The Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4x20 features excellent glass, is exceptionally light at 9.6 ounces, and is unbelievably affordable for an American made riflescope.
Creating a Project Appleseed Known Distance 10/22 my optic goal is to use Leupold’s Pig Plex reticle to accommodate 25, 50, 75, and 100 yard KD stages.
Mounted low for minimal cheek riser and low sight over bore. Leupold’s 1.56” diameter eyepiece allows me to mount the optic on low, .3” saddle height rings. Just barely clearing the picatinny rail
Pig-Plex has a 9 MOA ring and the two stadia lines beneath the cross hairs are a bit variable, but approximately 4.5 MOA apart.
I wish it started at 1x magnification for both eyes open. When I had it mounted on the Hellion, I desired 1x for room clearing. When hunting, for panning and following game. Starting at 1.5x kind of wrecks using both eyes open. A ‘Pig-Plex”, for feral hog hunting really should start at 1x. But that would likely mean a max magnification of 3x…like on the Weaver V3. I was very close to choosing the V3, but decided that I wanted the added magnification in case I decide to do a 200 Yard KD.
The optics magnification throw lever requires just over 90 degrees to go from min to max. Awesome.
2 o’clock for prone 4x, 12 o'clock for squat 2.5x, and 10 o’clock for 1.5x offhand.
3.7-4.2” eye relief made it a challenge to get it far enough forward. Approaching scout scope eye relief. Even with 14” lop on the stock, I had the scope as far forward as possible, and could have used one more slot on the Faxon receiver pic rail.
1” tube so it's kind of sensitive to eye alignment, but I find that if I close my eyes and shoulder the rifle my eyes are properly aligned. Just requires getting the ring height, butt stock cheek riser position, and eye relief dialed in.
No illumination makes this rifle scope light, but that black reticle might be tough to see in green or dark environments. It works best in desert, red, or bright environments.
Easily slips into the GunRunner scabbard for Snowshoe hare pursuit.
While the elevation and windage dials are easy to manipulate by hand…tool-less and coinless, their “clicks” start off kind of indistinct…a few dull, subdued nubs and then the clicks become more discernible. Almost every time…I’m not sure how that is possible, but it is consistent.
Excellent value for an American made optic by a company with Leupold’s reputation and a lifetime warranty.