hey skeeter,
i personally like my Bushnell FireFly 4200 with a 50mm lens, but i would go for the Zeiss. Heres an Ebay auction with 5 days left for a Zeiss, and it does ship to Canada.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...686253057&rd=1

but hey its yours/his choice. any of the VXIII's are really nice

Here's my point of view. I have been looking for a new scope for about 2 to 3 months. I dont have near as much money as you have, so I ended up buying a Nikon Buckmaster 4-12x50. However, I did look into saving about $400 extra to get the "PREMIER SCOPE BRANDS". I have looked at every scope, their details, and anything you would want to know about them. I found a brand called Doctor Optics. It was once part of the Zeiss corporation, but now is its own dealer. I almost bought one of there scopes. I first saw them at Cabelas.com, and became interested. They sell the ideal scope that (as far as I know is not carried by the Zeiss Conquest) is 3-12x56. Plus, it is not selling for over $1,000. If I read correctly you are using Canadian Currency. I do not know how 1,000 Canadian dollars converts to U.S. Dollars. But the Docter Optics scope I mentioned above cost about $680. It is probably the best deal for a high quality European/German Scope. Also, if you have enough money, you may want to check out the new Leupold's that have come out. It is called the Leupold LPS Series. It states that it gathers 99.5% of the light. THAT IS THE BEST I HAVE SEEN ON THE MARKET! The only problem is that you have to pay alot more. You can probably find it cheaper than Cableas, but I did not waste my time searching. It costs around $990 at Cableas.

GOOD HUNTING

Doctor Optic scope (30 mm tube)

The ziess conquest is made in america.

I am sorry forgot about updated this post, he ended up going with the Zeiss Conquest after much finger rolling. He was pretty set on the Gold but the 30mm tube and weight of the 50mm was enough to sway him to the Zeiss. The VX III was dropped purdy quickly as he felt it wasn't up to snuff and more money than the others. I must say once again I am impressed with the Conquest, the plastic adjustment caps aside it is a fine scope and I am really considering buying me one to keep up with the Jone's now. I guess I'll have to buy another rifle to justify a new scope to the MRS[]

Thanks for all the comments and thoughts!

hey guys
i am also looking for a scope to put on a .22LR
should i buy me a leupold??? or would it be better to take another brand??
thanks
jonathan

The top scopes you listed will all do a great job for you. In the end you get what you pay for most of the time, the question is if that khales, ziess, swarovski ENOUGH better to justify the additional cost. Go to good sports store and look through them all side by side, then decide.