Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leupold "adrift in the ocean?"

Long time Leupold fan here but I do read, interpret trends, and am not afraid to criticize a product.

Just expressing my personal observations recently. I have purchase a few used scopes at gun shows, here on the 'fire, and on rifles that I have bought used. I have also sent a few Leupolds in for repair with good experiences in the past and have also used their custom shop a few times with complete satisfaction. However, I have sent three scopes in over the last several years for cleaning/repair and have not received any back but rather an offer for an exchange on a "similar" current Leupold offering. These scopes were M8 8x w/ AO, Vari X 3-9x compact, and most recently a Vari-X II 2-7x 33mm. All were in very nice external condition (particularly the 1st and 3rd) but had adjustment issues when mounted and tested on a rifle. I expressed my frustration given the general outward appearance of the scopes and re-iterated my desire to get these scopes repaired if any way possible. The answer was "no" and I was sent a VX II 3-9 compact, a FX III 6x 42mm, and most recently a VX Freedom 2-7 w/ hunt plex reticle. I kept my adjustment caps this time knowing there was a good chance I would not get my scope back! Reasons for not being able to repair my old scopes included lack of parts for the fixed 8, ? objective lens issues on the 3-9 compact, and a fractured main tube on the 2-7. Their were no external signs of abuse on any of the scopes. The fixed 8 looked brand new!

I am not complaining about their effort to have me pleased as a customer but as you can see, none of their replacements were that similar to what I had sent in except for maybe the last (more on that later.)
I went to their website again recently and was shocked to see how their "traditional" type Leupold offering had diminished recently and how their current offerings offered only one reticle choice and that reticle might only be offered in that one particular scope ie. the hunt plex in just the 2-7 Freedom. Many have no option for a CDS while others come only with a CDS! Forget having a M1 or target turret put on... no custom shop, at least currently, and quite a bit more expensive.

I know I will be criticized, but I would be pleased (particulary if the Freedom line's erector/repeatability issues were improved if I could slap a Stoney Point turret on to use with the "clicks" but even that is not possible with the loss of the "coin slot" adjustment.

For all of their weaknesses, enjoy your old classic Leupys while you can. I have never had an old one that I purchased "new" fail me as far as basic function. Maybe someone will find a successful business in repairing/restoring the older ones like Weaver and Redfield.

For now, thank God for Phillipine made Burris' and Nikons that you can still find on occasion!

PS... I love SWFA SS's as well, just not on everything I own and shoot!!!

I have two SWFA 6x scopes with the milquad reticle and I like them quite a bit. Nevertheless they are pigs compared to what size scope I'd like to have on some of my hunting rifles. That's the main reason I don't have more of them.

Agree!

Times change but Leupy filled a big niche for a long time. Hard to imagine them not being relevant as we have known them.

Holding out hope for them as I am in many arenas today.

“If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.” - Jack Welch

I realize the market , as a WHOLE, is changing from hunting and benchrest to “tactical” and “long range”, but there is STILL a “niche market” for lightweight scopes, classically styled scopes, handgun scopes, and American scopes.

Leupold is trying to compete with $200 China (Vortex, Athlon, et al) scopes on one end, and $2000 Nightforces on the other.

In the meantime, they’re throwing away many of their offerings in the “middle”, and the specialties/oddities that was THEIR “niche”.

Used VX-2s, especially the ultralight models, are bringing more on eBay than they sold for when new, and often higher than comparable new VX-Freedom models. It seems Leupold has a branding problem with this latest line, despite claims that they are mechanically superior to the VX-2s.

Performance notwithstanding, I think the VX-2s were some of the more attractive scopes that Leupold has produced. The VX-Freedoms, with the redesigned turret caps and power select rings, remind me of the cheap China-made scopes that are packaged with inexpensive rifles at WalMart.

They fu cked you over. The older ones were better. Why do you think they still bring good money over on ebay and the like?

You’d think that when someone said “3-9x40” that Leupold is the first thing to come to mind. They could have made that particular model the perfect yardstick.

I was a Leupold fan for a lot of years. Sometime back I started having issues with tracking and rtz on several different models. Did some research and found that I was far from the only one. Their CS was good, but my confidence was shook, so I moved on to other brands well known for ruggedness and repeatability.

Haven't really looked back, but I do have a pile of older levers and blued/walnut bolts on which I don't care to replace the gloss Leupolds. I know aesthetics don't place bullets, but I do enjoy the look of a sleek, low powered, 1", gloss scope on these guns. None of them see really high round count, so I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed and keep running them until something happens.

I keep waiting for a resurgence in blued/walnut and, by extension, an offering of lower X range, rugged gloss scopes. But the way things are going, its not looking like that is going to be a reality.

Ultimately, I hope Leupold gets it figured out, and I start reading about how tough they are and how well they track, hold, and return to zero. I'd be happy to be supporting them again.

Who makes the best moderately priced scopes today that are not Chinese?

Usually when a company chooses to label a product with a name like "American" or "freedom", it's a dead giveaway that it is made somewhere else. It would be interesting to know the rationale for selecting the name "VX-Freedom" for an American made product line.

Two years ago, you could’ve mentioned Nikon and Weaver (Grand Slam). Now?? Burris and Leupold are the two left standing, and Burris is now starting to offer China garbage.

Vortex has sub-$500 offerings that are sourced from the Phillipines, but they’ve got the “tactical look”.

Clearidge gets mixed reviews (and has limited offerings), and I’m not sure if Swift is still in biz. Neither of them ever were a “player” in the category.

Meopta COULD be a player, but marketing doesn’t seem to be their forte, and you can’t get them at the local sporting goods chain.

Sightron is a consideration, but, again, many folks wanna be able to hold something in their hand, before spending $300-$500....

Bushnell changes specs/names/etc so much, it’s hard to keep up. The 3200/4200 were fine scopes. Now?? They change models every 3 years, so it’s hard to know what you’re getting, and the average joe equates Bushnell with $50-$75 Sportview’s and Banner’s, not knowing they’ve made solid stuff, as well.

Understand, I’m talking about more “classic” style, “set and forget” scopes, that can be had for sub-$500..

Been a Leupold fan a long time but I’m done buying new ones.
Tried the newer stuff, bought two VX3i scopes and one failed after a couple of rounds. Cheap feeling all the way around too.
I’m down to a couple of VXIII 2.5x8’s and a 1.5x5 on set and forget rifles.
Dang shame.

Leupold has gone crazy. I don't even try to find what I want in their cumbersome lineup. They're trying to rush out something to compete with everyone else's something. They need to pull back from that frenzy and build good quality scopes again.

The market has been taught that big tubes and turrets for their sniping at Bambi are absolutely necessary. If you're not shooting ears, feet, and asses off Bambi at two miles, you're a Fudd and have no business getting in the sniper's way. It's a lot like what happened to the PU Truck. If it's not a rolling mainframe, satellite controlled, it's not adequate, and neither are you.

They might consider building reliable set it N forget it scopes like the VXII and VXIII with a couple fixed power scopes in that range and build an UberGlass Panzer Class 30 or 34mm tube behemoth, dripping in bells & whistles.

Also, why do we need every type of reticle a graphics expert on acid can dream up?

only leupold i still own is a 22 year old fixed straight tube 2 3/4 power on my 416 rem mag.still works perfectly.stopped using them around 96 or 97.to me they were average or worse in variables.i shot after that pentax,burris and some nikons.plus a early 1st year bushnell 4200 series.all variables.then i started shooting swarovski and kahles scopes.to me as stated leupold didnt cut it.to hear you guys talk about the new ones they must be pure junk.

I hate Leupold because there was a time I loved them...but they let me down. They once made a great product at a fair price...now they import and assemble trash. Import trash and swap it out like vortex...as things without value are not worth fixing.

Trash vendor imho.

I mostly have VX 3’s and just a single vari-xiii. The vari iii is a really nice scope clear as any of VX3s. I got a few VX3is but I dont see much difference between them and the VX3s. Havent checked out the VX 3 HD line yet. I love my VXs but even outside the online complaints they seem sort of scattered. Im a set it forget it hunter so no need to dial. I only plan on adding one more rifle which will be a light weight and likely will wear a 2.5-8 luey. So at 58 years old maybe my scope buying days are about over. I looked thru my cousins 2-7 VX2 he purchased a few years back. That is a dang nice scope for the money. I hope they can get it together.

Agreed on all points. I went to the Leupold site last night, took a quick gaze at the confused line-up and left. I just buy used Leupolds now. Picked up a used VX3 2.5-8 on-line after I left the Leupold site behind.

You're right. Nice and light and very bright. I like mine a lot.

Yes...