Contemplating a new scope

[NeilM]

I have a heavy FT rifle that will shortly need a light scope, how light I really don't know, but under a kilo.

I recently spent a couple of hours using a Leupold Competition having never used one before, and it is high on my list, as is the as yet unseen and slightly heavier Vortex Golden Eagle.

Now, I know all about importation and what it does to prices, but there is something way off here as a retailer in the US will supply me a Comp at his RRP of $1099, that's £780 at current exchange rates. Where as the nice folk at GMK have an RRP on the very same scope of £1573, which is a few quid short of DOUBLE the American RRP.

On the other hand the Golden Eagle has an RRP $1899 which is £1347 at present ER, and although not quite available yet, the UK RRP looks set at about £1450 which is a pretty reasonable comparison bearing in mind import duty and VAT.

I don't think I need to add anything more.

[Sven]

I have a Leup Comp 40X. And it is a very light scope with excellent glass. I find it's image is much better than the S&B FT-2, the Sightron or the Nikko. The one thing it lacks in my opinion is some kind of a graduated reticle.
For holding off for wind correction I find a graduated reticle (whether dots or hashes) indispensable for the way I do my wind corrections.

If you could get the Leup ordered with a mildot or hash reticle it would be fine. In the past you could send it to Germany for a ret change. But I read somewhere that Harald Ross from the German Leupold service centre has retired. But I also read different stories about the Leupold Custom shop that they do, or do not, install different reticles.

The Vortex has to show it's range finding capacities and temp sensitivity. If you order one now you'd be the guinea pig for the FT world. We all would of course be very grateful to you

[NeilM]

It was more the contrast between a company wishing to sell scopes in the UK (Vortex) and a company that clearly doesn't and will make us pay through the nose if we buy their products.

As far as I can find out, Leupold custom shop will only supply within the US. I could ask GMK (the UK importer) for a customised Comp, but the price would be even higher than the already over inflated price.

[Jon]

Previous Vortex are branded as heavy and narrow field of view, whether this is the same no idea.

Leup Comps no need for ret change just judge by size of kill holding off (old school when there was proper wind.)

[BenGun]

I have an unused Sightron 10-50x60 if your interested £700.
Still in box unused , new March has left the Sightron unused.
Ben.

[NeilM]

That's a good price, but I got a s/h Comp 45 with a No. 27 style reticule a few weeks ago.

I still think Leupold are ripping us off.

[Jon]

Consider these shops are buying at trade price in US at however much.
The only major difference is importation, taxes and shipping etc. That £780 now becomes at least £1050 to buy in. I got stuffed £236 on £800 11 years ago and vat gone up since.

Think have to blame our distributors across the board for being greedy but wouldn't be surprised if our shops retailed same scope for around £1300 discounted and legit splitting £400 ish between distributor and shop, more likely £350 distributor and shop puts £50 on.
Some distributors are just paper punchers any costs inc vat, shipping etc have markup on.

I can tell you the trade price UK on certain items and the RRP being as much as 50% but usually around 25% is allowed.
Bare in mind theres still some companies that infer the illegal trade of price fixing, certainly not distributor above and don't like to see shops selling more than 5% below RRP then refuse to supply. Don't think is bad for slapping £65 on trade price £395 for a 3 minute phone call effectively money for old rope doing nothing, whilst the shops that moan were putting £255 on. Who knows what distributor bought that £395 trade price product in for but suspect of the order £160 to £180.
One distributor in the inferred price fixing wanted to buy a product at £130, RRP £500 and went bust at least twice.

[NeilM]

£780 is what the shops are selling the Competition for in the US, so that's not the trade price, that's what they are retailing for.

Leupold web site set the price at $1400 ish, but all the volume retailers are selling at $1099.

Prices in the UK and elsewhere in Europe are much higher than that, so somebody somewhere is taking the piss.

[BenGun]

All the more reason to buy my Sightron , complete with TWO Jon Harris scope wheels different sizes ,Jon Harris quick focus wheel, and a pair of Tacticle Third Eye Scope mounts.
Bargain or what.
Ben.

[NeilM]

I agree, but I'm not sure Jon will. He has no soft spot for Sightron's.