Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Will Leupold survive ?

I have a scope in the mail from the repair shop. Probably 6 weeks to replace target turret. Spin and no reticle movement, then a jump. Hope they repaired it, because it had a 1/2 moa custom dot.

Given the fact the Leupold repair shop is alive and well, not sure you have a clue in the first place……

I'd place a bet on a solid domestic company with a 120+ year history, long before I'd bet on any of the companies manufacturing in Asia.

IMO the family owners that have driven the company down will milk the company until they don't get enough and then will sell it. The damage is being done to the company's image.

Yes.

The last six scopes I've bought have been Leupolds and I'm happy with the ones I have. I do think most of their models are at a good intersection of price/value although there is more and more competition these days! If you're not building scopes in the Indo-Pacific, it's hard to compete on price.

They aren’t going anywhere. Leopold and Vortex own the big box market where Bubba shops. Bubba don’t know any better. Bubba points and shoots, or if he dials, he dials CDS.

Lower price point maybe, but when you get north of $1,000 it's a different market/clientele!

Of course they will surive. Even on here, a forum with dedicated riflemen, people don't agree on the quality. To the average scope buyer, they are still considered better than most. Especially in the price range! The custom shop must not have been making money, or it would still be in use! Compared to the number of scopes built, how many used the custom shop. 2% or less.. I don't know. When ever I want a feature on a scope, I just buy a scope with that feature, never used the custom shop. Profit is the name of the game!

At the low prices the custom shop charged for their services I suspect that it was a loss leader for Leupold. I wish the service was still available but if they charged enough to make a profit from the custom shop the whining about them charging to much would be overwhelming.

As far as Leupold and dialing - the VX-3 or VXIII in 6.5x20 has been the most used scope in metallic silhouette competitions for decades. Do they dial perfectly - probably not but they are close enough. They fall in the sweet spot of good optics, good eye relief, light weight, and repeatability that are most compeitors choice.

Considering how many Leupolds are out in the world it is not surprising to hear tales of breakage but as a total percentage I suspect that it is small.

drover

Guilty Bubba here...

Jim Carmichel set a new world record using a Leupold scope.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/carmichel-benchrest-world-record/

It's a little of everything. As for the area and its politics, Leupold makes optics, not guns. Portland deserves its reputation as a liberal hell hole, but the rest of Oregon is pretty darned red. SIG recently headquartered their electro-optic business just a few miles down the road, plus Benchmade and Gerber are there and Nosler is just over the mountains in Bend, so Oregon may not be as hostile to outdoor manufacturers as one might think.

Time is probably a bigger factor in Leupold's current situation than anything. Redfield was top dog in rifle scopes after WWII, then Leupold came along and turned Redfield into just another player. Now Leupold has lost their dominant position in the sports optic market like Colt lost their position with law-enforcement revolvers to Smith & Wesson.

Those makers were able to get a foot in the door because of the GWOT, which required capacity for innovation and production that Leupold was unable to meet.

The question is whether Leupold can rebound. Their business model is sound because a lot of folks won't buy things that they can't actually touch in a store. But in the same way that Glock pushed S&W out of the LE market, other makers now offer higher-quality products with features (dialing, etc.) that buyers want.

Few of those buyers even understand those features or will ever be able to fully use them, but that's another thread.


Okie John

Well KSMITH does love to lie about being a SEAL so it's not suprising he would lie about other things.

Anyone who thinks Leupold is struggling is simply stupid.

The new MK 4 line is the most sucessful product launch in the history of Leupold.

Leupold isnt going anywhere lol. Man, the internet can be a fun place for info haha

And to the dialers, I would be willing to place a bet that there are far far more shooters that dont dial than those that do. Most mount, sight in and go kill chit. Leupolds work well for that

Leupold is doing fine. Just look at what is at the optics counter in major sporting goods stores. They wouldn’t stock them if they weren’t selling them.

Word in the field is that Leupolds dial just fine and have for many years. Even my Lil Buddy up North loves Leupold.

From what I read here if you send in a 4X and they can't fix it how can they replace it if they don't make 4X scopes anymore?

Leupold is living on reputation from back in the day... but they are circling the drain. Too many "lifetime warranties" to maintain and too little build quality to keep afloat.

g