If you’re in the market for a scope, the Leupold Rimfire Scope is worth a look. It might be just the accessory you need for your rifle this season. But before you take out your wallet, you need to know everything there is to know about the Leupold. After all, you want to know what you’re adding to your rifle and how it’s going to help you hit your target.
Scope Review: Leupold Rimfire Scope
Scopes are just as unique as firearms, and if you want to get the most out of your shooting experience and hit a target accurately, you need a scope that is specifically designed for your firearm. Some people will use a standard scope on a rimfire rifle, without too much trouble, but their scope ends up getting damaged or not being as accurate.
Why settle for a subpar experience? Purchasing a rimfire scope for your rimfire rifle can greatly enhance your accuracy and the enjoyment of hitting your target.
We review the Leupold rimfire scope to see, talk about some of its unique features, and what others have to say about the scope. With this information, we’re confident that you’ll be able to decide if the Leupold rimfire scope is an ideal choice for you.
What Is A Leupold Rimfire Scope and How Does It Work?
Like many manufacturers that specialize in gun scopes, there are four rimfire scopes made by Leupold to choose from; we will discuss them in greater detail a little later in our review.
As we already mentioned a rimfire scope is specifically designed to be used with a rimfire rifle. Many people wonder what the difference is between a rimfire and centerfire rifles. The biggest difference is the ammunition. Centerfire ammunition has primer in the center of the casing base, and rimfire primer is in the rim of the ammunition, near the bottom of the casing.
A scope, of course, is designed to provide magnification and works best in long-range shooting. Scopes have a large lens. This is the objective lens, which is located on the opposite end of the eyepiece. When the light transmits through the lens and back into the lens of the eyepiece (also we see a magnification of our target. Most scopes have a variety of magnification options.
While many people choose to use a standard scope for a rimfire rifle, you have a better chance of accuracy, clarity, comfort, and overall better experience when using a rimfire scope for your rimfire rifle.
The Leupold company is a well-known and well-respected family-owned company, based out of Beaverton, Oregon, and is over a hundred years old. According to the company, their first scope was created by Marcus Leupold after he became frustrated with poor clarity due to fog.
The Plainsman was the first Leupold scope, and dozens followed. While some Leupold scopes are no longer in distribution, today’s scopes remain waterproof, shockproof, and durable enough for the recoil of a rifle.
Leupold currently distributes four rimfire riflescopes:
- FX-II Ultralight 2.5×2.0mm
- FX-I Rimfire 4x28mm
- VX-Freedom Rimfire 3-9×40
- VX-Freedom Rimfire 2-7×33
Next, will discuss the specs and unique features of each one.
FX-II Ultralight 2.5×2.0mm
[amazon box=”B000GU67AQ”]
Weight: 6.50 ounces or 184 grams
Linear Field Of View (FOV): 39.50 ft/100 yd and 4.90 m/100 m
Eye Relief: 4.90 inches or 125 mm
Objective Diameter: .80 inches
Elevation and Windage Adjustment Range: 147 MOA
Length: 8 inches
Mounting Space: 5.8 x 1.80 x 2.20 inches
Eyepiece Length: 2.10 inches
Objective Diameter: 1 inch
Eyepiece Diameter: 1.40 inches
Tube Diameter: 1 inch
Some highlighted features include ¼-MOA field-click adjustments, waterproof and fog proof (which makes it ideal for any conditions), and DiamondCoat lens coating for long-lasting protection and clarity.
FX-I Rimfire 4x28mm
[amazon box=”B003NZ9QKO”]
Weight: 7.50 ounces or 213 grams
Linear Field Of View (FOV): 25.50 ft/100 yd and 8.50 m/100 m
Eye Relief: 4.50 inches or 114 mm
Objective Diameter: 1.10 inches
Elevation and Windage Adjustment Range: 80 MOA
Length: 9.20 inches
Mounting Space: 4.8 x 1.40 x 2.20 inches
Eyepiece Length: 2.30 inches
Objective Diameter: 1.40 inch
Eyepiece Diameter: 1.40 inches
Tube Diameter: 1 inch
Some highlighted features of the scope include micro-friction dials with ¼-MOA increments for easy adjusting. The lenses have a Multicoat 4 system, which maintains clarity and brightness in low-light conditions. The rimfire parallax adjusts for up to 60 yards.
VX-Freedom Rimfire 3-9×40
[amazon box=”B078XGVP7S”]
Weight: 12.2 ounces or 346 grams
Linear Field Of View (FOV): 33.7 ft/100 yd (low) and 13.6 ft/100 yd (high)
Eye Relief: 4.17 inches (low) and 3.66 inches (high)
Elevation and Windage Adjustment Range: 60 MOA or 17.5 MIL
Exit Pupil: 4.7mm
Length: 12.39 inches
Mounting Space: 5.38 x 2.31 x 1.85 inches
Eyepiece Length: 3.50 inches
Objective Diameter: 1.83 inch
Eyepiece Diameter: 1.56 inches
Tube Diameter: 1 inch
This scope has been rigorously tested to withstand the same conditions as some of the more “top-tier” Leupold rifle scopes and the outer lens of the rimfire scope is scratch resistant to “military standard extreme abrasion specification.”
Other highlighted features include a 3:1 zoom erector system, which makes it more versatile and ¼-MOA precision adjustments. The scope is also made from aircraft-quality aluminum, which makes it durable.
VX-Freedom Rimfire 2-7×33
[amazon box=”B078XGPY85″]
Weight: 11.1 ounces or 315 grams
Linear Field Of View (FOV): 43.8 ft/100 yd (low) and 17.8 ft/100 yd (high)
Eye Relief: 4.17 inches (low) and 3.70 inches (high)
Elevation and Windage Adjustment Range: 75 MOA or 21.8 MIL
Exit Pupil: 5 mm
Length: 11.04 inches
Mounting Space: 4.81 x 1.74 x 1.85 inches
Eyepiece Length: 3.50 inches
Objective Diameter: 1.83 inch
Eyepiece Diameter: 1.56 inches
Tube Diameter: 1 inch
Aside from some differences in size, the features are the same as those that are
In the VX-Freedom Rimfire 3-9×40 scope.
Some Things To Consider When Thinking About Buying A Rimfire Scope
Even though Leupold scopes are designed for gun owners of all experience levels to use with relative ease, you can download a rifle scope manual and a ballistic aiming manual to look at before you decide which rimfire scope to purchase.
Leupold scopes also require minimal maintenance, which means you can spend more time using the scope than taking care of it. Here are some maintenance tips to consider when looking at a Leupold rimfire scope.
Lenses should be cleaned with a lens brush and then pure alcohol, high-grade glass cleaner, or plain water to wipe the lens clean. As long as you store the scope in a case, it should stay relatively dust-free.
The windage and elevation adjustments are permanently lubricated, and there’s no need to oil them. As long as you keep the adjustment covers on, they should need no extra maintenance. The side focus, adjustable objective, and power selector eyepieces are also permanently lubricated, so there’s no need to worry about maintenance on those parts.
The best way to keep your scope clean (apart from the lens) is to wipe it with a clean and dry cloth. If you encounter any issues with your rimfire scope, Leupold recommends checking out their troubleshooting tips (which can be found in the scope manual) before sending your scope to the company.
How Do Leupold Rimfire Scopes Differ From Other Competitors?
We’ve shown you some of the features that make the Leupold rimfire scope unique, and many of the features cannot be found in rimfire scopes from competitors.
When you compare the Leupold scope to other high-quality competitors like Bushnell or Nikon, you’ll notice that the Leupold brand makes lighter weight scopes. Leupold’s high-quality lens, durability, and shock/water/fog-proof capabilities definitely make it stand out from others.
While some of the competing rimfire scopes are less expensive than the Leupold brand, there are limited warranties or no warranty available at all. The Leupold company will stand behind their rimfire scopes for a lifetime; other companies don’t.
What We Think About The Leupold Brand
Whether this is your first rimfire scope or you’re replacing one, the Leupold brand is a solid option.
If you’re a novice or have a lot of experience using a rimfire scope, the Leupold scope is easy to use and requires minimal maintenance. Due to its craftsmanship and durability, you can use a Leupold scope out in all kinds of weather and lighting conditions and have more success hitting your target than if you used a competitor’s rimfire scope.
While the price of a Leupold rimfire scope may be more than most want to spend, it’s important to keep in mind that the scope is backed by a lifetime warranty and any issues are cleared up by the company relatively fast and easy.
