Leupold Vari-X II rifle scopes, Whats happening?

steve45

I have noticed that Leupold Vari-X II scopes are being sold by the dozens on a popular auction site. Most are new and in the box. I heard a rumor that Leupold was discontinuing this model. Are these the old high quality scopes being sold out or the new unknown quality scopes selling for the older higher prices? Does anybody know the difference between the Vari-X II and the newer model that replaces it? Also if guns and glass is around you mentioned that there are other brands of riflescopes out there that are as good as the old model Leupold at a lower price. What brands are they?

cpermd

These are the old Vari X II models.They are very good scopes.I think this is the time to buy.L is going the way of many mfgrs and is going to live off their old name I am afraid.I am worried we will soon see Chinese or Indonesian Vari X II scopes.

rballi

Good scopes. They are going to be discontinued and replaced. When? For now Cabelas and Academy have them for $179.

JustC

I don't beleive we will see a "foreign" leupold vari-x II due to the fact that the company slogan is "made right, made here". You are correct that there are scopes as good or better for less money. I purchased a Burris signature series 4-16x44 electro dot last year and instantly disposed of a 4-14x50 vari-x III!!!! The Burris is every bit as clear as the Leupolds for a lesser price. I shoot crop damage permits which can easily provide distances of 400-500 yds on whitetail deer and the Burris is crystal clear even with heat waves. People don't realize that the Leupold name does not get it's prestige from the consumer grade scopes. The reputation that Leupold enjoys is due to it's TACTICAL equipment. It always has been because of that, not because of vari-x II's or III's. If you truly want to experience the Leupold product, get ahold of a MARK-4 Tactical scope. You will instantly see the quality that Leupold is famous for, even at $1000 each, they are worth the money if you want serious acuracy at extreme distances. Before I get off my "soap box", let me suggest one more product. The simmons AETEC scope is the best scope for the money I have seen in a long long time. I never thought I would speak kindly of a Simmons product but this one changes everything!!! Super clear and accurate. At a price of 180-190 bucks in NATCHEZ catalogue, you can't beat em. Thats the price for the illuminted recticle version.

DaRoosta

JustC - I hope you didn't just throw that Vari-XIII in the trash. That would be a tragedy.Steve45 - It's true that Leupold is discontinuing their Vari-XII model. I haven't heard anything about what they're going to replace it with, if anything. The difference between the Vari-XII's and Vari-XIII's is the quality of glass and the lens coatings, along with a few other features that they just improved from the Vari-XII line. Leupold's website can tell you more about the differences. You can get the Vari-XII scopes at bargain basement prices right now and it's my opinion that now is the time to buy. I've also seen many Vari-XIII models for discounted prices as well, but I'm sure this is just a factor of not losing their market share in the medium-price consumer optics market. They also have an LPS model, which came out over a year ago. I guess these things are sweet, even though I haven't checked them out yet. What Steve45 (and Guns & Glass on an earlier post) said about the Burris Signature is absolutely true. These are great scopes and I would highly recommend them. It's my honest opinion you can't go wrong with any of these products we're talking about.

Guns & Glass

Leupold VXII has been discontinued.Information (public)available early-mid Nov.Replacement will be an import. Leupold has been getting parts/glass from the Far East for years.Rings, and bases(some)have been made by others. "Made right, made here" from Leupold suffers from same problem Pinocciho, Bill, and Hillary have.In the VXII price range:Burris Fullfield/Fullfield II far superior to VXII. It IS MADE HERE -- 100%.Bushnell (Bausch&Lomb) Elite 3000/3200 better scope.Artiemis(Meopta-Czech made) much better. Heavier but clearer. Harder to sell, but I like them much better.Interested?...E-mail me at jabsao@msn.com. My web site isn't up yet.Happy Bullet Holes![This message has been edited by Guns & Glass (edited 10-26-2001).]

JustC

DaRoosta I traded the vari-x III for a B&L 6-18x40 for a 308 in a mcmillan stock that I built. The scope would not sit on the contour .875 barrel because the objective was too large. I also got 6 boxes winchester supreme match 168gr bullets for the 308. These are the only cases which my chamber will feed from the factory ammo family. All other cases have to have the necks turned to fit the chamber. I thought that was a fair trade. The LPS is a great scope, it has a 30mm main tube which gathers light better than a 50mm lens. However, now you are getting into the expensive side of scopes and I still say you can find a scope of comparable quality for less. I see you have had the pleasure of experiencing the Burris Signature series. Those scopes are clear!!!! My 4-16x44 was only $480 and was worth every penny.

Cape Boer

And to make it even more interesting, in Europe and South Africa, Leupold sells a Vari-X II which has the same lens coating as the Vari-X III. It's called the "Vari-X II European". I have one in 3-9x40 Matte - Leupold Part No. 53420 (it's not in the U.S. catalogue or on their web site). Bought it in South Africa for $300 (too much, I know, but the airfare to the U.S. is more).

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"There is no point in sheep passing endless resolutions advocating a vegetarian diet, while wolves remain convinced of the desirability of mutton."

steve45

Thanks everybody for your help. Leupold Vari-XII has been a favorite of mine, it's good to hear there are good replacements out there.