I am comparing my $2500.00 30mm Zeiss' to my $500.00 1 inch Leupolds.

I do not really know how the best of Zeiss compares to the best of Leupold.

But, I will put the best optic I can afford on a rifle regardless of the price of the rifle.