Purchase Price :- $616.93 including S/H + Duty & VAT around £420.17all in
Model Number :- VXIII 6.5-20x40mm ERF Fine Duplex 55152
Intended Purpose :- Telescopic Air Rifle Sight
Magnification :- 6.5x to 19.2x
Length :- 365.76mm / 14.4 Inches
Eyepiece Length :- 81.28mm / 3.20 Inches
Objective Length :- 118.36mm / 4.66 Inches
Objective Diameter :- 51.56mm / 2.03 Inches
Eyepiece Diameter :- 39.37mm / 1.55 Inches
Tube Diameter :- 25.4mm / 1 Inch
Weight :- 539g / 19.0 oz
Eye Relief (in):- 5 Inches (6.5x) / 3.6 Inches (20x)
Eye Relief (mm):- 127mm (6.5x) / 91.44mm (20x)
Objective Lens Diameter :- 40mm / 1.6 Inches
Max Adjustment @ 100yards :- 1118mm / 44 Inches
Max Adjustment @ 100meters :- 1222mm / 48 Inches
Field of View @ 100yards (ft):- 14.3(6.5x) 5.6(20x)
Field of View @ 100meters (m):- 4.73(6.5x) 1.83(20x)
Ring Spacing Maximum :- 165mm / 6.5 Inches
Front Ring Space :- 73.66mm / 2.9 Inches
Rear Ring Space :- 58.9mm / 2.32 Inches
Includes :- Allen Key, Target Turrets, Sunshade, Cover cloth, Instructions
Features :- Index matched lens coatings, 1/4 MOA, target-style windage and elevation dials
Material :- 6061-T6 aircraft aluminium alloy
Warranty :- Lifetime! I don't get to say that very often.

This is again the first part of my scope review. The main reason being that I am still waiting for my BKL mounts so I can attach it to my Daystate MK3 Air Rifle.

As I was researching which scope to buy for my gun I came to the conclusion that the Leupold scopes were renowned as being one of the top makes. They also offer a lifetime warranty which must show absolute commitment to quality. Which model to go for. Again this posed a little problem. Did I need Mil dots? Do I want a modified scope from the outset? I decided in the end to go for the standard off the shelf item. Also means I get it quicker and I can learn to shoot without worrying about the Mil dots or close focus adaptors! Just concentrate on the target.

I also made a decision to buy direct from the USA. Yes you have to pay the import duty and VAT. But you still save over official or even gray import UK dealer prices. So it all arrived safe and sound and came with a few items I was not expecting to get with it.

As you can see from the photos. You also get a sunshade, an additional target turret style set of adjusters along with an allen key. Plus a scope cloth / cover. All this comes in a nice shiny gold cardboard box.

The particular model I chose to buy was the VXIII 6.5-20x40mm ERF Air Rifle Scope.

What do all those numbers and letters actually mean?

VXIII - Vari X type III Leupold's high end range of rifle scopes.
6.5 - The minimum scope magnification 6.5 times
20 - The maximum scope magnification 20 times
40mm - The size of the glass objective lens
EFR - Extended Focus Range. This allows the scope to focus at MUCH closer distances than usual. Ideally suited for Air Rifle applications.

The scope is finished in what looks to be a matte black. I am not sure if this is painted or anodised?

I will go though the scopes features and controls. These are as follows from the rear of the scope towards the front :-

Rear eyepiece focus ring :- This adjust the focus of the reticle (target cross hairs) It is equipped with a lock ring to freeze any movement after adjustment. For my corrected eyesight I did not need to move this from the position screwed fully against the lock ring hard up against the power selector ring.

Power selector ring :- use this to select the required power level of the magnification. Adjustment between 6.5x and 20x mag.

Windage and elevation adjusters

Windage Adjustment :- This is the dial located on the Right Hand side of the scope tube. As the scope is supplied it is located under a removable cover. These covers are great if you set up your scope and never change the settings. But this is unlikely for most air rifle shooters and Leupold have thought of this. As a larger set of adjustment heads are provided as replacements. I have now fitted these to the scope and they give a better grip than as fitted items. The adjuster moves in positive clicks and is clearly marked with numerals from 0-7 in each direction. The direction of the 'Bullet Impact' is also shown on the top and side with large arrows.

Elevation Adjustment :- This is the dial located on the top of the scope tube. Again it is supplied as standard under a cover. I swapped it for the larger version. This is marked with numerals from 0-14 in one direction. Again the direction of the 'Bullet Impact' is marked with large arrows.

The barrel of each of the adjusters is also marked so that you can see how many complete turns have been made. Out of the box the scope is set to the centre of both adjustment ranges.

Parallax adjustment ring :- This is at the very front of the scope and is used to set the range that the scope is to be used over. It can also be used to estimate the range to the target if this is not known. The focus range is from 10m to 400yards and then to infinity. Plenty for my air rifle then. :-) Note that the ring is able to rotate more than once around. So it is important to set the minimum adjustment of 10m then work clockwise (when viewing through the eyepiece) from there. When setting the distance you can gently move your eye position. If the reticle moves a little then the parallax is still not set. It should not move in relation to the sight picture once the correct distance is set. The Leupold Manual gives further information on the operation of these features.

The glass lenses are made to Leupold exacting standards and in this particular model are treated with index matched lens coatings. These reduce unwanted reflections and maximise light transmission. Giving light transmission of up to 98% in some VXIII scopes. Not sure if they mean this one!

The image through the scope is certainly very crisp and bright. Eye relief (The distance you have your eye from the eyepiece lens) is generous at 3.6-5 Inches (91-127mm) depending on the selected magnification. It the highest magnification it is easy to loose the image through a small shift in position. This was hand holding the scope though! My BKL mounts should arrive soon. I hope. :( It should be far easier to keep the scope still once it is firmly screwed to the Daystate MK3.

I have also bought some Butler Creek flip open scope covers to protect the optics. These come in various sizes and it is important to select exactly the right ones for a good fit. See this table for a good guide. I needed #31 Objective and #11 Eye. I bought these in the UK from Optics Warehouse and got next day delivery on them. Great service.

The supplied sunshade is also made from aluminium alloy and screws into the front of the objective lens holder. It should provide adequate glare protection. But I have yet to test this. I suspect that it will bend or dent with any abuse so caution may need to be applied when it is installed. But you all treat your expensive rifles and scopes with respect anyway, I hope! :-)

The reticle in this particular version is the Fine Duplex version. It consists of thinner posts and a small central section with much thinner crosshairs than on some reticles. I found the image to be excellent. Lining up on the garden shed the black lines are still visible against the faded dark coloured surface. I did debate on whether I should go for a customised version from Premier Reticles. But in the end decided that my next scope would probably have this feature. With a Gen 2 Mil Dot a likely candidate in another Leupold scope.

I'll be back to update this thread with more comments when the scope is used with the air rifle. For now enjoy the pics and my initial thoughts.

Conclusion on hold until I have shot my air rifle with the scope attached. :-)

Manufacturer:- www.leupold.com

US Dealers

Bruno Shooters Supply www.brunoshooters.com

US Custom Leupold shop

Premier Reticles www.premierreticles.com

UK Dealers

Optics Warehousewww.opticswarehouse.co.uk

UK Forums

www.airgunbbs.com