Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Vintage Redfield

Have a Rem. 721 300 H&H and I want a scope of the same era. How good are the Denver made Redfields ? Looking at a 3x9x40 for $200 shipped. Looks pretty good. However hard to tell in Pics ?

While they are good scopes, I'd be damned hard pressed to spend that much on a Redfield when a Leupold of similar vintage that can still be repaired by Leupold could be had in the same price range.

I have an older Luepold with the old friction adjustments (no clicks) do you think that will hold up? It is very clear had it on a M77 6mm for years.

I think that Denver Redfields were excellent scopes, I have been using them since the early 1970s and still have several in service. I don't know when Redfield introduced their first variables scopes, but it might have been after the Remington 721 was discontinued in 1962.

I have an old Leupold 3-9x40, SN 889xx, that has been in service for years without a problem. I did send it in to be cleaned in the early 1990s, but only because it has some "stuff" floating around inside.

I have a 2 3/4x post and crosshair on my 400 Whelen. It has been holding up fine. I got into it really cheap on eBay. Vendor didn't know what he had I guess.

Sure. Send it to Leupold, have them go over it, get it back, mount it, and rock on.

I like the old Redfields but for $200 or less you could get a Redfield Revolution or other scope with better glass.

I am just now retiring an old golden five star which worked for some 30 years plus with out a hitch. Nothing wrong with it I just have better scopes sitting around that need to be put to use.

That's the way to go. I wanted to mount my 1976 M8-4X on my Ruger in 6.5 Swede, but for peace of mind, I sent it to Leupold first, to have them look it over. Got it back 4 weeks later, internal adjusters replaced with new, cleaned and tested. No charge!

NEBHUNTER: That is to much money for a Redfield of that style/vintage.
I would NOT hesitate to use an older Redfield 3x9 for your application but NOT at $200.00.
Take some time and find a similar Redfield in the $125.00 range.
Personally I would look for a Leupold scope from the Remington 721 era.
Leupold scopes started using "letter" prefixes in the serial number to date their year of manufacture.
They started this in 1974 with the letter "E" (which indicated manufacture in 1974 then in 1975 the prefix letter was "F" and on and on).
Look for an older Leupold with no serial number prefix and if you like what you find then be reassured you can get it repaired quickly and at normally no cost! You can not get that service or cost with the older Redfields!
Good luck in your project.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

You see them here on the fire for a 100 dollar bill. They are very good scopes. I had a new Leupold 4.5 x14 and a 4x12 Denver made Redfield on two rifles in my stand. I kept swapping as it got dark, I could see just as well out of the Red as I could with the VX III. I have a half dozen in use, plus a few in the safe on the shelf.