Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

Got a Cabelas Alaskan Guide Scope for free - a Zeiss I can take off another rifle that's shooting well or I can take a VXIII off a pre-64 custom I have and stick it on the titanium.

All within a few ounces of each other. The Zeiss is the shortest hate to mess with that and the Leopold once the guns are shooting strait.

The Cabelas is brand new and looks good but has anyone used the Alaskan's and are they any good?

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

Stick the scope you like best on the rifle you will use most and the cabela's scope on the rifle you intend to use the least.Mounting and sighting in a scope is not a big deal if you know what you are doing.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

I'd leave the Zeiss, and Luepold on your guns, they have some great optics. The Guide Series is a great scope, and for the money even better. Cabelas is a to have a great scope at a price lower than it should be because they're able to cut out the middle man. Even though Cabelas won't say who makes the optics for them, I'm still about 90% sure they're made by Luepold. The Guide Series is a quality optic.

But if you're already shooting good with the Zeiss and Luepold, I wouldn't change them out for the Cabelas. Zeiss will still be a little better quality and luepold and Cabelas Guide Series will be very close though, in performance. Good luck.
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Edited by - kshunter on 11/10/2002 21:04:32

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

i remember years ago looking in the cabelas catalog,and reading there scopes, and it said made by leupold, so it may still be made by them.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

Cabellas scopes are made in China. I don't think Leupolds are made there.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

The Cabelas Alaskan Guide is made in Japan,not China. So that tells you that they are not Leupold made either. I own one and I'd say they look like a Nikon.I compared the Guide to a VXI Leupold in the store and they both were about the same even the 2 guys behind the counter agreed. Zeak

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

The Cabelas Pine Ridge scopes are made in China. You can easily bend the scope tube with your thumb and forefinger. Cheapest junk I've ever seen.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

Pine Ridge and Alaskan - two different animals. I haven't had any problems with Cabela's quality but then I don't buy the crap at the low end and expect it to compete with high dollar optics. The Alaskan is free for me - so it's a no-brainer.

I put the Zeiss 3.5x10 on the titanium and don't think it's going anywhere. Will put the Alaskan on another rifle. Maybe pull the 44mag Simmons off my Sako or stick it on another gun. Then again - even with the 300 win I haven't had any problems with the Simmons and that's a cheap scope. I have two Leupolds. Like them but like the Zeiss better so went with that. Larger field of view and better reticle, same or better glass from my perspective.

Edited by - Btrack on 11/12/2002 21:43:03

Edited by - Btrack on 11/12/2002 21:44:03

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

Say what you will about the Zeiss, it still doesn't offer the eye relief of a Leupold. When it comes to shooting magnum rounds, nothing is more important. <img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle>

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

his your ZEISS one of the $$$$ ones?
how does she look in the morning?

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

I have used ziess scopes on high recoiling magnums includingb the 300 ultra magnum and the eye relief has never been a problem.The optical quality is however better than any leupold I have ever used.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

You know name recognition is a funny thing. Nikon riflescopes as well as their spotting scopes are made by Light Optical...coincidentally these same people make Items for Bushnell and Bausch and Lomb(when they existed).They probably make Cabelas Alaskan and Guide series scopes also and they also make Weaver Scopes so please tell me the difference between all these brands? The correct answer is none there is just variations in weight,length and eye relief on all of them. I purchased a 3x9 monarch a month ago because the truth is I never owned one before. I mounted it on my ruger no 1 in 280 and took it to the range...nice clear scope but it looks thick and bulky and cheap compared to my Leupolds...The eye relief sucks and the windage and elevation adjustments are cheap also. It was sent back and replaced with a VX II 3x9 and it is maybe not as clear as that Nikon but it is lighter has way better eye relief and fits the gun and is brighter than I'll ever need in any hunting situation. It is easy to make a long scope better optically the trick is making it shorter and same optical quality with more eye relief. Up until this newest release of the Conquest series the eye relief on Zeiss's were abysmal and still are on their high end scopes the same can be said for the rest of the German/Austrian scopes in general. The COnquest has 4&quot; eye relief which is an improvement over previous versions but in my opinion will not balance correctly on your Titanium rifle. If you spend 1000 dollars for a factory lightweight you should at least add lightweight components to the gun...ie COnetrol or Gentry rings...Leupold 2.5x8x36 would be the heaviest scope I would put on it anything else and you threw away a bunch of money.Thats my .02 on the matter.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

I've gotcha - and am not looking for converts here. If you like the Leupold - hey - your rifle. But, I find it hard to believe that the 1&quot; in length and 3 oz in weight difference between the leupold and zeiss is going to throw the gun out of wack? Especially based on the first groups I got with it. Plus - I'll take that risk with the better reticle for jump shooting and the 44mm objective - cause in low light, 36 objectives leave a little to be desired. Again though - its personal preference - to each his own!!!.

I can always take out a featherweight with the leupold if I want to go that way. If I could figure out how to post a picture of it in this thing I would. It is a nice looking package and the scope at 12 1/4 instead of 11.3 inches looks good. What's the deal with eye releif? People getting smacked with an 06.? I shot a 460 Weatherby once at the range and that left a little mark on my brow when I shot three that and tried to pull in #3 on a moving target. Got it but it got me. - but not on anything else.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

Do you have low or medium rings on this rifle? If you have medium it is out of your line of sight and will throw off the balance. Shoot your rifle prone and then tell me what eye relief is.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

BTRACK-Be careful not to strain yourself lifting that the extra 3 ounces.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

You know what Stubblejumper it seems it's always your way or no way with about everything you post to. I have a right to express an opinion on a subject and as an owner of several lightweight rifles will do it. If A person buys a lightweight rifle he should put lightweight components on it so it balances correctly. You know what balance is and feel or is it missing on the semi-benchrest Kenny Jarrett wannabe 300 ULA you lug around.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

Oldelkhunter,

I liked the idea of looking at the light weight components - and will look into the COnetrol or Gentry rings - but had an expensive season <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>!!! and won't be buying any other scopes for a few months. Bad enough I spent this money.

Tough here (Santa Barbara - Antihunting Capitol of the World) to get anything out of the ordinary..but hope to learn about and get some of these things and pick them up when I travel or off the web maybe.

As for the prone position shooting.. first, guess I lucked out - being short on pocket money and the scope I put on is the Conquest - so a little more eye releif, but I don't really do any long ranging and if I do it's with my Sako 300 Win - not this guy I bought for something a bit more speedy to the shoulder when hunting whitetails in the Green Mountains and other points Northeast. I may use it for high alpine hunting in Wyoming and California but will have to sneak closer or take the risk with a prone shot. Beleive me, if the deer is big enough, I'll gladly take the bloody eyebrow to connect - just popping for another scope right now was not in the cards before the end of the quarter.

RE: Scope, Cabelas, Ziess or VIII
 

Listen it's your gun and your money I am just pointing out other options available that you may or may not consider down the road.