ORIGINAL: bugsNbows
I wouldn't be too quick to judge optical quality in a store (especially with artifical light). Lots of scopes look good then. Once outside, especially at twilight times, differences are evident. I have two Swaro's and wouldn't trade them for anything. However, with that said, there are many other good scopes out there that suffice for most hunting situations.
don't get me wrong, i'm not saying they aren't good scopes. i'm saying that particular scope wasn't impressive enough for me to shell out 2 grand. for 2 grand that scope better be the mac daddy with a built in range finding system. imo my $400.00 Pentax Lightseeker is as bright and clear as any scope i have ever looked through...even at twilight hours. my biggest complaint with that $2,000.00 Swarovski scope was the very thin cross hairs. i can only imagine the headaches it would cause when shooting in low light. the cross hairs were hard to see in optimal light. it may have been just a target scope for all i know but i would never mount that scope on a hunting rig. i am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for" but from personal experiences the Pentax Lightseeker scopes are an exception to that rule.