Leupold’s Updated, Lower-Priced VX-3i
Leupold has made significant improvements to the popular VX-3 riflescopes for 2016 with their new Twilight Max light management system developed specifically for hunters. The new VX-3i series offers increased brightness, color and clarity for those low-light conditions when the game is moving.
“The VX-3i makes sure hunters can make use of those last few minutes of legal light, which can be the difference between success and an unfilled tag,” said Leupold product development vice president Tim Lesser.
To achieve better transmission in darker condition Leupold worked on balancing light transmission across the entire spectrum. With the VX-3i you can get out earlier and stay out later without compromising your ability to make the shot.
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The new VX-3i series is based on the popular VX-3 series with many improvements.
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What’s surprising is that Leupold also managed to lower prices.
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“Light transmission is an important factor, but it’s not the only factor that matters in optics,” Lesser said. “The VX-3i has excellent light transmission, but we’ve looked at managing light for optimized performance. You can transmit 99.99% of available light, but if it’s not managed and properly balanced you won’t have the performance. In fact, the new VX-3i has the highest average light transmission across the visible spectrum, but its true performance lies in the management of that light.”
The VX-3i also features an easier-to-turn power selector, with more aggressively-knurled knobs, making adjustments easy, even with gloves. The knobs have an updated dual-spring tension system for durability that still lets users make fine adjustments like a target riflescope. And tactile power indicator quickly shows the magnification setting of the VX-3i, without having to take your eye off the eyepiece.
Even though these improvements were designed with hunting mind you don’t have to stalk deer to appreciate the benefits of a good, rugged low-light-capable riflescope. Available in a wide variety of magnification ranges from 1.5-5x to 6.5-20x, there is a VX-3i for you.
Leupold is also releasing the new series at a new, lower price point across the board, with MSRPs starting at just $399 and the majority of scopes in the $500 to $700 range.
Leupold D-EVO (For Real This Time)
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The D-EVO 6x riflescope zig-zags around the side.
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Two different sight pictures with an unmagnified optic up front.
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Last year at SHOT Show the must-see product from Leupold was the D-EVO or Dual Enhanced View Optic, a combination 6x scope and red dot sight. The red dot is for fast shooting out to about 100 yards, and with just a 6 degree shift in view, you get fixed 6x magnification — tactical shooter’s dream come true.
The only problem was that these were more or less unattainable throughout 2015. This year the good news is they are now available and heading to your retailer. If you have not seen this innovative concept live and in person you owe it to yourself to check it out — even if they are on the expensive side.
The D-EVO module runs $1,749 for the base module and $2,999 for the combo including the LCO red dot sight.
Leupold Smartphone Adapter Kit
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The beefy clamp comes with bushings for all Leupold spotting scopes.
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It’s like having a spotting scope app for your iPhone.
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And in a first for Leupold they’re bringing an iPhone case to the market. The Leupold Smartphone Adapter Kit is a rigid mount to attach an iPhone 5 or 6 to any Leupold spotting scope eyepiece, which lets you record all the action in the field or at the range.
It’s a tough, fast mount — don’t think cheap plastic slip-on cases — that clamps to your spotting scope with a metal collar. I was able to pull my phone from my pocket, attach it and start taking video in less than a minute, and that including opening the box.
On top of that the adapter has an accessory rail that can be uses to mount an optic such as a red dot sight. This allows you to get close to your target quickly with a low-powered optic, with a wide field of view, instead of spending a lot of time searching with the high-powered spotting scope.
The mounts run $199 and will be available late first quarter of this year.
Read more at: https://www.leupold.com/
Buy Leupold optics and accessories on GunsAmerica.com: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=leupold
At first I was kicking myself for just buying a new one in December – a 3.5×10 Gloss with the B&C reticle – then I went and looked at the specs and realized that they did away with the Gloss scopes and now Matte is the only option. A matte scope would look terrible on the new 300 Weatherby Mark V Deluxe I bought it for as would any matte scope on a rifle that is high polish blue. I guess it has to do with demand, but I spend 95 % of my time in the field looking at my rifle one way or the other and want it to look good – like everything matches. They still have gloss in the Var-X I line and as an option on a few others, but I will have to look elsewhere for a high-end Gloss scope. Sorry Leupold, I was excited about the 3i improvements and sill am when I am looking for the matte option – which is not very often.
Will it fit any other spotting scope brand eyepiece? If so, they might have an expanded market. If not, it’s only for those who can spend an arm and a leg on Leupold.
Does cheaper prices mean they’re moving all scope production to China?
I think Leupold has finally come to terms that their product is way over priced when comparing feature to feature to other comparable scopes on the market.