I think you'll be happy with the Freedom if you get a chance to try one out. From what Leupold has said, they took the glass out of the VX-3 (pre- VX-3i) and are using it in the Freedoms. This is supposed to be a big improvement over the VX-1 and a slight improvement of the VX-2. To me, it makes sense that they would consolidate options at the lower end, as they have really been focusing on the higher end scopes. I'm absolutely in love with the Mark 5 and the VX-6HD, but I'll have to save for a while before pulling the trigger on one of those scopes.