Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Best value 3-9 for under $200...

Thank you for the replies I'm going to take her out to the gunshops and have her look through some different scopes and see what works for her.

^ big time.

VX1 is a good one also.

Best way to do it.

Looking through scopes on a rifle is different though, regarding critical and noncritical eye relief. If buying new, I vote Revolution. If used, Vx-II/2 series for $220-250. Used Leups don't scare me.

Burris FFII, that I got a year ago for $149. Put it on my 7600, great scope for the money.
Redfield Revolution that I have on my .308. Another good deal.

What other scopes have a long forgiving eye relief akin to the Leupold or Red Revo ?

I have never been able to understand the market niche for the Rifleman series, as the small dealer wholesale price is either equal to or within just a couple of dollars of the VX-I/1s and the VX-I/1 is clearly a superior scope. In fact, the VX-1 3-9x40 matte duplex if often priced lower at wholesale than the comparable Rifleman, sort of like selling a Buick for less than the comparable Chevy.

I have a five Rifleman series scopes, all 2-7x33s, that were purchased for around $125 per unit. One of them has been installed on a DPMS Sportical since 2010 and has worked flawlessly.

Burris FF II gets my vote. Been using one for many years.

I recently picked up a bushnell 4200 3-9x40 for $190 shipped off our boards. Tough to beat imo.

I have few nikons and really like them for the money.
I had couple redfields, didn't care for them. Only have one left.
Entry level vortex, over rated, besides warranty.
Burris is my latest purchase and very impressed. $139 from natchez for 3-9x40 C4 with CDS.
I will be switching to CDS over BDC.

Bought a Burris 2-7 FF II with Ballistic Plex last year for a muzzle loader. Nice scope, should have been perfect for that application - had to take it off and it sits on a shelf. Eye relief is not adequate for something with a fair amount of recoil.

this......
and the sightron s1.....

stay away from fast foucus eyepeices
look for lockring eyepeices
a lot of the fast focus eyepiece models have a shifting reticle image if the eyepiece housing has movement
just look thru it and attempt to wiggle the eyepeice

the sightron has fast focus eyepiece and absoloutly no movement
good solid scope
midsouth shooters supply has some for under 120

very comparable
lupys lines are better
not as blocky looking as the s1 imo
have got both
aint no issues with either one

I bought a Leupold VX-1 3-9x40 last year and I've been very disappointed. Adjustments are mushy as hell and the optics don't do it for me. I much prefer the two Burris FF II 3-9's I have. If I had it to do over again I would have spent the extra $100 and bought the VX-2 or saved $50 and bought another FF II (online sale at the time for $150).

The Leupold 3-9x40 VX-1 has to be the best choice in the
under $200.00 price range. I have tested it against some
others, and it does very well.

Not sure what you have seen, but Burris, never tried one
and won't. What about the Burris do you like ?

I wasn't happy with the Burris FFII 2-7 either, but this thread is about 3-9 scopes. The Burris FFII 3-9x40 scopes with the ballistic plex reticle have been some of the most durable scopes I've owned.

It has to be or you want it to be? I guess I don't understand how it's the best in it's category if you've only tested it against some others and if you're unwilling to try the Burris...

I'm not an optics expert so hear it goes with my best attempts to not bungle the lingo or offend the sensibilities...To my eyes, the Burris is much clearer, does better in low light, does better into the setting or rising sun, and the adjustments aren't spongy or erratic. The view is clear to all but the very edges and the color is very warm and the least dissimilar to my actual view as all but my most expensive scopes. The Leupold's view seems distorted at a closer distance to the center of the lens and the color is just lacking. I lost the ability to shoot about ten minutes earlier with the Leupold last year. I've had the FFs since 2002 and 2004, and the Leupold since last year. 10 years, more marketing, and new technology and I still like the optical and mechanical quality of the Burris over the brand new Leupold. The view through the Leupold is very "white" and washed out. Into the setting sun I lose a lot, with the sun at my back the image is very bright, but to a point of losing contrast and the ability to resolve small details.

I won't make any comments as to the ability to hold zero for either on hard kickers because I've had them on relatively light kicking guns (.223, 243 (Win and WSSM), 7/08, 270 Win, 7mmRM) but they have always held on those. The 243 WSSM Burris was mounted in August of 2004 and hasn't been touched since, the other is a very mobile scope as it's been on 6 or 7 guns due to being convinced I needed to spend more money on a scope and then realizing I have to spend much more to get any appreciable difference.

I love the ballistic reticle in the Burris, which didn't cost me more (they may now) and it's very usable in low light while not obscuring too much or being too busy. The Leupold BR is $50 more and the standard Leupold reticle is very thin and easy to lose in low light.

The Leupold is very light, I think I measured mine at 10 oz, but it feels and looks less sleek than the Burris. I like the power adjustment knob on the Burris because it's quick and easy to turn with gloves or cold hands, but it's still tight and resists movement. The Leupold's adjustment ring feels very crude, not as tight, and is small and is difficult to adjust with gloves or cold hands.

I own the following scopes
Leupold 6x M8 - ca 1985
Leupold VX-III 3.5-10x40, 1.75x6x32, 1.5-5x20
2 - Burris FF II 3-9x40
Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40
Nikon Monarch UCC 4-12x40
Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5-10x50
Leupold VX -1 in question
Leica ER 2.5-10x42
There are a few others but I can't remember now and I just got the 8 week old asleep and don't want to move to the garage.

The only scope I regret purchasing is my VX-1. Wish I had bought the VX-2. I'm not a Leupold basher and will own more, but not another VX-1.

I don't throw my guns in salmon streams or have to fend off bears. I don't ride miles on horseback with them in a scabbard or twist turrets to get way out there. But I don't baby them either.

I have had LASIK surgery (12/2004) so my eyes may see things differently than those with glasses or contacts.

Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I'm on an I phone with a cracked screen.

Add $49 and you can get a 2014 (maybe 2015) Leupold VX2 3-9x40 CDS.

I picked up 4 last week from Cabelas.



P

Petro:

I was referring to the newest version of the Leupold
VX-1. Improved over the earlier model. That may be
the one you have.

Lots of discussion on those changes on the site.

This!!! - I bought three of the 3-9 VX-1 from Cabelas last winter when they had them on special, after opening up the first one I packaged them up and returned all three. A few months later they put the 3-9 VX-2 CDS on sale for $249 with free shipping, I bought three of them and could not be happier. The crisper, sharper view is worth more than the extra $49 more. The current VX-2 was the VX-3 until 2012 when the Leupold scope line was rebadged and the difference between the VX-1 and VX-2 is obvious in a side by side comparison.

Caveat - my eyesight is 15/20 on good days and 20/20 on bad days and my visual acuity is excellent so perhaps I see things that are less obvious to others depending on their eyesight.

drover