2017 Optic of the Year: Leupold VX-3i

Being recognized as “best in class” is much easier said than done, but the companies’ products featured in these stories have outdone themselves, and have truly earned the title.

Optic of the Year: Leupold VX-3i
Leupold & Stevens improved the quality of its VX-3 riflescope line with the VX-3i series. In comparison to previous models, the VX-3i is sharper and delivers more contrast and color saturation, providing a noticeable improvement over its predecessors. Other touchups include a larger thumb projection on the power ring for smoother, easier magnification changes; argon and krypton purging; and exposed outer lenses coated with Leupold’s DiamondCoat 2.

Field Editor Ron Spomer raved about this new line: “Lenses have been treated with anti-reflection coatings balanced to their refractive indices and to all other lenses in the system to maximize light transmission across the color spectrum” (“Hardware,” August ’16). “To check the accuracy of adjustments, I mounted an old-fashioned collimator grid, centered the reticle on it and repeatedly turned both the elevation and windage turrets 20 to 30 clicks left, right, up, down and back in varying combinations. The reticle always returned dead center.”

The 3.5X-10X-40mm VX-3i Spomer tested “is darn near the ideal, do-everything scope.”

Editor's Note: Winning products must be tested by the editors, meet or exceed expectations on innovation, and provide hunters and shooters with value for their money. NRA Publications will present the annual Golden Bullseye Awards at an invitation-only breakfast during the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Atlanta, Ga., April 28-30.