Interesting Leupold.......Rare?

I got the scope by accident when I bought a rifle I love........the Ruger 77 International.

I thought the scope was kind of cool looking, but didn't give it much thought.

So 20 or so years later I notice that it's a very hard to find scope........with the large objective lens.

So.......anybody have any experience with these or know anything about them?

It's a Vari-X III 1.75-6X.

Looks like a hand gun scope to me.

All my hunting guns are leupold scoped. The vari X II and III really shine in low light conditions.

They only make a matte finish scope now,so that bright finish alone adds a premium on that scope.

I don't know but the magnification seems to be about right for deer hunting in GA.

What is the objective size? The old Vari-X III 1.75-6X I'm familiar with was a 32mm.

I have the same scope on a Pre 64 .375 H&H. Probably bought it in "96. I remember choosing it because it was the lowest power variable Leopold with a bell on each end. Nice scope foe close work.....

OZ

Leupold Vari - X III 1.75 - 6 x 32 gloss

Great scope! I've had a couple in the matte finish that I used on my big boomers.

diyj98 said:

What is the objective size? The old Vari-X III 1.75-6X I'm familiar with was a 32mm.

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It doesn't seem to be marked, but I think it's 40mm.

I've found pics of the 32mm ones and they look smaller.

There's one on e-Bay now that looks like mine and he's calling it a 32mm, but I think he has a 40mm and doesn't know it.

All the others that are listed (as 32mm) look significantly smaller.

paplinker said:

Looks like a hand gun scope to me.

All my hunting guns are leupold scoped. The vari X II and III really shine in low light conditions.

They only make a matte finish scope now,so that bright finish alone adds a premium on that scope.

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The eye relief is too short to be a handgun scope.

It's one of the compact models that they used to make.

Yes, the gloss finish is hard to find and if it's really a 40mm then that's really hard to find.

Nice scope! There’s no question it’s a rifle scope with about 3-1/2” of eye relief. I have one of those mounted on a Mauser.

You own a first generation Vari-X III 1.75-6X. The mounting distance between the bells and the position of the turrets was too short and made them difficult to mount, so Leupold redesigned the scope.

A lot of people scoping older rifles want gloss scopes, so they are in demand. It’s probably worth about $350. Maybe a little more, if the main tube doesn’t have ring marks.

Der Verminator said:

It doesn't seem to be marked, but I think it's 40mm.

I've found pics of the 32mm ones and they look smaller.

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Is there a reason you couldn't just lay a ruler across it and measure? Or is there something I don't understand about objective lenses?

AlHunt said:

Is there a reason you couldn't just lay a ruler across it and measure? Or is there something I don't understand about objective lenses?

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It's more like there's something I don't understand.......my eyes are deceiving me.

What makes it look bigger than the newer 32mm scopes is just an optical illusion, I guess.......due to the quick taper of the objective on mine (because it's so much shorter than the newer models).

So........upon measuring as best I can if measuring is done on the inside diameter.......it does seem that it's a 32mm.

Anyhow it does seem to be a very rare old compact Leupold, especially since it's gloss.

I'm really glad I noticed it........I almost sold rifle and scope some years ago.

Glad I kept it.

s&wchad said:

Nice scope! There’s no question it’s a rifle scope with about 3-1/2” of eye relief. I have one of those mounted on a Mauser.

You own a first generation Vari-X III 1.75-6X. The mounting distance between the bells and the position of the turrets was too short and made them difficult to mount, so Leupold redesigned the scope.

A lot of people scoping older rifles want gloss scopes, so they are in demand. It’s probably worth about $350. Maybe a little more, if the main tube doesn’t have ring marks.

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Yes, thanks........I think we've got it ID'd now. Googling was very confusing.



I'm really glad I dragged this out of the forgotten rifles in the dusty back corners.

Got to take it out and shoot it.

On my 308 Rugar 77 International, I had the same scope as you, then a 2-7x32 Burris Compact, Then a Veri X iii 3-9 32 Compact (from my 300 mag when I went to VeriX iii 4.5-14 40mm AO)

The Compact scopes are OK for medium close range, but On all my rifles I now have Adjustable Objective scopes or side focus.

My one exception is a 7x57 Rugar No 1, that has a 1960's Bushnell Banner 3-9x32. An amazing scope that is much clearer than the scopes of that day have a right to be! Nice compact rifles need a nice compact scope!

Ivan

When I say Google is confusing it's because of stuff like this.

Leupold Vari-X III 1.75-6X40 Scope

And this.

*** Leupold Vari -X III 1.75 - 6 x 40 *** - 24hourcampfire

My thoughts on old scopes are that they are old scopes and I can’t think of them as collector items. Clicks verses friction adjustments, glass coatings and glass quality, seals, water proofing, AO and side focus, lighted reticle, etc can be had with a new modern scope. With the improvements that have been made in optics over the years, why would anyone want less for more unless they were putting together a vintage scope/gun package?

ken158 said:

My thoughts on old scopes are that they are old scopes. Clicks verses friction adjustments, glass coatings and glass quality, seals, water proofing, etc have all improved dramatically. With the improvements that have been made in optics over the years, why would anyone want less for more unless they were making a vintage scope/gun package for some reason?

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Idunno.

I'll never understand why people pay what they do for stuff.

ken158 said:

My thoughts on old scopes are that they are old scopes and I can’t think of them as collector items. Clicks verses friction adjustments, glass coatings and glass quality, seals, water proofing, AO and side focus, lighted reticle, etc can be had with a new modern scope. With the improvements that have been made in optics over the years, why would anyone want less for more unless they were putting together a vintage scope/gun package?

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It’s complicated and it depends on the scope.

As scopes went back then, the Leopold Vari-X III scope were superb in terms of the optics, especially in their price range and they did offer finger adjustable turrets under the scope caps, and they were pretty repeatable with minimal hysteresis. Not bad for the pre precision long range scope era - and these were not intended for be long range scopes.

The 1.75-6x32 format also provides a generous 7mm exit pupil which allows optimum light transmission to the retina in low light conditions and allows for very comfortable viewing in good light conditions.

6x is also a few x below the threshold where parallax error is a problem, so an AO or side focus knob would be a waste of money, space, and weight.

When Leopold updated their product like to the VX-2 and VX-3 (note the change from the Roman numerals to Arabic numerals), the Vari-X III essentially became the VX-2 and the VX-3 got some improved lens coatings and improved turrets. That made the VX-2 a very good bang for the buck scope.

It still makes the VX-2 and Vari-X III very good scopes for the money.

And as stated above the shiny finished Leopold scopes still look very good on old school shiny blued rifles with decent wood. Matte finished scope just don’t look as good and unfortunately that’s what we have for the most part today.

Remember boys and girls: If Leupold made a scope, It is still under warranty, no matter how many people have owned it!

Ivan

Ivan the Butcher said:

Remember boys and girls: If Leupold made a scope, It is still under warranty, no matter how many people have owned it!

Ivan

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Had a friend buy an old one at a garage sale. Took it to Leupold and they fixed and gave it back to him.

I have at this time 28 plus 1 Leupold scopes the older ones are M8 fixed power, there are 2 newer 30x and 36x target scopes too (both bought new). The rest are Veri-X iii. 3-9x, 4-12x, 4.5-14x and mostly 6.5-20x! All 40mm, all clicks, all target knob, and all AO! The Plus 1 is the same as above but I "loaned" it to my son-in-law, I doubt it will ever return to my collection. Of all those scopes I only bought 2 new! In 1982 a 6.5-20x40 AO and in 2000 a 6.5-20x40 AO ER (extended range, meaning for up close), All the rest were bought used, at gun stores, sometimes taken off used rifles that were for sale! The only one with any problem came on the target rifle it is still on. The reticle is about 7 degrees off plumb. Leupold will fix that, but the combo is currently so accurate I don't want to mess with sucess! (at 200 yards I hit 7 consecutive M&M's!)

Leupold came out with 50mm objective lenses, but nobody I have seen has sold one! They just transfer them to the next rifle!

The 50mm with the half-moon out of the bottom are available but I'll always pass! My big belly won't let me get that low on a scope anyway!

I've never bought any of the Tactical Mark scopes, for those guns I've been buying Nightforce with 56mm objective lenses!

I bought a used police sniper rifle with a early 3.5-10x 40 Compact Tactical. the Parallax is fixed at 600 yards! I sold it in 1996 for 60% of what I paid for the gun and scope. My son picked up a surplus Ohio Highway Patrol Tactical response team sniper rifle with the same scope on it. He paid $2000 in 2000 for gun, scope and Pelican case. He has turned down $1200 for the scope in 2008. (I sure would have taken it!) The factory blackens the Gold Ring by hand on these scopes, proving they were made from commercial parts!

There is a good market for used good condition Leupold scopes!

Ivan