New Rifle Scope

[DanD]

Hi All,

 

I am in the market for a new scope for my browning x-bolt 30-06. I had an older Nikon ProStaff on it that I wasn't the biggest fan of. I was looking at upgrading to Leupold VX-2 or VX-3 depending on how many of my saved Cabela's points I want to blow. Can anyone offer any feedback/ suggestions on the differences of these scopes? I would be looking at getting a 3-9x40 as most of my shots are within 200 yards. I am also open to suggestion on other brands/models.

 

Thanks!

[thphtm]

I have 2 Leupold scopes one VX -3 2-8x 33 and one 3-9 x 40 both are clear but I would go for the 3-9 x 40 . I am pretty sure Redfields are made by Leupold now and sold as there cheaper line .

[ApexerER]

I was going to say Nikon Prostaff but you post pretty much eliminates that....I love mine....

[Buckmaster7600]

Can't go wrong with a leupold. The II OR III's are both excellent scopes.

[wildcat junkie]

Leupold has the Best warranty service in the industry. I have had 1 occasion to send in a Leupold scope with a loose retitcle thta was probably damaged when I shot rifled slugs through a .660 turkey choke. It was repaired and returned in 7 days. Add the fact that aside from the glass itself, Leupold VX scopes are American made.

 

The VX-2 is now the same quality optics as the previous VX-III, just not as many bells & whistles.

 

A 3-9 X 40 VX-2 would be all the scope you would ever need IMO.

Edited December 30, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[MACHINIST]

Look at Vortex,I am a leopold guy but my Vortex Crossfire is just as good as my VX1,their warranty is every bit as good as a leopold and a bit cheaper.Past that either one will fit the bill

[mlammerhirt]

My dad has his x bolt topped with a Redfield....loves the glass and the quality. He has dropped two nice doe with it the last two seasons... This year I believe he dusted his doe at around 108 yards.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[wildcat junkie]

Look at Vortex,I am a leopold guy but my Vortex Crossfire is just as good as my VX1,their warranty is every bit as good as a leopold and a bit cheaper.Past that either one will fit the bill

 

I had a chance to help someone with a Vortex "Diamondback" at the range a while back & I was not impressed with the feel of the adjustments. The street price is about the same as a VX-1.

 

That being said, I doubt that Vortex would be as short in lead time for warranty work as Leupold & even if it was equal, I think an American made product would trump a Chinese made  one.

 

Only the high end Vortex are made in the USA.

[mlammerhirt]

Bought a pair of vortex binos from Cabelas on clearance a few years back...first time I used them in my winter 3d archery league the eye piece cracked off...cabelas said n they didn't have anymore in stock so they would refund my money

..called vortex, had a shipping label emailed to me and had them back within the week. Outstanding customer service Imo.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[Water Rat]

How about Meopta ?

[shawnhu]

I had a chance to help someone with a Vortex "Diamondback" at the range a while back & I was not impressed with the feel of the adjustments. The street price is about the same as a VX-1.

That being said, I doubt that Vortex would be as short in lead time for warranty work as Leupold & even if it was equal, I think an American made product would trump a Chinese made one.

Only the high end Vortex are made in the USA.

I wouldn't call them made in USA, more like assembled in USA. Parts are still sourced from China, specifically the "glass".

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

[wildcat junkie]

I wouldn't call them made in USA, more like assembled in USA. Parts are still sourced from China, specifically the "glass".

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

 

"Glass" hasn't been made in this country for years. The Germans/Austrians & Japanese are the masters of optical glass & have been for some time.

 

I would bet that Leupold uses Japanese glass. Japan is in Asia too.

 

I have a moderately priced Kales "American" series scope made in Austria. Ghe low light performance is superb. I also like the high end Nikons too.

 

Kales is the oldest continually operating optics manufacturer in the world, since 1898. Karl Kales was killed during an air raid in WW II when the plant, that was manufacturing optics for the German war effort, was bombed.

Edited December 31, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[MACHINIST]

Bought a pair of vortex binos from Cabelas on clearance a few years back...first time I used them in my winter 3d archery league the eye piece cracked off...cabelas said n they didn't have anymore in stock so they would refund my money

..called vortex, had a shipping label emailed to me and had them back within the week. Outstanding customer service Imo.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

This mirrors what I have heard about their service,fast and no hassles

[wildcat junkie]

Bought a pair of vortex binos from Cabelas on clearance a few years back...first time I used them in my winter 3d archery league the eye piece cracked off...cabelas said n they didn't have anymore in stock so they would refund my money

..called vortex, had a shipping label emailed to me and had them back within the week. Outstanding customer service Imo.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

 

This mirrors what I have heard about their service,fast and no hassles

 

But the fact remains that they have no better service than Leupold & from what I have seen the quality of the Diamondback is not up to a similarly priced Leupold. So why support a 100% Chinese made products that is the same price?

 

I wouldn't call them made in USA, more like assembled in USA. Parts are still sourced from China, specifically the "glass".

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

 

 

America’s Optics Authority

Leupold & Stevens is a fifth generation, family owned company that has been in business for 108 years and employs over 650 American workers. All Leupold Golden Ring® Riflescopes are designed, machined, assembled, and tested in Leupold’s state of the art manufacturing facility in Beaverton, Oregon, USA. Leupold uses over one million pounds of aluminum, amounting to over 100 miles of extrusion, in its facility every year and has the largest installation of Index Turning Centers West of the Mississippi River. The current average tenure of Leupold’s all-American workforce is approximately eleven years, with the longest tenured employees being on staff for over four decades.

Leupold & Stevens pioneered such ubiquitous technologies as waterproof scopes, side focus parallax adjustment, compact riflescopes, and the Duplex® reticle. Each Leupold Golden Ring Riflescope model, from the least expensive Rifleman® to the industry leading VX-6 must pass Leupold’s uniquely punishing durability testing, which no other competitive scope brand or model has ever consistently passed, regardless of price or country of origin. Leupold’s Golden Ring Lifetime Guarantee is the standard by which all other customer service agreements in the sports optics industry are judged, and is the industry leader today, after over 60 years in use.

Leupold uses foreign sourced components for some parts of Golden Ring products, primarily lenses. This is because at this time, there is no American manufacturer that can supply the quantity of high quality lenses that Leupold needs for its annual Golden Ring Optics production. Leupold’s lens systems are designed at Leupold, by American optical engineers, in its state-of -the-art optics lab and then procured from outside vendors who must meet stringent quality standards.

Incoming parts are carefully inspected in our testing facility before they are accepted into the assembly process. Incidentally, all major optics producers worldwide acquire some or all of their glass from the same sources as Leupold. Some of these sources are located domestically, some are European, and some are Asian. Leupold has acquired its lenses this way for over 50 years.

As Frederick Leupold said: The Customer is entitled to a square deal. These are the words Leupold has lived by for over a century and continues to live by today.

Edited December 31, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Jaeger]

If you can afford it and dont mind 30mm tubes, the Leupold VX-6 1-6x is the best scope I have for under 200 yards.

 

It's true open eye 1x at the low end and 6x (more than I need, except for sighting in and load development) at the upper end.

 

And I've got higher power Swarovski's and Schmidt & Benders on other guns.

 

The 30mm tube really ups the brightness over 1" tubes in the woods, say compared to my leupold 1-4, 1" scope.

 

Just my opinion.

[peepsight]

How about Meopta ?

 

Meopta is very highly rated. Their origin is in the Czech Republic and they have a facility on Long Island. I have relatives in Europe that swear by this brand. Over there they hunt boar at night. I've had the opportunity to tag along and use these scopes at night. The light gather capability is outstanding. I believe they make, or have made optics for Cabelas ..... a bit pricey though

 

http://www.meopta.com

[132 eight pointer]

Very interesting history of Leupold info there. A million lbs. of aluminum used a year and long standing employment of Americans. I think I will look at Leupold the next time I need a scope.

[wildcat junkie]

Meopta is very highly rated. Their origin is in the Czech Republic and they have a facility on Long Island. I have relatives in Europe that swear by this brand. Over there they hunt boar at night. I've had the opportunity to tag along and use these scopes at night. The light gather capability is outstanding. I believe they make, or have made optics for Cabelas ..... a bit pricey though

 

http://www.meopta.com

There is no such thing as "light gathering" in a scope. What you are seeing in high quality optics is the elimination of reflectance in the surface of the lenses. There are at least 8 lens surfaces. High tech coatings on these surfaces increase light transmittance. Also, an objective lens that is larger than 5 times in mm than the magnification is a waste. The diameter of the objective lens divided by the magnification is the "exit pupil" diameter. The human eye can not admit more light than what is transmitted through a 5mm exit pupil.

 

All that being said, there are no such things as "legal shooting hours" in Europe I've been told.

 

My Kales will pick out spike horns at 250 yds in the woods (long shooting lanes) WAY beyond legal shooting hours here in NY. Why anyone would waste $$$ on lighted reticles is beyond me.

 

Hard to beat European glass for optical quality.

 

Even Leupold has German heritage.

 

Edited December 31, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[wildcat junkie]

Very interesting history of Leupold info there. A million lbs. of aluminum used a year and long standing employment of Americans. I think I will look at Leupold the next time I need a scope.

 

It is hard to beat the capabilities, value & quality of the Leupold VX-2 for 99% of American hunters.

 

The VX-2 is 2 generations of improvements over the old Vari-X II & the same optical quality of the previous generation VX-III.

 

There are 3 generations, each having improvements over the previous.

 

Vari-X II (became the VX-I)

VX-II (click adjustments added, improved optical coatings)

VX-2 (even more improved optical coatings of the previous generation VX-III)

 

[moog5050]

eurooptics had some of the zeiss conquest 3x9 for $300 - great scope and more than $200 off since they came out with the new line.

[wildcat junkie]

eurooptics had some of the zeiss conquest 3x9 for $300 - great scope and more than $200 off since they came out with the new line.

 

Great price on a quality piece of optics but I think that are a bit heavy..

 

Also be careful when buying European glass as many have the reticle in the 2nd focal plane which means that the reticle gets smaller/finer as magnification is increased.

 

[moog5050]

wildcat, my understanding is that its scopes with FFP where the reticle size changes with magnification, which is preferred by many Europeans.  SFP reticles remain constant. 

 

In any event, both my Zeiss conquest and HD-5 are really made for American hunters and the reticle remains constant.  They do tend to be a bit heavier but that doesn't bother me much. 

 

I have some fixed 4x Leupolds that are great for the price.  I never purchased a higher end leupold but did have a VX-I which I did not like because the mag adjustment was very stiff.  Maybe that's not true of the higher end models.

[peepsight]

There is no such thing as "light gathering" in a scope. What you are seeing in high quality optics is the elimination of reflectance in the surface of the lenses. There are at least 8 lens surfaces. High tech coatings on these surfaces increase light transmittance. Also, an objective lens that is larger than 5 times in mm than the magnification is a waste. The diameter of the objective lens divided by the magnification is the "exit pupil" diameter. The human eye can not admit more light than what is transmitted through a 5mm exit pupil.

 

All that being said, there are no such things as "legal shooting hours" in Europe I've been told.

 

My Kales will pick out spike horns at 250 yds in the woods (long shooting lanes) WAY beyond legal shooting hours here in NY. Why anyone would waste $$$ on lighted reticles is beyond me.

 

Hard to beat European glass for optical quality.

 

Even Leupold has German heritage.

 

 

Guess I used the wrong terminology. Probably should have said " low light capability" . Anyway ..... The Meopta sure worked good in the dark.

 

[wildcat junkie]

Guess I used the wrong terminology. Probably should have said " low light capability" . Anyway ..... The Meopta sure worked good in the dark.

 

 

Sorry, didn't mean to sound condescending.  When I see a 3-9 scope with a 50mm objective lens & the proud owner claims that it "gathers more light" than a standard 40mm or 42mm OL it just raises my hackles.

 

In reality, if the optics are of equal quality, the 42mm is very near the optimum size for 9X magnification. The difference in low light capability of the optimal 45mm O L won't be enough for the average hunter to tell. The 50mm O L is just added size & weight that has no benefit whatsoever @ 9 x power. Big O Ls won't compensate for poor quality optics.

 

And yes, European optics usually have excellent "low light capabilities". A friend of mine bought a used M760 with a cheap 3-9 Bushnell on top. We were leaving the woods perhaps 30 minutes after sundown. there was a good bit of snow cover. As we walked out along a horse trail, my friend asked to see my Mauser that had the 3-9 x 42 Kales mounted. After looking through my scope, then his he remarked. "My scope is just as good as yours, I can see that stump just as well with mine as yours."

 

I had a look at the same stump through his scope, then mine. I had him look at the stump through my Kales again & asked, "Do you see all of those small twigs around the base of that stump?"

 

"Yes" He replied.

 

"Now look at it through yours, can you still see those twigs now?"

Edited December 31, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Dinsdale]

eurooptics had some of the zeiss conquest 3x9 for $300 - great scope and more than $200 off since they came out with the new line.

 

Alex finally opened a proper showroom too!

 

Thank god I don't live any closer, I spend enough there as it is now!

 

I think that scope is around 15 oz's or so; he still has them, just bought one a few weeks ago for a stand rifle where a few ounces doesn't make a difference anyway.

 

Wish they still made the 1.8-5.5x38.