I agree with Jeff on the VX3i. That one is not a good representation of what the better Leupolds are capable of.
We have found the newest Leupold's are holding the their own in any circle. We sell at least 50 Leupold to one Night Force and they are flawless for the last 5 years. Night Force has all but fell on their face with the new NX8 models. We have sold 3 of those and once people got to look through them they were done with NF.
It was the VX3 that had the occasional retical at a slight angle but even those (one) if we sent it in on Monday we get a postcard Wednesday saying it would be done in two weeks and then get it back the next day on Thursday. The exact same experience we had with a really old VX3 that the guy kept overtorquing the knobs on till it broke letting the knob spin.
The new ones have the open turrets with a locking button so it can't turn while being carried. They also offer a bunch for FFP scopes for the guys into that sort of thing. I don't compete so SFP works best for me. The glass is so good I never turn it down. My son grew up on Leupold so he never turns any of his scopes down.
Even the low end models compare favorably to scopes that cost 3 times more. The have made the erectors a lot more robust with a lot more spring tension so tracking is right on. The glass is getting better all the time. I really like spending time just looking through it like a spotting scope. I run a VX6 7-42x56 on my 375 Chey Tac. This is my experience with the current Leupold lineups.
Now if they would bring back the US made Gold Ring Binoculars. I don't want to even look at the imported stuff.
I'm glad to hear that the newest crop might be doing better, even if it is in the form of what appears to be a Leupold PSA. I'd like to see them get the ship righted. At the very least, competition in any market is good for the consumer, so I'd hate to see another scope company, especially one with USA roots, go under.
Unfortunately, the issues I've experienced with Leupolds can't be undone. I've moved on, and I've been exceedingly pleased with the products I've moved on to.
