Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Calling all Leupold turret dialers.

I would really like to hear some first hand info from those of you who regularly dial your Leupold scopes. Do they reliably return to zero like SWFA, Vortex and Night Force to name a few? I have three CDS capable Leupold scopes I bought so that I could extend my hunting/shooting range to 600 yards if needed. One is a VX5-HD 2-10x42, one is a VX3i 3.5-10x40 and one is a VX3i 2.5-8x36.

Alaska is still in the winter mode and soon as it warms in a couple of weeks I am off to the range with those three scopes to get some first hand info. Me and most of the Alaskan hunters I know try to get close before pressing the trigger. But, I would really like to hear the good and the bad on the dialing aspect of Leupold scopes. For a long time I have zeroed them at 200 yards and left them and all is well, especially since the average first shot at a critter in Alaska is under 200 yards.

So if you have some first hand info on dialing Leupold scopes please share it.

Old thread on Leupold reliability. The sight in and leave it crowd are happy with their Leupolds. Turret twisters have had issues with return to zero and repeatability.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/12510588/1

Ok then, I will move on and thanks.

Best bet is personal experience and see how it goes. You just might be very pleased.

I have 4 CDS equipped scopes. Two (VX-II's) have never been dialed. Just use them like a regular scope. One very seldom,(VX-III 3-10) and the other one(VX-III 3-10) quite a a bit of dialing.

The one that gets dialed just a handful of times per year, when I do my early-fall rifle check, which is shoot at 100 yards and then shoot at 400-450ish on steel. That is about as far as I care to or need to shoot on an animal anyway. So far that one has always worked. After dialing to 400 plus, I always checked at 100 or 200 again to make sure it came back to zero. I've never needed to dial on an animal and shoot with this scope. Got it just in case...

The VX-III other gets dialed quite a bit. Mostly just for shooting at 3-550 yards for fun and for small varmints. It has been back to Leupold 3 times for problems with the elevation adjustment. I'm to the point I don't trust it unless I can check the return to zer after dialing the elevation. It typically works for a while, but it seems the number of turns are limited. It was recently fixed and works right now.

Let's see. I started dialing Leupold scopes back in the mid 90's. I had two 6X42 which had target style elevation turrets added to them. Both always worked as they should. I had a tactical version of the old VariXIII, 3.5-10X40 that came with a Mil-Dot reticle and target knobs. Shot that puppy many times dialing to a modest 100-300 yds., and occasionally to over 500 yds. Worked as it should. Have a 3-9X33 Compact w/ a target style elevation dial that has not only dialed to out past 400 yds. and down to 100 yds. many times, but also took a very hard fall on it's side once w/o damage or loss of zero.
I've got a newer VX-R Patrol that dials back and forth between 100-300 yd. zeros or to zero different loads many times as well. Then there is my latest, 1.5-4X VX2 Scout. Dialed it quite a few time either to zero different loads or change zero from 100 - 300 yds. Heck, I almost forgot my FX3, 6X42. Same story. None have ever failed to return to zero.
From what I gather, the guys that complain about Leupold's "tracking problems" mostly are those that compare cheaper hunting style Leupold's to scopes designed as tactical scopes using standards of the tactical shooting crowd. I mean if you must spin your dials to their limits and come back so you can shoot to 500-1000 plus yards, and then return to a 100 yd. zero, buy a scope designed to do that.
For me, I learned a long time ago that owning a magnum rifle, a fancy scope and a laser range finder will not make me a 400 yd. plus big game shot. Not even close. There is always that fickle wind. And the bucks I hunt, if they stand around in the open at all, never seem to stand around long enough for me to get a steady shooting position, range the target, and dial the scope. By then, some clown with a magnum rifle has opened fire on him and run him off. E

Establishing holdover by knowing you cartridge, your gun, and a good distance reticle is a much better method. But, most take the easy approach and resort to dialing. Then when things don't work out, there is a better excuse.

I have some of those scopes. They will make a box at 200 and 400 yards. I never shoot past that so I don't test beyond that. Heck, most game I take is under 200 yards.
I have the following Leupold scope and they work fine.
3.5-10X40 CDS
2.5-8X 36 or whatever they are with a CDS
3.5-10X40 with M1 turrets
VX6 2-10X42 CDS

These are some of my Leupold scope they all work just fine. Now I have had to send a few back for service. Most all I was very happy with, there was one, not so happy. It didn't work for heck' They call it," with in spec". Really--- this scope is in a box in my closet, never to be put on a rifle again.

So much for the Leupld stuff. I have other "Nicer or Higher price scopes and, so far I'm happy with them.
Once in a while a bad product can get past and shipped out. Things happen, not the end of the word.
A fella just need to be happy with his stuff.

I haven't read this entire thread.

Take care.

1Akshooter

If these guys talk you into selling your scopes send me a PM, I'd be interested in the VX3i 3.5-10x40 or the VX3i 2.5-8x36.

Post some pics of those Leupold scopes if you don't mind. What is your experience with Vortex, SWFA and Nightforce?

I don't know how to post pics, but would like to learn some day. Any smart phone I ever owned immediately dumbed down in my hands, it's a good thing my grandkids are only a couple hundred yards away.

I doubt I will be selling any scopes for awhile as I can always do what I always did before, zero them for 200 yards, shoot them out to 500 yards, learn my hold over and go hunting.

I have no experience with Vortex, SWFA or Nightforce. But, from what I been reading on here and the other forums they work good for dialing.

No it's not, nothing could be further from the truth. Especially when you start getting out past 600 yards, holdover is never a better option than using a scope that dials correctly. Provided you know how to use it.

Here is the stupid statement for the day, maybe even the week.....

A BDC reticle is quicker than dialing but that's just my opinion. I hunt in Tn. where the majority of our shots are under 300 yds , maybe a few at 400-500. Whitetail deer in the rut don't stand around long enough to range, dial and shoot.
unless you're using a deer feeder but that's not legal in Tn.
I agree dialing has its place and is more precise especially past the 500 yd mark.
After reading all the comments about Leupold turrets dialing and not holding zero or being accurate I'm glad I never bought into the CDS system.

Yes, BDCs can be more handy up close, I've used them on game out to 400. But to say categorically that holdover is better than dialing is silly. Especially the farther out you get. Best of both worlds is a scope that dials correctly with a good reticle.

Nope. They won't reliably dial up for the first shot either. If you've got one that does, you're lucky. It likely won't for long, and will get wonky without warning.

Leupold is great for set it and forget it and holdover style reticles. Erector repeatability and durability for dialing range with turrets is when you need to look elsewhere.

I don't trust Leupold as a general rule for dialing, but I have a 20 year old 4.5-14x50 LR that has been great. It's been on a lot of rifles and sits now on a 338 Edge. I don't use it much, but it's had 1-2000 rounds through it dialing and hasn't gone back to be fixed yet. I think in general, the older ones are better than the new.

I can honestly say that I haven't had any issues with leupold scopes and turrets that many others have had. I have had an older vxlll with m1 turrets installed by the custom shop and it has tracked out to 500 and back to zero just fine. I have a VX3i 6.5-20 lrp on a long range 243 that i have dialed out as far as a 1000 yards and it went back to original zero many times with many other distances in between with no issues. The only issue that i have had was with a vx6. It actually tracked fine with no issues there I just didnt care for the way that the CDS dial felt when i clicked it is all. So your mileage may vary but I have had no problems with my leupolds and clicking them up and down.

Been using 3 Mark4s for about 20 years. Lots of dialing, always seems to work for me.

I have scopes with BDC reticles and scopes I dial. I really don't think there is much, if any, time difference. I'm ranging either way (for long shots), and it doesn't take more than 1 or 2 seconds to dial, and I find it takes me an extra second to pick the correct line on the BDC when sighting. I do feel more confident when dialing. Also have the option of dialing to MPBR and leaving it there.

Truth.

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This seems like a reasonable summary of the issues, after reading that thread and others. I’m looking for a light scope for a light mountain rifle that will get dialed a lot. I have high quality scopes on other rifles. I don’t expect a 2.5-8x36 VX3i with CDS to replicate my Hensoldt, but I do need it to return to zero. The weight and size and eye box of that scope are nicely matched to the rifle. I could tolerate sending it back once if tracking was off, but I need to know it can get fixed if needed and track before I take it into the mountains for weeks. I don’t want to restart a “my favorite sports team is better than yours” argument. But here is my question- do 20% (for example) of VX3i’s have major tracking issues that can be fixed, or do 100% have minor tracking issues that will really never get resolved, or do 75% track perfectly and 25% are fixable, etc? Depending on the answer, it could explain why there is ceaseless arguing about Leupold. Unfortunately the engineers at Leupold have the best data to answer this question and its not likely they will release it.

I used a Leupold 2.5-8x36mm Vari III on my.338 Winny since they first came out and that scope is my all time favorite scope. I zeroed it for 200 yards and learned my trajectory out to 400 yards and went hunting. I am donating that scope to a 338-06 I am putting together for my 15 year old grandson.

I have the similar scope in a VX3i with a Duplex reticle and CDS feature and I have yet to dial it. I am not a long range shooter and for me any thing over 300 yards is long range. I am some what fascinated when I watch the long range shots at big game on TV. Almost every time the animal falls over after the shot, once in a while they move a few yards and once in a while require a second shot. Never, not once, have I seen an animal shot and lost or wounded and requiring several hours of tracking and not being found.

Since buying 3 CDS capable Leupold's I joined the CF forum and have been digesting all the info in the "Optics Forum". I now have a head ache and I am more confused then ever as I face the reality of wishing for some thing I may not be able to have. A bullet proof reliable dialing Leupold. I am starting to think for my purposes, which is hunting Alaska's moose, caribou and bears I may have been better off with a scope with a Boone & Crockett reticle or one of the other reticles with hash marks/dots matched to one particular load. Then other then zeroing the scope for 200 yards I would not touch the dials. That is ok for me as I pick a load, buy several years worth of components and go hunting.

I guess it is different in the "lower 48" , but in my mediocre 52 year Alaska hunting career I have never dialed to shoot a big game critter, never seen any one else dial and never talked to any one who dialed. All of the resident hunters I am aware of up here use Leupold, Zeiss Conquest, Burris, Bushnell, etc. and they zero them and leave them alone. I am not aware of any one in Alaska using Nightforce, S&B, SWFA, etc. to hunt and dial with. I am sure some are and I just don't know them. Most hunters I know try to keep the weight of their gear to include the rifle down and a 25 oz. or heavier scope is viewed as not needed on a hunting rifle.

The average 1st shot distance in Alaska at Alaska's big game is well under 200 yards, year after year. This has been reported for several years when I do a small informal post on the subject on the Alaska Outdoors Forums. I will be contacting Leupold to see what reticle options are available to me. I would be ok with reticle if it had some vertical marks that would match my load out to 600 yards.

Yeah, those TV hunting programs show you how simple it is, just use the sponsor’s scope and spin the turrets and it’s in the bag.

I’ve never hunted in AK, I hunt in MT and the furthest I’ve taken an elk is about 600 yds, dialing with a scope that I shoot lots of rounds at the range with and know tracks perfectly. Sometimes the terrain and daylight left limit your options. As far as VX3s go, it may be true that it’s unrealistic to expect it to track up and down for hunting like that.

THIS.

That said, I have a CDS (no issues so far), the longest shot I've taken (at game) is 352 yards and I used "Kentucky Holdover" with a 375 h&H (I can hit the 500 yard Ram with my Sharps and irons all day long) but in the end, I much prefer BDC (or the Leupold B&C reticle to be precise) over dialing. Then again, I don't think I will ever take a shot at serious game past 400 yards.

Took a vx2 3-9 ultralight out to test tracking with a 243 today. The good news is the return to zero was perfect. Bad news was that dialing 3 moa gave a bit more than 4 moa. I quit and will go back to a heavier scope that tracks perfectly.

Agreed, I have an old 30mm 6.5-20x50 Long Range, have had it for over 20 years, it lives on an old heavy 300 Win Mag of mine, I got invaded by a herd of old buds yesterday afternoon on their Harleys, I was out in the shop loading Sharps rifle ammo when I heard the rumbling, they parked their pigs under a tree and we began talking guns like we always do.

One bud ask, did I have anything that could reach that half a pickup tailgate sized rock up on the mountain behind the house, I said hell yes, I've ranged and shot the rock before, it's 704 yards away, I got the old 300, threw down the bi-pod, placed the butt stock on my shoulder, left forearm curled under the butt, [no rear bag handy] and rested across the flat bed of a farm truck parked out back.

I dialed 13 minutes up, and 3 minutes right wind, broke a really good shot, jumped up and yanked the plugs outta my ears, couple seconds later KRAAKKKK!!! the 208 gr A-Max leaving the 28" barrel at 3000 fps found it's mark again, returned the scope to zeros, closed the caps, we went inside and had a cold beer.

I've got 5 or 6 NF scopes, fine, fine glass imho, but, this one old Leupold is still solid for some reason.

I've had several M1 dialed Leupolds that have been repeatable and consistent and I've had some that seemed to lag in adjustments. Wish I knew which one was going to be before using it.

I have a number of them, I haven’t had any problems yet.