Vari-X III still modern enough?

Keithjohn said:
You MAY notice a little diff in the light if it's got the old coatings ( not much ) but if your buying new you will spend $750+ to get a better scope for hunting IMO clarity and holding zero are the main thing and the old leupold coatings were the best in their day and seemed to work pretty good ( if not the best ) for dusk and daybreak
Click to expand...

If I remember correctly, the Vari-X III coatings are what Leupold now uses in their VX-1 scopes (Multicoat 4 w/ 92% light transmission). Not top of the line by todays standards, but good for the day, and it holds up well against anything "modern" in the $200 price range.
 
I wouldn't have a problem using that scope. That vintage of Leupolds are what earned Leupold the reputation for toughness and good tracking.

Leupold should go relearn what they forgot, that tough scopes are critical. :)
 
I dont think you will do much better if you 'flip' your scope and re-invest the proceeds. Imo your best bet is to spend some time with it at a range and also in the usual hunting situations you anticipate and see if the performance is satisfactory. Optics aside (and you may not see a huge improvement if you switch to another scope) mechanical precision and durability/consistency is perhaps more critical. Having a great image of your target at dusk but with a reticle that you cant discern or that is unstable from recoil or power changes is not a satisfactory option.

Certainly coatings help create a better image 'IF' they are applied to the lense surfaces that can benefit and 'IF' they arent too soft and deteriorate over time from zealous cleaning. For some years some field optics employed multi coating on internal surfaces but retained hard single coatings on the exterior lens to resist abrasion.
Photographers have known for years that shielding the objective lens from sources of bright light with a lens hood can eliminate flare as well (or much better) than multicoating. In fact most of the Zeiss (Jena) scopes were shipped with rubber eye 'cups' for the scope ocular to eliminate flare from light sources behind the shooter. They work pretty well....if they dont impede the rifle bolt.

In short...try the scope first before deciding you need another. And dont believe all the marketing hype about multi coating.

I have an old low power scope somewhere that came in a Noske mount with my Newton rifle. Its close to 90 years old...the scope has no coatings but it is an aprochromat...in most light the image is spectacular..sharp, contrasty and perfect colour. Just dont let any bright light sources catch the edges of the field of view.
 
Sir Plus said:
My concern was mainly light gathering before and after the sunlight.
Click to expand...

Well it's an 8x top end and a 36mm objective so you're not going to be as absolutely bright as you could get with a larger objective but pretty close. If you turn down the power to 7x you'll be at a 5mm exit pupil which is generally regarded as the maximum amount of light that an adult human eye can make use of.

I can tell you this, when I was in RSA walking back to camp in the black dark I was amazed at what I could see through my 1.5-5x turned all the way down to 1.5x.
 
since its a fairly old scope. If you're worried at all about internal or glass wear/tear. Send it in to Korth to get refurbed. They will get it to almost good as new with a very quick turn around time.
 
Rembo said:
Now, that's a good deal.

My favorite scope for short actions and Model Sevens. Had 4 of them at one time, think I'm down to 2. Actually I think I might have 3.
Click to expand...

Three of the same scope is unlucky , you should sell me one of them , and then I can put it on my short action 358 that you rebarreled for me......... I'll drop by the shop tomorrow ........ and lenses caps would be nice .
 
Stick with the Vari-X III and VXIII lines and be happy. Coincidentally my only 2 broken/malfunctioning Leupolds are FX3s. Also a close friend has had 2, VX3s puke.

Leupold sure is churning out some funny stuff these days.

Id take an older M8 6x42 over a new one any day.
 
I have a vari x 3 on my 300 win mag. It's an awesome scope. Has never been out and I am able to see very well up to legal time. If your scope is performing flawlessly then hang on to it. To get into a new vx3 you'll be spending at least 700 plus taxes. Consider going through irunguns. They only charge $25 for shipping I believe. I priced out a vx 3, would still be $150-200 cheaper than buying one in Canada including the exchange and taxes. Just my 2 cents
 
BigUglyMan said:
Well it's an 8x top end and a 36mm objective so you're not going to be as absolutely bright as you could get with a larger objective but pretty close. If you turn down the power to 7x you'll be at a 5mm exit pupil which is generally regarded as the maximum amount of light that an adult human eye can make use of.

I can tell you this, when I was in RSA walking back to camp in the black dark I was amazed at what I could see through my 1.5-5x turned all the way down to 1.5x.
Click to expand...

you were younger too ...
 
I'll give you $250 for it. By the way the best thing for low light hunting is a pair of binoculars with a 50mm objective hanging from your neck and a pair of those yellow tint safety glasses. That will buy you some extra time at last call when it is getting dark.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom