Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics SCOPE CHOICE

Men, I am sold on Leupolds so my question will pertain to them.

I have a Weatherby Mark V in .257 Wby. and I am down to a coin toss between a VX3 4.5 X 14 or Vx2 6 X 18 either having CDS turrets. I would like the opinion of Western antelope and deer hunters on the best fit.

I hunted the west three times with a 3.5 X 10 and now am looking the right scope for the longer shots.
Is the 14 enough power on the top end?
Thanks

I had a VX-2 6-18. Not an optically impressive scope. You know better than I how many X's of magnification you prefer so I won't go there, but I'd be all over the 4.5-14 over the 6-18, if those were the only choices.

I've only looked through an old 6-18x, can remember if it was a Vari-X II or what, so no help there. But if I was buying another 4.5-14x VX3, I'd make sure I got the 30mm tube (side focus) model.

A VX3 with side focus would be the last thing I'd have on a hunting rifle. Particularly with a .257 Roy, I don't see where you need any of that for long range game shooting.
If a 4.5-14X40 turns your crank, I'd get the standard VX3 w/o the AO or the side focus. If you are concerned about parallax at the higher magnifications and longer ranges, have Leupold reset the parallax for 400 yds. E

Does Leupold even make the 4.5-14x40 with out either an AO or a turret to remove parallax?

Yeah, they do. I've been eyeing one of them to put on a 6.5-06 I'm having made.

The 6-18 I had was hazy and lacked depth and was not good in low light. The gentleman I sold it to was putting it on a PD rifle- where it was probably wonderful- but it would be way down the list of scopes I'd put on a big game rifle.

The three longest shots that I can recall making ( 285 paced, 300 estimated across a narrow canyon, and just over 500 paces) were made with a 4X Weaver, 2.5 Weaver, and a 4X Zeiss, in that order. This was not planned, it just was what I had on that day. I do not see the need for a Hubble to see as far as game can be taken.

Having said that, I admit to having five Leupold 3.5-10x40s, all AO except one. IMO, they are at the upper limit for size on a hunter. The 4.5-14 is essentially the same scope body (or really close).

The 3.5-10 (see SWFA) and the 4.5-14 are both available with or w/o AO. I like the AO better than SF.

My only Wby .257 (light sporter w/24" #1 bbl) was scoped with a 2-7 Leupold and it worked fine the season that I hunted that one. This was during my gun of the week/month period, and really good accuracy was not there, so it went that way. jack

I hunt blacktail and pig, and have found 3-9X to be adequate. I might go as high as 12X for a long range rifle (500 yds is long range for me), but that is the limit. The reason is glare. In my testing of glare performance, I've found that glare at all magnifications gets worse as the upper mag limit goes up. That is, glare at 10X would be worse for a 6-18X than for a 2.5-10X.

There are lots of good choices in 2.5-10X50 scopes. Just say'in.

My boy named Roy wears a 3x10 swarovski. Can't see where I need more scope out to 600 or so. I think a 3.5x10 vx3 or 4.5x14 would be plenty...........YMMV

As opposed to some of the folks on this forum, I think a Leupold 4.5 X 14 X 40 LR scope is about perfect for a .257 Weatherby.

I have looked in the one inch version of the 4.5 X 14 Leupold without any AO and I would not have one on a gift!

The 4.5 X 14 Leupold one inch scope with an AO is a great scope but not near as good as the 30mm LR version. I have several of each, believe me.

I once thought the one inch 3.5 X 10 VX III was just about as good as it gets till I spent some time behind the 4.5 X 14 X 40 LR scope. I sold all my 3.5 X 10 scopes. The difference in clarity and the sharpness and the way the reticle stands out is amazing.

I now own six of the 4.5 X 14 LR scopes and would not trade them for much of anything I have looked through. Oh, maybe a Swarovski, but good chance of that happening.

Don't get me wrong, I still have some lower powered Leupolds on guns that don't need the power. I currently have Leupold 2.5 X 8 scopes on a 7-08, a 338 Win Mag, and a .375 H%H and have no plans to replace them.

The problem of the 4.5-14X LR scopes is that, due to their side focus/parallax adjustment, they have a much shorter depth of focus. Since big game animals tend to show up at ranges that can't be planned in advance and sometimes don't give you plenty of time to fiddle with your scope's various adjustments, simplier is better.
Properly focused, there is no significant difference in image clairty between the VX3 w/o an AO and the LR version. Properly focused meaning focusing the reticle and the image using the scope's ocular. E

Eremicus,

I use your system for focusing.

The problem with "properly focused" is most folks can't do it as well as you can; maybe I'm one of 'em. Therefore they have to go with what looks good to them the way they use their scopes.

ALL of my rifle have scopes with A.O. or S.F. NEVER have I had a problem in the field by setting the distance to about 150 and leaving it. When there is lots of time I can play with my scope's adjustments; both objective and magnification. Otherwise put the sight on the game and fire.

Thanks to all real world replies. I am leaning toward the 4.5 X 14. Has anyone tried one of the new 4 x 12 VX 2's? I have older versions of all mentioned but this is my first new Leupold in a decade.

the only problem with talking with the folks on here is that they are all scope yuppies, no offense to anyone, however very few who frequent this forum would admit to having a vx-ii, because they are optically inferioir to a vx-iii. having said that, go to a local sporting goods store and look through the vx-ii and the vx-iii, if you do not see that much difference buy the vx-ii, still a great scope and about $250-300 less money. the scope yuppies on here, do however have more knowledge than any forum i have ever been on. a vx-ii to a vx-iii is like riding a moped to the guys onhere, it will get you to work......you just do not want your friends to see you riding it.

I'm very definitely a scope-SNOB.

I have a loopy 3-9x40 vx-ii that I leaned up in the corner of my reloading bench. I practice looking down my nose at it and trying to make a face like I'm smelling dirty socks! LMAO!!

i hunt out west because i live out here

i've shot prairie dogs, antelope, whitetails, mulies, and elk with a 4-12 leupold vx1

now my 25 06 winchester wears a nightforce 3-15 and i'll be using it to hunt big game with

i've got a swarovski 4-12 on a 204 ar i prairie dog hunt with and have made rock shots out to 500 yards

anyway i'm leaning on getting in the future the vx3 you're considering to put on a 243

with a 20 moa base and target turrets 1000 yard shots should be possible

at the local range i've shot a tweeked vx3 that john burns of greybull precision builds and made rock shots out to 800 yards with a 243

so to answer your question 14 power on the top end is enough power in my opinion for long western shots on big game

magnumdood, that made me laugh!

very funny

lol