My theory has always been to buy the 'best' scope you can afford. A good scope on an ok rifle can make it a shooter, but a cheap scope on a great gun can cost you alot of headaches. Not to mention that if you've invested alot of good money into a 'big' hunt and end up with a scope failure, you hunt can be over, quick. Most outfitters won't pack you out of the mountains so you can drive to town for a new scope. Not worth the chance to me. I've never had a Leupold fail me, period. Has anyone here seen that rifle Leupold carries around in their display. It was lost in Alaska for years before it was finally found again. The Weatherby rifle was completely distroyed and unuseable, but the optics were as clear as a bell. Pretty impressive.