Leupold vx3 6 tx20 by 50 or 5.5x20x56 Nightforce SHV

[cowboy77]

My lgs has the 30 mm Leupold for $890 out the door. The SHV is $1199 out the door. I've got an SHV in 4.5 x14x56 and it's a nice scope and I really like the reticle. The Leupold is great glass too and has a duplex reticle. I'm wanting to put one of the 2 on my Tikka Xtr 6.5 creedmoor bench rifle. It's got a 4x16 Vortex HST on it now and would be nice if it didn't start blurring at anything above 12 power. I've banged steel with it out to 1200 yards but it's not a 100-1500 yard scope in my opinion. I keep sub moa out to 600 and fight blurred glass when I need the extra power. I kind of like the duplex since I use clicks verses hash lines anyway. I'm old school so mils don't do it for me. I also prefer the second focal plane and both of these are. I've never used a Leupold over a 2.5x10 power. I've got several old Leupolds with the Roman numerals from years gone by which I think glass was better then but turrets were not as good as nowadays. Jmho. Any help on the scopes would be appreciated.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Leupold you wont be disappointed its all I own

 

[Varminterror]

The Nightforce is a much better grade scope than the VX3. Guys get lured in by the Gold Ring and an old reputation so easily. Side by side, unless you have the M1 turrets, you will get squishy adjustments in the Leupold compared to the Nightforce, and your tracking will be all over the place - lots of lash in the adjustments. The NF glass will be better resolved as well, which for me, means less headache after a long day at the range, and more impacts on target.

 

[jmr40]

Leupold makes very nice hunting scopes in the $500 and under price range. Once you get into $500+ scopes I think there are better options.

BTW it is a 4.5-14X56, not 4.5X14X56. 4.5-14X56 is short hand for 4.5 power to 14 power with a 56 mm lense. What you have written says you have a scope with 2 options for magnification, 4.5X and 14X with nothing in between and a 56mm lense.

2.5x10 power.

This is saying that you have a fixed power 2.5X scope with a 10mm lense, it should read 2.5X if you have a fixed power scope and you don't include the lense size. Or 2.5-10X if a variable scope. If you include the lense size it comes after the X. For example 2.5-10X40.

 

[cowboy77]

Glad to see the reports. Was concerned with turret tracking. I'd rather pay the extra 400

 

[cdb1]

I've got several old Leupolds with the Roman numerals from years gone by which I think glass was better then but turrets were not as good as nowadays.

I think just the opposite. Leupold glass is better than it used to be.

I haven’t looked through a NightForce scope in a couple of years. When I did look through them regularly the glass did not seem as good as some other scopes, say a VX-6, but was definitely on par or better than a VX-3. Wasn’t a big deal to me because if I were buying NightForce at the time it would have been for their legendary toughness and turret repeatability.

My understanding is NightForce glass has gotten better which I believe to be true based on who stated it.

Though I very much like Leupold, for your purpose I’d go NightForce without question, even if it had older glass. With a VX-3 instead of smiling and dialing you'd be smiling and frowning. Turret precision is not the forte of the Leupold VX line.