Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Always a Leupold guy, BUT..

My VXIII 3.5-10x40 with B&C reticle almost hosed me last summer. Two days before leaving for Africa and I went to the range just to double check my Kimber which I was planing on using for plains game. First shot was 8” high and a little right, WTF. 2nd shot was close to aim point, and the third was way off as well. This particular scope has been back to Leupold before because it went tits up, and it seems it’s gone again. Luckily I had another VX3 that I swapped and got back on track. Now, Im thinking of swapping brands. I loved Leupolds because I thought they were great scopes for the price, and when I bought my last scope, cost was still an issue. But I’ve lost some confidence in them with heavier recoiling rifles. So, I’m thinking of putting a Swaro Z3 3-10x42 with BRH reticle in my Kimber. Am I just being stupid or is the Swaro really with it?

if I was going to Africa I think I would step up to something with a little better reputation....to much money involved to take a chance in my opinion

Leupold is an average to good scope. Swarovski is top shelf. I made the switch after a Leupold failure and a Zeiss failure. Have one Swaro fail to adjust, but bought it used. Never again. Any serious trip gets a new Swaro.

I hope you have better luck with Swaros than I did. Had 2 go wonky on a 300 wm. Less than 50 shots for each one. Explanation on the first one was something to the effect that they were only designed to be adjusted a certain percentage of their range, which I was still in. After the replacement did the same thing in about the same number of shots, I concluded that they weren't a good fit for magnum recoil. A cursory scroll through a few threads on rugged scopes showed that I was far from the only one to have such luck with them.

I’ve had inconsistent tracking in Swaro Z3s, a Z5 and a Z6. Have had a Z3 that would not hold zero as well. Glass has been excellent in most but not all. Swaro service has been outstanding.

My experience is the old VARI-X- III were far more likely to hold zero than the subsequent models. Tracking has always been a joke on the older models…50/50 on the newer ones. I’m alway looking for older ones for set and forget situations.

For dialing, I’ve migrated to NF SFP scopes as I’ve grown weary of scope roulette on my hunting rigs.

you couldn't GIVE me a swaro.......

All brands/models of scopes can break.
Leupold is/was the most popular middle to higher cost scope in America.
If only a small number of Leupolds were ever sold, we would hardly or never hear about problems.

My NF SHV and SS scopes usually don’t return to zero when it’s below freezing and I crank them very far. The SS at least returns to zero if I warm it up, usually but not always for the SHV.

They all fail, but typically in very small numbers. I have sent at least one of almost every mid to top tier brand back at one time or another.

I have to agree with this
Swaro makes perhaps the best binoculars and spotters......but their rifle scopes are junk IMO
good glass with bad mechanic's, dont track well or return to zero well.
I have way too many Leupold scopes to sell them but will never use one again for a once in a lifetime hunt
Last few years I have been using Tract Toric scopes with great success they have worked very well without issues

Fck Leupold.I want my rifles topped with a scope from LOW in Japan…

Leupolds suck!

Whitetail, Mule deer, Elk, prairie dogs, ground hogs, coons, squirrels, crows, possums, think that too.

I have a number of Leupolds and 1 Swarovski. Wouldn’t trust any of them to track dialing but great for set and forget. B&C and TDS reticles work for me. I have 1 SWFA and it is the only scope I’ve ever owned that tracks.

If your rifle has iron sights, get familiar with them in case your scope goes goes tits up. And bring a backup scope too boot.

I agree with regards to Swaro, in my case the SwaroA 1" tube. It sucked, swaro fixed it, I sold it. My buddy had two of them do the same thing. Love the binos, 1" tube Swaro scopes suck though. Took a 2-12x VX6 to Africa 6 times with nary a problem......but it's the only Leupold I have left.

LOL.

So says a guy who has never done anything and owns shitty rifles.

Leupold sucks sweaty balls

Yep!

Leupold Hater's deer.



Leupold Lover's deer.

Weak.