Leupold 4-12x40 VX-I Riflescope ?
- Thread starter PDshooter
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riggins_83
New member
I love Leupold VX-II scopes. Far as VX-I go I personally think they're a ripoff. For the same price I'd rather have a Nikon Buckmasters. The VX-I I've previewed all have the same yellowish tinge in the glass and pretty bad light ratings too. Also Leupold VX-I scopes use a friction adjustment... not a great setup
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hometheaterman
Moderator
I had a Leupold VX-I but mine was a 3x9x40mm. I didn't like it much at all. I had to send it into Leupold 2 times for repairs in the first 2 years. It was also plenty clear but not as clear as others I've compared it to. I thought it looked fine but didn't think it looked any better than a $30 Tasco I got from Wal Mart when it came to how clear it was. I had a few friends look through them to see what they thought and to my surprise they said the Tasco looked clearer. I couldn't tell a difference though. However, when I got my Burris Fullfield II it was like a night and day difference in clarity. It was amazing how clear it actually was. I'd never had a problems with the others not being clear enough but this one was just great. It's also much much better in low light situations.
The other issue I had with the Leupold was even when it was working it seemed like if it took a slight fall or anything it was always loosing zero where as others scopes I've had would take a huge beating and never have lost zero. This also kind of disappointed me.
Overall, I just didn't seem much good about this scope. I've been told by others that you have to get a higher end Leupold to get a decent one. However, I think that for a $200+ scope it should be decent. If they can't make a decent one for that price I don't feel like I want to do business with them.
Overall, the Burris is my favorite scope I've used however, I like the Simmons and Tasco scopes I've used better than the Leupold.
I've also got 2 other friends that have had Leupolds. Those are the only others I know with them. Both have had the same problem I have of it not holding zero and it jumping around. One was a 2x7x33 or something. I know it's a 2x7 but can't remember the last number. The other was a 3x9x40. The one with the 3x9 got it back from them to repair and traded it off on a .22 rifle. He didn't like it at all either. The other one is trying to sell the gun with it and doesn't seem much impressed with Leupold either. So all 3 of us with Leupolds have had problems. That just to me is not a good thing when they are $200+ scopes and the $50 Simmons have worked great and taken way more of a beating from all of us.
The friction adjustment he mentioned earlier also sucks. I didn't like that at all. I much prefer the click type method.
The other issue I had with the Leupold was even when it was working it seemed like if it took a slight fall or anything it was always loosing zero where as others scopes I've had would take a huge beating and never have lost zero. This also kind of disappointed me.
Overall, I just didn't seem much good about this scope. I've been told by others that you have to get a higher end Leupold to get a decent one. However, I think that for a $200+ scope it should be decent. If they can't make a decent one for that price I don't feel like I want to do business with them.
Overall, the Burris is my favorite scope I've used however, I like the Simmons and Tasco scopes I've used better than the Leupold.
I've also got 2 other friends that have had Leupolds. Those are the only others I know with them. Both have had the same problem I have of it not holding zero and it jumping around. One was a 2x7x33 or something. I know it's a 2x7 but can't remember the last number. The other was a 3x9x40. The one with the 3x9 got it back from them to repair and traded it off on a .22 rifle. He didn't like it at all either. The other one is trying to sell the gun with it and doesn't seem much impressed with Leupold either. So all 3 of us with Leupolds have had problems. That just to me is not a good thing when they are $200+ scopes and the $50 Simmons have worked great and taken way more of a beating from all of us.
The friction adjustment he mentioned earlier also sucks. I didn't like that at all. I much prefer the click type method.
I've got a VX-I on my .243 Win, because I wanted a gloss tube, and didn't have the money to upgrade to a VX-III to get it. I don't care for the friction adjustments at all, but the scope holds zero and is clear and bright enough to hunt with. Overall I think the quality of the scope is there and you could do a lot worse in scope choices.
A 4-12X40 AO is the type of scope to me that you would want to make repeatable adjustments with, something I don't think the VX-I will offer. I'd save my money for the VX-II, I have one on my .25-06 and it is a great scope. I'll probably send it back to the custom shop at some point and have them add a CDS dial or I'll get the Stoney Point target knobs for making faster adjustments.
A 4-12X40 AO is the type of scope to me that you would want to make repeatable adjustments with, something I don't think the VX-I will offer. I'd save my money for the VX-II, I have one on my .25-06 and it is a great scope. I'll probably send it back to the custom shop at some point and have them add a CDS dial or I'll get the Stoney Point target knobs for making faster adjustments.
Major Dave (retired)
New member
You get what you pay for -
and VX-I is the cheapest in the VX series. Only the Rifleman, in the Leopold line, is cheaper - by only about $20 , I believe.
So, you can expect The VX-I to have fewer lens coatings, which are expensive to add, and therefore the dimmest, least defined, least color correct image. This means early light of morning and fading light of evening it will be a dark, fuzzy, indistinct image, where you can't count the points on a buck's rack, or even separate the outline of a deer's back from the weeds/brush in front of him, or the trees/brush behind him.
If you are just intending to "punch paper" at the range during good light conditions, you could probably get by with a VX-I, but don't take it hunting! IMHO. Take a VX-II hunting, or the new VX-3 (especially designed for early and late dim light conditions).
and VX-I is the cheapest in the VX series. Only the Rifleman, in the Leopold line, is cheaper - by only about $20 , I believe.
So, you can expect The VX-I to have fewer lens coatings, which are expensive to add, and therefore the dimmest, least defined, least color correct image. This means early light of morning and fading light of evening it will be a dark, fuzzy, indistinct image, where you can't count the points on a buck's rack, or even separate the outline of a deer's back from the weeds/brush in front of him, or the trees/brush behind him.
If you are just intending to "punch paper" at the range during good light conditions, you could probably get by with a VX-I, but don't take it hunting! IMHO. Take a VX-II hunting, or the new VX-3 (especially designed for early and late dim light conditions).
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I have two of the Vari XI they work as good as my Nikons or anything else in their price range. The move exactally as commanded and gather light at dusk as well as my Nikon Buckmaster does. They are American made and 100% guaranteed. Mine have never failed me yet like some other brands have.
roc1
roc1
Ive had a Leupold Rifleman 4-12 on a 300 win mag for about 100 shots and I havnt had to touch any adjustments since the initial sight in. I use this gun for hunting deer and shooting targets and love the scope. Not trying to change subject of OP, but anyone have any bad experiences with the Rifleman. With my experience I would think the VX1 would be great.
phil mcwilliam
New member
I have a 2-7 x33 VX-I on my 22 & it works just fine. I would put a VX-II or VX-III on a center fire rifle.
precision_shooter
New member
While I don't claim to be an expert on Optics, I have a VX-1 4-12x40 on my Tikka T3 Lite. It is my go-to hunting rifle and gets banged around a lot when treking through the woods.
Below is a pic I took with my Cell Phone while at the range last year. I don't see any yellow tinge or blurryness as others have said. It has held zero since day one as well.
I'll let you draw your own conclusions for clarity and brightness....
Below is a pic I took with my Cell Phone while at the range last year. I don't see any yellow tinge or blurryness as others have said. It has held zero since day one as well.
I'll let you draw your own conclusions for clarity and brightness....
Attachments
hometheaterman
Moderator
Mine wasn't really blurry per say but the colors just didn't seem that vibrant and it just any better looking than the cheaper scopes I've used. The Burris was a lot clearer looking mainly do the colors looking better. In low light it was no comparison the Burris blew it out of the water.
BTW since If anyone does happen to want a Leupold VX-I I have one for sale in the for sale section.
BTW since If anyone does happen to want a Leupold VX-I I have one for sale in the for sale section.
precision_shooter
New member
Not trying to Hijack the thread but I call BS on that one! I use my leupold at night with no lights, other than the moon, to hunt hogs and I can see Very Clearly through my scope.
Could be as simple as the Burris does appear clearer and brighter to him. I wouldn't call BS on it as every scope is different and he may have got a scope that had something wrong with the lens coatings. Another thing QC misses defects from time to time and he may have got a bad scope from Leupold. It obviously left him with a bad taste in his mouth so he has formed a strong opinion of the Leupold line of optics.
I have shot pigs in moon light with my Bushnell Sportview. They were pretty easy to see at 50 yards. But once you got past 100 the going got tough and needed a spotlight. Thankfully I was shooting from an elevated stand so I had the downward angle to put the bullets into the dirt. I really don't like to shoot very far in the dark even with the moon.
hometheaterman
Moderator
Look up the light transmission ratings for each scope. The Burris transmits a lot more light. It's fact. I found this out after buying them and trying them myself. I honestly, thought the Leupold was clear enough and worked fine until I tried the Burris. It was just amazing how much better the Burris was. Now I don't shoot at night so it doesn't matter that much but when it starts getting dark you can basically see with the Leupold I have what you can see with your eyes. Where as with the Burris it will be dark enough I can't see in the edges of the fields with my eyes but can see in the middle of the field still. When I look through the scope I can still clearly see the edges of the fields too. This is not at all the case with the Leupold I have.
precision_shooter
New member
With data published by who? The individual company that made each optic. So calling it fact is wrong. They can publish any data they want as they are the ones that "gathered" the data.
Did each company use the same "approved" method for calculating light transmission?
The Fact is, that 65% of "facts" are false. Until I see a study conducted by and independent company on 2 off-the-shelf Leupold and Burris products of the same size Lenses and Magnifications then I don't believe what companies publish about their own products. It's all marketing and you took the bait.
Again, the indpendent company needs to go to a store and pick up 1 of each scope so as to ensure that neither company has gone above and beyond to make sure this one particular scope that will be tested was 10X better than what you can get off the shelf.
Once that data is published, then i might give it a shot at being closer to the truth than what "Data" a company uses to market a product...
hometheaterman
Moderator
Regardless of if the numbers they published are correct or not it's a pretty obvious difference. Have you ever looked through both? I'm guessing not. I have and have owned 2 Leupold VX-I's in different sizes as well as a Burris. In the ones I had there was a difference. Now I'm not saying the Leupolds were horrible as they were clear enough and I wouldn't have thought anything of it had I not looked through a Burris that is in the same price range.
Precision Shooter the Hometheatreman dislikes Leupold greatly so this is futile.I am a Leupold fan and I agree Burris is a good scope along with several others including Nikon. This the thing that makes this country so great we all can disagree and nothing bad happens to any of us.
roc1
roc1
hometheaterman
Moderator
I dislike Leupold after having one, that is true. However, all dislike aside, all of my friends who have compared the two will agree 100% as will probably most online who have looked through both. The Burris is a lot better in low light. Go on Optics Talk and ask what they think about the two. You will more than likely get the same opinion. It's not that the Leupold is horrible in low light. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying the Burris is a lot better. While that is a plus for the Burris that's not the reason I don't like Leupold.
That being said if your Leupold works and works for you there is nothing wrong with you using it or liking it at all. I'm just saying for me and the experience I had the Burris was better in low light.
That being said if your Leupold works and works for you there is nothing wrong with you using it or liking it at all. I'm just saying for me and the experience I had the Burris was better in low light.
crimsondave
New member
hometheatreman,
Is there a thread about Leupold on here you don't jump in on? You really need to get over it.
I've got a VX-I on a rimfire and it is a rip off compared to other scopes. If you can't afford a VX-II, buy a different brand. The friction adustments suck. It is a two piece scope rather than a one piece like the VXII and up.
If I was buying a $150-$200 scope (which I'm not) I'd go with either Burris or Weaver. Nikons are decent if you can get one that doesn't fog up on you.
All I buy is Leupolds, though. VXII and up.
Is there a thread about Leupold on here you don't jump in on? You really need to get over it.
I've got a VX-I on a rimfire and it is a rip off compared to other scopes. If you can't afford a VX-II, buy a different brand. The friction adustments suck. It is a two piece scope rather than a one piece like the VXII and up.
If I was buying a $150-$200 scope (which I'm not) I'd go with either Burris or Weaver. Nikons are decent if you can get one that doesn't fog up on you.
All I buy is Leupolds, though. VXII and up.
hometheaterman
Moderator
You even admitted that the VX-I was a rip off compared to other scopes? So should I not tell him that and let him think he is buying a quality scope just because it has the Leupold name on it like I did? I wish everyone had told me how the VX-I's were not that great compared to other scopes in that price range when I bought one instead of everyone just telling me that I couldn't go wrong with a Leupold. Then after having issues that's when they all said that you should buy a Leupold VX-II or above. There are just much better choices out there in the price range of a VX-I. I can't comment on the higher end scopes from Leupold as I haven't compared them.
If you go to a forum like Optics Talk where a lot of the guys actually know what they are talking about instead of just buying it because of the name on it not many of them seem to prefer Leupold very often either.
If you go to a forum like Optics Talk where a lot of the guys actually know what they are talking about instead of just buying it because of the name on it not many of them seem to prefer Leupold very often either.