Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leupold VX-III 1.5-5x20 Low Light Experiences?

Decided to use a VX-III 1.5-5x20 scope for my Savage 99 chambered in 300 Savage.
I had planned to use it on a 450 Marlin guide gun but I traded the gun before I got to try it.

Anyone have low light\dusk experience with this model?


Thanks

It's as good as any. Should be a great match with a 99 & .300

LOTS, both in the 1" and 30mm tube versions with ill reticle. Bottom line is they suck for low light. I was planning to use it on a leopard hunt so I took it hog hunting in South Carolina and did extensive testing at dawn & dusk. The little 20mm objective just does not transmit enough light and the 5X is not enough to "bring in" the target. For normal hunting they are great, I used mine on Cape Buffalo in a 416 Rigby, but for low light, forget it. jorge

That's why I went with the VX3 1.75-6X32. Lots bigger objective lens, lots more light gathering. In fact, more than 2.5 times as much light.

Yeah the 1.75 is better but in my view still not good enough for cats. I wish Leupold would make a 1.75X6X42 or thereabouts. I had to grit my teeth and buy a 3.5X10X50 with an ill reticle for my needs. jorge

I'm quite satified with mine. I was hiking last November in search of deer when I spotted one 550 yards away. I stalked closer and got within 400 yards, then 300 and then 240. The stalk began at sunset and ended with about 10 minutes of legal shooting light left.

I didn't get the deer but that was not due to inability to shoot in low light. I could see clearly enough to take the shot but due to the low light I could not tell if it was a buck or a doe so I chose not to fire. Having said that, I was prone and aiming at it at 400, 300 and 240 and the shooting would have worked but despite my hopes it never moved into position where I could determine antlers.

What I needed with me was good binoculars and not just my rangefinder.

IT's simple really. At 5X the 20mm objective only alllows for a 4mm exit pupil,the human eye can absorb at least 7mm. The 20mm,at least for leopard hunting in extreme low light conditions, sucks. jorge

And what is it at 1.5? I've got one on my AR, I've had a few others over the years. I've never had a problem laying the crosshairs on any animal I intended to shoot...but then again, I usually keep the power dial at the bottom. I imagine leopard hunting is a whole nuther ballgame.

13.33mm

Anything much above 7 is wasted as that is about the limit of the average for a man under 50. With 1.5 you'll have far more than you need, but at 1.5X and when it's dark, the magnification is not enough to "bring in" the target. Trust me, I spent a long time testing and I love the small leupies but for cats, nope. jorge

I've several and find they are brightest in the 2.5 to 3X power range. Plenty bright to resolve game for an ethical shot between 1/2 hour before dawn to 1/2 hour after dusk. I find 2.5 to 3X to be of ample magnification during the low light of those hours on big game. But, this does not make it a low light scope and it would not be my choice for a scope used during hours outside this time frame. If I were looking for a dedicated low light scope, I'd look for one that was bright at a higher magnification.

Best:)

Yes, and they suck balls!
If ya want low light performance look elsewhere.

MM's rule in lowlight and 20 ain't even in the game.

I have one in my Marlin 45-70.
It is not a low light scope but if you set it between 2.5 and 3X it give you a pupillar apperture of 7 mm.
This boar was hunted at mid night ( with full moon) with the 45-70 and the "little" Leupold 1.5-5x20.

I just had the chance to play with a 1.5-5x20 VX-3 #66375 on a Benelli M-2 slug gun destined for New York. On the lower end the scope was as bright as any of my 50mm scopes. More than enough for dawn to dusk hunting purposes. The heavy reticle was pretty easy to make out for non illuminated. To go into less light would need a illuminated reticle for sure. If there were some artificial light it would work fine even on 5 power. At 200 yards it is plenty of magnification to kill a deer. On 1.5 power I could clearly see half of the barrel on the Benelli.

I thought the exit pupil looked large enough.




Mesa Tactical rail with Burris Extreme rings made for a very solid mount.

I have one on a Ruger 77-22 that I shoot beavers with at night.I can pick up a beaver in the dark if there is any moonlight,and if the tree cover is not really thick.I know that shooting beavers at night is much different than hunting cats,may not be the best but it works. Lightman

Considering the make and caliber of the rifle, I take it that you will not be hunting big cats or dangerous game in low light conditions. If you plan on using it for deer/hogs/black bear etc during legal shooting hours you should be fine. I have used just about all of the straight tube Leupolds on my Marlins and Savage 99s over the years. I have never had a problem with seeing my game during legal shooting hours even in the thick woods of Tennessee and Alabama. For that matter, I have never had a problem seeing game with any of my older Weaver K2.5 scopes either. I highly recommend the model in question. It is small, light and does not ruin the handling of your slick Savage 99. They also have very forgiving eye relief. They are simply great scopes for 99% of the big game hunting you will do in North America.

Used that scope for some years on a 375 H&H and 416 Rigby.
Not real good low light performance, although I really liked everything else about that particular scope.