Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Are todays Leupold Variable Scopes Reliable?

Got to thinking about the reliability of todays Variable Scopes to hold Zero.
I have never had an issue when Using A Leupold variable shifting Zero .

I realize that the Leupold Variable scopes have more moving parts than the Leupold fixed Powers but how important is that ?

Do Leupold Variable scopes often lose Zero ?

I would like to hear from those who use them about their experiences of lost zero or other failures and asking from the other side of the coin have you ever had a Leupold fixed power scope lose zero or malfunction?

I have used the Fixed powers before and like them,4x,6x (currently have a M8 4x Long tube on an 8mm Mauser sporter.

But I like the upper end of the 3-9x40 for use in the field where I hunt most of the time.

And on those rare occasions when I slip off in the thick woods I like the 3x.

But could make do with the 6x36 for both uses.

I put a VX1 3-9x40 on a Tikka Superlight 270 Win I recently bought BUT Now wondering if I should have just stuck a 6x36 on it.
I like the 9x better in the fields but I dont want to be using a scope(Variable)if it is prone to lose zero !

So lets hear the Good the Bad and the Ugly about the Leupold Variables.

Dont really care about preferences as we all have our preferences but just about Mechanical failures or success as it were.

Thanks

Can there be a better testing platform than a Freedom Arms .454. On the way to getting a scope that could handle I broke about a dozen. The one that has taken the abuse of a couple thousand full house rounds is a Leupold Vari-X 2 /2-8X32. Even when I fell one time and the first thing to hit the rocks was the rings (it is secured by four T'SOB rings) it still held its zero. In fact the last time I check it I checked it at 200 yards with a full five loads. The group was 5".

Not exactly big recoil, but I have a few 308's that get shot a lot. I buy Nosler and Hornady match bullets by the thousand several times a year, and 8 lb. jugs of "4895" speed powders too. Two newer variable Leupolds get a lot of that use, both 6.5-20x40LR 30mm tube models, one VX-III and one VX-3. Never a hiccup.

I think the general consensus of this board would be if it's a zero it and forget scope a Leupold would be just fine. If you are into turret turning more than a little, there are other options that are better.

My Weatherby Mark V Ultra Light Weight 30-06 I bought here
from Wes 7x57 has Busted these scopes in this order.
All Leupolds
Vari X III 1.75-6x32 HD
VX III 1.75-6x32 HD
FX 3 6x42 HD
FX 3 6x42 LRD
All were sent back to Leupold and returned to as new condition
Sold all of them here.
I love Leupold`s more than ANY other scope maker but
for me I am trying other makes for now.
May try a Leupold Redfield Revolution next on this 30-06 and see how it does.
AMRA

I have had 2 Leupold variables fail. A VX-III 1.5-5 that I bought on ebay that was beat to hell. I put it on my 375H&H and about the third shot it went TU. Sent it to Leupold explaining I had bought it used and they sent me a brand new scope. The other was a VX-II Compact on Mrs Blacktailer's 308 Kimber. It started wondering zero so sent it in and it was fixed good as new N/C. I have a few other Leupold variables and they are all on hunting rifles so unless there is load development to be done, they only get shot about 5-10 rounds a year.
Some folks on AR claim Nikons are more robust.

I have a little story from the range yesterday.

Went out with a few rifles. Rifle #1 was a Ruger .243 that usually shoots 3/4" 3-shot groups. I put a new VX-2 3-9X40 CDS on it. Couldn't get the darn thing zeroed. It was shooting 3" groups strung horizontally. Hmmm. I'll clean the rifle, check the screws, and try on another day. But.....

Rifle #2 was a Savage .270 with a Leupold 6X36. I don't remember the last time I touched the adjustments on that scope. Maybe in the spring of 2011??? I fired one shot and put it back in the case. My black bear rifle was ready to go for the spring.


Stuff like that makes me thing BobinNH and Mule Deer may be on to something when they keep harping about the reliability of fixed power scopes.

Also, I'm starting to think the statements I read on here about Leupold QC may be more than just internet blabbering...

I can only reiterate my two recent brand new Leupold scope purchases and both broke right out of the gate. One was a fixed power 4x (reticle broke) and the other was a VX2 4-12 x 40 who's erector was all out of whack and had to be sent back twice to correct the problem. Small sample you say....? Well yes, but a poor one for quality as well.

I have 2 leupold variables. Vari x IIs 6x18, with target turrets. The glass is very good, but both have been back to get new erectors twice. They were good for a while, but then gradually shifted from zero, and would not return to zero after dialing. I also had a point of impact difference of 2" between 6x and 18x at 200yds with one scope. And no it wasn't parallax. Leupold fixed that too. I replaced one scope with a SWFA 3X15. It has been rock solid. The leupolds were on a custom 243, and one is still on a Savage 30-06. As stated, the glass was fine, but I could not depend on them.

I like my Leupold scopes, but I have no more (or less) faith in their infallibility than many other makes, regardless of where they're made. I like to buy American, but I like to get what I pay for, as well. Most recent issue was a 3-9 vx2 that went to wandering all over on a 6.8 AR. Doesn't mean I won't take another. Doesn't mean I'll swear off variables or Leupold. Doesn't mean I 100% trust them, or anything else these days. 😜

I've put Leupie 2.5, 3, 4, and 6 powers through their paces on a bunch of different rifles.

I do not twist turrets. Set it and forget it only.

I've never had one break in any way.

I was warned off the 1" tube 6-18 Leupold by someone who shoots more than a little.

I think he was right. I will replace my 2nd one soon, likely with another SWFA. They have all brass internals, and so far (9 months) I have had no problems at all. The leupolds are lighter, but I want/need dependability.

I'm cranking on a SS 6x42MQ these days. Rock solid so far.

The most goof proof scopes I have used over the years have been 4X Leupolds....but these date back to days when Leupolds were considered very tough and reliable scopes. But despite pretty good eyes for my age,I no longer see as well through a Leupold fixed 4X as I once did at distances past 300 yards, and on deer sized game.

I guess my default choice has become a 6x36. I have had one on my Mashburn for 4-5 years now....the thing is so boring and consistent I need to build another Mashburn just for something to do.

I don't know how many barrels I have torched under a 4X leupold but we are talking several thousands of rounds in different calibers. I broke one...it had app. 3000 rounds of 300 and 338 Win Mag under it,and finally quit on a wildcat equivalent of a 358 STA. It had been on many hunts. The ocular came loose and rattled like a piano key. I could still hit a small bucket with it at 300 yards.

Only one variable,a 2.5-8X,has made the trip from new barrel to burnt out... on a 7 Rem Mag.This was awhile ago.

Currently a VX3 2.5-8 has performed well on a 270 the past 5 years. I have not touched the adjustments and have killed 4-5 bucks with it.But in truth it does not get shot much except to hunt.

I am still in search of the perfect variable. The closest I have owned was a Schmidt Bender Summit,but I am not a turret twister.

Are Leupold variables reliable today? I don't know anymore. I think it depends on how much you shoot.I have broken more than my share.

Hi bcraig,
while I have used and recommend many 6x's and can attest to their ruggedness my last buy was a vx3 that has been hard used and remains spot on. It is on a lightweight 260 in S and K rings.

Three points you may consider:
1. No one mentioned the improved erector springs of the VX3 and up. I am not sure if lesser models carry this recent feature. Verbiage from Leupold - "The twin bias spring exerts up to 30 percent more holding force on the erector, virtually eliminating erector system backlash and stress on the vital internal workings of the scope. This means your VX-3 will be with you for hunt, after hunt, after hunt."

So comparing reliability against other or older models is not apples to apples as I see it. This should inspire confidence.

2. Nor have I heard reference to proper mounting. Stuff you know but.. few would ever admit to improperly mounting a scope or contributing to a failure. If things are loose, scopes get jarred. If the rings are over- tightened it can be hard on the scope and as much bearing surface as possible is a good recipe. I have seen a LOT of loose mounts in my time. I like to coat most rings in silicon. Along those lines have also used the Burris inserts. I wonder how many using those inserts, properly tightened, have failed? Not saying never but.... know what I mean?

3. I discovered I MUCH preferred the variable set BELOW 6x when taking to field. Field of view seems an undersold spec. I get comfort and faster target acquisition. I bought the scope thinking the benefit would come above 6x and was thankful to have it on my last and longest shot ever, but it is easier to crank up when needed as opposed to more frantic cranking down when something pops up close.

An FX would be a great scope, would love to try one but so is a VX3. I compared it to my older M8 6x42 and the VX3 was definitely brighter and truer- so that is some indication of how far they have come.

Just food for thought.

it's not today's leupold but I do have several no troubles.
In early 1980 I bought a 3-9x40 varix 11c. And in 2004 it ended up on a 12 gauge ultra slug that must weigh 11 pounds. Opening morning that year as I left the house it slide off my shoulder and the gun landed scope first on the blacktop, and left a nice ding. I carried my bow to the stand that morning, at lunch time I fired the ultra slug with the banged up Leupold and it remains dead on to this day. I tried a pair of bushnell shotgun scopes just a year earlier and had one off from a minor bang in a case. But I do believe that could have been the cheap mount and rings I put on.

the new VX6 in 1-6x24 I bought last year seems OK, I don't twist turrets a lot, glass is good, reticle is black, a bit tuff to turn the power dial, less distortion at 1X than an old NF NXS 1-4 had, illumination is really good but I wish it were a dial instead of a scroll button, mechanically don't know as its been on a 5.56 gas gun, there it has remained zeroed for 5 months.

On an ironic note, I shot my 30-06 with one of the afore mentioned vxII 6x18s today. I shot it not long ago and it had been fine. Today very eratic with no rhyme or reason to it. About 5" groups at 200yds. I suspected the scope, as conditions were good. Went and switched to the other exact same scope that I had just got back from leupold this winter. Still in the box after testing it on the rifle to make sure it was fixed. Shot 4 shot 2"group at 200yds. gun is dirty and usually does a little better, but the first scope definitely went belly up, and it did it in a hurry. It will be the 3rd time this one has been back to Leupold.

None of my Leupold scopes are especially new. Usually my only complaint is that when being sighted in the adjustments seem to take 2 or 3 or more shots before settling down. Sometimes this can result in a lot of shots being required in order to set the scope up. Once they have settled in they seem to hold their zero permanently.

Due the increasingly high price of Leupold scopes here in Canada I have been buying more Bushnell and Burris products. They may not be the equal of Leupolds but for the price difference they are more than satisfactory for my purposes.

I have a new Browning X-bolt in .223 coming in a few days and am not sure whether to buy a new scope or to start with a very old 4-12x Redfield scope. I have a couple of much newer 2-7x scopes laying around (in fact one may be 5-7 years old but unused yet)but this may not be enough magnification for my old eyes.

Jim

Some of the problems with scopes that are written here can be attributed to shooting from a rest that grips the gun and doesn't allow recoil to happen normally.

Even the lead weighted bags that have a deep groove for the rifle to rest in can cause the same problems and damage scopes, especially with rifles with synthetic stocks that grip firmly in that groove and don't move normally on recoil.

Of course, that's just some of the problems.....but it's there.

I may have given the impression at times that I'm a Leupold fanboy of sorts, but that's simply a reflection of my own experience. So far, so good.

Given that in general, Leupold has upgraded its products, pretty much throughout the low and middle range, with regard to optics and coatings, etc, it seems unlikely that they would be deliberately letting mechanical quality slip. It's possible that they simply have too many irons in the fire and the sheer number of products make it hard for the assemblers and others to keep pace and do their best work.

It's also a possibility that the bean counters have won the day and decided that it's more cost effective to cut QC and fix the mistakes rather than keep them in house. During my career, I experienced several cycles of management cutting costs and personnel until things went to hell, and then taking credit for fixing the resultant mess. Corporate churn, I guess you might call it. At my age, I don't know how many more scopes I'll be buying, but I have no reservations about switching if they start futzing up. Ask General Motors.

Anything can break due to all kinds of differing reasons. Some have been mentioned here. The question was are today's Leupold Variable scopes reliable? An adjunct inference question was are fixed power scopes more reliable? I think it is pretty safe to state that as a rule, any fixed power scope is more reliable than a variable one. I suspect the answer to the latter question is yes as there are simply more things that can and sometimes do go wrong in a variable scope than a fixed one. Having said that, perhaps a better question would be how reliable is reliable enough?

At one time or another, I've used just about every scope available, from the glamour European scopes to the bargain basement models and about everything in-between those extremes. I've had a few that didn't last long, usually one of the lower price models. Mostly though, they have all done pretty well. I have more experience with Leupold scopes than all other makes combined. I haven't counted lately but I'd guess that in my safe at this moment there are about twenty-five rifles with Leupold scopes mounted on them. One of them is a FX-6X and the rest are variables of one type or another, mostly in the 2-7 or 3-9 power range. In addition I have a couple Zeiss variables , perhaps a half dozen Denver Redfield scopes, all variables, two Schmidt & Bender fixed 6X scopes, a US Optics variable, A Bushnell variable, and probably another make or two mounted. I've used Swarovski variables, Meopta variables and naturally Weaver scopes both fixed and variable, Nightforce variables, and one Kahles 3x9 variable I just remembered.

I don't recall ever having a failure with a fixed power scope, and off the top of my head, I can't recall ever having a variable scope fail that could be attributed to the fact that it was a variable and not fixed power scopes.

All in all, it seems to me that the scope manufacturers and particularly Leupold do an amazing job producing reliable scopes. If I had to answer the question, is a fixed power scope more reliable than a variable power one, I have to answer yes, it is. However my experience tells me that we'd be picking nits to the extreme. TT

A little birdy, close to Leupold insiders, said that their QC seemed to start slipping around the mid- 2000's. Anyone interested in that little birdy's qualifications can send me a PM.

All of my Leupolds except my new VXR are at least 10 years old are older. I've never had an issue of any kind with any of them.

I'm extremely impressed with my new VXR 4x12 variable I put on one of my heavy barrel AR's. I'll be buying another just like it soon, to put on my old Remington Classic 700 in .264 Win Mag.

chilin; any issues with not having AO on that VX-R? I like every factor of the scope but the fact it lacks AO is keeping me from buying one...

whats the longest range you have used it?

Not interested in who the birdy is, but I was wondering if the slip was by accident or by design.

PM sent Pappy348.

Please post the info here so all the members of the fire will have it.

Thanks

+1

a good friend of mine who works for a sporting goods wholesaler just returned from 2-3 days of training at Leupold. I talked with her for an hour or so, largely because of all the posts I see from time to time on the "fire" regarding supposed un-reliability of Leupold variables. Unlike most of you, I don't have lots of scopes. I do 100% of my hunting with 2 old Leupold variables: a 2-7 vari-x II I bought new and a 2.5-8 vari-x III I bought used. I'm more of a hunter than a shooter, so I don't shoot a lot. Mostly .270 Win. and the last few years a .300 Win. Mag. All this talk of Leupold failures has me wondering if its only a matter of time. I'm going on another wilderness hunt in Sept. and plan on using the 2.5-8 again and don't want a problem.

Some of things she learned on her training and shared with me, you'd probably not believe if I stated them here. One example is the percent of scopes that come back to Leupold for supposed failure that they can find no problems with. They keep close stats on this and know the percent in detail. All I will say is that it is far more than 90%. And that is after shooting extensively with THAT scope.

Another interesting stat is that they ship more new scopes in ONE DAY than the combined scope manufacturers in all of Europe do for a LONG TIME. So there's a fair number out in the market-place.

Another issue she mentioned was the re-coil pounding test they put on their scopes. In an experiment some time back, they upped the amount of pounding the machine exerted on the test scope by a huge margin and just let it run for much longer than you'd believe. After quite a spell, the machine actually broke.


I could go on and on. In a somewhat un-related but interesting experience this same gal had was with an old Leupold on a .375 that was accidentally dropped out of a bush-plane but found. No apparent damages. She used it a couple years ago on a moose.

Go ahead and question this info if you want. The credibility of this person along with her experience made her proud to sell the Leupold product-made in America.

At her suggestion, I'm going to send in my old vari-x III just to have them go over it. Its never given me problems, but they can determine if there is anything out of order that I'm not noticing.

My experience as well. I did buy a VXII used that I had to send back to Leupold for repair. They did so at N/C. I have yet to experience unacceptable quality or C/S out of Leupold in over 25 years. I currently own 12 of them. They are my favorite, despite favoring Redfields back when Redfield was made in Co. (the new Redfields are a good value now that Leupold owns/manufactures them). Nothing wrong with Burris or Bushnell Elites, or Swarovski, or Zeiss (I own them all), but I still say Leupold is the best overall for the $.

I have a new VX6 waiting on a Custom 300WM build that should be done soon. That scope is as bright as a Swarovski Z5, and ~5 bills cheaper for a comparable scope. I have full confidence it will serve me as well as the other Leupolds I've owned for years.

Which VX-6?

I have often wondered how many scopes get blamed for other problems in the rifle or shooter. Probably quite a few. I did have an interesting thing happen a year ago with Leupold customer service with one of the afore mentioned vx II 6x18s. It was having a point of impact variance with a change of power. At 200yds dead on at 6x, 1.5 inches higher at 12x, and 1.5 inches higher than that at 18x. (3" total.) I shot 2 shots for each 6x, 12x, and 18x to illustrate, and sent the target in with the scope explaining the problem. A while later it came back "fixed". I remounted it,sighted in and tested it. It did the exact same thing. I redid the target again, and sent it back in. The second time it came back the problem was indeed fixed. No POI change when switching powers. Not sure why it didn't get fixed the first time though.

Every business has some folks that are better at their jobs than others. On the second try, you got a good one.

I sent my Bearcat back to Ruger because the timing and lockup were off and it came back worse than before. The second time, they got it right.

3-18x44 CDS Firedot reticle.

I was told what was a professional opinion by a person's confidence I will not betray. If you want to know why this person has the opinion, I'll share it through a PM. I will not compromise this person's livelihood.

I can only speak from my personal experiences using various 3.5-10x40's, 2..5-8x32's, and more lately a 2-12 and 3-18 VX6, but Imwill also include the feedback I've gotten from the approximately 80 hunters we've had in camp using various Leupy variables .because all results are the same.........zer, nada, no problems whatsoever. Bear in mind I'm a very very casual spinner of a CDs dial, and have only had one hunter ever show up with a cds dial (antelope hunter). I find them to be great hunting scopes.


I find a couple of things very interesting, at least to me. Approximately 70-80% of our hunters since 2002 show up with Swarovski binoculars and Leupold scopes of some sort, the vast majority of whom can buy whatever they want.

That being said, I have no doubt a L variable can have problems, but so can and do every other brand on the planet, period.

JG, this is not directed at you. Me and you are on the same page.

My experience is that Leupold VXIII variables shift zero on a regular basis. This isn't speculation. I have a range at my back door and shoot often, I know they move. I will qualify this by saying that in nearly every case the scope has been subjected to redneck abuse; rough unprotected atv rides, bouncing around unprotected in a truck, etc. In previous threads the question has become should they be expected to handle such abuse, but my experience is what it is, with such abuse, they move.

Also, I see someone posted that most scopes returned to Leupold check out okay. Realize that a shift in zero is not considered a failure. The scope is in spec, and will do it again!

Do you know if the VX-IIIs had dual bias springs like the current VX-3s?

Clearly, some folks require more from their scopes than others. Twiddlers and those who tend to bounce them around are going to reveal and/or create more problems than most of us. I'm not a twiddler, and I can even tolerate some uncertainty in the adjustments as long as once sighted, they stay put.

The only rides my scopes get are in a case in my car or in my hands. I can't even spell ATV.

My experience is the same with both VXIII and VX3's.

I'm getting on in years, don't shoot as much as I once did, and have sold all the magnums. I am a bit frugal, so I do not go out and buy the newest and greatest upgrades.

I have, I think, seven Vari-X III. Five .3.5-10AO and two 2.5-8. Some have clicks, some friction. Also a Vari-X II Ultralight 3-9 EFR, and an M8 3X. Leupold makes better these days, but these are just too good to toss. My newer scopes are Burris, Redfield Revolution and Bushnell Elite 4200. I scored really good buys on these three and they are giving good service up until now.

Likely the most used with stress among the Leupolds is the Ultralight EFR. It has lived on a.22 and a .243, but the test was it has hundreds - if not thousands - of rounds from a springer air gun under it's belt.

I may be lucky, but I have ad no failures. Some of the Vari-X IIIs have done time on magnums up to .338. Most have served on .270 / .30-06 class rifles.

My next new purchase will be the new VX-2 UL3-9EFR. The shortcomings that most members grump about that model are non issues to me. I also see a need for a 6x36.

Jack

When I was deciding wether to get a vari x II or III, I contacted leupold to ask what the difference was. The gentleman told me that the only difference was in lense coatings, the mechanical structure was basically the same. That was 10 years ago. If that is indeed the case then it is my guess that vari x IIIs likely only have one erector spring, as that is what the vari x II has. It could be different in the newer scopes however.

Took off one gun, mounted on recce, bore sighted and fired one round, adjusted and fired 5.

Zero not relevant for this.



Then....


Watch- http://youtu.be/ETFSwJSmXWM



The three rounds in the video inside the original group.





Should one throw their rifle..? Maybe not, however a gun being dropped isn't out of the realm of normalcy and staying zeroed should be non negational. One can get 2.5-10x32mm and 42mm scopes that actually work.

The " dual biased erectors" on new VX3 scopes is the same system that has been in the Mark 4 variables the whole time. It's junk. Or maybe the QC is junk, however that shouldn't be thought of as anything other than a marketing ploy to address Leupolds known problems.

Form,

YouTube says your video is private.....you double secret squirrel you.

Okay, assuming Leupolds aren't what they used to be, for whatever reason, what's the replacement in the medium price range ($500-$600), that's more reliable?

Or is the best practice to just keep on buying Leupolds and testing them thoroughly for problems?

Dag nabbit... Try now.

SWFA SS.

+1

Swfa are rock solid so far. 10 months of hunting several times a week with it, in the truck every day. At least 1 long range session a week. Have never lost zero. Made a 1 click horizontal adjustment once. Still not convinced that it wasn't a change in how I held the gun on a bench vs. prone. So far so good. If it goes to crap I will let you know. No personal allegiance to one brand. I've traded leupold variables out on 2 rifles now. One to go.

In my experience every Leupold with tracking or impact shift problems were cause by the scope rings too tight or misaligned and putting a lot of pressure on the rear tube. The power ring will bind up if too tight and internally the erector assembly cannot move properly or is distorted and pushed around. Remove the stress and the scope is back to normal. This is most likely why over 90% returned have no issues. I find that people that have a lot of problems with Leupold have one thing in common. The guy mounting the scope.

In over 30 years I have had a 1960's era 3x9 scope fog up and one fairly current one with a leaning reticle. Most of my current Leupold's are 6.5-20 or 8.5-25 and I dial the heck out of them and they track great. We even dropped a target model from 4 feet onto hard dirt smashing the turret cover. Did even loose zero. I like them.

Uh huh.

Again, OQ has already been cited, so my small sample as far as holding zero is with 2 Leupold variables getting knocked off zero considerably after airline travel. On several trips to Sask, my rifles would be knocked off anywhere from 1-3 inches and that was on targets that were slightly less than 100 yrds away (about 75 yrds IIRC).

Scopes getting mounted too tightly could indeed be an issue. But on mine, the guy building my rifle mounted the "broken" scope two times. I am assuming that he knew what he was doing. I don't think this was the problem with mine, because they worked fine for about a year or year and a half before quitting me. I visited with one of the leupold people about my scope, and they said that they had to put in a new erector spring each time. On the early vari xIIs I just don't think they were built strong enough for turning the turrets a lot. I can't speak to any other leupold products as I haven't shot them much. The POI problem I had was another issue but they fixed it. Had one of those on a Burris as well, and Burris fixed that too.

Oh come on Form. They are Leupold quality. Tough as nails, popular as hell!!!! :



Good for those that don't care about POI/POA....

I don't have much problem with their fixed power scopes. But for anything else, I just don't trust the company as much today as I used to.

When I saw them adding various lines of scopes for all price points, I got suspicious. Like McDonalds trying to cater to too many diet preferences, I figured they were never going to be masters at anything.

Funny. I've been to Alaska on 2 trips, Sask on 1 trip and Vancouver Island on 1 trip over the past 4 years and have never touched the scope adjustments to a 2.5-8 Leupy VXIII on a 338WM. Took animals on each trip after checking the rifle zero once in the field. The scope adjustments remains untouched since 2006.

I travel with Rifles and Leupy scopes very often and have not had the experience you have. Guess i'm just LUCKY.

I'm lucky as well. Been to Sonora, MX twice, Africa 3 times, loads of hunts in the US abroad, had gun cases with rifles have the ever lovin' crap beat out of them, atv's/utv's beat the ever lovin' crap out of them with nary a hiccup. Not doubting other people's experience, but I trust my experiences as well.

1Deernut,

You have indeed been lucky. I might travel more than some people to hunt (but not as much as others), and have seen plenty of Leupolds need adjusting upon arrival, as well as scopes of other brands, some of which have been really expensive. Have also seen some Leupold variables (as well as expensive scopes of other brands) break during expensive hunts.

So I take it from your post John, that you buys your stuff and you takes your chances when it come to optics for your thunder sticks.

Well, yeah, we all do--but some scopes tend to hold up better than others, and I'm not talking brand. Some Leupolds hold up better than others.

A sturdy travel case helps, but doesn't prevent all problems. But don't get me started on that subject....

John, Mr. Mule Deer, what is your favorite scope?

Right to the point !
Excellent Question

Don't have one, but do like fixed Leupolds (especially 6x's), plus Meoptas, SWFA's and Weaver Super Slams. For lower-priced scopes am fond of Burris Fullfield II's and 6x38 Weavers; in more expensive brands have had generally good luck with Nightforce, Swarovski, S&B and Zeiss, but must admit to not being a fan of most S&B reticles. But then I'm not a fan of some Leupold reticles, either.

Aside from those, have scopes of the following brands on various rifles right now: Bushnell, Hawke, Hensoldt, Kruger, Nikon and Redfield (both original and Leupold-made). Oh, and one Lyman Alaskan, plus a few other brands not on rifles right now, and probably some I've forgotten.

For what it is worth, My local gunsmith told me that he has seen more issues with New VX-3`s than he has ever seen with the older
Vari X III?
But can`t say why?
He is young but smart when it comes to customers asking his opinion on what scope HE likes or dislikes.
"Apples and Oranges " On his on guns I saw OLD Denver Redfield Lo Pro Widefields,New Leupold made Redfield, Tasco World Class Plus
that his uncle mounted back in the 1990`s that has held zero never had to be touched since?

When I went to Alaska a few years ago I put one of those on a .300 Weatherby and another on the .375-.416 Rem Mag because they were the only scope I never had trouble with! I started looking for something with more eye relief and lighter, but I still have a few left.

I have a Tasco 3-9 Wold Class Plus that has been on the same rifle for more than 20 years, has traveled from Oz to the US twice and several internal flights within Oz, plus oodles of road travel within the US. The rifle is on its second barrel and around 6000 rounds total and never changed sighting with either barrel on either continent.

The World Class Plus and the Titan, were Tasco's premier Japanese made scopes.
John

With Leupolds, mu current favorite is the VX-2 in 3-9 power. I have several of them on rifles up to .338.
John

I'm an old guy. My peak earnings ( and all the daughters graduated college on the mom, dad, and part time job scholarship ) happened a little over twenty years ago. At that time I bought several Vari-X III scopes. They are all still in use and work just fine. All but two have friction turrets. There are likely better, but being frugal, they are far to good to toss.

Most of my newer scopes were bought on sale, something Leupold rarely does, except CDS promotions. My lone newer Leupold build is a Redfield Revolution that I picked up supposedly used at a great price five or so years ago. It is on a Mini-14, said to test a scope for durability. So far, all is well.

Jack

Same here John, I consider by far to be the best bang for the buck.

In the last few years, I have been primarily looking at the higher end stuff from Leupold and others and while I am not a huge fan of many older Leupolds, the newer designs I looked at have been quite good. I had exactly zero issues when I played with the VX-R and VX-6 and I am currently looking at one of the Mark 6 Tactical scopes and so far I am liking what I see. I am pretty early in that evaluation as well.

On the flip side, a while back I had issues with some VX-II and VX-III scopes and one older M8 6x42. Most of that was with either tracking or holding zero.

Of the new lower end Leupold made scopes, I only looked at the 3-9x40 Redfield when it just came out and while it held zero and worked well enough for general purpose use, I was not too excited about it. There was some fairly noticeable POI change when changing magnification.

ILya

koshkin, when you say "evaluating" scopes, just what exactly is your process?