Rifle Scopes Best $1,000 scope ???? What say the Hide???

Girlie men fear Vortex Razor II.
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for long range shooting and hunting. Please, no Vortex. Needs to be "fairly" lightweight (<27oz.)

A lot of folks (me included) like the Brownell's 5-25x56 but I think it's heavier than you like. Japanese made and a great warranty though. Lots of options at the $1,000 mark.
 
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That a great deal for vets. I bought mine almost a year ago new for $1250. ive seen them used for $1100

Might not be exactly what you're looking for. Bushnell has the Elite Tactical DMR 2 Pro 3.5-21x50 at $1,559....BUT if you're a veteran, the price is discounted $650!!! I just bought it yesterday (directly from Bushnell) and price was $949.99!
 
For a scope that does everything well, I'd recommend the Athlon Ares ETR 4.5-30X56 34mm tube. It does go slightly over the $1,000 and weight range but has decent glass, 32 mils of elevation, an illuminated Christmas tree reticle, zero stop, locking windage turret, and has been shown in many samples to track perfectly. It's also backed by a no BS guarantee/warranty. I know there's some that don't like Athlon but in the case of the Ares ETR and the flagship Cronos BTR I can't say that I understand why. They are rugged scopes that just plain work.
Just got the Anthlon Cronos. Took to range yesterday. Best scope I ever bought. Although $1399 is a stiff hit. In the long run, I'll be glad I did.
 
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Here is an example of most likely my novice eye for glass or maybe it's the fact I'm not a glass whore. You decide, but keep in mind that I own both.

Athlon Optics Ares ETR $1,199.99
View attachment 7463488

Leupold Mk5 HD 5-25X56 H59 reticle $2,500
View attachment 7463489

Between my two samples of each I can tell very little difference in optical quality. Like most everyone else that has experience with the Athlon Ares ETR, I'm amazed Athlon was able to get such a quality scope out of China at the price point Athlon sells it at.
My understanding is the Ares ETR has a lot of the same components of the Cronus but assembly takes place in China instead of Japan.
 
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The two share similar qualities for sure. I think one of the the biggest differences between them is the Cronos is made in Japan and the Ares is made in China. The strange thing about the Ares is to my knowledge its glass is also made in China.
I have both the Ares ETR and the Cronus BTR. The Cronus is better in small ways IMHO. There is a little more leeway in the eye relief to get a clear picture. The Turrets are both good, but different. The Ares is more audible, the Cronus smoother. On my Ares the tick marks on the turret are a tiny bit off of exactly lining up. Not enough to be a problem, just ever so slightly off. The zero stop works the same on both. I bought the Ares first and then the Cronus. I am happy with both purchases.
 
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Athlon Ares ETR without a doubt, they have ED glass and they track incredibly well. VERY hard to beat this scope for its price.
Agree. ETR is an awesome scope for the price. I own 2 Razors and a Mark 5 and ETR isn't a slouch at it's price point. As stated above if I had one small complaint it would be the lines on both turrets not lining up perfectly. Great scope and I don't regret my purchase one bit.
 
I just purchased on sale from Doug an Athlon ARES BTR gen2 4.5-27X50 for $800.
Ticked all the boxes on my wish list.
27.3oz
Mounted and shot yesterday on a Ruger 10/22 Custom Shop.
Very nice scope.
Only change I would make is the turret adjustments are very sensitive, the clicks are very tactile, not mushy but a heavy hand will get mulitple clicks until you adjust to it.
 
The Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 is the best scope I have under $1000. But if light weight matters, the Leupold Mark 5 HD is pretty light, and might be possible to find under $1000 used.
 
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for long range shooting and hunting. Please, no Vortex. Needs to be "fairly" lightweight (<27oz.)
You mean like a Vortex Viper PST Gen II 3-15x44 mrad, FFP, with illumination. 28 oz. Under $1k.

Does me just fine at matches, and in the desert out to 1500. Haven't taken it hunting, but I'm sure if I can do 2 MOA steel at any given distance, I'm sure it will place a bullet into an animal at the same distances.