Heads up on a scope sale, Leupold VX3i

[jmr40]

Was in a Bass Pro today and saw this on sale. About $100 off regular price

Leupold VX-3i CDS ZL Rifle Scope | Bass Pro Shops

It is a VX3i 3.5-10X40 with adjustable elevation turret. I bought one of these locally at the same price about a year ago and like it. Most scopes with adjustable turrets are designed primarily as target scopes and are too big and heavy for hunting. Plus the turrets protrude so far from the scope they are less than ideal. The fact that it locks in place is a huge plus too.

I may never use it when hunting, but I use the same rifle to shoot at longer range targets, so it is a big plus for that.

 

[Txhillbilly]

Fixed parallax is a deal killer for anyone that wants to use it past 100 -150 yards.

 

[LoonWulf]

Ive got the NON-ZL version of this scope on my .375 Ruger, and like it well enough it hasn't left that rifle yet. I never did order the custom dial for mine and just run off the MOA marked dial.

 

[jmr40]

I never did order the custom dial for mine and just run off the MOA marked dial.

I'd rather use the MOA dial too. With a custom dial you're locked into one load. With the standard dial you can figure out the settings for multiple loads, print a cheat sheet and you're good to go. It makes it easier to move to another rifle if you choose to as well.

Fixed parallax is a deal killer for anyone that wants to use it past 100 -150 yards.

Parallax is one of those things we worry about way too much. At 500 yards parallax will effect POI less than 1" at most. If I were capable of shooting 1" groups at 500 yards then it might be an issue.

 

[wombat13]

What makes it the ZL version? Is it the elevation turret? I have that scope without the special elevation turret on a Savage Axis II .25-06. What a nice, light, deer-killing laser.

 

[gotboostvr]

Correct, @wombat13 the only difference is a locking elevation turret is what the ZL stands for.

 

[LoonWulf]

print a cheat sheet and you're good to go

Yep, i had a sheet on the side of my stock for a while, when i was using a 100yd zero. Then i realized that with a 200yd zero, my .375s trajectory with its two primary loads was easy enough to remember. Its 3,4,5,7,9 in 50yd increments out from 300-500. Those are close enough i can land rounds on a 6" plate with a center/center high hold (and no wind, if theres wind all bets are off).

 

[Chuck R.]

It's a pretty good deal as Leupold discontinued the 3i series for the new HDs. I've got that same scope on one of my rem M7s and it's a great combo.

With my .gov discount I can get the 3.5-10x40 3HD ZS CDL for $359.99+ shipping, same price as the 2.5-8x36HD, which is what I'm waiting on. I like using the CDS dials in MOA VS the BDC feature, so most of mine have remained with the MOA clicks.

I also agree that for about 95% (higher??) sweating a fixed parallax isn't something I worry about. I actually have bought lower magnification scopes to avoid the adjustable parallax. For me it's just one more thing to have adjusted wrong when I need to make a quick shot.

 

[LoonWulf]

I forgot to comment on the parallax issue as well.
For me any a power much higher than 10-12 or so is the deal breaker on a fixed parallax / nonadjustable AO scope.
I don't have much issue hitting the targets, I have a hard time seeing them clearly if I can't adjust the focus, and if I can't see them clearly I don't want to practice with the rifle very often.

That could of course just be me though

 

[wombat13]

I forgot to comment on the parallax issue as well.
For me any a power much higher than 10-12 or so is the deal breaker on a fixed parallax / nonadjustable AO scope.
I don't have much issue hitting the targets, I have a hard time seeing them clearly if I can't adjust the focus, and if I can't see them clearly I don't want to practice with the rifle very often.

That could of course just be me though

Someone on this forum, maybe H&H, told me don’t worry about parallax below 10-12 power. That’s why my .300WM wears a VX-6 2-12. Besides, I have nowhere to practice beyond 200 yards, so I don’t really need more than 12x.

 

[jmr40]

It's a pretty good deal as Leupold discontinued the 3i series for the new HDs.

Wasn't aware they were discontinuing the VX3i. That explains the discount.

 

[Chuck R.]

Wasn't aware they were discontinuing the VX3i. That explains the discount.

I was kind of surprised too. I go on their site periodically hoping the 2.5x8s will be back in stock. A couple weeks ago they had 3is and 3HDs listed for sale, now if you look under scope series the 3is are gone. You can still get to the page, by doing an "end around", but it shows the 3is as discontinued. Good news is the 3HDs are the same price.

 

[Sniper66]

I think it would be a fine choice for you. But, look around some. $400 is typical price and you may be able to do a bit better. But, if you want it, don't wait too long.

 

[Chuck R.]

Someone on this forum, maybe H&H, told me don’t worry about parallax below 10-12 power. That’s why my .300WM wears a VX-6 2-12. Besides, I have nowhere to practice beyond 200 yards, so I don’t really need more than 12x.

I've got that same scope and love it! I also bought it to avoid the adjustable parallax.

Magnification is one of those personal things. I made the longest shot on a game animal in my life (440 meters) with a 1.5-6x Swarovski on a chamois in Austria. The majority of my big game rifles wear relatively mid-magnification scopes (2.2-9s, 2.5-8s, 2-12 and 3.5-10s). I save the high magnification stuff and twisty knobs for the varmint and precision rigs as I don't want to deal with the weight/bulk on a hunting rifle. My highest magnification scope on a big game rifle is a Leupold 4.5-14X on a .300WM and I'm probably going to replace that with another Leupold VX6HD 2-12X. Also as 95% of my shots are within 200yds, longest shots I've made on deer were slightly over 300yds, so I just don't need the higher end magnification.