Need Advice on A Scope!

M

Mosin-Marauder

New member
I found a Used Leupold VariX 1.5-5x20 for sale at a LGS for $185. It's a duplex reticle. Should I buy it? I'm under the impression Leupold still warranties their old and used products regardless of the current owner. I'm considering mounting it on My AR, but I'm not sure. They may come down on the price a bit. The scope looked very clear. Everything else looked fine, no scratches or whatever.

Thanks for any help you can provide!
 
The old Vari-X line of scopes was discontinued probably 20 years ago so it is an older scope. A current production VX-1 is a better scope and can be had new for $229. You can get a brand new 2-7X32 for $199 and have a much better scope.

That isn't a bad deal, and Leupold will take care of you if it has issues, but I'd have a hard time buying it at that price when for $15 more I could get a new 2-7X32 scope. If you are married to a 1-4X scope, which I do like BTW, then the $45 price difference makes it look a little better. Close call, but if they'd come off that price $15-$20 I might like it even better.

Some VX-1's

http://swfa.com/VX-1-C4147.aspx
 
Compared to the modern mid/lower tier scopes on the market in that same price range the Vari-X scopes are almost poor quality. I'd give him $125.00 if you want it for the warranty or leave it in the store. Scopes have come a long way since those were considered good.
 
I dunno

It's true that premium scopes from years ago are not the equal of similar models of today, optic quality wise. I see the difference in brightness at twilight. That matters on a hunting rifle, not near as critical on an informal plinker or range rifle.

But I wouldn't go so far as to label a Vari-X as "poor quality". It is still a Leupold, rugged and reliable, and very likely bright enough for much of the hunting and shooting most of us do. If indeed the Vari-X phased out 20-30 years or ago, that is still the late 80's, earlyt 1990's (gosh) and things were not all that primitive then. Heck, my best pickup was make in 1991!!!!

Leupold still does honor their warranty to any owner. Were I to purchase that scope (I'd offer no more than $150, cash, bet he'd take it), and intend to hunt it, I'd ship that rascal off to Oregon and ask Leupold to clean and service it, overhaul as needed. I might ask them to install the reticle of my choice (about $55 last time I did it). I would think that it would go 15+ years or so, with tight seals and useable clarity under normal use, likely more.

I dno't have any Vari-X's, but hunt a number of Vari-X II's, Vari-X III's with no complaints at all.
 
more

Well I just did some digging on line. The Vari-X was discontinued in 1962. That makes the Op scope at over 50 yrs old, much older than I thought. That's a while ago. I'd lower my offer accordingly.

Interestingly, the amount of light transmission between a Vari-X and a VX-1 made up until 2011 is the same......82%. A current VX-1, 2012 forward, yields 96%, a noteable jump. The big difference between the Vari-X, and a first generation VX-1 (to 2011) is available adjustment range, the VX-1 offers nearly twice as much at over 50Moa. That can solve a lot of mounting problems.

It doesn't look like Leupold can alter the reticle on the Vari-X line either.
 
wrong again

An early VX-1 yields 86% light transmission, a 4% gain over a Vari-X.

A current VX-1 will get you 92%, a gain of 10%. My earlier figures were incorrect according to the link I found.

Sorry, its late.
 
bamaranger said:
Well I just did some digging on line. The Vari-X was discontinued in 1962. That makes the Op scope at over 50 yrs old, much older than I thought. That's a while ago. I'd lower my offer accordingly.
Click to expand...

I seriously doubt the scope is that old. The original Vari-X line may have been discontinued 50 years ago. However, the Vari-X III line continued up until 2004 when it became the VX-III scopes. The 1.5-5X20 was the in the Vari-X III lineup and probably not the original Vari-X line of scopes.
 
What taylorforce said, that sounds like a Vari X III and if taken care of a really nice scope. I thought late 90's was when they changed to the VX line. I have a Vari X II 2X7 and a VX I 2X7 and honestly can't tell them apart.
 
Honestly scopes drop pretty quick in value due to the lens coatings and improve mechanism accuracy.

It's a $50 scope to me and frankly, that might be high.
 
one more time

I'm referencing a chart at OpticsTalk forum, the OP stated VariX and I gave the dates for a Vari-X. There are indeed progressively better scopes in that line from 1962 forward, Vari-X-II, Vari-X-IIc, and ending up with the Vari-X-III, with multicoat lenses and click adjustments, discontinued in 2003.

The power range does lead me to agree that the scope may be a Vari-X-III, heck, we have one on the AR carbine, I shoulda caught that.

If one can get Vari-X-III's for $50 as suggested......I'm gonna back the truck up. They're bringing considerably more than that on Ebay, used, regularly.

All that said, if it indeed a Vari-X-III, $185 may well be in the ballpark.

Heck, it's used, shoot'em a low ball price, see where you end up.
 
There is a lot of confusion among buyers and sellers regarding the names Leupold used for its scopes (Vari-X, VX, VX3 Vari-XIII, etc.)

It can be hard with the older scopes to know what level of scope you are getting and how it compares to today's scopes.

In general, scope value/price has gone way up over the past 20 years, and you can get a real good scope at the low end of Leupold's current offerings.

I would get a used VX-1 at the magnification you like on eBay and see if you like it. If you don't you should be able to sell it without much of a loss.
 
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