I'm looking at a VX2 3-9 with LR reticle or a VX3 3-10 with BC reticle for my 300 win mag. Is there a significant differance in the optical quality of the two to justify the price difference between these scopes????

I can't advise you as to which scope to buy as I only have a few VX II's, and no VX III's.
But, here are some words from Leupold about the differences between the two that may shed some light on which to buy.


"The VX-II scopes are MultiCoat 4 providing 92% of the available light back to the shooters eye. The windage and elevation adjustments are an audible click adjustment in 1/4" inch click increments on the dial. The scopes offer multiple reticle options. The scopes are offered in black gloss or matte finish and some models are available in silver finish. The scopes are waterproof and covered by the Leupold Lifetime Guarantee. Custom Shop services are available. (The VX-II line is basically the Vari-X III optics in the Vari-X II body).

The VX-III scopes use the new Matched Index lens system, providing 94% to 98% of the available light back to the shooters eye depending on the particular VX-III model. The windage and elevation adjustments are an audible click adjustment in 1/4" inch click increments on the dial and low profile adjustments are finger adjustable (no special tools required). The scopes offer multiple reticle options. The scopes are offered in black gloss or matte finish and some models are available in silver finish. Some models are available in a 30mm maintube. These selected hunting models, VX-III 1.75-6x32mm, 2.5-8x36mm, 3.5-10x40mm, 3.5-10x50mm, 4.5-14x40mm, and 4.5-14x50mm scopes provide a simple built-in range estimating feature that uses the Duplex reticle. The scopes are waterproof and covered by the Leupold Lifetime Guarantee. Custom Shop Services are available."

Don

I have the VXIII 3.5-10x40 with the BC reticle and like it very much. The glass is good and the sight picture is bright and clear. I do like the long "forgiving" eye relief of 3.6 to 4.6 inches... Another scope you may want to check out is the Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 which has very good optics and a constant 4 inches of eye relief.

Ken....

I've got both right now. Side-by-side, the VX-III is brighter and shows more detail on print. Separately, they both look good. As for whether the extra clarity is worth it to you, that's your call. I will say that either will do the job for you. For my older eyes though, I like the VX-IIIs.

I have both and can not tell a difference between VX2 and VX3.

I prefer other brands, but both are good scopes.

Good Luck

Reloader

I'm pretty picky and (think) I have a pretty discerning eye. I don't find enough difference in the II and the III to justify the price differential.

As a matter of fact, I suspect that the lens coatings on the III provide just enough color shift to make the image attractive to the eye without making the color distortion noticeable. I prefer an uncolored (or true-colored) image, which I believe helps resolution in most instances.

Lots of manufacturers of scopes with somewhat marginal features have discovered that color shifting sells scopes. It's like turning up the color and contrast on your television: It may make a dazzling image that is impressive to the eye, but it is not an accurate representation of the actual image the camera is seeing. Some people claim that shifting toward the red end of the spectrum helps the eye see game better. Maybe, but I prefer the color of the image to be as true as possible.

This is not to say that coloring (or filtering) the image cannot be helpful in some circumstances. For instance, many shooters swear by yellow lenses for overcast days to improve target contrast. But I believe that the scope should be uncolored (unfiltered) and that any filtration should be done with eyeglass lenses instead of with the scope.

I don't see any difference between the VX1s and VX11s either.

The VXIII might be a tad brighter but I've gone with the VXII's ( I have 3 of them)cause I love the LR reticle, nice and simple to use.

I purchased a Rifleman 3X9X42 for $199 at the local Sportsmen's Warehouse and set in the redfield rings on my Remington 700 in .338 Windchester. It took me 3 rounds to zero the new scope and the gun shoots about 1.5" on the hundred yard range with some old (1960) factory ammo.
I read in an old Barsness article that the Rifleman is the same as the VX-!! prior to 2005. Same coating, reticle, eye relief, etc..
For the money I don't think you can beat the Leupold Rifleman series of scopes