Leupold vx-freedom 2-7x33 rimfire scope - Leupold VX-Freedom Rimfire 2-7x33mm Rifle Scope, 1" Tube, Second Focal Plane (SFP)

I preordered one of the new Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7x33 rimfire scopes in January and received it a couple of days after their release on February 2nd. From unboxing to mounting and zeroing, I must say that overall I am impressed with the quality of this scope from Leupold’s new Freedom line, especially when you consider their current price point.

Out of the box, the scope I received had a nice matte black finish with no obvious exterior blemishes and an excellent overall fit/finish. The variable power magnification ring is smooth through the entire range and in my opinion, has just the right amount of resistance for a hunting scope. Not so much that a throw lever is needed yet not so light that an inadvertent bump would vary it. The ocular housing allows more than enough adjustment for me to get a crisp and clear reticle image and I also like that Leupold added the ocular lock ring to the Freedom series. (Something of which I wasn’t fond of being absent on the VX-1 and VX-2’s.) The turrets are ¼ MOA per-click, semi-tactile, and are finger adjustable, no screwdrivers or tools needed. Now, I’m not claiming these scopes feature Steiner or Schmidt & Bender quality glass but, the eye box, edge to edge clarity throughout the entire magnification range, and low light performance are to me, exceptional for a scope in this price range. While I won’t go into a long-winded comparison here, I did want to share that I performed several side-by-side observations to a couple of other entry level scopes I had laying around, a Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32 and a Nikon Prostaff 2-7x32. The overall glass clarity through all magnification ranges and the light gathering capability in low light situations were much better on the Leupold than that of either the Vortex or the Nikon.

While I can’t yet speak to the scopes longevity, I currently feel that Leupold has done an excellent job if the remainder of the Freedom line-up is anything like the scope I received! To date, my only complaint regarding these scopes would be that no lens covers are included, not even a $5 bikini like the VX-1’s came with. While I understand they are trying to keep cost down, I honestly wish Leupold would include some sort of lens covers. So far, the cheapest I have been able to source both Alumina covers for this scope, the ocular and the objective, is around $110. While the Alumina covers are hands down better than other options available (Not naming names), the total for both isn’t far off from the purchase price of the scope itself!