308 optics

I am considering; Leupold VX-3L 4.5-14x50 with Boone and Crockett, Duplex, Varmint Hunters reticle. Does anyone have any experience with it? The rifle I want to put it on has a Bushnell 6-24x50 but that scopes cross hairs are very thick. My other 308 has a Millet TRS 4-16x50 I like the fine cross hairs on it but it is very heavy. I wish I could do like Bluealtered suggest and look through it before I buy it, but I can't find it in any stores around here that sell it. I am using it to shoot paper at 100 & 200 yards just to keep my zero, but it's main use will be shooting deer. Where I hunt most everything will be under 200 yard shots. The cross hairs on that Bushnell are horrible when I try zeroing...

predatorHunter I hope you don't mind me piggy backing off your thread...
 
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Originally Posted By: xphunterSightron S-III 6-24.
I run a lot of S-III's.
Have two of them on 308's currently.
One of them:


Second 308:


You have some sweet rifles and mad skills... The rifle I want a new scope for is almost the same as your 2nd 308 just different flash hider.
 
Thank you.
The brake is a MAC brake (Mac's Gunworks). It is my loaner rig, to help get people started in LR.
Top one is a comp rig for 1K F-TR matches.
Mac's Gunworks (Gillette WY) did all the work on the top, and used their single-shot action (Yes, they make actions), and did the bedding, and brake on the bottom one.

What kind of brake do you have on your 308? Surefire?
 
Originally Posted By: Infidel 762I am considering; Leupold VX-3L 4.5-14x50 with Boone and Crockett, Duplex, Varmint Hunters reticle. Does anyone have any experience with it? The rifle I want to put it on has a Bushnell 6-24x50 but that scopes cross hairs are very thick. My other 308 has a Millet TRS 4-16x50 I like the fine cross hairs on it but it is very heavy. I wish I could do like Bluealtered suggest and look through it before I buy it, but I can't find it in any stores around here that sell it. I am using it to shoot paper at 100 & 200 yards just to keep my zero, but it's main use will be shooting deer. Where I hunt most everything will be under 200 yard shots. The cross hairs on that Bushnell are horrible when I try zeroing...

predatorHunter I hope you don't mind me piggy backing off your thread...


Just to be clear, you want the "L" series with the funny little half moon cut out of the bottom of the objective? So you can mount it lower on the rifle?

Honestly, I don't think you can see much if any difference between a 40 and 50mm objective in the VX-3. Your spending extra money that you don't have to, then your spending more on the L series ontop of that! You would be better off going with a 40mm LR and gaining a 30mm tube, side focus, CDS dials and a VH reticle for less money.
 
I just put a VX3 4.5-20 50mm and 30mm tube with turrets and side focus. Out the door and on my .22-250 for $860 and I'm happy with it. As a side note my .308 has a Nightforce bench rest model on it, I shoot them side by side and can tell little difference in glass quality and I do like the side focus on the VX3.
 
I don't have muzzle brakes, I have QDs for YHM Phantom suppressor... And yes I am considering the one with the funny half moon cut out of the bottom. I need optics for a 308 but if I really like the optics on it I will use the same set up on my AR coyote rifle. I know a lot of people like to mount optics high for cheek weld and comfortable eye alignment, in the Army I had an m4 with Eotech mounted low directly on the flat top and I was comfortable with it, I like my optics as low as possible. My personal thinking is I want the bullet to have to rise as little as possible to POI at 100 yard zero, sighted in at 1.5 -2 inches high. If I am shooting at a bobcat size target at 30 yards I don't want to have to guess to much on how high to center cross hairs, yet I want to put the crosshairs where I expect the bullet to hit out to around 150-200 yards. My savage 12FV in 223 with a inexpensive-cheap Bushnell banner line 6-18x50 scope shooting 40 grain VMax produces the flattest trajectory in any round I have ever used. That is an older scope with fine cross hairs this newer Bushnell scope is the one with thicker ones. When I center the crosshairs on the one inch orange dot on paper at 100 yards I want to still be able to see orange. With the thicker crosshairs the dot just disappears so I feel I am not getting as tight of MOA.

I like your point about 30mm compared to 1 inch. The millets I have use 30mm tubes and I noticed they have a wider field of view at 100 yards at 16x compared to the one inch at 18x both with 50mm objective. That is the only thing that concerns me with what you suggested about going down to a 40mm objective. The Vx3l 4.5-14x50 is available with 30mm tube but there is quite a bit difference in the price. Do you think it is worth the price and I will get what I want out of it? I really wish I could find a store that sold them so I could hold and look through it before I buy. I don't want to spend all that money and then not be able to see the 1 inch orange dot at 100 yards.

Thanks for your advice...
 
Originally Posted By: Tech308I just put a VX3 4.5-20 50mm and 30mm tube with turrets and side focus. Out the door and on my .22-250 for $860 and I'm happy with it. As a side note my .308 has a Nightforce bench rest model on it, I shoot them side by side and can tell little difference in glass quality and I do like the side focus on the VX3.

May I ask where you got it for that price?
 
Originally Posted By: Infidel 762I don't have muzzle brakes, I have QDs for YHM Phantom suppressor... And yes I am considering the one with the funny half moon cut out of the bottom. I need optics for a 308 but if I really like the optics on it I will use the same set up on my AR coyote rifle. I know a lot of people like to mount optics high for cheek weld and comfortable eye alignment, in the Army I had an m4 with Eotech mounted low directly on the flat top and I was comfortable with it, I like my optics as low as possible. My personal thinking is I want the bullet to have to rise as little as possible to POI at 100 yard zero, sighted in at 1.5 -2 inches high. If I am shooting at a bobcat size target at 30 yards I don't want to have to guess to much on how high to center cross hairs, yet I want to put the crosshairs where I expect the bullet to hit out to around 150-200 yards. My savage 12FV in 223 with a inexpensive-cheap Bushnell banner line 6-18x50 scope shooting 40 grain VMax produces the flattest trajectory in any round I have ever used. That is an older scope with fine cross hairs this newer Bushnell scope is the one with thicker ones. When I center the crosshairs on the one inch orange dot on paper at 100 yards I want to still be able to see orange. With the thicker crosshairs the dot just disappears so I feel I am not getting as tight of MOA.

I like your point about 30mm compared to 1 inch. The millets I have use 30mm tubes and I noticed they have a wider field of view at 100 yards at 16x compared to the one inch at 18x both with 50mm objective. That is the only thing that concerns me with what you suggested about going down to a 40mm objective. The Vx3l 4.5-14x50 is available with 30mm tube but there is quite a bit difference in the price. Do you think it is worth the price and I will get what I want out of it? I really wish I could find a store that sold them so I could hold and look through it before I buy. I don't want to spend all that money and then not be able to see the 1 inch orange dot at 100 yards.

Thanks for your advice...


I understand you wanting to mount the scope low but think of this... The mounting height on the 40mm objective scope is probably pretty close to the same as the "L" series with a 50mm objective.

You won't be able to tell the difference between the 30mm tubed 40 and 50mm objective scopes. Its just so little difference looking thru them that it isn't worth the extra money for the 50. I've had plenty of opportunities to study them in my own environment without the constraints of time and sales people and you money is best spent elsewhere. You could send the new 4.5-14x40 to Leupold and have an M1 turret put on the elevation adjustment and have a damned nice unit for less than a L series with less options costs.

Also your point about a 100 yard zero and how high to hold the crosshairs at 30 yards is kinda moot.. It won't make a big difference if the scope is 1/4 inch higher or even a half for that matter. Whatever you end up with you should shoot at those ranges to see where its hitting. The real difference between a 40 and a L series 50 is negligible. Besides, I'd rather have a side focus than a lower mounted scope and the L's don't come with a side focus.

I've played with a few Leupolds this spring.
file_zpse4440072.jpg


These are both VX-3's
The one on the left is a 1" tube the one on he right is a 30mm tube, (side focus, VH reticle.. The one I've been telling you about! LOL) both have 40mm objectives. This picture gives you an idea as to how low you could mount either version of this scope on a rifle.
file_zps6ce671c5.jpg


If you want zero stops your going to have to raise more money.
 
Originally Posted By: Tech308I just put a VX3 4.5-20 50mm and 30mm tube with turrets and side focus. Out the door and on my .22-250 for $860 and I'm happy with it.

Did you get a 4.5-14 or a 6.5 -20 ?
 
Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeCan not believe Leupold sells enough of those ugly L series to even make them still.


Pictures is one thing but in the hand they are worse than ugly.

Here's an interesting thought..
Ok so they give you a 50mm objective and tell you its brighter than a 40 or 44 for that matter. Bigger lens more light right? Well... How much lens is removed or maybe better stated .. How much lens area is lost due to the funny half moon cut out in the objective lens? So really.. How much bigger is it really?

Its purely sales and marketing as far as I'm concerned. Maybe even a solution to a problem that never existed they created!
 
Originally Posted By: FurhunterOriginally Posted By: Infidel 762I don't have muzzle brakes, I have QDs for YHM Phantom suppressor... And yes I am considering the one with the funny half moon cut out of the bottom. I need optics for a 308 but if I really like the optics on it I will use the same set up on my AR coyote rifle. I know a lot of people like to mount optics high for cheek weld and comfortable eye alignment, in the Army I had an m4 with Eotech mounted low directly on the flat top and I was comfortable with it, I like my optics as low as possible. My personal thinking is I want the bullet to have to rise as little as possible to POI at 100 yard zero, sighted in at 1.5 -2 inches high. If I am shooting at a bobcat size target at 30 yards I don't want to have to guess to much on how high to center cross hairs, yet I want to put the crosshairs where I expect the bullet to hit out to around 150-200 yards. My savage 12FV in 223 with a inexpensive-cheap Bushnell banner line 6-18x50 scope shooting 40 grain VMax produces the flattest trajectory in any round I have ever used. That is an older scope with fine cross hairs this newer Bushnell scope is the one with thicker ones. When I center the crosshairs on the one inch orange dot on paper at 100 yards I want to still be able to see orange. With the thicker crosshairs the dot just disappears so I feel I am not getting as tight of MOA.

I like your point about 30mm compared to 1 inch. The millets I have use 30mm tubes and I noticed they have a wider field of view at 100 yards at 16x compared to the one inch at 18x both with 50mm objective. That is the only thing that concerns me with what you suggested about going down to a 40mm objective. The Vx3l 4.5-14x50 is available with 30mm tube but there is quite a bit difference in the price. Do you think it is worth the price and I will get what I want out of it? I really wish I could find a store that sold them so I could hold and look through it before I buy. I don't want to spend all that money and then not be able to see the 1 inch orange dot at 100 yards.

Thanks for your advice...


I understand you wanting to mount the scope low but think of this... The mounting height on the 40mm objective scope is probably pretty close to the same as the "L" series with a 50mm objective.

You won't be able to tell the difference between the 30mm tubed 40 and 50mm objective scopes. Its just so little difference looking thru them that it isn't worth the extra money for the 50. I've had plenty of opportunities to study them in my own environment without the constraints of time and sales people and you money is best spent elsewhere. You could send the new 4.5-14x40 to Leupold and have an M1 turret put on the elevation adjustment and have a damned nice unit for less than a L series with less options costs.

Also your point about a 100 yard zero and how high to hold the crosshairs at 30 yards is kinda moot.. It won't make a big difference if the scope is 1/4 inch higher or even a half for that matter. Whatever you end up with you should shoot at those ranges to see where its hitting. The real difference between a 40 and a L series 50 is negligible. Besides, I'd rather have a side focus than a lower mounted scope and the L's don't come with a side focus.

I've played with a few Leupolds this spring.
file_zpse4440072.jpg


These are both VX-3's
The one on the left is a 1" tube the one on he right is a 30mm tube, (side focus, VH reticle.. The one I've been telling you about! LOL) both have 40mm objectives. This picture gives you an idea as to how low you could mount either version of this scope on a rifle.
file_zps6ce671c5.jpg


If you want zero stops your going to have to raise more money.





I see what you are saying. What do you think as far a cross hairs, the varmint hunters? You have me convinced the vx-3 4.5-14x40 with 30 mm tube is what I am looking for.
 
Well you have a couple choices to make. You can get the CDS dials with a duplex reticle. It might be a little thick for your liking though. They offer the same scope with a fine duplex without the CDS dials (I'd have to look, can't remember) which is probably the way to go if you didn't want the VH reticle. The VH reticle is pretty cool though if you have a need for one.

You can buy the CDS dial and install it yourself. I recently picked up a set for a friend that were cut for MOA on a VX-6 and I think they'd were about 40 bucks for the set. You could send the scope in and have them install an M1 turret. Which if your going to be doing a lot of turret twisting is the way I would go. You would be basically making a Mark 4 tactical out of a VX 3 but you would have a better turret, a fine duplex or VH reticle and more internal adjustment.

Edit to add....
I kinda confused your needs with the OP on this thread. This second paragraph might be better suited to his needs rather than yours as he mentioned shooting long range steel plates etc.. Good info for either of you though.
 
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Yes on the 30mm tube.
I like Leupold's Varmint Hunter reticle the most of all of their Ballistic Reticles.
I do like their CDS turrets as well.
 
Originally Posted By: Infidel 762Originally Posted By: Tech308I just put a VX3 4.5-20 50mm and 30mm tube with turrets and side focus. Out the door and on my .22-250 for $860 and I'm happy with it. As a side note my .308 has a Nightforce bench rest model on it, I shoot them side by side and can tell little difference in glass quality and I do like the side focus on the VX3.

May I ask where you got it for that price?

I stand corrected it is a 6.5-20. I understand the disbelief in price I was surprised myself. It came from a small local store in NC in which I do all my business for the very reason of their pricing. I would imagine that my purchasing and referrals over the years has earned me somewhat of a discount. I guess I should add that my scope has the extra fine cross hair with a dot in the center. This was the less desirable option so it was priced to move.
 
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