I got ready to buy a vxr 3-9x40 with 30mm tube the other day but I ran across a couple customer reviews where they said the glass wasnt as good as the vx3i glass so I held off.
I’ve been drifting up in magnification over the years, not just for prairie dogging either. I used to have a 2-7 on my M-L, a Zeiss 3-9 now. I do have one VX3i which I like, bought it still new from a private net seller.