Luepold VX-Freedom 3-9x50 Is it Discontinued?

[DustyGmt]

I was recently searching for an optic for my rifle, I set my heart on a Leupold of some flavor but quite a few in the VX Freedom line were out of stock everywhere. A few of the ones I read about and then tried to find were out of stock, everywhere. I didn't think it was unusual given the current run on guns, ammo, optics and accessories. I felt blessed to have found a 3-9×50 VX Freedom at my LGS and liked the scope very much and want to buy another for my AR at some point.

I was just wondering if this is a discontinued model because I was looking on the Leupold site and it says "this optic is no longer for sale" and didn't know if that was the same as Discontinued or not. Do any of you guys know? It sounds to me like "no longer for sale" is the same as discontinued but I could be wrong. It would be a shame because it's a pretty nice scope and I was planning on buying one or two more although I wouldn't be surprised because alot of great things get discontinued for lots of reasons.

 

[LoonWulf]

As far as I know thats what they put under any of the scopes they take out of production. It looks like they are either coming out with a host of new models or thinning the offerings.

 

[troy fairweather]

That should be pretty popular scope I don't see them dropping it. Let's hope the line is getting a revamp and they improve the stuff guys are complaining about.

 

[DustyGmt]

That should be pretty popular scope I don't see them dropping it. Let's hope the line is getting a revamp and they improve the stuff guys are complaining about.

Ah like maybe turrets that reset to zero. I would like to pay a lil more and have a nicer turret/adj.

 

[jmr40]

I'd bet they sell twenty 3-9X40's for every one they sell with a 50mm objective. I wouldn't be surprised to see items being discontinued to increase production on more popular items. There are still plenty of 3-9X40's available and a 50mm objective doesn't offer a single advantage.

Ah like maybe turrets that reset to zero. I would like to pay a lil more and have a nicer turret/adj.

Here ya go. One of the local gun shops had one of these a few months ago priced at $399 OTD. I bought it, mounted it on a rifle and liked it enough to buy a 2nd one at that price. I still haven't mounted the 2nd one on a rifle yet. Will do that after hunting season ends.

Buy Leupold 3.5-10x40 VX-3i Riflescopes at SWFA.com - SWFA Outdoors

I really like how it returns to zero and locks into place. I have some other adjustable turret scopes on dedicated range guns, but wouldn't want to hunt with them. Too big and bulky and too easy for the turrets to get moved. This is light and compact enough to hunt with and locks down. So far I'm really liking it.

 

[LoonWulf]

Ah like maybe turrets that reset to zero. I would like to pay a lil more and have a nicer turret/adj.

Thats my major complaint about the VX-Fs. Honestly id rather they kept the friction turrets over whats on there lol.

 

[DustyGmt]

I'd bet they sell twenty 3-9X40's for every one they sell with a 50mm objective. I wouldn't be surprised to see items being discontinued to increase production on more popular items. There are still plenty of 3-9X40's available and a 50mm objective doesn't offer a single advantage.



Here ya go. One of the local gun shops had one of these a few months ago priced at $399 OTD. I bought it, mounted it on a rifle and liked it enough to buy a 2nd one at that price. I still haven't mounted the 2nd one on a rifle yet. Will do that after hunting season ends.

Buy Leupold 3.5-10x40 VX-3i Riflescopes at SWFA.com - SWFA Outdoors

I really like how it returns to zero and locks into place. I have some other adjustable turret scopes on dedicated range guns, but wouldn't want to hunt with them. Too big and bulky and too easy for the turrets to get moved. This is light and compact enough to hunt with and locks down. So far I'm really liking it.

View attachment 967547

Yep, I would have been all over that. In my price range, exactly what I was looking for. How did it get by me. Ah, maybe next time. Or, I'll shuffle the 50mm to a different gun and buy one of those for my hunting rifle.

 

[troy fairweather]

I'd like turrets that track better, doesn't have to be as good as a top tear scope but better. I like the friction turrets don't know why guys hate them, if it's just a set and forget scope who cares.

the freedom still have pretty good eye relief be nice if they had a better eye box like the older vari x scopes. But for the price it's fine.

 

[DustyGmt]

a 50mm objective doesn't offer a single advantage.

View attachment 967547

I have never done an apples to apples comparison but the leupold does seem to be better in low light over my Redfield and Vortex. I was always under the impression that what you sacrificed in weight and bulk, you made up for in light transmission with the bigger bell. No?

 

[LoonWulf]

I have never done an apples to apples comparison but the leupold does seem to be better in low light over my Redfield and Vortex. I was always under the impression that what you sacrificed in weight and bulk, you made up for in light transmission with the bigger bell. No?

You do all else being equal, but the vast majority of hunters wont see an advantage because the average 40 will transmit plenty of light well past legal shooting time in all but the darkest conditions.
We used to really prize the bigger objectives when spotlighting, and I do see a difference jungle hunting, but neither are super common conditions.

On note is that slightly poorer light transmitting scopes with big bells can sometimes beat better scopes.
Leupys dont seem to be fantastic once light gets real dim, but even my Intensity 3-12x44 (44mag with Aetec lenses i think) was noticably better than my 40mm vx-3i.....but were talking RIGHT before dark, so much so i couldnt use my phone to take a picture thru either scope.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Troy, it’s TIER, not TEAR.
But keep at it! Your posts are now readable, and make sense!
Great improvement.

 

[LoonWulf]

Troy, it’s TIER, not TEAR.
But keep at it! Your posts are now readable, and make sense!
Great improvement.

I keep thinking we need to send him a better tablet LOL

I know a bunch of those are autocorrects, because my phone does the same thing.

 

[troy fairweather]

Ill use my uno card, my mind spelled tier, but the auto correct beat me lol. I'm just happy the screen works with all the cracks, still better then using a laptop when some keys don't work lol.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I understand!
I spend more time proofreading and correcting “auto correct” than I do typing the original message.

 

[troy fairweather]

I keep thinking we need to send him a better tablet LOL

I know a bunch of those are autocorrects, because my phone does the same thing.

Fat fingers to, and I swear things will change when you hit post lol.

 

[LoonWulf]

I understand!
I spend more time proofreading and correcting “auto correct” than I do typing the original message.

Fat fingers to, and I swear things will change when you hit post lol.

For about 6 months googles new correction logic did that to me. I'd finish a sentence, proof it real quick, hit send/post, etc and it would have words in there I didn't intend to use or were incorrectly used.
I eventually just turned it off, which took me a LOOOONG time to figure out how to get it to quit predicting, as it wasn't a standard option.

 

[CraigC]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that a 50mm objective is wholly unnecessary on a 3-9x. Not to mention a pain in the rear to mount with regards to height/cheek weld.

 

[DustyGmt]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that a 50mm objective is wholly unnecessary on a 3-9x. Not to mention a pain in the rear to mount with regards to height/cheek weld.

Maybe why it was the last leup in stock at his shop. It was priced right and I've got it mounted so the bell is just barely high enough off the bore to take a lens cap, maybe 1/8 or 3/16 off bore. It doesn't seem mounted too high for me. I was looking for a 40mm or 44mm but I found a deal and went with it.

 

[gotboostvr]

I went with a VX-Freedom 4-12X40, the 1" tube version was almost identical in brightness with a Vortex Viper HS with a 30mm tube. They had the 30mm tube version of the Leupold though, and it was very noticeably brighter. I'd be interested in seeing if a 50mm objective would have been anymore of an improvement.

 

[army_eod]

New lineup

Other than being able to share what's announced I know no details as I have not seen anything 1st hand

VX-6HD 4-24x52 (34mm) CDS-ZL2 Side Focus Illum. TMOA

VX-3HD 1.5-5x20 (1 inch) CDS-ZL Duplex

VX-3HD 1.5-5x20 (30 mm) CDS-ZL Illum. FireDot Twilight Hunter

VX-3HD 2.5-8x36 (1 inch) CDS-ZL Duplex

VX-3HD 3.5-10x40 (1 inch) CDS-ZL Duplex

VX-3HD 3.5-10x40 (30 mm) CDS-ZL Illum. FireDot Twilight Hunter

VX-3HD 3.5-10x50 (1 inch) CDS-ZL Duplex

VX-3HD 3.5-10x50 (30 mm) CDS-ZL Illum. FireDot Twilight Hunter

VX-3HD 4.5-14x40 (1 inch) CDS-ZL Duplex

VX-3HD 4.5-14x40 (1 inch) CDS-ZL Boone & Crockett

VX-3HD 4.5-14x40 (30 mm) Side Focus CDS-ZL Wind-Plex

VX-3HD 4.5-14x40 (1 inch) CDS-ZL Wind-Plex Burnt Bronze

VX-3HD 4.5-14x50 (1 inch) CDS-ZL Duplex

VX-3HD 4.5-14x50 (30 mm) CDS-ZL Illum. FireDot Twilight Hunter

VX-3HD 6.5-20x40 (1 inch) EFR CDS-TZL2 Fine Duplex

VX-3HD 6.5-20x50 (30 mm) Side Focus CDS-TZL2 Fine Duplex

VX-Freedom 1.5-4x20 (1 inch) MOA-Ring

VX-Freedom 2-7x33 (1 inch) Hunt-Plex

VX-Freedom 3-9x40 (1 inch) Hunt-Plex

VX-Freedom 3-9x40 (1 inch) CDS Tri-MOA

VX-Freedom 3-9x50 (1 inch) CDS Duplex

VX-Freedom 4-12x40 (1 inch) CDS Duplex

VX-Freedom 4-12x40 (1 inch) CDS Tri-MOA

VX-Freedom 4-12x50 (1 inch) CDS Duplex

Mark 3HD 1.5-4x20 (30mm) AR-Ballistic

Mark 3HD 1.5-4x20 (30mm) Illum. FireDot SPR

Mark 3HD 1.5-4x20 (30mm) Illum. FireDot BDC

Mark 3HD 1.5-4x20 (30mm) P5 Illum. FireDot TMR

Mark 3HD 3-9x40 (30mm) P5 MilDot

Mark 3HD 3-9x40 (30mm) P5 Illum. FireDot TMR

Mark 3HD 4-12x40 (30mm) P5 Illum. FireDot TMR

Mark 3HD 4-12x40 (30mm) P5 Side Focus TMR

Mark 3HD 6-18x50 (30mm) P5 Side Focus TMR

Mark 3HD 8-24x50 (30mm) P5 Side Focus TMR

Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 (35mm) M5C3 FFP PR1-MIL

Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 (35mm) M5C3 FFP Illum. PR1-MIL

Mark 5HD 5-25x56 (35mm) M5C3 FFP PR1-MIL

Mark 5HD 5-25x56 (35mm) M5C3 FFP Illum. PR1-Mil

Mark 5HD 5-25x56 (35mm) M5C3 FFP PR2-MIL

Mark 5HD 5-25x56 (35mm) M1C3 FFP PR2-MOA

Mark 5HD 7-35x56 (35mm) M5C3 FFP PR2-MIL

Mark 5HD 7-35x56 (35mm) M1C3 FFP PR2-MOA

 

[CraigC]

VX-3HD 1.5-5x20 (30 mm) CDS-ZL Illum. FireDot Twilight Hunter

Here's one thing I can say about Leupold, their 30mm scopes tend to be lighter than the competition. The one quoted is only 3oz heavier than its 1" counterpart but also has an illuminated reticle.

Midway has the VX-3HD's n the website and the 1" tube 1.5-5x is in stock.