SmallCaliberCentral

My buddy has an excellent condition Leupold VX-II 6-18x40 AO with the LRV Duplex he said he would sell to me for $400. This scope is usually $500 new, and I have been watching them on ebay and the used ones usually go for around $400. I would put it on my 17HMR that I use exclusively off a bench to shoot "Skippy."

Question: What do you guys prefer for varmint shooting? Fine Duplex or LRV Duplex (or something similar)?

I want to buy it from him, but if I should hold off for the Fine Duplex, then I have no problem doing so.

Thanks.

Not to burst your bubble cause that's a fine scope...But... It's overkill for a .17HMR. Also, if you go ahead and get it you might find that the reticle is a bit thick for shooting Skippy. On my Leupold scopes I use either the Fine Duplex or Varmint Hunter reticle. Gary

You can always use it on the HMR til you get another 204 or something bigger then swap it out. Leupold will change the reticle for a small fee as well.

I have one as well on my AR and works great......but for a .17, it is too much scope for the effective range. I would stick with a 9X or at most 14x.

Regarding reticles...it's really a personal choice. Some like non-busy scopes, others like all the info. If you go with a STD type reticle be sure you take a good look at the thickness of the outer reticle portion so it doesn't mask a small target, like a ground squirrel when holding off for wind. I have a Zeiss 4.5-14x50 which is a darn nice scope but has to be regulated to larger game because of the reticle size.

For a 17 HMR, I use a 4.5-14 and it works great except for the ones up close (giving me the "Welcome to New Jersey" salute) , which there is a S&W Model 41 waiting for them.

HTH

Most all of my shooting is at prairie dogs. 6-18 X scope power is the one I like. If the feild of view is to small for you when set at 18X turn it down a bit. Set up a one inch dia target at 100 yards and see how much the cross hair covers. You then will know if you wont the used Leo scope.

I do have that exact same scope and reticle on my 204. When I ordered the scope, I had Leupold customize the reticle for the load that I shoot the most. I have ranged kills with this rifle @ over 500 yards on our local Belding squirrels, ("Skippy"), crows, and even magpies. Skippy is about 1/2 to 2/3rds the size of our ground squirrels. Most of my shooting is between 10 power and 14 power magnification. No problems! But at the same time, this scope is not my choice for the 17 hummer. Mine wears a 4-12x40 Leupold, and it does have the LRV reticle. As stated previously, the scope you are looking at, I do agree, is overkill for the 17. If you have the money, I would pick up the scope, with the idea of mounting it on a center fire.

To me, the rifles I choose, and the scopes they wear, and even ammo I shoot thru them, Is my personal choice. I buy and use what I like, and I am a happy guy!

There is no such thing as "too much scope", especially when shooting small targets with at rimfire ranges; you might need all the magnification you can get to compensate for the (comparatively) wide trajectory vs. a flatter-shooting centerfire. Also, you can always crank the X down at close range if you need to.
No offense intended, but $400 isn't any great deal on a 4-18X Leupold VXII, even with the LRV reticle; in fact they're being discounted close to that price for the new replacement model at most dealers as we "speak". If possible, take a look through, say, a 4-16X Sightron SII Big Sky and then that Leupold.

I agree with RowdyYates. It is nice to have lots of magnification at your disposal even on a 17hmr. I have 6-24 powers on 17 HMR, 204 and 22 hornet. If you can afford it get the extra magnification. I like the fine reticles or mil dots but that is personal preference.

I have a Nikon 4-12x on my .17 and I think its just right. It has a wide field of view at low power and i'm not usually taking shots at anything over 100-150 yds anyway. I have the mildot version. I think a Mueller would be a good choice too.