If you're looking for the best in low-light viewing and sighting, a scope with a large objective lens that funnels in great quantities of light is the answer. Game is often spotted early in the morning and late in the day when the light level is not high. In some cases the only shot you will get occurs when there is almost not enough light to see well. It's frustrating when you spot a trophy clearly through binoculars but cannot see well enough through a scope to take a shot. This happened to me a few years ago when I spotted one of the largest mule deer I've ever seen at daybreak.

The problem with light-gathering scopes that have large objective lenses is that when they're mounted the line of sight is too high. The objectives in such scopes are often so large that the highest scope mount rings are required to keep the lens bell off the rifle's barrel.

The result is that the scope is so high it prevents natural line of sight aiming when the rifle is shouldered normally and quickly. A shooter must raise his head off the stock to see through the scope. Besides all this, even if there is plenty of time in a hunting situation, a shooter cannot get a cheek weld on the riflestock for optimal shooting.

Cheeking the stock solidly, firmly, and in a repeatable manner results in better shooting than when the stock comb barely touches, clear down on the shooter's jawbone. Furthermore, scopes mounted this high result in rifles that just do not look right. For all these reasons, I've avoided using scopes with large objective bells. Until now.

Solves The Problem In A New Way
Leupold (Dept. ST, 14400 NW. Greenbrier Parkway, Beaverton, OR 97006; 503-646-9171; www.leupold.com) has changed all this with the introduction of the VX-L, which has a recess in the objective bell housing to accommodate a rifle barrel. I've never seen anything like this before, and the result is that the large objective scope can be mounted for a much lower and more appropriate line of sight. You can get a scope with the advantages in light gathering without the traditional disadvantages.

The distinctive feature of the new Leupold VX-L is the recessed bottom of the objective lens. The new scope provides the superior light gathering of a large- objective scope but also allows for low mounting so that the shooter can get a natural sight alignment and a good cheek weld to the stock.

Designing a scope like the VX-L is somewhat of a technological breakthrough. Scopes must be sealed to prevent fogging, and it is relatively simple to seal the edges of the forward lens in a conventional scope. Internal rings screw into the bell housing to hold a round lens securely.

This cannot be done with Leupold's VX-L. Designing a lens recess or cutout as Leupold has done while maintaining this seal during recoil with the relatively large glass is an enormous feat. The manner in which it's done is proprietary, but it allows the scopes to be sold with the legendary Leupold full lifetime guarantee. Accommodations are made even for the famous gold ring around the bell housing.