I’m looking for a Leupold 2.5-8, and Im trying to figure out which “V” is the best glass. VX, Veri-x, VXi, VX II, III…. Which version. Can anyone walk me through the hierarchy?

Thank you,

JDG

Give us a call, 516-217-1000, and we can discuss this with you

I don't know if this will fully answer any of your questions, but information on turn of the century Leupold scopes is disappearing quickly, and I was glad to find some links which have product information from the times.

Leupold VX-1, VX-2, and VX-3: What is the Difference?


https://riflescopesinfo.wordpr...t-is-the-difference/


What are the major differences between scope lines? 10/04/09

https://www.24hourcampfire.com...e_Vari_X#Post3359578


Difference between Leupold VX series and older Vari-X [ 11/11/09

https://www.24hourcampfire.com...nce_between_Leupold_

Undoubtedly later scopes have features, particularly wind age and elevation knobs, focusing, that early scopes did not. And more "tactical" reticles. Tactical or tacticool, is similar to the skateboard craze that went on for years and years with both the skateboard and hula hoops currently in the closet. Society goes through these fads.

In so far as glass and coatings, I am of the opinion glass got better and better since the mid nineties, and after talking to an optics house (around 2005) at that time there were only a few glass makers and a few lens grinders. No optical manufacturer could stay in business allowing their production line to make sub standard lenses for a discount market. Production standards were pretty much all lenses had to be perfect or the production processes were out of whack and costs on the factory floor would rise.

I was told human eyeballs were very poor judges of optical quality. At some desired level of optical performance an interferometer https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/p...at-is-interferometer had to be brought out for diffraction patterns, invisible to the human retina.

Coating deposition technology has probably improved, and the more you pay, the better the coatings. Still, your eyeballs are the limiting factor. Just hang some eyeball chart, with lines and grids, and look at it at 200, 300 yards. Then ask a teenager what he sees through the scope. The teenager will see things that you won't. And what you don't see, can not be corrected by spending money.

Depends on your requirements and what you use it for..
For me? Im a hunter, varmenta and big game, so a variX2 or 3 suits me fine, they only thing I prefer, but its not critical is the click adjustments..I have a lot of Leupold scopes and won't use any other...

I’m using a Leupold M8 4x I bought new in the early 2000’s. Nothing wrong with the 4x, I just want to be able to dial it up when punching holes in paper. I’m hunting deer in northern MI.

The Leupold 2.5x8 (36mm objective) was a really great hunting scope. It combined the right magnification range with reasonable size and weight for a deer or big game rifle.

It was made in the Vari-X III, then the VX-III, and I think in the VX-3. Older Vari-X III's had friction ("non click") adjustments. The later versions and the two VX's had 1/4 minute clicks.

The primary difference in any of them is the advertising hype which went with each generation, which was all meaningless tripe meant to rope in gullible once-a-year shooters. The truth is that all of them had excellent optics and one will serve you as well as another. Good luck finding one, especially if you want a now-rare gloss finish.

quote:

Good luck finding one, especially if you want a now-rare gloss finish.

I’ve always felt the VX-III era had the best fit and finish of all the lines and prefer to buy those when I need one.

I use mostly the VX1/rifleman scopes. No faults noted so far and I have 7 of them. I don't need clicks and the optics are very clear. As stated, modern optics are better than ever. I also have Swarovski and Zeiss; seriously, not much difference, even in low light. Any scope will work in daylight as long as the adjustments don't move on you. Only scope I had fail was a steel Weaver 2-7 made in the early 70s.

I've found the VX-1 OK. The VX-III used to be claimed better because of the copper-berillium springs - but looking at old ads I now see they've been using them for 60 years in basic models.

I actually prefer the VX-I and VX-II series to the III's (or "3's"). The reason is that the III's used a lens coating that slightly obscured the blue end of the spectrum and highlighted the red end of the spectrum. This causes the sight picture that "looks brighter" to most people's eyes -- especially under the bluish fluorescent light, which, until recently, was the lighting of choice (by necessity) in most commercial stores. I prefer the "non-colored" coatings which allow truer colors to come through to the eye. The quality of the lenses and the mechanics of the scopes are essentially the same in all of the lines.

One caveat: I greatly dislike the big, sharp-shouldered knob on the power ring of the "Freedom" line. Whoever came up with that knuckle buster should be boiled in oil before his carcass is tossed to a pen full of hungry hogs.