Looking at the Votex Diamondback 3x12 44 vs. Nikon Buckmaster 3x12 40 both have BDC.
What are your thoughts or suggestions pros and cons on each or is there something better at around the $200 mark.

At that mark I'd also look at the Redfield-it gets a lot of good press.

I would go with vortex, over nikon. My last scope was a nikon and it is good and I still use it. But the vortex is better, it tracks perfectly.

Red field is a vx1

Might look at some of those cameraland daily deals

How about looking through both and getting the one that you see through the best. Everyone's eyes are different and if you purchase based on someone's advice there is a very good chance you won't get the best scope for you.

Good advice here. Try to look through them outside.

In low light.

You can't take them out of the store without buying them. What store would you suggest, maybe talk to the store manager - ya right !!!

I have a Nikon Buckmaster and a Vortex Diamondback. The Nikon is hands down better glass. Can't tell in the store, but can tell in the last 20 minutes of legal daylight for sure. I have a couple Nikons and never had an issue with them "tracking"....although if you are going with a bdc reticle, I don't think tracking is a consideration.

Maybe see if the store will let you borrow it for a while. Mount it, send a few rounds down range?

SWFA

Nikon. That is all.

I will walk to the front of the store with a customer and let them look through a scope in low light unless we are totally swamped.

I just picked up a Nikon Buckmaster 4-12x40 and the glass is very good to excellent for the money. Compared to similar Vortex scopes in the same price range I'd vote Nikon.

Going back to my original post, you see better out of the Nikon but the OP could possibly see better out of the Vortex. I too see better out of the Buckmaster than I do out of similarly priced Vortex' but the OP may not. I also see better out of the Burris Fullfield II than any Nikon I've looked through costing considerably more.

You're right, pick the one that works best for you.

It has been said that the scope that seems "brightest" in good light will not necessarily give the best low light performance. I think that's worth pondering.

I think an outfit like Cabela's out to have a place in the store where you can dim the lights and check things out with new optics. I'll bet a lot of buyers would be surprised at what they learn.

Every store has shadow areas, especially in the ceilings, where you can compare the light gathering capability of a scope. The shadows will appear less dark with the better scope.

I think it would be great for us to have one but that is not going to happen. The space would not earn enough revenue to justify itself.

I've been told by many that Vortex makes the best scope jnnthe $600 or less range. Anything higher than $600 they say doesn't compete as well. I'm a poor boy so i cant afford anything over about $400.

I watched Sportsman Guide, Camerland, Academy, Optics Planet all thru the web. Found a Vortex at Acadamy for the same price as on line, no shipping, 4x12 40 under $200.

I personally would take a VX-2 3-9x40 for $299.99 or even better, the Meopro on sale for $349.99 at Cameraland than any Vortex Viper. But only your eyes can tell you what is best for you.

My opinion is that Vortex puts a lot of bells and whistles in their scopes at the expense of glass quality in the Crossfire II, Diamondback and Viper lines. Cannot speak to the Razor scope because I've never looked through one. I do have a Razor mini red dot and like it though. I also believe their binoculars offer excellent value for the money spent.

I just put the Vortex Viper on my Winchester .270. I haven't sighted it in yet but after looking through all the scopes that one I liked the best for my rifle and price point. I hunt at about 100 yards like most typical hunter s and on occasion will elk hunt so it I am not in need of high dollar scopes. My dad won a Winchester 30.06 in a raffle and put a Vortex on it and no took it to the lease and sighted it in. It had the yardage adjustment on it and shot a ram with it up the side of a bluff on hackberry canyon. My buddy had his range finder and it said 186 yards and that scope was dead on.

I'm not saying they won't hold their zero. And in normal light they do fine. It is in low light and very bright sunlight that I find them lacking. I also find their eye relief to be too short for my taste.

Don't forget about the warranties. Vortex customer service and warranty services is amazing! The eyepiece of one of my scopes somehow got bent, sent it in, and received a new scope within a week.