Leupold VX-R Review

The Leupold VX-R scopes have got a lot of attention from sportsmen looking to buy a new hunting scope. Leupold has added some new features to this scope and also incorporated some of its most advanced technologies into this unit. Look for an in depth  review on this website once the field reports start coming in.

New
The first thing most shooters will notice is that this scope has an illuminated dot in the center of the reticle. Unlike many scopes on the market that have illuminated reticles, only the center dot of the new Leupold VXR is illuminated. Also unique to this scope is the option of changing the brightness of the dot, all of which is done by pressing a button on the side of the scope where the side focus knob is generally found on scopes. Next, this scope will automatically shut off after five minutes without movement to save on the battery; however it is automatically reactivated by movement of the gun. This is accomplished by a new technology which is called MST which stands for Motion Sensor Technology.

Borrowed
These scopes also utilizes some of Leupold’s latest features generally found on their most expensive scopes. These rifle scopes have the Indexed Matched Len System for aiding in increasing light transmission which is especially important for low light shooting situations like early in the morning or just before dark. The VX-R also features the DiamondCoat lens coating to protect the lens for scratches and nicks. Unlike most scopes on the market which are filled with nitrogen, these new scopes are filled with a argon/krypton mixture a feature usually found on only the highest end Leupold scopes. A 30mm main tube is used for this series of scope, unlike the more common but smaller 1” (25.4mm) main tubes used on many big game scopes. Finally, several of these models will be available with the CDS (Custom Dial System) which are custom elevation dials calculated to a specific cartridge and bullet loads.

Options
Currently the VX-R scopes will be offer in six magnification/objective options: 1.25-4x20mm, 2-7x33mm, 3-9x40mm, 3-9x50mm, 4-12x40mm, and 4-12x50mm. Although not confirmed these appear to be initially available in a matte finish only. There are currently four different reticles available, and they come with Leupold’s Full Lifetime warranty.

Leupold VX-R Key Information

Overview	1.25-4 x 20mm	2-7 x 33mm	Availability
Illuminated Dot Reticle   30mm Tube   Indexed Match Lens System   Adjustable Dot Intensity			Specifications Leupold.com   Video Review Gunblast
Options	3-9 x 40mm	4-12 x 50mm	Competition
1.25-4 x 20mm 2-7 x 33mm 3-9 x 40mm 3-9 x 50mm 4-12 x 40mm 4-12 x 50mm			Nikon Monarch   Leupold VX3   Zeiss Conquest

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Conclusion
A couple things about the Leupold VX-R might cause the avid sportsman to do a double take. First is the amount of new and latest technologies packed into these scopes: DiamondCoat, Indexed Matched Lens System, Illuminated dot reticle, Motion Sensor Technology, Custom Dial System, Argon/Krypton filled tubes…etc. However, the biggest surprise is the price and fortunately not in a bad way. While not cheap, Leupold rifle scopes containing just some of the features found on this rifle scope often sell for over $1000 dollars, but the VX-R Leupold sells for only a little over $500 for a 3-9x40mm model, which is about the price of a standard VX-3 model.