dbuck,
Wow, I was thinking about purchasing the same two scopes. I finally got the 3x-9x-40mm from Jon. The reason is that, although the extra 4mm is nice, and the extra 1x power magnification is welcome, it really isn't worth the extra money, in my opinion. Now, if you were talking about a much higher power range, like 4x-16x and much bigger objectives, like 50mm, then the extra money, again in my opinion, is worth it.
Now, people will tell you that, in real world hunting, there isn't any difference between a 50mm and 40mm scope. Well, I just don't agree. Maybe it's not a huge difference, but, believe me, I can tell A difference, especially, if not exclusively, during the early morning and late afternoons when it gets dark. Plus, the other added benefit is that eye alignment is better.
Again, we are not talking about 40mm to 50mm, just 40mm to 44mm. And 9x instead of 10x rather than 9x instead of 16x.
No, you won't know the difference. If both scopes were painted all black or concealed with a bag, and you were able to look through them, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference.
That's why I got the 3x-9x-40mm. Now, I did get an Elite 4200 4x-16x-50mm, but the extra power and objective size justified the extra money.
Hope this helps.
Zachary
