What is the best Leupold Scope for Deer Hunting? Read on as we comprehensively cover the Leupold Scopes for Deer and Mule Hunting, their features, pros, cons, and considerations when choosing one.
Deer hunting continues to gain popularity over countless generations. However, deer hunting is known to cause strain and fatigue on the eyes and every hunter should be equipped with the right deer hunting scope to help prevent this.
A hunting scope is an important piece of equipment to have if you want to acquire your target and take it down once you have the chance. Choosing the best Leupold scopes for hunting deer might be one of the toughest decisions you will ever make.
Nevertheless, the key to making the best choice is knowing what features and attributes are crucial when hunting deer.
Best Leupold Scopes for Deer Hunting-Our Top Picks
| Leupold Scope | Highlights |
| 1) Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9X40mm Riflescope
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| 2) Leupold VX-3i 3.5-10x40mm Riflescope
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| 3) Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9x40mm
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| 4) Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56mm Riflescope
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| 5) Leupold VX-Freedom 450 Bushmaster 3-9×40 Riflescope
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6) Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7x33mm Riflescope
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Now, let’s Look at each comprehensively
1) Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x40mm Riflescope
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What We Love This Leupold VX Freedom as one of the best Leupold scopes for deer hunting is an all-around scope perfect for hunting deer. It comes with a magnification range of 3-9x which means that you can use it to shoot at either closer ranges or long-range. Its 40mm objective lens in combination with the 30mm tube construction ensures optimum light gets inside the scope to produce sharp and vivid target images. It features multi-coated optics that enhance light transmission even under low light conditions. This makes it ideal for hunting deer during dusk or at dawn. These coatings also enhance the durability of the lenses by making them scratch and dirt-proof. Its tube is constructed from a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminum which makes it sturdy and rugged. When it comes to weather reliability, this scope is completely waterproof and fog proof. Features
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2) Leupold VX-3i 3.5-10x40mm Riflescope
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What We Love This scope has a windage and elevation system that is intuitive and easy to use. Its 3.5-10x magnification adjusts with ease making it suitable for both long and short-range shooting and its objective lens is large enough to gather optimum light needed in the scope. Its high-quality construction ensures that this scope provides any hunter with everything they need to take down a deer swiftly. Its lenses are completely scratch proof offering the greatest level of abrasion resistance and fully coated to enhance light transmission. As one of the best Leupold Scopes for Deer Hunting, this Leupold VX-3i 3.5-10x40mm Riflescope also features the Twilight Light Management system that provides the best brightness and image clarity by balancing transmission of light, reduction of glare, and image contrast. This scope is made with 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum which makes it very durable and when it comes to weather reliability, this scope is argon purged for total waterproof properties and nitrogen sealed to avoid moisture damage, and fog as well as clouding. This ensures that you can use it in any weather condition. You can trust this scope to provide you with an image quality that won’t deteriorate with time. Features
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3) Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9x40mm
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What We Love Leupold VX-R Patrol is an advanced scope system specially designed for deer hunters that know what they require. This scope features a pleasant balance of magnification, accuracy, and ease of use. It is solid and ultra-lightweight, yet highly accurate and durable. The impressive resolution found in this scope makes it ideal for both long and short-range hunting. This scope has a military standard scratch-resistant lens that provides the greatest level of abrasion resistance. This feature enables it to withstand different hunting impacts. It’s 30mm tube offers great strength and increases its windage range and elevation adjustment as well. It is built with 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum which makes it very durable and when it comes to weather reliability, this scope is argon purged for total waterproof properties and nitrogen sealed to avoid moisture damage, fogging as well as clouding. It has a long and consistent eye relief and the Twilight light management system as well. The 3:1 zoom ratio of this scope makes it ideal for virtually any hunting situation. Features
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4) Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56mm Riflescope
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What We Love This Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56mm Riflescope as one of the best Leupold Scopes for Deer Hunting offers supreme precision required for both short and long-range shooting and its objective lens is large enough to collect optimum light required to produce bright and clear target images. This scope is made of a durable and heavy-duty 35mm tube that will provide you with many years of service. It has a long and consistent eye relief and its lenses are fully multi-coated to enhance light transmission. These lenses are also scratch-resistant providing the greatest level of abrasion resistance. Its lightweight design and construction disperse recoil energy to provide great durability and performance. The Twilight MAX HD light management system will add up to an extra 30 minutes of shooting light, minimize glare, and provide edge-to-edge HD lens clarity. It also comes with a long and consistent eye relief that makes it suitable for use with high-recoil rifles. Features
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5) Leupold VX-Freedom 450 Bushmaster 3-9×40 Riflescope
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What We Love This Leupold scope as one of the best Leupold Scopes for Deer Hunting is impressively compact and lightweight. This makes it easy to carry around when hunting. It features a 40mm objective lens with a magnification ranging between 3-9x, both of which are fairly standard and ideal for your average hunting experience. The variable magnification range is adequate to let you take shots at long range without eliminating your FOV. Its lens is large enough to let in optimum light without weighing it down. The lenses are also coated to enhance light transmission even under low light conditions. Its tubing is crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum which enhances its durability and sturdiness. When it comes to weather reliability, this scope is fully waterproof and fog proof. This scope also has a windage and elevation system that is quite easy to use. This makes it suitable for hunting beginners as well. Features
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6) Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7x33mm Riflescope
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What We Love Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7x33mm optic, whose versatility makes it suitable for both long and short-range hunting comes with a large objective lens that gathers adequate light necessary to provide bright and clear target images. These lenses are also scratch-resistant providing the greatest level of abrasion resistance. Its lightweight design and construction disperse recoil energy to provide great durability and performance. It is crafted with aircraft-grade aluminum that enhances its durability and makes it sturdy enough to withstand the harsh impacts that hunting brings along. This scope is fully waterproof and fog proof, assuring the use of all-weather reliability. It also features a 3:1 zoom ratio that makes it suitable for virtually any situation. You can trust this amazing scope to get the job done every time. Features
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Criteria for Choosing the Best Leupold Scopes for Deer Hunting
When buying any scope, not just Leupold scopes, it is important to put into consideration these factors that should guide you in making the best selection.
Magnification
Since deer are animals that are always weary and extremely fast, having a crisp clear sight and locking in your target accurately will be made easier and achieved with the right magnification.
Magnification range will definitely affect the setting of where you will hunt. For close-range hunting and daylight shooting, a 3-9×40 scope will be good enough for deer hunting in places where you are not expected to shoot under 100-200 yards.
On the other hand, a 6-18×50 deer hunting scope is capable of giving you a powerful zoom ideal for long-range hunting without compromising the clarity of the target image. Overall, ensure that your deer hunting scope doesn’t go less than 9x for magnification.
Multi-coated lenses
A great riflescope for hunting should be able to perform well even under low light conditions such as at dusk or at dawn. You should not stop hunting when darkness starts to fall in therefore you will need one that will always provide you with bright and crystal clear images regardless of the light conditions.
Construction
Hunting at dawn or dusk can be delicate. Your hunting deer scope should therefore be able to withstand several bumps and falls along the way without getting damaged.
The body of the best deer hunting scope should be built from durable quality materials and aircraft-grade aluminum is the most commonly used material. The scope should also be built of materials that are completely water-resistant, fog-resistant, shockproof, and dustproof to ensure all-weather use.
Eye relief
When out in the woods hunting, one of the worst things that can happen to any hunter is to get hit in the eye when shooting. It is therefore important to have a rifle scope with adequate eye relief especially if you are using a high caliber rifle. The ideal rifle scope should have an eye relief of 4 inches.
Weight
Keep in mind that you will always have to carry the rifle scope around with you while hunting in the field. Therefore, a lightweight scope will be simpler to carry through the fields and easier to keep on target when firing offhand.
However, heavy scopes might be more durable and contain more inbuilt features, therefore you will need to consider what is important to you as a hunter as well as how you intend to you the thermal scope.
Choosing Reticles for Leupold Deer Hunting Scopes
Duplex, BDC and Firedot the best reticles for deer hunting.
Low Light Reticles
Leupold continues to develop reticles to meet the changing needs of today’s shooters, and they have a number of formidable reticle designs to improve your hunting experience.
The following reticles will help you get the most out of your shots when shooting in low-light conditions:
- Duplex reticle
Heavy lines draw your eye to the center of the reticle, where it narrows into a fine crosshair. This widely imitated combination allows for low-light visibility without sacrificing pinpoint accuracy.
- Hunt-plex reticle
The Hunt-Plex offers twice as thick lines as the Duplex while maintaining the same fine crosshair.
- Firedot reticle
Even in the darkest environments, an illuminated FireDot reticle will help you see your aiming point.
Long range Hunting Reticles
Long-range hunting, on the other hand, has a significant bullet drop that is compensated for by the Custom Dial System (CDS). Without the use of dials, the CDS reticle will account for this bullet drop.
- Boone and Crockett reticle
It is designed for big game hunters who can shoot up to 600 yards. It starts with the Duplex design and adds simple hold-over marks for aiming at longer distances. The reticle’s unique design allows shooters to fine-tune it to their load by making small adjustments to the scope’s magnification and zero distance. It even has wind holds of 10 miles per hour for 300 and 400 yards.
- Wind-plex reticle
Wind holds are laid out in 1 MOA increments on the Wind-Plex reticle to help you compensate for crosswinds in the field. This reticle does not include elevation hash marks, resulting in a clutter-free sight picture that is ideal for use with our Custom Dial System (CDS).
- TMOA reticle
The TMOA reticle adds elevation holds to the Wind-Plex design for more precise shots at longer ranges. The TMOA won’t cover up your target when you’re locked on from 500 yards away, thanks to its 0.5 MOA heavy lines, 0.1 MOA fine lines, and an open 0.2 MOA center.
What is the Best Magnification for a Deer Hunting Scope?
The ideal magnification should fit the application of the rifle scope. The distance you intend to be shooting from will also determine the scope’s power.
If you will be shooting from 200 yards to 300 yards, you will need a rifle scope that’s low on magnification.
Besides, you will benefit from the large field of view and improved low-light performance from the scope. The best magnification ranges for this distance are 3-9x, 4-12x, and 4-16x.
Shooting deer from afar needs a powerful scope to cover the distance. Ensure the scopes have exposed turrets to adjust the reticle accurately. The 4-16x range is great for taking down deer from 500 yards to 1000 yards.
Powerful scopes with 5-25x or 4-20x magnification range will also suffice for your long-range rifle. Scopes with greater magnification powers can also be used in other applications that need a powerful scope.
What is the Best Caliber for Deer Hunting?
There are several hunting cartridges ideal for deer hunting including:
- 30-06 Springfield is one of the oldest calibers that has stood the test of time. It remains strong with its excellent power, versatility and terminal ballistics.
- 30/30 Winchester- It’s ideal for whitetail deer.
- 270 Winchester- With impressive ballistics and long-range capabilities, the 270 Winchester ranks high among the top deer hunting calibers
- 308 Winchester- This is one of the best long-range cartridges for deer hunting and it has been widely accepted among hunters due to its efficiency
- 5 Creedmoor- Combining shootability and unrivaled accuracy, the 6.5 Creedmoor is one of the best calibers for deer hunting.
What is the Best Leupold Scope for a 6.5 Creedmoor Hunting Rifle?
Leupold VX-Freedom 4-12x40mm Rifle Scope is an efficient sighting masterpiece that will improve your performance in the field. This rifle scope has an impressive eyepiece that captures all details for sharp and bright images.
Designed specially with a 6.5 Creedmoor reticle, this rifle scope gives you the advantage of accurate shot placement. The Twilight Light management system ensures excellent light transmission to deliver clear images.
The tough construction makes the VX-Freedom reliable. Hunters looking for an efficient shooting solution will be impressed by this rifle scope.
Leupold Scopes for Deer Hunting FAQs
Q: Do I Need a Fixed or Variable Magnification Scope?
The two have their own benefits however, a fixed power scope will be of a higher quality and more durable than the variable scope of a similar cost. Go for the fixed scope as it tends to be more reliable and consistent.
Q: What Size of Objective Lens do I need for my Hunting Riflescope?
The objective lens should be matched to the magnification of a scope. Always ensure that you look through a scope before buying it to ensure that it is clear and has a bright view.
Q: Which Riflescope Reticle Should I Choose?
Any hunter is recommended to go with a plain reticle with minimal or no internal markings.
Leupold Scopes for Deer Hunting Advantages
- Lightweight and portable.
- All-weather reliability.
- Versatile magnification range makes them suitable for both long and short-range shooting.
- Quality and durable construction.
Conclusion
Every Leupold deer hunting scope works uniquely for every user and with multiple options to choose from, it is important to go through other reviews in order to get a scope that will work best for you.
It’s our hope that this review helps you find the ideal scope for your next hunting activity.
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