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.