Leupold vx freedom

[mattwent26]

Hi I’m new here to this forum.

I’m looking to get a new scope for my tikka t3x .300 win mag.

I’m looking at the vx freedom 6-18x40 cds and tri moa reticle.

Does anyone have experience with this scope? Is it suitable for a western hunting setup?

Thanks Matt


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[ozyclint]

I put a VX Freedom 4-12x40 with creedmoor reticle on my .270W. Haven't used it much yet but seems good optical quality for the price.

 

[Newtosavage]

18x with a 40mm objective seems like it's asking a lot.

I wouldn't trust a Freedom series to dial well, but maybe that's just me.

 

[mattwent26]

18x with a 40mm objective seems like it's asking a lot.

I wouldn't trust a Freedom series to dial well, but maybe that's just me.

That’s what I wonder if it can be trusted to do what it’s supposed to.
I’m most familiar to leupold scopes so that’s what I’m looking at.
Do you think the vx3 line makes more sense?
Or are there other brands in the $5-$600 range I should look at?


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[EdP]

It's a bit confusing because you went with the Tri MOA reticle but seem to be considering dialing. That's a confusion Leupold created by having an exposed turret dial AND a holdover reticle. My opinion is that you should do one or the other. Given the price range of the Freedom, holdover seems the best choice in that folks historically have not had good luck dialing with scopes of that price range. I have a VX-Freedom in 4x12 with the tri MOA and stick with using the reticle. Zeroed at 200 yds it gets my .280AI out to 600 with 160 gr GKs or ABs.

Keep in mind that the subtension values on the Tri MOA are for max power. At 18x with a 6x18 your field of view gets small and it can be difficult to find an animal, especially if you have to do it quickly for a follow up shot. I don't dial so 12x is as high as I will go on a big game rifle. Similar discussions have been posted in the last few months and others have recommended more expensive scopes if you want to dial. I don't have any experience in that regard.

All that said I am happy with my 4x12 VX-Freedom.

 

[mattwent26]

It's a bit confusing because you went with the Tri MOA reticle but seem to be considering dialing. That's a confusion Leupold created by having an exposed turret dial AND a holdover reticle. My opinion is that you should do one or the other. Given the price range of the Freedom, holdover seems the best choice in that folks historically have not had good luck dialing with scopes of that price range. I have a VX-Freedom in 4x12 with the tri MOA and stick with using the reticle. Zeroed at 200 yds it gets my .280AI out to 600 with 160 gr GKs or ABs.

Keep in mind that the subtension values on the Tri MOA are for max power. At 18x with a 6x18 your field of view gets small and it can be difficult to find an animal, especially if you have to do it quickly for a follow up shot. I don't dial so 12x is as high as I will go on a big game rifle. Similar discussions have been posted in the last few months and others have recommended more expensive scopes if you want to dial. I don't have any experience in that regard.

All that said I am happy with my 4x12 VX-Freedom.

That makes sense.
I think 500 yards is about the max that I care to shoot at an animal. Maybe I should be looking at a 12x scope.
It sounds like you are happy with the quality of the freedom though.


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[Newtosavage]

That makes sense.
I think 500 yards is about the max that I care to shoot at an animal. Maybe I should be looking at a 12x scope.
It sounds like you are happy with the quality of the freedom though.


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At 500 yards, my 9x is plenty. I use a ballistic reticle instead of dialing. I'm not going to spend the $ for a scope that dials reliably, plus they are all too heavy for my liking. Fewer things to go wrong with a fixed ballistic reticle IMO. I shot a fixed 6x for years and at 300 yards (my home range) it was plenty of scope. I verified this on quite a few mule deer at 300-ish yards in the field. To me, if you can't hit what you're aiming at with a 2:1 magnification ratio (2x for every 100 yards) on a deer-sized critter, more magnification isn't going to help you.

 

[mattwent26]

Thanks that has given me plenty to think about.
Keeping it simple with a bdc type scope may be the way to go.


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[Newtosavage]

I was thinking about this some more so on my way home I ranged some deer and got out my 3-9x40 with the ballistic reticle at around 400 yards to look at them. If I'm being completely honest, that's as far as I'd be comfortable shooting at a normal sized whitetail provided I have a good rest. Whitetails just aren't that big. Muleys are bigger, but still, if I'm being honest, I'm a 400 yard and in guy for deer. Preferably 300 and in. Any further and it would have to be a deer I've already shot and I have no way to get closer.

Now for elk, I'd say 500 would be doable. But not for deer. Not for me. Not with a 7 lb. gun and 9x scope. But even at 400 yards, I don't think more magnification would make me more confident. That's just a long poke with a lightweight hunting rifle under real field conditions.

 

[BCD]

I was thinking about this some more so on my way home I ranged some deer and got out my 3-9x40 with the ballistic reticle at around 400 yards to look at them. If I'm being completely honest, that's as far as I'd be comfortable shooting at a normal sized whitetail provided I have a good rest. Whitetails just aren't that big. Muleys are bigger, but still, if I'm being honest, I'm a 400 yard and in guy for deer. Preferably 300 and in. Any further and it would have to be a deer I've already shot and I have no way to get closer.

Now for elk, I'd say 500 would be doable. But not for deer. Not for me. Not with a 7 lb. gun and 9x scope. But even at 400 yards, I don't think more magnification would make me more confident. That's just a long poke with a lightweight hunting rifle under real field conditions.

What scope do you use?

 

[Newtosavage]

What scope do you use?

I have the Burris Fullfield II on both my hunting rifles. I've used them for years and have always had very good luck with them.

Something else to keep in mind is that even if your gun is a 1 MOA gun, that's still 4" at 400 yards. That's a lot on a deer sized critter. And that's with no wind. For me to shoot at a deer beyond 400 yards, I'd want a solid 1/2 MOA gun, calm conditions and a damn good rest. But then that's me.

 

[mattwent26]

I have the Burris Fullfield II on both my hunting rifles. I've used them for years and have always had very good luck with them.

Something else to keep in mind is that even if your gun is a 1 MOA gun, that's still 4" at 400 yards. That's a lot on a deer sized critter. And that's with no wind. For me to shoot at a deer beyond 400 yards, I'd want a solid 1/2 MOA gun, calm conditions and a damn good rest. But then that's me.

I think having the option to shoot out to 500 if needed makes sense. I agree that perfect conditions or follow up shots would be the only times to take a shot like that.


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[Newtosavage]

I think having the option to shoot out to 500 if needed makes sense. I agree that perfect conditions or follow up shots would be the only times to take a shot like that.


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500 is a Hail Mary on a deer IMO. Again, even if you have a 1 MOA rifle (off the bench) you're looking at 5" groups at 500 yards. Add even a touch of wind and that's 8-10" off a bench.

Maybe if I was lobbing rounds at a wounded deer with a canyon between us. But otherwise, no. I shoot about 500-1000 rounds a year, and 300 yards is a chip-shot for me. But in the field, on an animal with something less than a bench, I'll keep it under 400.

That said, I have yet to shoot a deer beyond 250 yards in my life. And I've been poking holes in deer for 36 years now. So this is mostly an academic exercise.

 

[Hschweers]

I have the 3-9x40 VX Freedom on my Tikka. Very impressed with the clarity (even at low light) for $300. I haven't looked through much in terms of high dollar glass, but the freedom does everything I want it to and more.

PS I hunted southern whitetails with it this year, not western big game.

 

[mattwent26]

500 is a Hail Mary on a deer IMO. Again, even if you have a 1 MOA rifle (off the bench) you're looking at 5" groups at 500 yards. Add even a touch of wind and that's 8-10" off a bench.

Maybe if I was lobbing rounds at a wounded deer with a canyon between us. But otherwise, no. I shoot about 500-1000 rounds a year, and 300 yards is a chip-shot for me. But in the field, on an animal with something less than a bench, I'll keep it under 400.

That said, I have yet to shoot a deer beyond 250 yards in my life. And I've been poking holes in deer for 36 years now. So this is mostly an academic exercise.

This is very true.
I guess it’s the same reason I have an 80yard pin on my bow and I’ve never shot a deer past 40yards. I Feel better knowing it’s there and never needing it than not having the option. Maybe it’d be better not having the option so i don’t make a dumb regrettable shot?


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[Newtosavage]

This is very true.
I guess it’s the same reason I have an 80yard pin on my bow and I’ve never shot a deer past 40yards. I Feel better knowing it’s there and never needing it than not having the option. Maybe it’d be better not having the option so i don’t make a dumb regrettable shot?


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Maybe.

This past season, I had a shot on opening day at a decent buck. I ranged him at 300 yards. He was following does around this big open basin. I had my rifle on my pack and my back against a small tree. The crosshairs looked steady. But the light was dimming and he wouldn't stop moving for more than a second or so. My son was right next to me, looking through my binoculars, and he was like "that's a long shot dad, you sure?"

At the end of the day I wasn't sure and I didn't take the shot. We just enjoyed watching that buck chase those does until the light completely faded. If it had been the last day of the hunt, I might have taken the shot. But not on the first day.

I'm good with that choice. 300 yards is a long way when you don't have a bench, still target and good light.

Four days later I wound up taking a buck about 1/2 as big, with a neck shot at 45 yards. And I'm good with that too.

 

[Rifles And More]

3x9 scope - WT Deer at 378 and black bear at 465.

Two sides to every coin....

 

[Rich M]

2-10 or 3-12x would be a good scope for out to 500.

Shot an antelope at 350 once. Everything else has been 250 or less.

 

[roosiebull]

12X is way plenty for 500yds, i don't think most times i would go up to 12X if shooting at 500, for sure not if i was by myself with nobody looking through binos

 

[35remy]

I have 2 of the vx-freedoms. One is on my .350 legend (no recoil) and the other is on my .45 smokless muzzle loader (decent recoil). Both are relatively new, but have held up well to over 80 rounds each and have decent clarity. I have never used expensive optics on my rifles; mostly Nikon, recently some Vortex, and I do have one SWFA SS on my 6.5 CM.