Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Anybody else like the Leupold VXI?

I've hunted with Leupold's for over twenty years. I'm not saying they're the best scope out there but I like them for the usual reasons: decent optics, light weight, generous eye relief, toughness, and service.

I've owned and used the VXI, II & III as well as the older Vari-X scopes. I've used them under different conditions including the edges of legal shooting time. For a hunting scope I can't see enough optical difference to justify the substantial difference in price. To me the click adjustments of the VXII & VXIII are the biggest plus they have over the VXI. I'll probably get a lot of disagreement on this but does anyone else think it might be the best value of the three.

I just bought one here from Gmoney. I'll have an opinion after coyote season, but so far it looks good to me.

I think that the II and III might have a bit better coatings which will only reveal themselves in very dim light.

The VXI's are the equivalent of the old Vari-X II's. They have the same adjustments, construction and coatings--and you can still buy them for about the same price as the Vari-X II's went for 20-odd years ago. There ain't much in the world you can can say that about....

I've got a 3-9 VX I mounted on my .280AI for this deer season. Other than the friction adjustments being a bit of a PIA to zero I like it fine.

Last week I did my final zero check for hunting season by throwing my jacket over the edge of a big rock and I had no trouble hitting a 12 ounce can at 126 yards with the scope set on 6x and hitting palm sized rocks at 126, 274, and 309 yards according to the laser rangefinder from the same rest setup.

I like the VX-I very much .A very good scope for the money. Many of my hunting friends that are not especially interested in optics have got a VX-I. It's much better than Tasco, cheap Bushnells or no name scopes.
For the moment I think Leupold VX-I with no doubt is the most populare scope in Norway. And the price is now lower than ever. I payed a lot more for my Vari-XIIc 8 years ago :-(

From Leupold:
http://www.leupold.com/hunting-and-shooting/resources/faq/#questionFive

"The VX-I also utilizes a combination of Vari-X III and Vari-X II technology, utilizing �-MOA friction (non-clicking) adjustments. The external lenses are multicoated and the internal lenses use magnesium fluoride."

My bold font. Sounds like it should be better than the Vari-X II scopes.

Bruce

Recently I was doing a little shopping around to help a friend of a friend replace a low end junky scope and caught a VX-I 3-9x40 for $149. Good deal.

I've installed VX-I scopes for guys in similar circumstances and IIRC they all had a bluish tint to the lenses. Leupold's website at those times said something like "standard multicoat lens system" and I think it still does.

But this latest one's lenses had a green hue like Multicoat 4. If that's what it is then even better deal.

I like the Elite 4200 3-9x40 @ $250 a whole lot better.

+1!

To my eyes, the 4200 outpaces the VXIII, for the same price as a VXI. It's a no-brainer.

Tack on another half inch of eye relief and get rid of the just popped out of a blister pack styling and you might have something there.

Kind of like a brick-laying contractor who chooses a pickup truck based on legroom and paint color, rather than horsepower, torque, or hauling capacity.

As I said in my post, "... To MY eyes...".

To each their own.

Have a 3-9 model.Can't find no fault in it.

You sort of missed the eye relief - legroom analogy there. It's an operational characteristic I value highly.

As to brightness, well I'll admit there are scopes that are brighter to my eye than Leupold's lower models. But in deliberate trials in a couple of particularly dark spots near stands I sit I've found that my MC4 coated 6x42 scopes would allow me to cleanly make shots well before and well after legal shooting hours. Next time I go out I may put a spare old Vari-X II 3-9x40 in the gear bag to test in the same spots. If I do I'll give an honest assessment.

Not the 4200....they are first class

?

mathman said; "You sort of missed the eye relief - legroom analogy there." It's an operational characteristic I value highly.


It's also an operational characteristic that is overrated about 80% of the time (except on the hardest of kickers). Has Leupy or your VX I, II, or II ever heard of Rainguard........it works my friend.

Nope, short eye relief and I just don't get along even on not so hard kickers so I guess I'm a 20 percenter. This is with a range of stock geometries, pull lengths and recoil levels so please don't start into stock fit and scope mounting.

Rainguard may work great, I'm certainly not going to say it's a bad idea. I haven't been handicapped without it so far though.

The original question was if anyone else liked the VX-I, and I gave a positive answer. That doesn't make me a KooLaid drinker though. There are several non-L scopes that I like for a variety of reasons and purposes. For example the 3-9x40 Conquest at Doug's price is a screaming good deal.

I agree on the Conquest, and I have VX III's (actually only 1 left). Just stating the case for this particular Elite that's all.

I've got one and like it just fine. I've got plenty of VXII's and a VXIII, and the VXI gives a lot of bang for the buck.

You couldn't pay me to put a Bushnell anything on a hunting rifle or around my neck. I've purchase my last POS optic with the Bushnell banner on it.

I agree completely! Bushnell used to make a good product but that was a LONG time ago. Not only that but they haven't backed their product up for years.