Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Leupold scope

I have a scope marked Vari-x-III What can you glass experts tell me about this??
How old is it? How does it compare to the newer versions? Any tidbits are good.

Thanks, Happy Hunting!

The letter in the serial number will tell the build date. Great scope.

Prefix: Suffix:
E = 1974 A = 1993
F = 1975 B = 1994
G = 1976 C = 1995
H = 1977 D = 1996
J = 1978 E = 1997
K =1979 F = 1998
L = 1980 G = 1999
M = 1981 H = 2000
N = 1982 J = 2001
P = 1983 K = 2002
R = 1984 L = 2003
S = 1985 M = 2004
T = 1986 N = 2005
U = 1987 P = 2006
V = 1988 R = 2007
W = 1989 S = 2008
X = 1990 T = 2009
Y = 1991
Z = 1992

K. 1979 thanks. Any other interesting details?

Go to the Leupold.com home page. Scroll to the bottom and click on 'Resources.' On that page, click on 'FAQs.' Lotsa good info on that page, like the year of manufacture info quoted above.

Good scope during the 1980's, and not a bad choice today. While the Varix-III's were the top end scopes 30-40 years ago a new VX-1 selling for $200 is going to have much better glass.

The glass won't WOW you, but it is likely a good scope that will hold zero. I've never seen a deer I couldn't kill with one because I needed better glass. Now if you hunt long distance in very low light, you might benefit from better glass.

That's a single lens coating scope, so in low light it's going to be a bit behind in performance these days.