Otis, I had purchased my scope from S.I.R. in Winnipeg for $649.99. They have a web site
www.sirmailorder.ca ...I"m not sure what you mean buy critical eye relief but it does have a 4" eye relief. Plenty for my 7mm mag .
I have a Leupold 3-9 x 50mm Eur opean with the 30mm tube and was comparing them the other night. The Nikon is brighter and clearer then Leupold. There is a noticeable amount of difference but the Leupold is also nice and clear.
My Leupold is 3/4" longer but the Nikon is a little heavier. The whole eye piece with the adjustable magnification ring is a little more bulky on the Nikon. The part of the scope with the caps for adjusting the cross hairs is also a bit bigger. The Leupold is a slimmer looking scope overall. They both have the black matte finish buth the Nikon has a darker shade of black.
This is just my comparisin looking at them side by side. I hope I was able to answer some questions. Let me know if you have any more questions.<