CHRISTMAS TIME IS APPROACHING.  ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MY AR15.  LOOKING AT EITHER A LEUPOLD VII 3x9 FOR 359.00 OR A SPRINGIFIELD ARMORY 4-14 TACTICAL FOR 339.00???   HAS ANYONE HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THESE SCOPES?  I JUST WANT A SCOPE THAT WILL RELIABLY HOLD IT'S SIGHT IN.   I WAS LEANING TOWARDS THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY.  

either should serve you well.

sit down and do a comparison of features.
buy the one that has the most value for YOU.

I presently use a SA 4-14x56 (gen1) on my PSS.
It works! but I may change out later on down the line for something with a mildot reticle.

I've found a 56 obj. more than necessary and it inhibits a lower mounting.  My experience with Springfield scopes is limited to one example, but I've had three Leupolds and currently use my 3.5-10 M3 quite a bit.  Leupold is the best scope for the money IMHO, and they retain value given the warranty and quality should you ever want to trade up.  If there is one thing that you don't want to go cheap with or cut costs, its GLASS.
regards,
Cleophis

Depends... I have a Springfield 10X (56mm obj) on my flat top Bushy and love it.  The height of the scope because of the huge objective can be a drawback.  On the Bushy, it sits at the same height as the A-3 sights (same cheek weld).  On a bolt gun, this scope will sit way high and I think it be very akward from a height standpoint.  Leupold are my favorite scopes on bolt rifles.  EVERY Leupold I have has performed without fail, every time, no exceptions.  I (obviously) like both brands of scopes, but have limited experience with the Springfield brand.  The Springfield is made in Japan, but I don't know who the manufacturer is.  I should add, I really like the features Springfield incorporates in their scopes (ie. the internal bubble level and the adjustment knobs).  
Happy shootin'
Sleepy717

I recently swapped out a Springfield 4-14x40 for the Leupold VX-II 3-9x40 Tactical.

I liked the Springfield, and it did it's job. But there were a couple of things that made my mind. The Springfield is calibrated for a 69gr bullet moving 3000fps. The Range finding still works, but you have to compensate for other rounds. Not hard if you do the math ahead of time, and didn't seem to matter inside 150yds.
The Springfield is a long scope. Truth is, it just looked funny mounted on my RRA 16"varmint.

The Leupold I picked up is the 3-9x40 Tactical, with the Target knobs, and standard Duplex reticle. Cost about $350. The price goes up a bit when the Mil-dot reticle is optioned in.
The Leupold is brighter and clearer than my Springfield was. The magnification is less, but the 3-9 power works very well. Plus, the scope is (I think) about two inches shorter tan the Springfield was. 12" vs. the Sprinfields 14", if I remember right.

My final factor in deciding for the Leupold was the service I have received from them in the past. I once bought a used Leupold, dirt cheap, because of a crack in the lens. Someone had really abused it. I sent it to Leupold, and a couple weeks later, there was a completely refinished scope at my door. I never recorded the numbers from the one I sent in, but it appeared that this may have been a new scope. If not, they did one hell of nice job fixing it. No charge.

I have had more experience with Leupold, vs. the Springfield. So I may be a bit Biased, but the Leupold, for me, is a much better scope. You can see the VX-II 3-9x40 Tactical at the leupold .com Look under the products, then look under Tactical Models. It is the bottom one on the list

I have owned several Leupold scopes and two Springfields.  The 56mm objectives are too bulky for my tastes.  IMHO the Leupolds are better in all regards.  Check out the discussions on some of the sniper web sites.  One sniper school has had several Springfield scopes fall apart during the course.  Leupold's warranty and quality make them the obvious choice for the price.  I no longer have any Springfield scopes and I will not be getting any more.  Watch-Six