Hunting Optics

After shooting with iron sites for years and happy with the performance I recieved; I finally decided if I was going to hunt in areas where I needed to shoot farther than the 100 yards I was accustomed to I needed to invest in a scope.

Wow, was I ever glad I made the step up to using a scope. Not only has the scope allowed me to shoot at a longer range, but it has improved my hunting at closer distances.

I will never forget when I had a buck standing broad side to me not more than 80 yards away. I would have been able to take him easily with my iron sites, but I only saw 7 points. Looking through my recently mounted scope I was able to see an 8th tine on the brow, a 1.5 inch point that made the buck legal.

I would have had to let that buck go on by if it had not been for my scope. At that point I knew I had made the right decision to purchase my Leupold VX-II 9X riflescope.

After many years of hunting without a scope, and I did ok I thought, I kept coming aross instances when I wished I had a scope on my rifle. You know it is great to find that big buck with the binoculars, but making a good clean shot at long range can be difficult.

Also there would be times when I had a great shot of a deer, but by the time I got the binoculars down and ready to aim the deer had moved or bolted out of shot completely, leaving me wishing I had used a scope instead of binoculars.

I finally bought my first scope and have not regretted the purchase one minute since. I decided if I was going to invest in a scope I would invest in the best so after many hours of research I purchased my Leupold VX-III and I consider it a bargain after my first day out. Shortly after daylight I heard a noise to my right from the tree stand and there he stood! I had seen the tracks and the rubs and knew he had to be close. Boy was I ever glad I was ready with my new Leupold. One clean shot and he dropped like a rock.

Like I said, I spent a lot of years hunting without a scope, but since I have my Leupold I won’t head for the woods without it. In fact I like my riflescope so well, I am now considering getting one for my shotgun. 

               It’s hard to get out hunting lately with all the commotion going on around the homestead, so when you do, make the shot count.  Those that have the time to get out regularly get more of a chance to become an expert shot.  For the rest of us, there are alternatives that are important in the development of hunting in the modern age.  Using a scope not only secures your target, but it also ensures that the animal in question dies as humanely as possible. 
Hitting a bull elk indirectly results in the animal escaping and bleeding to death in a long painful fight against infection and blood loss. Do the right thing and shoot to kill.  Using optics to help secure the target is an essential addition to hunting.

You have the rifle you need to make the best shot, but now you need that perfect scope to bring your target right where you want it.

Which scope is best for you? First you need to consider where you will be hunting and when you will be hunting. Do you need a scope that delivers the most light for early dawn or twilight? Will you be shooting Long Range? Are you hunting large animals, varmints, or competition shooting. Or are you doing a combination of all of the above?

With Leupold’s more than 100 years experience of designing and producing quality scopes they have developed a scope to meet the needs of everyone.

Leupold gives the following descriptions of each of their scopes to help the serious hunter make the right choice.

LPS

• The LPS line uses ¼-MOA, low-profile, finger-adjustable adjustments; a fast-focus eyepiece; and our DiamondCoat lens coatings to provide incredible light transmission values with the addition of remarkable scratch resistance.

VX-L®

• The VX-L was new for 2006, and uses ¼-MOA or 1/8-MOA adjustments depending upon model, has a fast-focus eyepiece, and utilizes an objective lens specially shaped to allow large objective scopes to be mounted in low rings. VX-L scopes use a combination of Index Matched and DiamondCoat lens coatings as well as edge-blackened lenses to produce extremely low glare and unprecedented light transmission values.

VX-III

• The VX-III line was new for 2004, and uses ¼-MOA, low-profile, finger-adjustable adjustments and a fast-focus eyepiece. VX-III’s are fully multicoated and Index Matched to ensure that each lens has the best possible coating, producing total light transmission values higher than ever seen before.

Mark 4

• Beginning in 2004, all tactical scopes are included in the Mark 4 category and will have the same features as past tactical models with the addition of a fast-focus eyepiece and Index Matched lenses; there are two exceptions which include the CQ/T and 3-9×40mm PR. The CQ/T has always utilized a combination of DiamondCoat (external) and Multicoat 4 (internal) lens coatings, and the 3-9×40mm PR is fully multicoated using Multicoat 4. 2003 tactical scopes typically had fully multicoated lenses utilizing Multicoat 4.

Vari-X III

• The Vari-X III line (discontinued for 2004 with introduction of VX-III) has seen little change and is still optically the same as those produced in the 90s. Vari-X III’s utilize ¼-MOA click adjustments and are fully multicoated with Multicoat 4.

VX-II

• The VX-II line (2003 and older) uses a combination of Vari-X III and Vari-X II (discontinued) technology. VX-II’s also utilize ¼-MOA click adjustments, but the lens coatings are unique. The external lenses are coated with Multicoat 4 and the internal lenses are coated with magnesium fluoride.

• Beginning in 2004, the VX-II line is fully multicoated and will perform comparably to the discontinued Vari-X III line.

VX-I

• The VX-I also utilizes a combination of Vari-X III and Vari-X II technology, utilizing ¼-MOA friction (non-clicking) adjustments. The external lenses are multicoated and the internal lenses use magnesium fluoride.

Rifleman

• Though the Rifleman line of scopes uses a different maintube (for aesthetic reasons), it is optically the same as the Vari-X II (discontinued for 2001). The adjustments are exactly the same as the Vari-X II (½-MOA friction) as are the lenses and coatings. All lenses, internal and external, are coated with magnesium fluoride. Basically, the Rifleman is a newer-looking matte finish version of the Vari-X II that helped build the Leupold reputation. It is important to note that Custom Shop options (reticle changes, target adjustment installation, etc.) are not available for the Rifleman line of scopes.

Making the right choice begins with having the right information. Buyritescopes.com carries a full line of Leupold Riflescopes and binoculars to make your hunting experience the best it can be.

It’s first light and the game is moving around. You may not notice that buck at first but when you do notice him the action can be fast and exciting.

This is when you need a scope that can get the most out of the available morning light. Leupold has done an excellent job of designing  low light reticles to meet your hunting needs. Leupold understands that gathering light through the objective is only part of the equation when designing superior low light scopes. How much light is transmitted through the scope determines the brightness of the image you are looking at.

 Leupold Multicoat 4 lenses ensure that the maximum amount of light gathered through the objective is transmited through the lenses for optimal viewing.

But what you really want to know is not how Leupold Riflescopes collect and transmitt light, but when it is first dawn or the last minute at dust when that trophy buck is approaching will you have the light needed to take that buck down and take him home.

With over 100 years of experience designing and manufacturing riflescopes Leupold has come to be synanomous with quality and excellence in the area of hunting optics. The Leupold Mark 4 Riflescope is an excellent low light scope perfect for large and small game rifles. Buyritescopes.com offers a full range of Leupold scopes.