Luepold Mak4 or V3

[charlest49]

if you could chose between the two which scope?
i am putting it on 300 mag rem milspec.
4x14x40
there is about a $300 difference
thanks for any help
oh i will use the gun mostly for hunting and some lr target shooting

 

[NateHaler]

if you could chose between the two which scope?
4x14x40 there is about a $300 difference

If you're asking whether a so-called Mark 4 Variable is worth $300 more than a VXIII named version of the otherwise identical scope, then the answer in my opinion is NO.

 

[Gman]

According to Leupold,,via email) the only differences are the turret housing, the turrets, the reticle choices, and the gold ring vs. the black ring on the front of the scope. Leupold told me that the lens' are EXACTLY the same.,this was about 2.5 years ago) Maybe the newer models might be different. Oh, and you DON'T get a sunshade when you buy the Mark 4. Go figure! I will sell you a Mark 4, 8.5-25X-50mm LR/T, with a TMR reticle for $1100 that is mint.

 

[P1ZombieKiller]

I have that Leupold in the Mark 4 and the TMR reticle, and I love it. It is very smooth, and tracks very well. I have noticed that it does not always stay focused after several shots, but everything else is nice. NOW.... I just got my first Sightron S3 the other day, and for the money, so far, I have to give the nod to the Sightron. I shot 75 rounds through the gun,this gun weighs 3 pounds heavier, so not sure that matters on focus jump), but I never had to adjust the focus once.
Today is the first day I will get to shoot them side by side to compare the lens. but I think it will be an even match as far as my eyes are concerned.

 

[Rust]

tbugher62

The problem with buying so called better scopes is,when do you sit back and say enough is enough,both your mark4 and my vx111 is as good as anybody will ever need period!

Yeah, right.

Good enough is defined by the intended use of the scope and for the long range game Leupold doesn't have the most suitable scope. period. For the money the Nightforce 12-42 BR is the better choice. Repeatable 1/8 minute clicks which is something Leupold doesn't offer in any high powered variable, and higher powers in a variable. Seems like a no brainer that the Nightforce is the better scope for the intended use of 1,000 yard precision shooting.

The problem with making definitive statements is that there are always exceptions to the statement.

Look at short range benchrest. Some of the top shooters were unhappy with Leupolds new competition benchrest scopes. They would not hold adjustment,more easily discerned when you are shooting groups that measure less than .010') allowing the POA to shift. So a few enterprising shooters got together and had a new scope designed, built and brought to market, the March. Of course the March is more expensive, small batch runs of extremely high end scopes so they cost in the neighborhood of $2,500. Of course all of the competitors capable of winning a national level match are busy scratching the mooney together to get a better scope.

In the very serious tactical arena, Leupold would not produce a front focal plane variable for the Marines in the time frame required. The Marines went with Schmidt & Bender, with a better turret arrangement, superior glass, enhanced ruggedness, an LOT more adjustment on the turrets, zero stops and more. The Schmidt & Bender is far more expensive than any Leupold, and at the time Leupold wouldn't even make a comparable scope.

Yes, I am a long time Leupold owner, I have quite a few of the older VariX-IIIs, which I believe may even be better than some of the newer production Leupolds. At least in terms of reliable recticule adjustment.

So when trying to hold an X ring at 600 or 1,000 yards, there is a noticable difference, when trying to hold a .010' or tighter group at 100 or 200 there is a difference, and for the Marines who really depend on the reliability of their equipment, and needed equipment that met their requirements, there is a difference.

What you should have said, is that for the great majority of recreational shooters something along the lines the Mark 4 or VX-III is all they will every need.

And by the way, the 8.5-25 X 50 illuminated Leupolds are pretty much costing what my BR Nightforces are now days.

charlest49 -

As stated there is virtually no difference between the scopes. If the Varix-III has the features you want,crosshairs, turrets) and you can live with the slightly different 'not tactical' cosmetics, save yourself a few hundred bucks.

 

[gatewood]

As a owner of weaver, Nikon, zeiss, night force, and of course Leupold all scopes have their up side and down sides. Everything in life is an engineering compromise. The thing that keeps me buying Leupold is their customer service I had never had any dealings with premier reticle but I heard that some people were disappointed when Leupold and them parted ways, but I have with Leupold's custom shop and made out great. I just sent a 6.5x20 VXIII to them and had M-1 turrets, like what comes on their mark4 scopes, put on. look great and had it back in less than 2 weeks. So if you buy a Leupold and decide you want a different option of theirs its effortless to get it changed. Also Sent a Zeiss to get target turrets put on by zeiss, its has been 7 weeks now and haven't heard anything from them. Leupold sends an email letting you know when they get your scope and another when they ship it back. I'm not saying Leupold flawless or perfect for everything but I'm a satisfied Leupold customer.

 

[Rust]

It all comes down to finding a scope that best suits your needs at a price you can live with. Usually the closer the scope matches your desires the more expensive it will be but, that also applies to cars, cigars, whiskey and women too, so it shouldn't come as a surprise.

I'd been a long time Leupold buyer, and have 6.5-20 x 40 EFRs, 1' tube 8.5-25s, and even the 30mm 8.5-25 Vari-XIII LRT,which has been an excellent scope and eaten a ton of recoil). With one exception many years ago, broke the scope myself, I've never had occasion to use the warranty.

But as I shifted over to long rangeshooting, Leupold didn't market something that suited my requirements for scope on my first dedicated custom LR rig. They still don't. I think that they may have underestimated the demand for a quality high power zoom and didn't want to invest in a new design and tooling. Nightforce sells more than a few 12-42s in both BR and NXS and virtually owns the market. I suspect they came out with the original 8-32 and 12-42 simply because the principles in the company are shooters themselves and brought a product to market they wanted to see themselves.

 

[tbugher62]

Go with what gatewood said,buy youself a Leupold that has a LIFETIME WARRENTY. All the other people on this sight must be millionaires,or maybe want-a-be,Nightforce makes nice scopes,the problem is, try reselling them and see how much of the investment you get back.I did,and Ill tell you Leupold holds it resale value a lot better,simply because of the warrenty and the fact you are not paying $1500.00 plus for the scope,most Leupolds are under $1000.00.I bet I could sell a scope of my own making,and the guys on this sight would pay me $5000.00 for them just because I told them its the best scope ever made.My question is where does it end $10000.00,$15000.00,$20000.00 Like I said there is not a scope on this planet worth more than $1000.00 period!

 

[Rust]

Leupold 8.5-25x50 Mark 4 LR/T 30mm Riflescope $1,399.95 new.

So I guess I missed it somewhere how much less expensive the most suitable long range target scope Leupold makes is compared to one of my more suitable 12-42 X 56 Nightforce BRs.

When choosing a scope, consider what you are using the scope for, what features and specs you want in the scope, and what you are willing to budget for the scope. Not everyone can afford an upper tier scope, not everyone can afford a mid tier scope. The trick is getting the most suitable scope to fit a budget.

I've never been intersted in the resale value of a scope, never sold one. They tend to migrate to different rifles instead.

 

[Rust]

Leupold 8.5-25x50 VX-3 30mm Riflescope Street: $1,019.95

Nightforce 12-42x56 BR 30mm Riflescope Street: $1,332.00

So let's compare apples to apples. The Leupold listed above has as close as possible the same features as the Nightforce at the lowest price.

My intended use for high powered variables is 1,000 yard competition, F and F/TR long range and mid range matches, and multiple distance matches. A scope without turrets at such a match is behind the power curve before the caps even come of the scope, especially given time limits. Trying to dial in dope for various yardages is a joke without turrets. Go to a match sometime and see how many scopes, regardless of brand do not have turrets. You won't find many if any.

Now since I own both Nightforce 12-42s AND Leupold 8.5-25s AND Leupold 6.5-20s, and more than one of each, I can make a direct comparison on the same bench on the same day. Can you say the same?

As a result of being able to directly compare ALL of those scopes, on the same day on the same bench, both my F and F/TR rifles have Nightforce scopes on top. The Leupolds have migrated to the mid range rifles and varminters, bumping other scopes further down the line.

The resale arguement doesn't mean anything to me. I don't buy scopes for their resale value, I buy them for their suitability for a given purpose. Additionally, I've never sold a scope in the forty years since I bought my first,a 6x Redfield, still sitting on my .270 where it still does exactly what I need it to). I have given a couple of scopes away to my better friends to help them get started, but have never sold one.

As I stated previously, pick the scope that best suits your needs that falls within your available budget. What part of that doesn't make sense.