The only advantage a 30mm tube gives you is more clicks of
moa on your turret adustments.
If you plan on extremly long range varmit or target shooting you may want to consider you may want to consider it but for big game hunting its really not going to give you an advantage.
Its more than likely made from the same thickness of tubing, its just a wider piece of tubing so it ain't going to be any stronger.
As far as light gathering capabilities advantages, generally the answer is it won't be noticeable to the human eye in the field.
It would have to be done in a very controled environment using very soficticted equipment to see any difference if any.
And do that everything, would have to be the same except for tube size and it would be hard to compare apples to apples betwwen different companies makes and models.
To many other factors come into play such as size of objective lens,quality of lenses, type Lens coatings, single or multiple lens coatings and number of lenses being coated and are the lenses coated on both sides or just one side.
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I"m not sure on the VX-III but I had the 3-9 x 50 mm Leupold Euro model with the 30 mm tube and it had no advantage over the 1" tube for low light conditions. The internal parts were the same as the 1" tube and they had designed this scope for the european market...
That side focus is real nice. If money isn't a real issue get the side focus you will not regret it. If money is a little tight get the 1". you'll be pretty happy with that too I'm sure. I have both and I like both. The side focus is reallyconveniant when your shooting targets. I like the side focus more but I'm not throwing the AO in the garbage because it serves its purpose for all hunting applications just fine
+1 to other posted comments. Also, 30mm tubes are generally heavier... if that is a concern to you. As a general rule, I prefer lighter scopes, especially on the harder recoiling rifles. Clarity / resolution is more dependent on quality of glass and coatings. IMO, for "regular" hunting situations here in the good ole USA, 1" tubed scopes are just fine.
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If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.
No difference in light, stronger tube, and the 30mm will allow for a wider range of zoom, lastly to allow the use of better optics. Not all companies utilize the extra space for upgrading optics, as mentioned above Leopold is one of them.
If you want a nice scope with significantly better specs than the one you are looking at you may want to have a look at the Bushnell 6500 2.5x16 42mm, it is much cleaner to look through than the VariIII, also it is 30mm, side focus and has a continuous eye relief, which the Leopolddefinitely doesn't.
Big decision to make, do yourself a favor and find a shop that will let you look through them outside, technology has taken huge steps in the past couple years, Leopold is no longer making the scope they once did.
Another bonus with the 6500 is the rainguard, this thing can go from cold to wet to warm, breath on it and you can still see your game, no other scope does that.
In the price range you are in you may want to look at a Zeiss too, another decent scope, minimum features though.
Good luck, pick something your eyes love!
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Exocet 200
Contrary to belief.
Unless manufactures use a thicker wall in the 30mm tube over a 25mm tube, the UTS (Ultimate Tensile Strength) and Tensileelongation between the 2 will be very very close,when it comes to soft core tubes and hybrid tubes.
The only thing that makes tubes stronger is the material its made from , and the process its made by.
The whole point of a 30mm tube is to get more moa so the wall thicknesses should be the same weather the over all diameter is 25mm or 30mm or now the 34mm.
The exception will be like examples such as the Leupold. They probably have to use a thicker walled tube, especially if they use the same "internal guts" as they do on the 25mm tube.This is because it would give a more secure internal fit
so the gutts don't slop around.
In cases like this, the tube will be stronger because the tube wall thickness would be thicker.
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30mm vs. 1 inch Tube??
