Has any tried any of the Freedom scopes? Wife is looking at a 3-9 to put on a 308 she is contemplating for deer. I have been corresponding with Leupold and they state the glass is better than Vx 2. I have been using vx1 and Vx 2 scopes and had good luck. The wife uses Nikons mostly, but, their scopes are large for what they are. She wants something more "petite" for this rifle.
Leupold Freedom scopes
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cdb1
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I’ve looked through a number of them and believe the glass is exactly the same as the VX-2 but not better.
Skylerbone
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I cannot discern the difference between my VX-2s and the Freedom I just picked up in terms of glass. The noticeable differences are the cheaper feeling focus ring (one-time set) and the incredibly mushy turret knobs.
I’m hoping to get it to the range in the next few weeks where I’ll post a more detailed report. My main concerns are tracking and longevity which will take time to wring out.
I’m hoping to get it to the range in the next few weeks where I’ll post a more detailed report. My main concerns are tracking and longevity which will take time to wring out.
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No offense, but the OP said he contacted Leupold and they stated the glass is better. With the fact that their customer service is pretty impeccable and possibly THE best in the industry, I would be inclined to believe them. The better glass may not have anything to do with clarity, it maybe better coatings, to hold up against fogging or abuse or something else. Just my 2 cents.
cdb1
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Having sold scopes for several years for possibly Leupold’s largest distributor I had a contact at Leupold headquarters and a local rep. I agree with your observations about Leupold customer service. But I’m going to trust my own eyes in this scenario and also trust the word of a Leupold employee I consider a friend and I believe to have more knowledge than a customer service rep. My contact told me the glass is the same, it looks the same to me.
Leupold said the same thing when they brought out the VX-3i. The glass was the same. The whole purpose of the VX-3i line was to reduce the number of models carried in the VX-3 line. I’d be hard pressed to believe this was not Leupold’s intent with the Freedom line-reduce the number of models made. I own more Leupold scopes than any other brand, I’m a fan. I also understand they are a business whose intent is to make money.
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I did question the lower price point of the Freedom scopes and received no real answer on that. Reducing two lines to one and reducing the number of models and options would reduce overall manufacturing costs and increase the profit margin. One of my friends was on the phone with them several weeks ago with some scope questions. They alluded to, but, did not confirm the reasons for eliminating the vx1 and vx2 was streamlining production.
Also interested in the Freedom line.
If your wife wants petite, maybe the 2-7x is the way to go. About perfect proportions for a short-action bolt gun and can use low mounts, I own two Leupold 2-7x and have yet to be in the field and wanting more magnification.
Good luck and if you buy one, be sure to tell us all about it.
Skylerbone
Member
Had a chance to spend an hour with mine, 3-9 x 40mm duplex. Due to a heavy crowd at the range I was able to set targets just once so I grabbed a Sharpie and drew a large cross on the back of a bench rest target then placed a 1” dot in the middle with 4 larger dots, 1 in each quadrant.
Rifle was brand new, no idea where the bore sight went wrong but I determined after several rounds that the target was clean and finally spotted my POI. From there I guesstimated a move of 20 clicks left (rounds 7-9). From there I moved 3 clicks up and finished off the box.
Tracking was fine for initial adjustments, glass was clear as expected. Clicks though not very audible were distinct enough to count without staring at the turrets.
I really hope it holds up to the test of time because the price is right. I’d say buy well before deer season if you’re interested JIC.
The VX-Freedom is rather unadorned save for the Golden Ring.
Barrel heated up on the last few rounds with mirage visible in the scope.
Rifle was brand new, no idea where the bore sight went wrong but I determined after several rounds that the target was clean and finally spotted my POI. From there I guesstimated a move of 20 clicks left (rounds 7-9). From there I moved 3 clicks up and finished off the box.
Tracking was fine for initial adjustments, glass was clear as expected. Clicks though not very audible were distinct enough to count without staring at the turrets.
I really hope it holds up to the test of time because the price is right. I’d say buy well before deer season if you’re interested JIC.
The VX-Freedom is rather unadorned save for the Golden Ring.
Barrel heated up on the last few rounds with mirage visible in the scope.
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