Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leupold Fixed Power Scopes?

Leupold has done that in the past. A good example is their M8 3x20 fixed scope, which was discontinued in the 1980s.

However, there were quite a few hunters who preferred them for dangerous-game rifles, for two reasons: They were just about recoil-proof, and the tube was significantly longer than the tube of the M8 2.5x Compact, so the 3x could be easily mounted on long bolt-actions used on many rifles chambered for rounds like the .375 H&H, .416 Remington and .458 Lott.

Eventually Leupold decided to "reintroduce" the 3x20 when they started making the FX line, with click adjustments. But rather than make it a regular item, they offered it through the Custom Shop. I have two, one a gloss-finished prototype built just before the reintroduction, and one a matte-finished Custom Shop model. Both are excellent, tough scopes--much easier to adjust than the friction-turret M8 3x20, and with better multi-coated lenses.

But there are relatively few dangerous game hunters, and not all of them wanted fixed 3x scope. In fact, quite a few started using variables in the 3-9x range, or even larger. Eventually the market dried up (as it has been for all fixed scopes for a while now), and Leupold discontinued the Custom Shop 3x20 a couple years ago.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Most of my scopes are fixed power Leupolds. I only buy variables when I can't find a fixed power in the range I want. And yes to the most part what I want is 4x and 6x.

Leupold's choice of the wide duplex killed my interest.

Does anybody know if an FXii 6x36 has enough space between the bells for a husqvarna 1640 action?

How many are you looking for?

This. Once they stopped making the LRD on the 6x36, and both the 4x and 6x has this abortion of a reticle I was out. I had one scope so equipped and couldn't come to like it.

I just realized about the wide duplex. I’m not the biggest fan of that
Do you have any discounts for 24HR

I'm disappointed in Leupold's current offerings as well. The 2.5-8 and 1.75-6 are my favorite variables and it seems they are no longer available. I just recently scrapped the 3-9 off my main deer rifle and replaced it with a vintage M8 4x--some of you have probably read the thread I posted about that. I don't shoot that often--just to keep the predators away from my chickens and then during deer season and a trip or two to the range before hand to maybe work up a load and check zeros before hunting. So... by the time hunting season rolls around I'm pretty rusty. If something can go wrong with my equipment, it likely will. Fancy turrets, complicated reticles, batteries that need to be replaced, big variable ranges--all things that can lead me to screw up in the heat of the moment. I'm looking forward to the simplicity of that M8 next fall.

Why did you not like the wide duplex?

I can't figure out why production has stopped on these style scopes.

2.5-8 is part of the current line-up.

You got any place for us to field test one in Miami/Davey?

I personally would rather hunt with a fixed power scope. I am definitely in the minority.

The 6x42 is much better imo

Same here.

Me too. I love my fixed-powers but I understand that companies must make what sells.
On that note, I would think they could make a minimal number every year.
If I lived in a different part of the country such as the west, I could see where a variable would fit the bill.
Where I live, a 150 to 200 yard shot is about as far as you’re likely to shoot so a fixed power works awfully well for me.

I like fixed powers too. The main reason I don’t have a pile of Leupold 4x scopes is because they were too short to easily mount on lots of rifles I had.

build it right

put a tmr reticle in it

give it the same glass it's got already

make sure it's internals will at least hold zero

sell it for 350$

i'd yard off and replace every damn scope i have for it.

Well, since someone ask, the dumbass decisions I refer to are eliminating the B&C reticle in everything but the 4.5x14, only offering a WIDE duplex in the current fixed 6x scopes. I understand that for the first time buyer a variable has appeal, but I believe there is still a market for fixed power scopes, especially on the low end of the power range. There is a reason those old M8's are in such demand.