[Scorch]

The TC Icon is a great rifle, but it is basically the same as the TC Venture, which costs about $500 less than the TC Icon. The Weatherby Vanguard is made by Howa, famous for building accurate rifles, and you can buy a Howa for about $400 less than the Weatherby. As far as whichI would recommend, pick one or the other, they are both great rifles.

Seems like discussions about scopes get into personal preferences pretty fast. Some folks want all the gadgets and new stuff, others like the basics because they're simple and reliable. I fit into the second category, but that doesn't mean it's wrong or right. Laser scopes are cool, they are basically a video camera with crosshairs and a laser rangefinder. You are never looking at the animal, you are looking at an image of the animal, meaning that there is a delay between the image that goes in and the image you see. Probably not a big deal, but a potential miss or wounded animal waiting to happen if you shoot at running animals. Also keep in mind that there were reports of image freeze and lock up if you try to pan too fast. And finally, like most battery-operated equipment, cold weather kills batteries, and from what I hear it gets cold up north. So do your homework and make a decision, and see if you choose correctly.