Optics-Best Scope for late evening/early morning?

[Minnesota1]

I am looking for the best scope for deer hunting for the late evening/early morning hunting.  I looked through someones scope and I could make out the animals just fine when with mine I could not make out if they were shooters or not.  I prefer not to dole out $1,200 for a Swarovski(bad spelling) but if that is what it takes I'd do it but if Leupold, Nikon, Zeiss or another?  Please give me your opinion and results and which model you would recommend. 

If you have a place to buy them I'd like that info if available.

Thanks.

[Dave in WV]

You don't state what scope you have now, the rifle you have, or the ranges you normally encounter.  I'd say you need a good binocular also. Binoculars are for looking and the scope is for shooting.  I don't know where you're hunting or the legal hours so I'll base my post like it's here, 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. A Leupold 6x42mm with the heavy duplex should work. I have a Leupold VX- III 3x9x40mm with the post & duplex reticle (from the custom shop) I'm pleased with.  I also have a Nikon Monarch 2x7 scope. It's bright but the reticle is not as thick as the two Leupold models I listed. Many folks seem pleased with the Zeiss Conquest scopes but I have no experience with them. Zachary, the moderator for this forum , has a Bushnell 3200 Elite 1.5x4.5x32mm scope on a rifle he hog hunts with in dim light and he seems pleased with it. 

[Freezer]

    Too much information missing but in general the larger the front bell the more light the scope can gather. If you have the cash look at the Leupold VX V, the scope with the concaved bell that permits the large bell to be set on low rings. 
    That said I'm with Minn1.  Start with good binoculars.  I'm not saying you'ld do this but I've seen too many hunters using their rifle to spot game and I don't like a rifle being pointed in my direction.

[Graybeard]

Scopes don't GATHER light they transmit it. How well they do that is based far more on the quality of the glass and coatings than how big the objective is. Get a quality scope with a 40mm or so objective and you'll be able to see all you need during legal shooting hours.

As already mentioned binoculars are for looking and scopes for shooting.

[ipyrek]

Try the Mueller SportDot. It has an Illuminated Reticle dot, it has 11 brightness intensity settings. I have two of them, work great.

[Freezer]

    Graybeard I consede to your the symantics.  That said why did Leupold develope a scope to mimic the barrel contour?  Do they transmit light better with the larger bell or just provide a bigger bell with low rings?

[Drilling Man]

  I think you better look at the Zeiss Conquest line, for me, it was a step UP from MY Leupolds, and the other Leupolds i looked through, in low light levels.  You will have to spend a HUGE amount of money, to get anything better than the Conquest...

  DM

[Graybeard]

    Graybeard I consede to your the symantics.  That said why did Leupold develope a scope to mimic the barrel contour?  Do they transmit light better with the larger bell or just provide a bigger bell with low rings?

Nope they are just playing to the crowd who wants a honking HUGE objective as fed by magazine writers telling folks that's what they gonna have. In fact I'd not take one of those if it was free. Objectives should be ROUND. Eye pieces can look like a TV screen but objectives shouldn't.