Leupold® Rifleman Scope?

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Jimbobob08

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Leupold® Rifleman Scope?

Ok fellas. I bought a savage package rifle a few years ago (Model 111FCXP3) in 30-06. Never hunted out of the thicks before but it looks like this fall I may be hunting power lines and fields where a scoped higher power rifle would be better then my ol' 30-30 lever, or CZ 858.

Basicly I'm thinking close range, to 200-250 with a ton of practice. Cost is a huge issue. I could wait untill fall, and save more, but then I wont have practice time, which would be a huge mistake I think.

I came up with a rifleman 2-7x33 maybe sitting on talley one pieces? Which is pushing my budget as is.

I looked at 3200, but warranty issues/time turned me away from those and towards Leupold. Not looking for flash, just good reliable stuff that'll get the job done on a budget. I'm a guy who still uses his granddaddy's 30-30 lever and factory 170grain ammo so keep that in mind when you wanna suggest some scope that costs more then my pickup! :eek:

Thx for info/suggestions fellas.
 
The Rifleman is a very good scope for the money. However there's a catch. The problem you'll have with the Talley rings and the Rifleman scope is insufficient scope tube length to mount the scope. I tried to mount a Rifleman on a friend's Stevens 200 30-06 (same action) in Weaver rings and there wasn't enough room. When I measured my Stevens 200 with Talleys there wasn't enough room to fit the scope either (or the lucky bugger would have gotten my Talleys on his birthday present from his wife). In the end he got Weaver bases and an extension ring. Cheap and effective though he had problems with the scope running out of windage adjustment when he sighted it in. That problem went away with different rings.

I have a Burris Signature 3-9x on my 200 30-06 and it fits with about 3/8" wiggle room. the solution that most guys go with is a one piece picatinny-style base and Burris rings which really frees up your mounting location. Probably the most economical way to go as well, though I prefer 2 piece bases on my hunting rifles so that they're easier to load with gloves on. Never used a 1 piece base. You could also try the Dedutz one piece mount where the rings are integral to the mount. They look hell for strong but they're a hair pricey (talk to Darren at Prairie Gun Traders as I know he imports them). I'd just measure whatever scope I wanted to use and make sure that I tailored the mounts so that the scope would fit.

Better to spend a few more bucks for higher quality than trying to cheap out.
 
I would go with the VX-1 over the Rifleman. The price is practically the same, but from what I understand, the VX-1 is US made, and the rifleman is not...
 
I have that Rifleman scope on a .30-06 and it has served me very well. It has held zero through a fall I had that nearly made me cry due to a gash in the wood (in retrospect it is an insignificant scratch but it seemed big at the time). The glass is very clear and bright. 2-7 power is in my opinion perfect for the hunting you describe.

Last I checked, Wholesale sports online had the best price, and it was the same price as the vx-1, which is what I have gone with for subsequent scopes.

The warranty service makes a huge difference. I've only once had to have a different Leupold scope fixed and it was taken care of very well.

RG

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Jimbobob08 said:
I looked at 3200, but warranty issues/time turned me away from those and towards Leupold.
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I agree that Leupold offers better service here in Canada than Bushnell, but there hasn't been very much talk at all about problems with the Bushnell 3000/3200/4200 line. I've owned a few and had not problems at all. They seem to have been quite reliable and a 3x9 3200 can be had for about $200 on the EE. I think they are still worth a look.


.
 
If I jumped ship and went with a used bushnell 3200, would I have any issues mounting it to my savage? Would talleys, or other regular bases/rings work?

The scope #### is all new to me, irons are so much easier and reliable lol
 
The 3200 would still require extension rings on your action. A picatinny stye base or leupold/Redfield one piece would solve the problem allowing short scope tube mounting.
 
You're on a budget. Use Weaver bases and rings. If the scope is short use extension rings. Hard to beat for effectiveness or price. Gets you shooting very economically and you can move up later if you want .

I have a Rifleman 2-7 and I like it a lot. But as someone mentioned - check price on the VX-1, it has better lens coatings and if price is close it would be a better choice. Nothing wrong with the Rifleman if you decide to go that way.
 
for a few $ more go the vx1. i have rifleman, vx1 and vx11. the rifleman is as durable as any leup but there is a differnce in the glass between the vx1. i think the vx1 series is a better value for not much more money. my rifleman 3x9 has been on a 338 06 for years and i never ajust it, it holds zero perfectly. i only bought the rifleman because the price was so low i couldn't say no.
 
I like Leupold but Bushnell is a better value and the scopes are great. Its always best not to cheap out on a scope, even if it means waiting a better scope is always a good thing.
 
The Leupold has better service than Bushnell. If you send it to Bushnell, they can opt out of replacing it for free, and charge you a pro-rated fee. They also have a habit of offering lower priced replacements when your model is no longer produced. An example was the old Banners. Great scopes, but they would give you a new Banner as a replacement.

I've had both the Rifleman and the VX-1. I prefer the crosshairs on the Rifleman, being a little more open in the center. And everyone needs to remember that Leupold changed everything a few years back. If your talking coatings, the Rifleman and VX-1 are similar, and are the equivilant to the old model Vari X-II. The new VX 2 is the equivilant to the old Vari X III, at least that is my understanding.
 
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the weaver extension bases work well,#402 or something like that.I also believe the riflemans are made in the usa,and are tested and have the same warranty as the vx-7!
 
pharaoh2 said:
The Leupold has better service than Bushnell. If you send it to Bushnell, they can opt out of replacing it for free, and charge you a pro-rated fee. They also have a habit of offering lower priced replacements when your model is no longer produced. An example was the old Banners. Great scopes, but they would give you a new Banner as a replacement.

I've had both the Rifleman and the VX-1. I prefer the crosshairs on the Rifleman, being a little more open in the center. And everyone needs to remember that Leupold changed everything a few years back. If your talking coatings, the Rifleman and VX-1 are similar, and are the equivilant to the old model Vari X-II. The new VX 2 is the equivilant to the old Vari X III, at least that is my understanding.
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Pharaoh,
The crosshairs on your rifleman are likely wide duplex. You could have that reticle put on the VXI as they will interchange.
 
Tony Gauthier said:
You understand wrong, all Leupolds are made in the States.
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Directly from the Leupold website:

Leupold uses foreign sourced components for some parts of Golden Ring products, primarily lenses.

<snip>

Incoming parts are carefully inspected in our testing facility before they are accepted into the assembly process. Incidentally, all major optics producers worldwide acquire some or all of their glass from the same sources as Leupold. Some of these sources are located domestically, some are European, and some are Asian.



They also specifically mention "Golden Ring" which includes scopes.
 
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I don't see any advantage to the rifleman over the VXI. Most dealers have them at the same price.

Rifleman:
- only comes in wide duplex reticle
- Fully coated lenses (whatever that means, I'm sure its inferior to standard coating)
- 1/2 MOA friction dials

VXI:
- Standard Multicoat lenses
- choice of duplex, wide duplex, or long range reticles
- 1/4 MOA friction dials
- Lockable eyepiece for focus
- choice of matte, gloss, or silver
- comes with neoprene cover

Jimbobob08, no matter which is better, I'd still be looking at the EE,. You can pick up a used VXII for the price of a new VXI or rifleman...
 
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Tony Gauthier said:
Sandroad,
I believe you are looking at binoculars. Most of the scope parts are built at the Leupold plant. The anodizing is outsourced in Oregon.
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Nope, they say Golden Ring products, which definitely includes scopes, and that they also say they have been doing this for a long time, specifically with lenses. They also sell far more scopes than binoculars.

The way they specifically chose their words and emphasize Golden Ring, clearly says that many parts are foreign made (weasel words). Nowhere on their site does it say that everything is American made and they specifically say that some parts are foreign made, including Europe and Asia.

It just makes economic sense that many things are foreign made. They are still a company and need to compete.

In this case, it doesn't really matter, Rifleman scopes are also Golden Ring.

Leupold is no different than RCBS which has recently used foreign castings for their presses.
 
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