Leupold Options - Low Light Hunting

[PZNOLA]

I did a lot of reading and hours of countless reserach to make our brains hurt. It seems a lot of guys recommend Leupold or Zeiss for low light hunting applications. My scenarios are as follows:

-$500-800 Budget for Optic
-.308 Rifle
-Hunting 50-300 yards
-Low Light Mostly
-Illumination a plus

If there are any others I should be looking at let me know. I am LEO so can get that discount unless I find one in the used sections.

What are main difference between VX-R and VX-3i? I would really like the Firedot as its not the whole reticle illuminated and easier for safe target acquisition. I noticed a VX-R on a website used as Demo but it had the BCD reticle and was worried it would obstruct view of being able to identify deer at a distance. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[lilharcher]

https://www.natchezss.com/leupold-vx-6-2-12x42mm-cds-zl-firedot-wind-plex-matte.html

Great deal on VX-6 w/ perfect hunting reticle (fire dot windplex).....Natchez is having a huge sale. You can probably get a LEO discount too.

 

[Zerk]

I thought 2-12 would be awesome. But when looking at specs, the FV was alot smaller than say 3-9 or 2-7, atleast on the models I looked at. Concerned me a bit.

 

[HurricaneWhisperer]

I thought 2-12 would be awesome. But when looking at specs, the FV was alot smaller than say 3-9 or 2-7, atleast on the models I looked at. Concerned me a bit.

You have to compare the field of view at the same power. The 2x field of view for the 2-12 and 2-7 would probably be quite similar and better than the 3x field of view on the 3-9

Comparing a Leupold vx-6hd 2-12 to a vx-r 2-7, the 2-12 has a wider field of view because the 2-12 actually goes down to 2x whereas the 2-7 only goes down to 2.5x actually.

Many 1-6 or 1-4 scopes don't actually go down to true 1x. The vx-6 1-6 does actually go down to true 1x. Using it at 1x with both eyes open is great. The scope sort of disappears and it's like having the illuminated reticle being attached to your eyeball.

From what I've found, it's hard to beat the Leupold 2-12 field of view at 2x. There is a Vortex 2-10 that has maybe a foot more field at a 100 yards. Swarovski makes a 2-16 that has a 63 foot field at 100 yards and Zeiss makes a 1.8-13 .5 with a 63 foot field at 100 yards but that's at lower mag.

Swarovski makes a 1.7-13.3 that has 75.6 ft field at a 100 yards and 1.7 mag. That's probably a really nice scope for something that get's used in woods and field due to the spread on the mag levels. Expensive.

If you really want field though, the Leupold vx-6 1-6 is a great scope. I have it on our Virginia mountain hunting rifles where the woods can be dense and there is no need for more than 3 or 4 power. Wife got her first deer with it last year. I taught her to use it at 1x with both eyes open when in dense woods so she could find it easy when they are close in and that's exactly where the deer was.

The VX-6 1-6 can also fit the 500-800 dollar budget if you get it on sale. It's illuminated and I find it bright enough for Virginia woods at legal hunting times.