Opinions Wanted conquest 3x9 or buckmaster 4-16

[RangerEd]

Hi everyone,

I would like your input please. Here is the situation. Hunted plenty in my life in S. Texas (i.e. no need for long shots). Have a some strange personal need to shoot really far. Been borrowing a rifle for a while now. Im putting together my first semi custom (Rem 700 Varmint in .308).

I will use this for hunting White tail Deer, hogs and varmits and will begin training myself on long range. I am on a budget. Want to limit my scope to $400. I have narrowed my choices to two scopes:

Ziess Conquest 3-9x40
Price: On sale at Cabellas for $399
Pros: I would feel I have good optics in my buget. Enough zoom for now for our hunting lease and as I walk myself up to longer and longer shots.
Cons: Lowered power, no target turrets to easily set elevation/windage, no side focus/parallax

Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x40 Target turrets, side focus/parallax
Price: $359 pretty much anywhere
Pros: Target turrets side focus/parallax in my budget more zoom
Cons: I would feel I had a mediocre optics and I could have done better


Either way I went I would probably be upgrading in a few years.

What are your opinions on these choices? I know there are other choices in optics out there I just don't have a good feeling about them. I don't have a way to actually look at the other scopes.
I know some recommend Bushnell 3200 and 4200 , but, I have seen too many bushnells go crappy.

 

[Tikkamike]

Zeiss all the way you will never look back. the low power of 9 will never bother you either, you may want more later but 9 power is plenty in reality

 

[FEENIX]

Another vote for the Zeiss. Good luck!

 

[WYcoyote]

Zeiss, no question.
Not even close.
No upgrade required.

 

[dwm]

Deleted ...

 

[britz]

It is almost like asking if you should buy a ford ranger or a ford mustang. The Zeiss is by far a better scope in quality, but it has less power range. I would get the zeiss and not look back.
The adjustments are much better on the zeiss, the warranty is better, the optics are better, brings in more light, the only thing the buckmaster has to offer over the zeiss is the power level. If you are primarily taking longer shots, I'd advice differently to go w/ the target turrets, if you are primarily going for closer shots but want the ability to take a long poke, you should be able to do so w/ the 3-9. Have you checked into getting turrets for the zeiss? or you could get the rapid z 600 and that would be a very good match for your 308.

food for thought...