In particular I'm looking at the discontinued 4.5-14x 44mm. What are its strengths and weaknesses for a 7mm Rem Mag that likely will not get hunted often but could potentially go on a once in a lifetime trip.
I am now braced for impact... Tell me what you have experienced.
The only Zeiss I've had to send in for repairs. The glass is pretty good, on par with the newer Conquest V4. The bass ackwards turrets I can live with, but the standard turrets are not numbered. So there is no reference for dialing purposes. So, for me, it's a "set and forget" scope. No real useable reticles, to offset that, like a longrange ballistic plex reticle for example. That would be a plus, if they had it, but no dice. The scope is also long, but it's still fairly lightweight. It's not a horrible scope, but it is highly dated. Similar to a Bushnell elite 4200. Great scopes, but are outdated, and limited in its use. Most times they are pretty robust scopes, but not my first pick. The older Zeiss Conquest models hold their value pretty well. The 3-9x40's often sell for around $400. The 3.5-10x44 around $450.00, and the 4.5-14x44 around $5-$600.00.
