I am trying to navigate the different tiers of Leupold scopes. I think I’ve got it overall, but the Mark series vs. the “equivalent” VX series has me a bit confused. Here is a little breakdown as I understand it so far:
VX Freedom - Entry level scopes, budget friendly. Lightweight, good quality glass for this price (but not HD glass). 3:1 zoom ratio, offered in popular zoom ranges like 2-7, 3-9, and 4-12. One or two models offered with CDS and side focus for an additional $100, but most of them don’t have these features.
VX-3HD - Also 3:1 zoom ratio, but now we get into HD glass, so a little nicer quality. Also, a couple hundred dollars more than equivalent in the VX Freedom line. Similar offerings here, but the magnification values are a bit wonky like 2.5-8, 3.5-10, 4.5-14, etc. Most have CDS dials, but only a couple models have the side focus, and not as many reticle choices (the VX Freedom series has many more to choose from).
Mark-3HD - Also 3:1 zoom ratio, HD glass, and it appears they are maybe a bit cheaper than the VX-3HD counterparts? We are also back to “normal” whole numbers here like 4-12, etc.
VX vs Mark 5HD/6HD - These are 5:1 and 6:1 zoom ratio respectively, HD glass, top-end and more expensive. For the hunting I do, I think these would be “overkill” for my needs. Ignoring them.
So in that 3:1 zoom ratio, I am most confused between the Mark and VX series. They seem so similar. I mean look at the images here, comparing two models:
These are nearly identical, the main difference being an exposed turret that is not CDS vs. one that is CDS, yet the Mark-3HD model is $150 less. Is that just the CDS dial making that difference? Am I missing something? Why wouldn’t we do the Mark series instead of the VX to save some money on what looks like almost identical offering?? (plus the TMR reticle seems like an upgrade over the wind-plex)