Nikon or Leupold, one better?

[ratkiller]

Which is the better scope for coyote hunting and maybe some deer, Nikon or Leuplod?

Also what kind of warranty do they have.

[bill k]

Leupold is an excellent scope but I prefer the Sightron SII. I feel you get more for your money. I own two 6x24 power scopes and love them both and use them for varmit hunting and long range shooting.
For deer hunting I stick with my 4X12 simmons 44 mag. Excellent buy for a low end scope.
Sightron has a lifetime warrenty not sure of the Simmons.

[HSMITH]

There are some pretty big differences between bottom of the line and top of the line scopes from both companies. In the less than $250 range I would take a Leupold, in the $250-500 range a Nikon, and in the $500 to the sky range a Leupold again.

What is the budget and use intended for the scope you want to buy?

Don't worry about the warranty if you buy good glass, it really isn't necessary and both companies will take care of you if you do have a problem. This may not apply on the budget models, but I don't know that.

I learned a LONG time ago to buy good glass, it just isn't worth it to save a couple hundred bucks. Buy a cheap scope and you WILL have problems sooner or later, not to mention having an inferior scope in the meantime. My rule is the scope should cost at LEAST half of what the rifle did, and the closer you get to the cost of the rifle the closer you will be to the kind of glass a rifle should have.

[ratkiller]

I got a Simmons pro 50 with the range finding reticle for forty dollars used, but great shape .

I will put this on my .22 (night time coon hunting I hope)if it does not work out, or in about 9 months when I have a little more money.

I have a .243, so my main use will be hunting larger varmints like coyotes and cats, but if I get a different rifle later on, I would like to be able to hunt deer with (not that I won't with the .243 but I would want some thing more like a .308)

[FirstFreedom]

The answer depends on what LINE or LINES from said makers you're talking about. Each has several lines with varying quality. It's apples and oranges if you're not comparing similar lines. Having said that, I doubt you'd go wrong with either, though I'd prefer Leupold as a very GENERAL proposition, due to the proven quality of their erector mechanism, glass, and general construction quality.

BTW, Bill, what's a good source to buy Sightron scopes?

[jeffnvegas]

there should be no question. leupold, besides being the best value for your money is AMERICAN not japanese like Sightron. we all need to start keeping our money in AMERICA even if it costs a little more. pretty soon it will be like the steel industry, all moved overseas for so-called cheap (slave) labor. if we don't make scopes and guns and ammo here anymore because it's cheaper somewhere else, what happens when they decide to quit selling over here? it's the same with all of our industries. i don't know about you, but i don't want some communist chinese gov't official deciding whether or not we don't need anymore of anything. we can't all be rip-off CEO's or computer nerds. we need industry to stay here and keep our jobs here!!

[seb5]

I'm going to go against the grain and reccommend the Nikon line. I switched my hunting rifles over several years ago and last year replaced my Loopy tacticals on my 2 serious rifles with Nikon tacticals. Bright. clear, 12X ranging with mildots, 4 X multiplication. I prefer them.

[kelsey]

One more vote for Leupold.

Kelsey
www.luvtohunt.com

[Sodbuster]

Well, I guess Leupold better stop selling Wind River optics and the Rifleman series of scopes. BTW The Nikon Monarch is a nice scope.

[Machinist]

there should be no question. leupold, besides being the best value for your money is AMERICAN not japanese like Sightron. we all need to start keeping our money in AMERICA even if it costs a little more.

Leupold, but because I like the scope better and not where it is made.

I will keep driving Japanese trucks until Chevy, Ford, or Dodge make something as durable and reliable.