Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Has Leupold fixed tracking & zero retention?

Has Leupold fixed their reported issues regarding zero retention and tracking with their latest variables (i-series and HD)? If so, does anyone know what design elements were changed? Turrets, tubes, materials, gimbal, erector, leaf spring(s), fasteners, adhesives?

Or, are they too new to say?

Their previous variables seem to have poor reviews for tracking and zero retention, based on numerous users here and other sites. Although we don't have warranty data from any scope 'manufacturer', many knowledgeable people have stated issues with Leupold variables of late. Their fixed powers seem to have an overall decent reputation for zero retention, and somewhat mixed reviews regarding tracking with the latest FX-3.

It seems that their variables prior to the early 1990's had good reputations for zero retention. I wonder what changed.

OMG!!! You didn't ask this? I predict an easy 10 pages on this one.

I know, I know. Some will claim zero issues, while others have seen armloads of broken Leupos.

I live near their facility, but got tired of standing in their lobby with stuff that needed to be fixed. I could drive there blindfolded I've been there so many times

Swore I'd never give them another nickel, but would love to support the local company.

I use to buy into the argument that Leupold sells so many scopes you are bound to hear more failure stories.

I simply have had too many of my Leupold's fail, both fixed and variable.

I do have a few older ones that seem to do ok, set it and forget it scopes.

Dialing is a crap shoot and you will probably lose.

No. And despite claims to the contrary they will not either.

I wonder why they wont fix them? I won't buy another one.

I am one of those who have had very few issues with them. I have 15-20 of their scopes and have owned and sold that many more. Have sent back one handgun scope that failed. It was fixed free and back within two weeks.
Mine are mostly mid 90 s to 2015 versions, though I have a few older and newer.

According to the Pro's in the know, they have problems...if you're planning on do a lot of dialing buy a NF.

I quit leupold's years ago because of their faulty tracking.

I have 4 Leupold variables and haven't had any issues yet. All but one of mine are on light recoiling rifles { .223, .243, .30-30} and are sighted in and left alone. I have no need or interest in dialing.

I set mine and leave them alone. No problems.

I have about a dozen Leupold scopes on a variety of rifles ranging from .22 RF to .375 H&H. I've never had a problem, although the power adjustment ring on one early Vari-X-III got hard to turn. That was fixed in a few days by Leupold customer service. However, only one of these scopes has been used for significant dialing. Mostly I find a load I like, set a zero and leave it alone. Leupold scopes work great for that kind of usage. For a lot of dialing it sounds like there are better choices.

4th point: I currently have 63 (sixty three!) Leupold scopes mounted up on my big game, Varmint and target Rifles - I have been using Leupold scopes since 1962'ish and to date have NOT suffered any problems with any of these and about 25 more that I have bought and used then sold!
I have used these Leupolds in all manner of horrible weather conditions from rain forests to snowy blizzards and again NO issues with any of them.
I am not much of a knob twister instead I use the hold over and hold into method of sight alignment when the need be.
I have NEVER experienced a "zero retention" problem with ANY of my mounted up Leupolds!
Long live Leupold & Stevens Corporation - buy American.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have one going back tomorrow due to not holding zero (VX-II 2x7x33). Good shooting rifle, a Remington 7600 in 270 Winchester, went to pot. Tried another scope and it is shooting fine. That is the 3rd or 4th that I have had to send back and I'm not hard on them.

I have been using Leupold scopes since the late 60's. Had to send one back, that scope was submerged in brackish water,after being knocked out of a boat! Took three days to find the scope and rifle! The scope had a dent in the side behind the front bell! They replaced it with no questions, and added a note asking I take better care of their fine quality products! I will continue to purchase their products!

I hope they get their act together. I love everything about Leupold scopes other than their reliability. I particularly like the size, weight, flexible eye relief and performance of the 6x42. But, I got tired of having to use a box of ammo to sight one in because I never new when the adjustments would take nor how much movement I would get and got tired of not knowing when a scope would go wacko and start shooting six feet diameter groups. I sold most of mine a few years ago.

I have only owned one of them, and it had to go back to the factory, as it quit holding zero, after only a year on the rifle. I think that in general, the set and forget scopes are OK, but you could not give me a twister, based on the reports that I have read. I have no justification for the money for a Night Force, but I have sure had good luck so far with my SWFA scopes. I am a real fan of the 6x and 10x fixed.

This^^^^^^^

For years I just thought this is the way it goes trying to sight in my rifle. Then I bought scopes that track and respond to adjustment. Now it takes maybe three shots to get dialed in.
Cant tell you how much ammo I have wasted with Leupolds.

I would trade them all off except for the fact they are light weight scopes with clean lines that match classic rifles perfectly and the warranty is good.

My hope is someone a Leupold reads these threads and they get up to speed, I would be a loyal customer again.

Copied from elsewhere, but has anyone adopted the practice of turret conditioning as described below?

"I recommend that you condition both turrets and then repeat a box test at the range. Conditioning is done in the following way:

Find the mechanical center of both turrets. That's the midpoint of the total adjustment range.

Start with the elevation turret.

Rotate the turret clockwise to the limit, then counterclockwise to the opposite limit. Repeat nine more times. Return the turret to the mechanical center.

Then repeat the same process with the windage turret.

Then repeat the previous cycle (elevation turret ten times, windage turret ten times) nine more times. Then you will have exercised both turrets 100 times.

I've used this conditioning process to cure scope tracking problems. If the scope has turret knobs, I always condition the turrets when the scope is new. I perform the same process for the power ring - it solves POA drift problems with the zoom mechanism in the erector tube.

The conditioning process takes a while and can create fatigue in your hand. I wear a leather glove and perform the process in groups of 20-30 cycles, then rest for a few hours.

I read about this process in an article on this website. I tried it and found it to work."

That's really interesting. Probably gets the internal mechanism worn in and the scope would either be "broken in" or fail right off the bat.
My experience is mostly with the low power variables 1-5, 2-7, 3-9 and have only had 2 fail in 30+ years. Both were fixed or replaced with no further problems.
I don't twist turrets but my experience is the 1/4, 1/2 in 100yds claims are a joke. They typically move about 1 1/2 to 2 times what they claim.
I might look for something better but for the weight, price and performance along with their customer service I'm not looking hard.