Leupold VariVxI7IIL3X$%&^III$L

[03mossy]

Confused yet? I wanna see if I have this right or not with the Leupold Model numbers and changes. correct me if i'm wrong

First there was the vari x I, II, and III. then they switched over to the VX line. The vari x III became the VX II, the vari x II became the VX I, the vari x I became obsolete. and they added the VX 7. now with the 09 models they still have the VX I, and II, But (based on lens coatings) The new VX3 and VX3L replaces the VX-7 and VX-L. and then where did the VXIII go?

Any thoughts?

 

[416LJT]

Well , it's like I always say sometimes

"If ya can't dazzle 'em with brilliance , ya baffle 'em with bullshit"

 

[AJ]

Actually, the VX-7 and VX-7L still exist in 2009. The VX-L and VX-III were tweaked into the VX-3L and VX-3 lines for 2009.

As for the older lines, the Vari-X III did not become the VX-2 as the models are a lot different. They tweaked them and dropped the "ari" portion of the name. Just like changing III to 3 for this year. Same mediocre quality scope with world class price. They did change the gas in the tubes and some of the lens coatings though.

 

[oldelkhunter]

Actually, the VX-7 and VX-7L still exist in 2009. The VX-L and VX-III were tweaked into the VX-3L and VX-3 lines for 2009.

As for the older lines, the Vari-X III did not become the VX-2 as the models are a lot different. They tweaked them and dropped the "ari" portion of the name. Just like changing III to 3 for this year. Same mediocre quality scope with world class price. They did change the gas in the tubes and some of the lens coatings though.

+1 . Leupold still has a dizzying array of models but I think the VX-3 is a good improvement.

 

[jcchartboy]

Same mediocre quality scope with world class price.

AJ,

Fortunately, regardless of your apparently rather negative view of the companies products...most owners will strongly disagree with you. While very few folks would ever claim that the average Leupold scope is "top of the line"...very few think they "world class priced". In fact it is exactly the fact that they are fairly priced that makes them the choice of almost 60+% of all scope owners. More importantly, all one needs to do is to look at the resale prices of the scopes to see that a leupold holds is original value better than any other scope manufacturer on the market. (A major reason why the company needs to upgrade its product offering so regularly to interest buyers back away from the used market.)

In the end...Leupold always has and always will offer a fair priced product for all buyers. While they certainly don't produce the absolute best optics on the planet one thing is always for certain...if a buyer decides they want to upgrade to something better and they are prepared to spend more for higher quality optics ...they will always know that the investment they made in a Leupold product will be a good one when they go to resell it and realize that in many cases not only did they get to use the product for awhile but they can also sell it for close to..if not more than they bought it for!!....

JC

 

[coltchris]

While I'll agree with your re-sale assessment, that where the agreement ends! There are alot of "name" buyers out there on scopes. A few years ago I would agree on good, and maybe best, value for your dollar; but my opinion is that they have been caught and passed in that department. Thats just my opinion, and many disagree; alot of choices out there to satisfy all of us!

 

[AJ]

I am not talking about their crappy Rifleman line, or even the VX-I or VX-II. The VX3, VX3-L, and VX7 are in fact world class priced right up there with Zeiss, Swarovski, Kahles, Dr Optics, and other better quality scopes. I own Vari-X III and VX-III scopes, along with Kahles, Swarovski, and Zeiss. This is actual comparrison and first hand experience with them. Personally, I could not care less where they are made as long as its quality matches the price, I am ok with it. But hey, you are welcome to your own opinion.

 

[jcchartboy]

Same mediocre quality scope with world class price.

I am not talking about their crappy Rifleman line, or even the VX-I or VX-II. The VX3, VX3-L, and VX7 are in fact world class priced right up there with Zeiss, Swarovski, Kahles, Dr Optics, and other better quality scopes.

Well which is it? First you are discussing Leupold's "mediocre quality" scopes...Then in order to make your price comparison to other other "world class" manufacturers you need to distinctly specify the highest quality and priced Leupold products in their line up in to make that case?

Reality is their absolutely no comparison of a VX3 price to anything but the lowest priced and quality Zeiss and Kahles and you can barely even touch the lowest quality Swarovski or Dr.Optics for anywhere near the actual retail price of a VX3...and once again that is not my opinion...that is a fact....

More importantly....if you are trying to call the VX-7 a "mediocre" quality scope while implying that the lowest priced Zeiss and Kahles are not...then once again there is simply no basis in fact in that statement either.

Moral of the story, you can cherry pick any scope from any manufacturers line and state that any number of other manufacturers make a better priced comparable product. However, the quality optics companies become known for producing quality products by producing many different products at many different price point that are all....when compared as a group...against a group of their competitors similar priced scopes...of equal or better value!.....Something that the actual wholesale and retail sales volumes of Leupold's scopes, throughout this entire country...throughout this entire decade...have proven is something Leupold is doing very succesfully!

JC

(This all being said...I rarely ever buy scopes at retail prices in the first place, in fact I bjust ought two new scopes in the past month alone. One was a 100% condition Leupold VX-III 3.5-10x40 w/B&C reticle for $420, the other a 100% condition Kahles AH 3-9x40 w/TDS reticle for $480. My point being..yes the Kahles is way better scope for the extra $60 but that is only because I got a great deal on the Kahles....not because the Leupold was overpriced... :wink: )

 

[AJ]

Come on JC pay attention, I have had more problems with Leupold Vari-X III and VX-III scopes than any other high end scope. I am not just comparing the bottom end of Leupold against upper end Euro scopes. Similar problems with not holding zero, non repeatability (very popular in my Leupolds) and reticle breaking. I have not had this many issues with Simons scopes let alone good quality scopes.

By quality, I mean optical quality, mechanical reliability (retain zero), and repeatability (return to same point after adjustments). I do perform these tests on each scope I own. I use an Air Force optics comparison chart to compare the optical resolution. I shoot boxes to confirm repeatability, and holding zero is a long term trending evaluation.

Yes, Leupold makes some very lightweight scopes that have good coatings for high light transmission. Above that, I am not impressed, and yes I am talking about the VX-III line. I will take a low end Zeiss (Conquest) over a high end Leupold any day of the week.

I too do not pay retail for anything. I search bargain bins, closeouts, sales, etc. Congrats to you for buying a Kahles, it's a very good scope.

 

[jcchartboy]

Come on JC pay attention..... I have not had this many issues with Simons scopes let alone good quality scopes.

That statement says it all....The fact that are you stating that you actual believe that a Simons scope is more reliable than a Leupold VX-III scope shows how wrong...or blatantly biased...you are about the average quality of Leupold scopes! (Of course it could be that the collective knowledge of all of the scope buyers and opticians in the world are the wrong ones here and that you alone are more knowledgable than all of them combined... :lol: )

Having had a half a dozen different VX-II's and III's on both 20ga and 12ga slugs that have been used for extensive hunting and slug testing I can tell you I have never once had a single mechanical failure or broken reticle of any kind on any of my Leupold scopes. (Nor have I ever heard of anyone having any of the problems you mentioned above with any high recoil guns such as slug guns (which by the laws of physics would the guns most likely to contribute to broken scopes), despite the fact that I started and moderated one the largest dedicated slug gun shooters forum on the planet. )

Moral of the story either you are embelishing the problems you are reporting to make your case....or you just ended out with a "black Swan" statistically anomolous numerous of defective Leupolds...(Of course you never mentioned the fact that all you needed to do was send the scopes back to the company to have any of those issues corrected for free...But heck, that is a whole nother story either of us could discuss for months...which is the time it takes for most of the "Euro" scope companies to handle warranty issue that you are comparing to Leupold !!! :wink: )

JC

 

[AJ]

OK, so I am embellishing experiences, am I? Here they are:

A Vari-X III 6-20x40 had the target dot fall out. First one quarter of the dot exited, then after a couple dozen more shots the remainder of the dot broke. This was with the hard pounding 22-250 with 50 gr Ballistic Tips. Yeah, that one was a brute. It was sent back to Leupold for repair. When it came back, there was foreign material inside the tube. Could have been lint or dust but in the magnification it looked like sticks and twigs. Anyhow, this makes me wonder about their clean room. It went back again.

Fast forward to a 8-25x40 Vari-X III. This one was on a 6mm Ackley Improved. It had the light duplex reticle. After 55 shots it would not retain zero. Yep, back to the factory it went. When it came back, I put it on a 22 PPC/6 PPC switch barreled 40x. It went fine for a year then it would nto shoot the same point of impact from 8x and 25x. Back it went again.

I destroyed a M8 2x LER scope on a TC Contender chambered in .45/70. The guts let go. I sent it back for repair and got a new scope. I tried it on a custom XP100R in 338/284 and it was gone in less than 50 rounds. After a new one came in , I did not use it on the hand cannons and tried it on a 30-06 Ackley Improved chambered Encore handgun, it would not hold zero. It now sits as a paper weight. I threw on a Simmons, yes Simmons LER scope on the 30-06 Ackley and it shoots 1.5 MOA groups one after another.

I have a VX-III 4.5-14x50 Long Range Duplex that is not repeatable. I am glad I paid $425 for it, because I would be pissed if I paid a normal price for this thing. So far it does hold zero. The clicks are not accurate though. It is installed on a 338 Win Mag Mod 70 Classic. It's useless as a long range shooter as I can not dial in elevation or windage in any kind of repeatable form.

There you go, each and every issue I have had with them. I have not had any issues with Nikon Monarch, Burris Black Diamond, Zeiss Conquest, Swarovski American Hunter, Kahles American Hunter, or even a cheap Chinese knockoff of the Mark 4.

I have had problems with B&L 3200 and Scope Chief, Tascos, and 2 Simmons scopes. With a $150 scope, if it goes south, oh well. I toss it. With a $500+ scope for one failires should be few and far between. This has not been my experience.

This is the last I am entering on this subject, if you don't agree or still want to call me a liar, F U. I don't care. You are nobody to me.

 

[jcchartboy]

# *... I don't care. You are nobody to me.

You may want to reconsider what you think passes for acceptable behavior on this forum before you become nobody to everyone here. :wink:

-----

As to the rest of your story....you got an awful lot of hateful talk about Leupold scopes for a guy who was just talking about buying one...and then immediatley looking to buy yet another...within the past six months alone...(Pretty interesting that even a person that has had as many issues as you have had with these scope is still finding such great value in them...especially since that is exactly the point you have been attacking me for making throughout this entire thread... )

JC

Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:31 pm
I picked up a VX-III Long Range 4.5-14x50 from them a couple months ago for under $450.

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:40 pm
I have been eyeing a 4.5-14x50 LR with B&C reticle. I may hold off till the first of the year to see if they get any cheaper.