stay where you are at [/quote]

http://swfa.com/Leupold-35-10x40-VX-3i-Riflescope-P91600.aspx
I plan on getting this for around $300 shipped and putting it in a DNZ mount.

Just curious. Why are you avoiding a 50mm? Not enough clearance on your gun?

Many folks like smaller objectives. I personally feel some of the bigger scopes make it difficult for proper cheek weld and sight alignment. Good glass and coatings trumps objective size every time.

Frankie, just on the reviews of the BDC versus Nikoplex. Most of the reviewers suggested that the BDC was better at judging further distances because of the line-distance markings in the reticle. The BDC reticle markings interfered with the FOV at distances less than 100 yards.

I find the 50MM scopes to be unsightly. Mainly a preference thing but also they do raise the scope up a good bit usually to get the clearance.

I read once that the human eye can only use the light from a 44mm objective anyway. But I always seem to see better in low light with a 50.

things is most average deer calibers is good sighted in at 200 is dead on hold out to 300 to 350 . saying the bdc is better is just not right . i dont like them , to much junk . you got to find just which dot to use and in a hurry that could cause a problem .

really they are worthless each dot does not represent a 100yards . me i would prefer a range finder just my opinion

Ranging reticles are fairly worthless unless they are in the FFP. IMHO.

Light gathering capability difference between a 50 and 40 is night and day though...literally. To each his own. They'll both kill a deer, so to each his own I guess.

Leupold engineer told me all other things equal, difference from 40mm to 50mm is 1-2% more. Most say yer eyes can't detect that small amount. It's the quality of glass, number of lenses , polish and such that makes a scope.

I don't own any over 40mm, prolly never will.

I've had 40mm scopes that I could kill a deer with if there was a lick of moon light and I've had cheap 50mm scopes that I couldn't see a thing with 10 minutes before dusk. 2dogs has it right.

Wrong. Good glass and coatings trumps objective size every time. I own 50s, 44s, 40s and 32s. Did a test a couple years ago. Took a 50mm Leupold VX3 and a 40mm Conquest. Side by side, both rifles were in sand bags. Started looking through both at various distances and equal power at 5:00 pm. Both remained equally bright and clear within 2 minutes of each other. However I lost the reticle in the VX3 10 minutes before the Conquest. Back to Leupold it went for a heavy duplex. Turned a perfectly good Abolt 280 5/8 moa shooter into a 1.25 moa gun. Long story short, both were about equal in clarity and brightness well beyond "legal shooting light" whatever that is.

Hunted with a guy several years ago. He bragged about his new hubble telescope looking scope and how much "light it gathered". In reality it was an el cheapo Chinese made $75 POS. All I know is that guy was back at camp 15+ minutes before me every evening. BTW, that scope fogged internally and the warranty was worse than the scope.

I got one of the vortex diamondback 4-12x40 (30mm tube) riflescopes and really do not like it. The HP may be a whole lot better than the standard diamondback but I have been quite displeased with my scope, and I am a big fan of vortex optics.

I think legal shooting light is 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise. At least in Ga. & Texas.

Received my scope last week, I ended up going with the Leupold VX3i 3.5-10X40 that I got for $312 shipped.
The mount arrived today and I went with a medium Gamereaper.

Really happy with the setup.
After finals I'll be getting the scope dialed in and zeroed.

looks good