We were recently visited by a Leupold rep that filled us in about the new upcoming Redfield line of scopes that were to be produced by Leupold here in the US. The scopes were advertised as having the same features and reliability of the Leupold VX-1 and VX-II line, but with significantly reduced cost and backed by the same warranty as Leupold's line. Sounds like alot to deliver for such a cheap price, so we were left sceptical of the claims.
Once they rolled into the shop I tossed one up against a comparable VX-II model. In low-light, indoors, and outdoors conditions there was no appreciable difference in optical quality between the two. The Redfield had good clarity, good light, and ample eye relief, only ... it was $189 compared to the VX-II's $300+ price tag.
A few months and a few mounting jobs later we've sold probably 20 of the new Redfields and had only one scope that was "dead in the box" from Leupold, which they fixed quickly with no fuss. We've mounted them on .270s, .204s, .308s both bolt and semi, and a myriad of other calibers up to a .300 Win Mag with good results. Lastly, I decided to put one on my 10/22 Target.
So what's there to like about the Redfield?
Price - The scope is $189. Want a 50mm objective? Toss in another $20. There are few scopes available in the general market that are comparable in terms of price effectiveness, in my opinion.
Lifetime Warranty - They are backed by Leupold. Not only is Leupold in the US, but they are a company that has stood behind their product for decades. I've seen Leupold take care of customers that admittedly broke their own scope, on accident mind you, but that is nearly unheard of these days.
1/4 MOA Click Adjust Turrets - It has been a long time coming for the days of 2 MOA or 1 MOA friction adjust scopes to die from the market. I'm incredibly pleased that Leupold has decided to stick with the market standard and opt for clickable adjustments in 1/4 MOA. This is the sole reason why I hardly recommend their VX-I line to customers, and purchased the Redfield for myself.
Clarity - The glasswork and coatings give ample light and clarity in all times of the day, and perform well even in moderately lit indoor ranges. I can't say it's what you'd get out of a Nightforce or Schmidt & Bender, but let's be honest here ... no one is expecting that. This is a working man's scope that would be sufficient for shooting, plinking, or gunning down hogs and bambi at nightfall (meat is murder, tasty tasty murder).
Quality - To put it plainly, for $189 you don't exactly expect the world's best, but I officially declare that these scopes do not feel like a piece of crap. Some other manufacturers, I cannot honestly say the same.
Camo! - The scope comes with some sort of camo cloth that I still have not found a use for. It's too small for underwear, and it's too big for a finger puppet.
Sounds like a sales pitch? It's not ... I really do like these scopes. I've used Nightforce, Schmidt & Bender, Zeiss, Leupold, US Optics, Sworovski, etc. so I've put my eyeball behind some world-class glass. They all have their place, but not adorning your local Redneck's .270, or my 10/22, or a .204 Ruger that'll be shot at 100 yards to blow up small critters like you fed them a diet of thermonuclear peanuts. Those scopes are best on that .375 H&H, that M40A5 that's sitting in front of Pvt. Pyle in Afghanistan, or a 6.5-284 chambered 1000-yard Benchrest gun.
What don't I like about the Redfield?
No Adjustable Parallax - This plays hell on my eyes when shooting my rimfire at 50 yards. I would like to have seen or had the choice of an adjustable parallax version. Not really a big gripe since I knew it when I bought the scope. Just me pointing out that the grass could indeed be greener.
Click Adjustments are "Soft" - A design change to a firmer and more positive feel to the windage and elevation adjustments would be welcomed.
Lastly, just because I'm going to fire off this review to Leupold, I really wish they would have put out a 8.5-25x50mm, 30mm tube diameter, front focal scope with adjustable parallax and M1 turret scopes, but under the Redfield label, and all for $500. Please?
Pics of my Redfield on my 10/22
