Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics leupold fan boys, here is why they aren't trusted

While looking at a few videos on how well some scopes track it seems like Leupolds are not the only ones with a tracking problem. I have never been a turret twister, but have recently bought a few scopes for the purpose so I can learn something new.

Is there a scope that has tracked perfectly every time you have used it in the same price range? Do we have to go to a scope that cost a $1000 or $2000 more? What is out there.

also wonder why we see pics like this one of Phil's with a 30 year old Leupold on a hard kicker in a brutal environment.

Damn...I didn't know Leupolds were so schitty......


I'll just wait for all of mine to go BOING...then I'll get rid of them I guess.

You saying these reports are false ? Mass Leupold conspiracy ?

That says it all.....


.......and this place continues to provide great entertainment. Myself, Big Al, and two two other hunting buddies all had Swaro A's (Z3) lose the erectors, therefore all Swaro A's and Z3's totally suck.

FWIW, the two bud's I referred to hunt all over the world, successfully, with Leupy's. Imagine that.

I'd be curious as to the percent of pukes as compared to others.

Bob and JG, as I was reading this thread I thought the same thing.

It seems like a lot of guys into LR shooting(turret spinners) are moving away from Leupold and onto SS for the simple reason that Leupold's don't track as well. At least that is what I have gathered.


Part of the reason that I haven't tried turrets for hunting is that it's pretty easy to tell the Leupold's are indeed a little squirrely when I fine tune my 400 yard dot(LR reticles). I'd never feel comfortable twisting turrets on my small sample of L scopes.


But I have never had any problem with setting and forgetting. This with 6 scopes and maybe 5k combined rounds between the rifles.
Two scopes/rifles get 'used' quite a bit bouncing on the dash during calving and one 6x36 FX-II has been in a scabbard every Fall for 8-9 years and still holds zero just fine.

But they hardly ever get adjusted which obviously makes a huge difference.

For my use I trust the L scopes.

Right on SamO. I'm a casual twister at best, and I've been very comfy with my Leupy's as well. Between myself, Big Al, and a small handful of hunting buddies, I can tell you for certain that over 2100" (11 animals) of muley bucks have been accounted for with Vari X II, VX3, and VX6's just since 2006. I've said it so many times here it's become redundant, but if I were Mackay S, Formid, or someone who makes a living twisting, I'd take their advice and get a NF, SS, or HDMR. For a pure hunting, non-twistingtheeverlovinshit out of turrets, a guy will probably never wear out a Leupold. I'm willing to separate the two, almost completely opposite practices, but many here are not.

We don't hear that much on non-turreted Leupolds failing left and right. I've only had two do that, and one was ancient. The other was a 3.5-10 I bought used and it went squirrely after maybe 20 rounds. I have seen them adjust in odd increments, such as 1/3 MOA per click, and I've seen a couple 1/4MOA clicks adjust POI much more than it should. But once they're dialed in, I've had very few issues with Leupolds that aren't spun a lot.

Well said, and my experience as well.

Except the 2100" of muley bucks

JG, I've thought about selling a couple rifles/scopes and buying a S&B or two but just haven't caught the LR bug yet.


LR steel is one thing but LR big game hunting is entirely different.


Pat uses S&B scopes in temps from what, -20F to 100F?

Mechanical functionality at temp extremes is the best way to tell good chit from junk.
I hunted mule deer last year and it was -10F, -15F when I shot a whitetail. Probably wouldn't shoot over 300-400 anyway, not exactly sure poi would differ farther out.



I'm always a little paranoid shooting rifles(and hitting targets) when it's cold, imagine twisting turrets at -20/30F would be a real test.



Do the turret twisted Leupolds break when springs are cranked all the way or does adjustment position make any difference?

I've had no issues with any CDS dial on 2 7mags, and 3 7-08's, but have never hunted in temps that cold.....and hope I don't have to!

First off, stating that the Steel Safari is the "country's most difficult practical match" is probably a bit of an overstatement...

Second, how many Leupolds failed you last year back to back, right after you were told how they'd fail....?

Third, it isn't a secret by anyone not emotionally invested in an inanimate object, that actually shoots and tests lots of scopes,that Leupolds suck in tracking and zero retention. There is a reason that Army Snipers are TERRIFIED to touch their scope's turrets, yet Navy, Marine and Airforce snipers have no such reservations. Army sniper weapons systems by and large come with Leupolds. Airforce, Navy and Marines generally use Nightforce and S&B.

To say that I've shot and witnessed shot more Leupolds in a single month than you've probably ever seen would be a gross understatement..... I'm hanging around 17k rounds this year on Leupolds optics..... And that'd be closer to fiscal, than calendar.


A few of those "make believe" Leupolds that fail..... 2 out of 3 for that unit in a week.....


1st.






2nd









It was NF, SWFA and God help me- a Vortex Razer GII that were used to finish the mission.....

If you don't dial- Leupolds work about as well as most better scopes. If you dial- choose scopes that have consistently proven to work.

FWIW I have a SB PMII 4-16 that is a Premier scope. Its been back to the factory twice in 5 years for not holding zero. It has about 1500 rounds on it, most on a .308. I almost sold it this last go around, but will give it one more chance, then its gone. The last two scopes I bought were SS, the next will be the LRHS or NF, not sure yet. I do have a 4-14x50 Leup, when they were called the LR, and it has been on alot of rifles and held up well. Everything made by man breaks, just some break more than others....

Form, been around Conquests dialed much? Just curious. Mine have been very solid. On another thread, it was said get are actually a Meopta, so any experience with those?

You're basing your Leupold love on 11 mule deer over a 9 year stretch? I've been in on that many in a day, and I'll assure you that variable Leupolds lose zero and break during hunting conditions. At one point, we took 200 or so rifle hunters a season, so I got to see plenty of issues. Notwithstanding the guys who couldn't shoot their magnums, actual rifle problems were often zero retention, which was tracked to the scope. Quickest fix was to lend them a rifle.

The only Leupolds I haven't had problems with are older fixed powers (I had some issues with a recent 6x) - for instance an 8x mounted on a Ruger, which I once threw in the back seat and forgot about. It then slid between the cab and an 18" and two 10" subwoofers, where it rode around for 3 months or so while I rocked out. That scope took some tremendous vibration, and stayed zeroed....and it's stayed zeroed since the 90s, for 5000 rounds or so and many miles spent bouncing around the hills in a gun rack or loping across the prairie in a saddle scabbard. Fortunately, quite a few years ago I got over the need to fill entire vehicles with sounds systems!

Anymore, I just buy SWFAs for new rifles and save on the "When is my Leupold going to crap out" stress.

Thinking about it now.....I don't know that I've seen a variable Leupold keep zero when it was subjected to the nearly every day, all year use that a ranch gun sees.

Hunting a dozen days a year out of a padded case is a lot different than being bounced around for years at a time. Only coming inside a house for the once every 5 years cleaning. Dogs using the rifle for a pillow. Falling on the scope when I slip on the ice trying to shoot a coyote. Leaf cutter bees filling the barrel with nest material (glad they filled it clear to the chamber so I couldn't chamber a round). Shooting it hot enough to smell the stock melting on 100 degree days in the prairie dog town. Fun times.

Every once in awhile leupold must make a decent scope.

I've had the same 2.5-8x36 VX3 on a 243 MT for the last 2 'winters' and it still holds zero. Which is all it needs to do.

It has survived the 10k frozen cow chit bounce test just fine....grin

Yeah SamO, I have no doubt that some of them work fine - I just don't trust them.....one of those confidence things from repeated disappointments.