Nikon 3-9x40 or Leupold FX 6x36

[rabid wombat]

I can not answer about the FX 6x36. I can talk about fixed Leupolds. I put an Leupold M8-4x on a 30.30 shortly after college (some 30+ years ago). It is bright and clear today, as when I bought it. It has taken deer and turkey. I shot my best group with this combo, aprroximately 3/4 at 100 yards (Marlins and LeveRevolution - a good combo). I would have no qualms about a 6x on a 30.06 (in fact, Dad had a fixed 6x on a 30.06 - not Leupold, but PO Ackley....a story for later). An easy point of reference - the Marines have typically used a fixed 10x for the sniper systems.

Another forum preaches lower power and better glass. Unless you are doing bench work, your should be very happy with the Leupold.

 

[Skylerbone]

The above is a fair assessment of good fixed power scopes and I too have used fixed 4 & 6 x (still do on 3 or 4 rifles). What I like about a 3-9 is being able to dial down magnification and over the past few years the 2-7 range has proven to fit my wheelhouse even better. Why? Because I hunt.

I’ll admit I’ve looked on with more than a bit of envy at guys posting pictures of their rigs outfitted with 6-24s or 5-25s and wondered if I could skin gnats at 200 with that kind of magnification. The reality is though, I could only keep them steady from the bench and even my vanity has its limits and my offhand shooting is limited further still. Where I take game, more often than not, is from 3-5 x because it is quick in finding the target and it is often all that is needed.

If memory serves, I have 4 Nikons at present still mounted, 3 in 2-7 x and one 3-9 x but there may be others I’m forgetting. My eyes don’t mind them or Lower-end Vortex glass for that matter, but in the past 12 months alone I’ve purchased 4 Leupolds and my eyes do see a distinct difference with them.

 

[Geno]

I recently purchased a Savage M111 .30-06 Sprg for my nephew. It came with a bore-sighted 3-9 Nikon. It seems to be a pretty decent scope. It tracks well, holds it zero and the glass is clear.

The difference that I note between $200 scopes and $400 scopes is the reticle. I do prefer etched glass over a wire reticle. Too, it seems that so many scopes have overly heavy, thick reticles. I prefer what Leupold used to sell as a "wide duplex".

For my uses, I prefer to buy the best optics I can, and to mount-up M1913 rails on all of my rifles. As such, I can switch across one rifle to another.

Back to my point about that Nikon 3-9, its a nice optic and costs a fraction of what I paid for my Nightforces and Trijicons.

JMHO,

Geno