Hey, does anyone have any experiance with the 3x fixed power (not the HOG hunter) scope available from the Leuopold custom shop or SWFA?

I need a long scope with no power ring to interfere with the bolt handle.

I think these have FXII or similar optical technology so it is somewhat behind the times.

The 3X Leupold available through the Leupold Custom Shop is essentially the same as the long-time favorite of dangerous game hunters, the Leupold M-8 3X. It is a simple, tough scope with excellent and forgiving eye relief and a tube long enough to mount on long bolt action rifles. Why Leupold doesn't offer it as a regular retail item is something of a mystery.

As far as its optics, well, they're better than you'll ever need. There's nothing "behind the times" with a fixed power, second focal plane scope's design since it is simple and straight-forward and not really adaptable to "improvement" other than simply using better glass. Excellent optical glass is cheap and abundant these days, as are excellent glass coatings, so the difference in "run of the mill" optical glass and the "very finest" optical glass is virtually undetectable.

Just a wee piece of trivia about the M8 3x - They were actually specified as closer to 2.75x in Leupold's catalog. Much the same as the ever popular 2.5/8 is closer to 2.8/7.6.

Personally I think 2.75X makes more sense, but obviously the marketing folks think differently

I've owned and enjoyed several M8-3x BTW, and, as Stonecreek said, they were entirely adequate optically, even though the FX11 is significantly better optically (to me anyway)