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VX2 ultralight quality |
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graywolf.260
Optics Apprentice Joined: April/03/2011 Location: MT Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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Posted: August/20/2014 at 17:11 |
I am writing to share my experience and as a sort of reality check on my optical judgement. I just bought a VX2 3-9x33 ultralight with CDS as a scope for a light mountain hunting rifle, a Tikka 7mm08. Given the limitations of the scope, especially the limited eye relief and field of view, I found the clarity and brightness to be outstanding. I have a Kahles CL 2-7x37 and I have been comparing these side by side over the past few days and evenings until about 45 min past sundown. I live in a canyon and my deck faces west, and I get a good range of light and terrain including heavy trees and grassland to scope out. I honestly could not see a difference in the two scopes, except for the slightly larger field of view with the Kahles, well past legal hunting light. This really surprised me. Maybe my aging pupils are limiting my ability to discriminate but this seems like a great scope, especially for the cost. I adjusted the objective ring to zero the parallax out at 300 yards (factory setting is 150), which is better for the terrain I hunt. I will be looking forward to carrying this great light file in the field this season. I wonder if Koshkin or others have carefully looked at this scope, and I wonder if Leupold has just been able to make a great cheap scope because of the favorable size, or maybe my judgement is way off somehow? I am not a leupold fanboy by any means, I have been skeptical and less impressed with other leupold scopes, but the weight and cost of this tempted me enough to just try it.
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graywolf.260
Optics Apprentice Joined: April/03/2011 Location: MT Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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Edit to correct: my Kahles is a CL 2-7x36 (which I think is an amazing scope).
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Son of Ed
Chuck Norris Joined: June/18/2011 Location: TEXAS Status: Offline Points: 122166 |
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Well, this is very interesting. I have a Tikka 6.5X55 and I would like to get a lightweight scope for it. Your description of the Leupold sounds better than I would have imagined it to be. I figured it would have had critical eye relief and less field of view...and only OK-to-average light gathering abilities.
I'll put it in the pool of Lucky Finalists!!
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graywolf.260
Optics Apprentice Joined: April/03/2011 Location: MT Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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I haven't looked at any other vx2 models but I'm sure that the difference in light gathering and resolution between them and top end scopes is greater with larger objective scopes. But they definitely figured out how to make a great inexpensive 33 mm scope IMO.
The eye box is pretty unforgivingly tight but this I'd say is not a problem if the scope is mounted correctly and you know your stock and have good repeatable cheek weld. It will actually force you to be consistent which is a good thing especially in a scope without AO. Aside from the optics, the cds turret is low profile and has good feel and repeatabilty without increasing the weight much at all, the scope weighs about 8.5 oz. It's a unique package. |
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DCAMM94
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: April/19/2008 Location: Fort Worth Status: Offline Points: 3491 |
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I had an old VX-Compact 3-9x32 that was a good scope for the size. My dad was trying to outfit the rifle as a mountain gun. The rifle was a Rem700 300WM stainless with the injection molded plastic stock and that light scope. It got meat on both ends, but the scope was tough and bright for its size. I traded it in to SWFA for a Sample List 4.5-14x50 conquest a couple of years ago, but it was a great scope for almost 20 years.
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Although personally I am quite content with existing explosives, I feel we must not stand in the path of improvement. -Winston Churchill
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pyro6999
Optics Retard OT TITAN Joined: December/22/2006 Location: North Dakota Status: Offline Points: 22034 |
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i put a couple of the new 3x9 vx2's on my sons 7-08's, i must say they arent too terrible bad, but im not sure they are worth $300???
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They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead" 343 we will never forget God Bless Chris Ledoux "good ride cowboy" |
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graywolf.260
Optics Apprentice Joined: April/03/2011 Location: MT Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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The best deal I found was one nib with CDS turret for $300, that is $250 after rebate.
If it holds up I think the combination of weight and optics and form factor is a great deal for what it is- a specialized scope for a lightweight mountain hunting rifle. |
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Crockett
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/05/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 12 |
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I've got a Leupold 3x9 Ultralight on a custom .257 Ackley Improved I had built about 20 years ago. I had it built for light weight and chose every component based on its light weight which is why I choose the 3x9 Ultralight. I hunt a lot in the desert and travel the trails on an ATV with the rifle on the front of the ATV in a pair of those Y brackets across the front rack. Anyone who has traveled desert trails knows how rough they are with exposed rocks and knows only an ATV or stout 4x4 pickup should do it! Anyway -- the point is that this scope had taken the beating on those rough roads without a hitch. I've also got a Leupold VariXIII 6.5x20 that died the first time I took it out on the ATV in the desert. Leupold fixed it but I've got more confidence in that cheap Leupold 3x9 Ultralight than I do in the far more expensive Leupold Vari XIII 6.5x20. Also, I don't find the eyebox or eye relief limiting on the Ultralight at all. The only place I find it inferior is in the resolution of its optics. I've also got a Leupold Vari XIII 2.5x8 and it's optics are better than on the Ultralight. However I've got to look through the two of them side by side to see the difference -- but there IS a difference. I've also got a 3x9 Vari XII that I feel has better optics than the Ultralight -- so I consider my Ultralight to have the lesser resolution of the three scopes -- but the weight of it makes it perfect for my lightweight .257 -- in spite of its lesser optics. However -- let me be clear -- I bought this Ultralight about 20 years ago and the new Ultralights may be different today. I figure mine is a Vari XI – hence the lesser optics. The new Ultralights may be Vari XII’s???ALSO – even though I feel the optics aren’t as good as my Vari XII or the Vari XIII, I still made about a 500 yard shot on an antelope back in 1995 with the Ultralight scope! |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13181 |
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The new VX-2 Ultralight is a step forward from the earlier VX-II. Leupold has generally stepped up its game a lot on the last three years or so.
Compound it with a fact that with lower magnification smallish objective scopes it is generally easier to make decent optics, I am not surprised you like your scope. I have not looked at it next to the Kahles, so I can't make a comparison there, but I recall liking the little VX-2. I generally like compact scope. For example one of my favourite scopes of all I looked at lately is Vortex Diamondback HP 2-8x32. It is not as light as some others, but excellent in every other way. ILya |
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