RE: best scope
First off I am one of those who had a horror story with a nikon scope which has left me soured to their offerings. I did check out the Nikon Gold and it was very impressive in brightness, clarity and eye relief. However its weight and length is a problem and the fact I would need loopy high rings to mount the 2.5x10 model so my bolt would clear the eye piece would make it a non factor even if no previous issues.
I directly compared the VXIII and Zeiss Conquest with a buddy for his new scope this spring and again on my own in the summer. First off the standard duplex on the VX III disappears both in bright light and fading light, I really found myself having to search for the axis point on the cross hairs. The heavy duplex was better in the VXIII but again in bright contrast light it turned gold which makes it a be hard to see and acquire a target. The B&C reticle IMHO is aweful. Here is something I really found odd and noticed, the VX III with it's supposed improvements in glass quality made a stark white wall in a well lite shop look yellowish...clarity on the edges seemed good. When I picked up the zeiss conquest and the wall was in fact white like it should be. My conclusion was resolution was better with the zeiss than the leupold. This showed itself again looking at writing on boxes at different distances - Zeiss being the better of the 2. The z-plex reticle on the Zeiss literally jumps out at my eye and I tried to make it dissappear and could not, it also always remained BLACK. Overall the Zeiss was clearer, brighter in low light, better resolution, etched reticle & constant eye relief won my dollars. I have been so happy and impressed with the Conquest I just bought a second one last week. Tracking has been true with adjustments, the finger adjustable windage/elevation knobs are a real nice feature and the constant eye relief through the power ranges is a welcome I never really considered prior.