I'm considering a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x40 long range 30mm 40obj. scope. I hope someone has had experience with the following reticles. Has anyone used their new Boone and Crocket reticle or their Varmint reticle? I want to use  it for hunting and target shooting. I like the Varmint Reticle since its hairs are thinner but I would NOT use it for varmint popping and was hoping It was still ideal for deer and hog size game. Or will the reticle hairs to thin?

Also, Leupold's Longe range scopes use the 30mmm size tube rather then the 1 inch tube. Although. 30mm weighs a few oz more, how is it more of an advantage over 1 inch tube? There must be a practicle reason why Leupold perfer this size foe thier long range scopes.  Is it because it slightly bigger then 1 inch and allows more light to travel down? This had me torn between their standard 1 inch tube ot the 30mm scope of the same VX-III type.

The main advantage of a 30mm tube is more adjustment travel so you can dial up
40 minutes of elevation for those long range targets. A larger tube probably offers
more strength. Light transmission is not a product of tube size. If you want more
light get a larger objective or use less magnification. At 14x a 40mm objective
gives you a 2.85mm exit pupil (40/14), smaller than your eyes can exploit.  A
more usable exit pupil would be 4mm or more. Scope quality is one other factor
in light transmission and Leupold's ain't too shabby for their quality.  

I have the VX-III 6.5-20X40 with the Varmint reticle in it. I like it very much, but I haven't had time to test it's ability out very far (200yrds so far).

It seems like a fairly neat system.  Mine is set up for pdog type stuff and I shoot 40gr bullets out of a 1:12 twist barrel.  When zeroed at 200yrds, the bullet should follow the ladder down the reticle much like the BDC in an ACOG.  I noticed that when zeroed at 200yrds, it's also zeroed at 100 yrds, about an inch high at 150, and dead on at 50yrd if you use the second step from the top on the ladder.

It's supposed to work with a large set of bullet weights and velocities, and has a chart included in the instructions on how to set your scope up.. Pretty simple, really.

The rest of the scope is the usual loopy...  very well built and a generally nice optic.