I shoot a couple of Nightforce scopes at long range. A 8x32x56BR and an 5.5x22x56 NFX. At the October shoot there were 3 guys shooting big Schmidt & Bender scopes. Mine are in the the $1700-$2200 range, pretty much the next real step up is around is around 4 grand give or take $500. At 1000 to 1200Yards a black or cammo target in the weeds and srubs plus the shadows of a tree line, 2 grand scopes pretty much the are minimum and the 4 grand scopes give the compident shooter an advantage. The companies selling scopes are the ones charging MSRP on high end scopes and discounting the lower end scopes, I have friends who do group purchases and get about 1/3 off the big dollar stuff. The Russian and German snipers at Stalingrad (as seen in "Enemy at the Gates") were only shooting 80 to 150 Meters. In Vietnam, Carlos Hethcock was normally shooting 400-800 yards. In the current war, snipers are needing 800 yards all the time and are engageing the enemy at as far as 2200yards (with the bigger guns). It takes better scopes at those distances! By the way, I have a 1956 Bushnell 3x9x32 on a deer rifle. The quality of the glass from the 50's is surprisingly good, but they make $40 scopes of that quality anymore. I have a Unirtel 15x Varmint (2" glass, 1" tube) from late 60's or early 70's, this is the same family of scope used by Hethcock for his famous 2500 yard shot (he used 20x) these are in the $800 range in good condition now. They are great scopes, but don't hold a candel to the modern long range scopes. When top of the line, after improvments for several genorations, cost $$$; the next genoration is going to cost alot more & the improvment won't be that big. Sorry to say it but, first class costs, and sad to say won't be the first class for long. It costs alot to keep up with the Jones, it is impossible to keep upwith Uncle Sam(he print his own money). Ivan