Why do all you great white hunters need to shoot your deer after dark ?
Some of us aren't even concerned with deer. Here in TX, one can shoot hogs around the clock. And most hogs are quite nocturnal, particularly during the 11 months of summer we seem to have here. I am disabled and have a number of medical issues that prevent me from getting out and hunting, so my shot opportunities are a mere fraction of what they once were -- and I'm relegated to sniping creatures from a shooting rest near the house. So I want good glass to make the most of my rare chances to bag something. Thus, good glass -- glass with the ability to resolve fine detail under the worst of conditions while still transmitting ample light to produce a usable image -- is mandatory, as is a reticle with a small illuminated dot that adjusts dimly and doesn't affect one's vision in diffused moonlight.
For deer in daylight to 30 minutes after sundown, it is no secret that a Leupold VX-2 would serve one admirably, and a VX-3/VX-3i or a Zeiss Conquest would be even better. But in the type of lighting I encounter, I can assure you that a VX-2 in diffused moonlight -- from a ground-level view -- will not allow you to make heads or tails of a black hog at 150 yards, the closest I could ever hope for a shot (I can't get closer). Intermediate quality scopes like the Conquest DL (and earlier Duralyt) 3-12x50 with #60 reticle are amply bright but make target definition a bit of a challenge when conditions aren't the best. It's when you get to the quality level of the Leica ERi, Kahles CSX, Victory HT and SB Polar that the game changes a bit, although the advantages they offer are indeed small and only notable to those willing to spend hours behind them to compare and contrast with others. (And for anyone who thinks alpha glass is a miracle worker and turns night into day, you'd better save your $$ as you'll be highly disappointed).
Whether it's worth it or not is up to the individual. For me, it is, even though I had to sell off a number of my guns to upgrade. And the benefit of that nice glass doesn't have to be relegated to hogs in near-darkness, either. I've also picked off predators under conditions in which lesser scopes would have left me without a shot opportunity (I refuse to take an iffy shot). The better resolving power of alpha glass will also allow one to discern detail such as muscles, ribs, etc. on a deer at last light and to know if an animal is perfectly broadside or slightly quartering, etc.
Lastly, there is no perfect scope. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and we all have our own perceptions of what's most important to ourselves.
