I've got glass from $35 el-crapo scopes from WalMart that who knows/cares who makes them to Swarovski glass. My hunting guns that get used a lot seem to most consistently get Leupold. Their VX3 line is affordable and adequate for making shots from dark thirty to dark thirty to my eyes. Their turrets are consistent enough to make sighting in easy and hold well enough that I don't really ever need to make changes from year to year, despite always checking zero. The scopes have a great warranty program and if/when my needs change I can ALWAYS sell a well cared for Leupold second hand for at least 70% of a comparable model's retail. There are absolutely higher quality scopes out there. There are absolutely scopes that can get it done for cheaper. However, all things considered I think Leupold VX2's/VX3's in the $350-600 range depending on model/features really offer a pretty strong value for the average hunter's needs at a pricepoint that most people can actually afford to go buy.
Of my 4 favorite hunting scopes of all time, 3 are Leupolds:
- Leupold VX2 3-9x33 EFR for rimfires and air rifles, its even better with a custom shop mil-dot reticle and flip covers
- Leupold VX3 1.75-6x32 for centerfires for up close...its TINY, LIGHT, and has a HUGE field of view on low making those shorter 10-25 yard shots when they sneak up on you and surprise you both quick and easy. Crank it up to 4-6x on longer shots and it can easily help you place bullets out to 400 yards on typical medium game animals. To my eyes, it can gather enough light to get me beyond dark thirty.
- Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 for the same reasons as above but with slightly better light transmission at the higher powers and slightly more magnification that's helpful on mountain guns
- Swarovski Z6 1.7-10x42 - man this scope is phenominal in all regards. It's a little larger and heavier than what I consider ideal but it's optics are among the best available and the power range makes it appropriate to use from 10 yards out to 1000 yards. I'm not aware of a more versatile and high quality hunting optic out there. The only downsides are its a little heavier/bulkier and pretty spendy at $1600.
When looking at this and the pricing though, the average hunter can outfit a .22 with the 3-9 EFR, a centerfire rifle with a VX3, and a muzzleloader with a VX3, put the Alumina flip covers on all of them, and quality rings on all of them for the price of a single Swarovski z6! This is where Leupold's product line really starts to shine as scopes that is pretty darn good and will marginally exceed what most people actually need a hunting grade optic to do. It's kind of hard to argue with good enough is good enough. I will trust a Leupold on my hunting guns all day long. My binoculars are Swarovski because their CL line met my needs/preferences better than anything else I could find and the higher quality glass leads to far less eye strain during extended use. I've had Swarovski scopes in the past but sold them because they didn't help me kill animals any better, although they were absolutely higher quality. Just my opinion.
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Posted: January/04/2018 at 18:07
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