Rifle Scopes Leupold VX-R ???

[jfreak]

Good morning to all,

Well to start I'm new to the hide and this will be my first thread and post for that matter. I have done some research in the past before and I finally stopped putting it off and joined this wonderful community. There is a wealth of valuable information on here.

Now here is my question. I just purchased an M&P 10 which I will be shooting at a range of about 300yds max and doing some deer hunting with it. I have this new passion for hunting with an AR platform. I'm looking to use the Leupold VX-R in a 3-9x50 or 4-12x50 and was wondering what are your thoughts on this scope. Is it good, bad, decent, horrible. What are the pros & cons?


Any input on this matter would be helpful and will greatly help me with my decision. Also, I'm open to suggestions.

Thank you.

 

[mjb]

I have the 3x9 VXR Patrol. The reticle seems a bit thick for "target" shooting, but is easy to pick up quickly in the field. The red dot is great for also quickly putting the scope on target. It's also reasonably "light weight" so it won't add a lot of weight to your hunting rifle. The glass is also reasonably good. For practical purposes, I like it a lot.

 

[roggom]

I have two VX-R scopes, one 2-7x33 the other 3-9x40.

Pros,

red dot for quick target acquisition, and the led has an auto shutoff after a few minutes to save batt life, comes back on with movement.

Led can be dialed down to pretty much nothing, so is not obtrusive or distracting.

30mm tube and plenty of elevation for hunting

Decent glass, between the VX2 and VX3

Cons,

The cost is the same as the VX3, but the glass is not exactly the same quality.
With any Leupold electronics, the scope is lifetime (glass and hardware), the electronics portion is only 2 years warranty.
They do not have the same mag factors as the VX3, i/e 2.5-8 and 3.5-10. Not a show stopper, but would be nice.


Now I do not have an AR platform rifle, so not sure how the 50mm obj will fair as you have to raise it up a bit to clear the rail.

In the end, The VXr is a nice scope at a good price point, for 300y and under I would prefer less mag, but thats me.

 

[Nuke Man]

I have the VX-R 3-9 X 40 with the ballistic fire dot reticle on my AR. I like it so far. I think it will be a fine scope for hunting purposes out to 400 yds or so. It is not a precision optic by any means though. The reticle is thick. The red dot on mine has a slight starburst. My VX6 is crystal clear though.

 

[Nuke Man]

Although I was very happy with my initial groupings at 100yds.

 

[CSTactical]

The VXR Patrol are great scopes I would also recommend looking at the Vortex 2.5-10x44mm or the Vortex 2.5-10x32mm. We stock both Leupold and Vortex optics so if we can be of help let us know.

Mike @ CSTACTICAL

 

[SomeOtherGuy]

I have a 2-7x VX-R in use. It's pretty good - good glass, light, small, no frills. I briefly had a 3-9x40 but returned it due to the reticle being lopsided (yes, really). IMHO they are good but unexceptional scopes.

Do you need illumination? If not, there's a lot of choices I would recommend over the VX-R.

My favorite 3-9x scopes are the SWFA SS 3-9x42, which is also no-frills but really well done with very good glass, a large FOV, good turrets, and quality construction; and the original Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40, which is still available only through Opticsplanet as their "Opmod" Zeiss (link below). Another small, light scope, that one with very good glass. The Conquest has a Rapid-Z 600 reticle that can work for .308 but is better for flatter shooting cartridges, while the SS has a nice mil-based reticle which works for anything if you can do some minimal (like 15 minutes) determination of your cartridge's trajectory.

I've owned both flavors of Vortex Viper PST, the 2.5-10x44 SFP, which is optically poor, and the 2.5-10x32 FFP, which is quite good. I would avoid the x44 for any use, but the x32 FFP is good, and especially if you really want illumination. Ended up selling it though, just never grabbed me, mostly due to feelings of quality or lack thereof. Personal opinion, many people love them.

Here's the Zeiss you can still buy:
Zeiss OPMOD Conquest Limited Edition 3-9x40 Rifle Scope FREE S&H OPMOD492282, OPMOD407401. OPMOD Rifle Scopes.

NOTE - Zeiss replaced their original Conquest with a fancier Conquest HD5 that has a 5x zoom range and is a good scope, but much more expensive, and the "Terra" line which looks like the original Conquest but is apparently made in China with lower quality everything. The link above is for a distributor special version that, based on a PM with their rep here, is identical to the original Conquest and is made in the USA just as it was.

 

[jfreak]

Thanks for the help so far.

I had the opportunity of looking thru a VX-6 last week. I agree it has crystal clear glass.

 

[SomeOtherGuy]

I should add - the .308 ARs tend to be heavy to start with, and most quality scopes weigh enough to make them pig-on-a-shovel experiences. The M&P10 feels light and handy without a scope but that changes quickly - mine is now wearing a SWFA SS 1-6x24 in an ADM Scout-S mount, which is a relatively light setup, and it's about at the limit of what I would want to carry. Of the scopes I listed above, the Zeiss is lightest, the VX-R is almost tied (I think it's an ounce or two heavier), and the SS 3-9x42 is only slightly heavier than that at, I believe, 19oz. Any of those will keep the weight in the acceptable range, but a lot of other options are substantially heavier. The mount you choose makes a big difference too, from must over 3oz for the Aero Precision mounts to 10+ ounces some of the cheaper heavier mounts. The quality QD mounts (ADM, Bobro, Larue) are generally in the 7-9oz range depending on the exact model. On ADM mounts going with the single-lever Scout saves you a little over an ounce and $20 or so.

 

[jfreak]

Thanks for the options you just made my choice a little tougher ....LOL... but its ok thats is what I need is options

 

[diggler1833]

The VX-R Patrol is a pretty good deal for the money invested. I have one on a .308 gasser. The reticle is thick, and pretty useless as the subtensions are a bit too similar in size. However, it is light and the firedot helps tremendously in low light. Much better for shooting game than targets.

 

[jfreak]

That is what I have in mind game 1st targets 2nd.

As far as the bleeding/ starburst effect is that on all intensity's or just in the brighter selections?


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[jfreak]

On the fire dots


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[krummarine]

I had a VX-R 3X9 with Firedot No. 4 Ret. They are def. geared more towards the hunter. You can turn the light all the way off, to very bright. VX-2 glass. Overall, I very nice hunting optic; wish I had not sold it.

 

[Nuke Man]

It's real bad on the highest intensity. I haven't tried it yet at lowlight or even outside for that matter. I will say at fist after I mounted it, looking through it in the house to set it up I did not like it. The reticle seemed way to fine and very difficult to see. I went outside to sight it in and immediately I liked the reticle. It's totally different outside. Next time I get out I'll try the illumination outside. If it's still got a starburst I'll contact leupold.

 

[SomeOtherGuy]

On the Firedot I'm happy with the illumination when it's adjusted for the ambient lighting, just as you should do with any illumination. Unfortunately Leupold chose to make the adjustment a 10-cent pressure switch that you have to cycle through completely if you want to go up when it was last going down, or vice versa. A $10 upgrade to a rotary switch would make a HUGE difference in the usefulness of the illumination.

Mine flares at max illumination when it's not dark, but that's true of nearly all illuminated scopes I've ever used.

 

[Nuke Man]

On the Firedot I'm happy with the illumination when it's adjusted for the ambient lighting, just as you should do with any illumination. Unfortunately Leupold chose to make the adjustment a 10-cent pressure switch that you have to cycle through completely if you want to go up when it was last going down, or vice versa. A $10 upgrade to a rotary switch would make a HUGE difference in the usefulness of the illumination.

Mine flares at max illumination when it's not dark, but that's true of nearly all illuminated scopes I've ever used.

That's good to know. I was a little concerned about the burst. Other than that it seems to be a great scope for the money. It's compact and lightweight. Fit and finish are good. Personally I like the idea of the push button and the motion sensor.