Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leupold failures and returns

Same here. For the most part. I believe I still have a 6x42 and a VX3 2.5-8 on guns. I have also kept four VXII and Vari-XIII tactical duplex models because they work.

I've owned 8 or 10 Leupolds over 20 years and I don't think I've ever had one that adjusted correctly or consistently. Everything from a Vari X-II to a VX-6. For many years, I did not even realize this was a problem or that other scopes didn't have the same issues. All of my Leupolds would hold zero fine, but getting them there was a trial and error, cluster-funk. Like I said, I didn't even realize that this wasn't normal.

I sent back a Vari-X-II many years ago for failure to adjust at all. Stuck in on a loaner rifle and it's still in the back of my safe.

I sent back a VX6 in 2018 because the erector springs took a sh1t 8 days before my 1st elk hunt. I didn't know what the problem was when my groups suddenly opened from 1 moa to 4 moa, so I took another rifle and when I got home I determined it was the scope. Sent it back, fixed in 4 weeks (Leupold work sheet enclosed said replaced erector springs), verified that it worked and sold it. I probably would have kept it, but it was too big and heavy for my liking.

The only Leupold that I currently use with any regularity is a VX3 with a B&C reticle that I love. It doesn't adjust correctly, but it has held zero for several years.

I would say that is a pretty bad track record, all things considered. I'm slowly swapping over......

This been my experience with quite a few leupolds too, but once I got them dialed in they have mostly stayed put pretty well. I call the sight in the leupold dance I don't use them to twist dials and mostly run 4x33, 6x36 and 6x42's

I bought a VX-5hd back in December, would not zero. Sent back to Leupold on Jan 10th, haven't heard a word from them. New Nightforce on the way to replace. I am done with Leupold!

This is exactly my experience with various Luepolds, except my VX-6 failure was in 2016. Same reason, same model scope, same repair. I still have the scope on the wife's rifle, because she really likes the glass and illuminated reticle, but it recently started showing signs of tracking irregularities again. Not sure what I'm going to do later this spring with it.

Literally living "intimately" with the inner circle of the higher-ups of the Product Development, Design, and Marketing divisions of Leupold for a very significant portion of my life (never an employee, though operated as a corporate "spy" at numerous industry conventions and the like), I can definitively say that the company over a period of time loosened its moorings from its original structure and direction.

To their credit, much of this was done out of motivation for survival. They WERE a big fish in a small pond. As that pond gradually became Lake Superior, Leupold HAD to change or die.

The beginning of this "Sea-Change" (fittingly described according to the previous analogy) was the decision to bring to market various "grades" of Leupold. That decision can probably be assigned to an actual date on a calendar. This is the precisely identical decision and strategy that previously had led to the demise of the original Redfield company: Leupold's chief competitor in the old small pond of quality American sporting optics.

With Redfield forwarding a product line of "Five-Star" and similar "levels" of product lines, a Redfield was no longer a Redfield. Their attempt (probably survival driven toward Bushnell and the like) to offer Joe Six-pack a Redfield scope resulted in their customer base being thrown into a sea of confusion. The end was observable and relatively swift, especially when word got out that "Redfields" (the economical models mostly) started to fail.

Leupold maintained their adherence to their baseline and came out on top. One of the big fish in that small pond was dead.

With Leupold's much later decision to "expand the product line" (toward Joe Six-pack), history repeated itself according the destructive marketing model pioneered by Redfield. Multi-tiered product lines DID allow Leupold to stay viable in a rapidly growing flood of competitors. But rumors began regarding "outsourcing to Japan and China" (accurate where products containing electronics were concerned) and predictably some of the lower-end scopes began to fail at a rate higher than the originals. Later decisions to actually outsource electronics-free optics ("Wind River," etc.) confused die-hard Leupold fans even further, especially with some product lines that no longer carried the literally bullet-proof warranty (persons that had somehow managed to shoot their older Leupold scope got it replaced). In graphic irony, Leupold purchased the Redfield trademark and applied it to a "lesser" line of scopes.

In my unique position as a "Shadow Advisor" to the Product Design and Marketing divisions at Leupold, I railed against these decisions from the start, even at corporate dinners with the CEO and his minions. I received what I believed was more respect for my opinions than I thought I deserved. "Old Guard" Leupold employees (Jack and Mike Slack, Chub Eastman and the like) bolstered my concerns, and those at the top end of the corporation with MUCH less field experience than even myself (let alone the company stalwarts) actually listened and the inevitable was put off for some time. But the idea kept erupting: probably because the New Sheriff running the outfit was more of a marketing guy than a hunting guy and he was facing monetary reality better than the cadre that included me.

No longer connected to the company in any fashion, what I see now is indeed a multi-tiered (nearly kaleidoscopic) product line that confuses even me (that has tried to keep track). The purchaser of something Leupold produces has to sort through a myriad of questions: Gold Ring or not? Outsourced or not? Bullet-proof warranty or not? Optics guaranteed but electronics in the same item not? Dropping of products (fixed power, Compacts, etc.) that appeal to shooters of more practical tastes, exterior designs that feature sharp corners and huge television dials instead of low-profile field-friendly smoothness, etc.,etc.,etc.

It has not all been good. But it has kept Leupold alive. My current strategy is to find excellent-condition classic Leupolds on gun-show tables (still under bullet-proof warranty). The problem here is that others have adopted this strategy as well: prices are going up on the old stuff: especially on the ones not made anymore! I have also explored other brands more than I did in previous times.

And with over 50 Leupolds in the stable here, the majority of them being used in the field and on the target for a likewise large number of years, I have NEVER found reason to "send one back". (But I've never put a bullet through one either).

I have owned and hunted leupolds for the better part of 30 years. In that time I have owned exactly 10 leupold scopes. I still own 6 of them. The 4 I don't own all were sent in for repairs including a vx-5 that didn't tract correctly. All issues had to do with tracking and holding zero " Erector problems". After being fixed they were sold. The six I still have are older models and set and forget guns that have never had an issue including an old vari-x that has been on 6mm rem for 25 years in the safe for the last 10 years , bounced around in a ranch truck for the first 10 years went to the range last week and still sighted in perfectly. 5 of the 6 I have left are older friction adjustable scopes including 2 rifleman series that never have an issue. I still believe for the price leupold has the best eye relief and eye box and best glass but if they won't track or hold Zero they are of no use to me.

Tahnka,
Thank you for sharing that - very insightful.

With so many players today, I don't know how one manages to stay relevant and ahead of the curve.
But it's obvious what drives a bulk of today's success and growth with some optics companies - a 100% guarantee that a piece of junk will simply be replaced with a piece of junk. Well, and stickers for the back window of vehicles.

I have several Leopold really had any issues. Some of them are on Silhouette rifles which always are changing an elevation so yeah I'm twisting the knob. Some of them is not even a factory knob but Stony Point add-ons. Never had one come apart yet. Now being as the game of offhand would I know if one moved a couple inches at 500 m probably not. Check it out on a bench Maybe but I don't trust my ability to read the atmosphere well enough to say the scope was at fault for moving to inches. I think that's the case for a lot of people overestimate their ability to read the the atmospheric conditions. And no you do not tighten scope rings down just as tight as physically possible that causes issues also. There I said it flame retardant suit on
I will add also my newest luuup old would probably be somewhere around 10 years old

No dog in this tussle, sold the last rifle I had with a Leupy, years ago. Good glass for the money seems to be the usual comment I see? I'm a cheapskate and have gotten along nicely for the past 50 years, with less expensive stuff.

A buddy had a Leupold croak years ago, while hunting in Idaho. Sent it back and they returned it in fairly short order. He still insists to this day, that they sent him a new scope. Despite the paper work saying they repaired it, refinished it and added updated turrets.

I pointed out the faint ring marks on the tube, indicating it was his scope, but since he can't make 'em out, it's a new scope..

One of my favorite pastimes back then was to go down to the tunnel at Leupold and hang out while a Customer Service pal was testing scopes "sent back" for failure to track, hold zero, etc.

The process involved strapping the suspect to a time-worn old .375 that was extremely accurate but not yet dead in the harness (M70 I believe), and "shoot the squares".

When acquittal came (almost without exception), the scope got wrapped up in the test target and fired off to the shipping department (sometimes with a detour toward cosmetic work at no charge).

Customer Service Dave would smile from the bench and say, "It all pays the same."

thanks for the intel...

I would not have guessed that Leupold shot every returned scope for at least 4 rounds of 375.

I wonder.....were groups shot after each adjustment or just 1 shot?

Never an issue with rifle scopes, but did send in a spotter that simply was not as sharp as some other similar implements we own, I am the third owner. Called, and they said send it in. Shipped on a Monday and it was back on Friday with a new front end and no charges. Been fairly loyal on scopes and binos since then. Even have a couple spares in the safe.

The only Leupolds that I've had that had problems were a rifleman 3-9x40 and a VX-1 3-9x40. The rifleman would shoot three or four rounds to almost the same point of impact then walk over and up an inch or two. The VX-1 had issues with the power ring being hard to move. Other than that I've had no issues with Leupolds. They track as well as most scopes. I've never had any experience with Night Force or some of the other high dollar. But Weaver and Nikon I've had tracking issues just like Leupold. All scopes I've ever dealt with were never 100% with adjustments. It seems most scopes you have to turn more than the prescribed 1 click=1/4" or 1/2" to get it to move a long way such as when you first mount a scople and your POI may be 7" left or right. You may have to turn the turret twice as much as the figures call far. Then when you get it within a couple of inches it may require 4 clicks to go 5 inches. But at some point the closer you get to being zeroed they seem to get right. I'm not a knob twister so it doesn't bother me. Just takes me a little longer at the range. But one thing different in my experience with Leupold is that they've all, with the exception of one, held zero.

Been done with Leupold for a couple years now. I have absolutely zero confidence in Leupold scopes and sadly I like most things about them. But if they won’t steer bullets correctly the rest is all BS. Every Leupold I have sent back for repairs had Erector Assembly rebuilt on the repair order yet they claim that the have no issues with there erector designs. I would happily buy a new Leupold if they just stated the claim that they have redesigned their erector assembly and actually did so. I have owned every other make of scope both less expensive and more expensive and I can honestly say that every other scope brand I’ve owned adjusted more precisely than Leupolds do. I just for too long thought that tapping the rings after an adjustment , shooting several shots til my adjustments settled in were what one had to do with every scope, little did I know.

Used em from 77 to early 17.
Not anymore...

I have a few. The first one I bought in the early 80s. A Vari-X 111 quit holding zero and wouldn't adjust. I sent it back and it was returned quickly. They said nothing was wrong with it but it adjusts like a typical Leupold and has held zero since.

Tahnka,

Good stuff. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Wait a minute......

Redfield didn't die because of marketing and manufacturing decisions, Redfield died because the original company was facing clean up costs, legal costs, EPA fines, and even possible criminal charges, which the costs far exceeded the value of the company from dumping toxic waste at it's Denver facility. I recall Browns Shoe Co bought Redfield 30-40 years ago, only to find out Redfield people lied to them about the toxic dumping.

By the time the "Five Star" and other scopes appeared, the Redfield company as we know it didn't exist--the facility was abandoned, the company sold and the name licensed to different company(s)/conglomerates--to avoid those cleanup costs and culpability, and of course leaving the taxpayer to clean it up. The Denver Redfield facility was a Superfund site for decades.

I have no knowledge of the other info you have provided, but now a bit skeptical.

What did Leupold specifically do to change the internals post 2003 to make them less reliable?