Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics 2x7 Loopy -vs- 3x9 Loopy...

I've owned both and I say go with whatever feels/looks best on your rifle. I really love the sight picture of the 3x9, but that 2x7 is plenty. I carried a 2x7 on a javelina hunt several years ago. I emptied my rifle and held on some cattle twice as far as I would ever consier shooting. We're talking 800 yards or more. Now cattle are bigger than deer, but even at 6x, I was able to hold on vitals just fine. The reticles didn't cover half the animal. Right then I decided that I would never need anything more for the hunting I intend on doing - basically 400 yards and in. The scope may work even futher, but I wouldn't. IMO, a VX-II in 2x7 is one great all-around scope when considering a variable.

AZ: I am inclined to agree with you on that.Some want and like more power, but a 2-7 is a very satisfactory scope for most of the big game shooting that most of us do.The 2-7 is sort of unsung,but is light, rugged,mounts well,and gives adequate definition for most situations. I like the fact it turns down to 2X which is really handy when tracking/still hunting here in the Northeast.

What impressed me about the 2-7X33's is their very generous, easy to use eye box. Makes them very user friendly. Far more useful an attribute than more magnification for big game hunting. E

I put my first Loopy 2-7X on my 9.3X62.

I like it!

I'm running the 2x7 Leupold on my .50 cal MZer and 12ga rifled slug gun...great scope that doesn't give up much in any department....

The 2-7x33 is the one Leupold I've owned the most of... it's a touch short, however, for some LA's.

I tend to try to match the size/power of a scope to the rifle/cartridge it'll be perched on.

My Kimber 300 WSM is getting the 3-9x40 LR. Love that scope/rifle combo.

My Kimber 308 has a 2-7x33 LR on top. Perfect power/proportions for that rifle IMO. Ditto a 6x36 LR.

I'm building a SS M70 270 Fwt which will get a 6x36 LR on top.

If you do the math, an object view at 7x doesn't appear much different then an object viewed at 9x.

At 7x, an object viewed at 100 yards appears to be at 14.3 yards, or 42.9 feet.

At 9x, an objected viewed at 100 yards appears to be at 11.1 yards, or 33.3 feet.

The difference is 3.2 yards or 9.5 feet per 100 yards.

I like the slightly smaller size of the Leupold 2-7x scopes and have several Vari-X ll, Rifleman, VX1, and VX2 configurations. My favorite is the VX2 with a heavy duplex reticle.

Jeff

Jeff, in theory you are absolutely correct... However, I absolutely do notice the difference in the field for stuff past 500 yards. Still, I'm comfortable with the 7X (actually 6.8x I think) out at long range on BG... I just prefer the sight picture of the big 3-9x40 a bit better than the 2-7x33... but the big 3-9 is just too much of a good thing on svelt rifles for my taste even though I think it's one of the smartest scopes Leupold makes.

Brad, wondered when you would chime in.

I knew you were a proponent of the LR reticle too. I really like that reticle so far.

At 500 yards, an object viewed at 7x would appear to be 71.43 yards away and an objected viewed at 9x would appear to be 55.56 yards away, a difference of 15.87 yards or about 48 feet. I don't think that I've ever shot a game animal or predator at over 400 yards away, but if I was going to, I think that I might want a little more than 7x, and would probably mount something in the 4-12x or 4.5-14x range.

Most of the deer that I have shot were within 250+/- yards, so, for me, the HD reticle works fine and is easier to see under low light conditions.

Jeff

Dogcatcher, actual top end magnification of the 2-7x33 is 6.6x while the 3-9x40 is 8.6x. Mathman shoots small groups at 300 yds with a 6x. I've had the same experience with both a 2.5-8x36mm and a 1.75-6x33mm, both set at highest power. So fine long range accuracy with either scope is doable. I have an old Vari-XII 3-9x40mm on my 30-06 M70 FTW Classic and IMO the scope is 'too big' for the rifle - the 40mm objective overpowers the rig. On the same rifle in 6.5x55mm I have a Vari-X II 2-7x28mm and it seems 'just right.' I confess a bias for 2-7x28s early in life, later switching to 2-7x33s and now use 2.5-8x36s preferentially - all Leupolds. I haven't had to pass up a shot in the field yet just because of not enough magnification. Just my 0.02.

Thanks for the input.

I liked the 2.5x8, it just doesn't come in the LR reticle. It comes in the B&C reticle, but I don't care for it.

Leaning towards the 2x7. On a side note, I have rang the gong at 500yds with my scope set on 2.5, so I know it is possible, just like a little help sometimes.

My latest 2-7x33 has the LR reticle. I like it, but have used the B&C a lot and despite the generally negative feelings about it here, I find it easy to use and useful.

Haven't spent much time behind a B&C reticle, but it seemed to busy for me. I do wish the LR dots were a tad smaller though.

Like all else in shooting it takes enough dedicated practice with it to get over the learning curve. I've shot the B&C quite a bit over the past 5 years and it's helped me make some tough shots reasonable. However, I recognize there are other good solutions and personal preference is an important part of the decision.

Brad: Cool!

Following Brad and Dober's advice,I have been shooting a 3-9 LR reticle lately on a 300 Win Mag,and have found so far that it allows a 300 yard zero,and use of the first dot at 400 yards; the second dot at 500.Load is a 165 at 3260 app.More shooting is required....

I kind of agree with those that like the smaller 2-7 on smaller,lighter rifles like a FW 270 or 30/06.The 3-9 suits the bigger rifles, but day in and day out,I would have no problem with the 2-7 on a 300 or 7 mag either,as I've shot 600 yards many times with a 6X at targets.After having owned many 2.5-8 VX III's, I am about convinced they offer no practical advantage over a 2-7 as presently made.

What I've noticed is that fine reticles and fine dots tend to disappear when it gets dark. Are you going to be hunting on any dark days or dark timber with that rifle ? E

I hunt from dark to dark, but never had noticed a problem with the standard duplex, which isn't very bold.

Well, I orderd a 2x7 LR today. I had to just get it over with, rather than keep dabating it.

Thanks for all the feedback.

i've had both, but now i only use the 3x9x40.