Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Focusing a scope from Leupold Tech.

While everyone is entitled to opinions many of us have been subjected to Leupold "Focusing" until we could puke. I am am NRA instructor & RSO & teach scope mounting & zeroing seminars. I contacted Leupold about focusing & the possibility of their using a different system than what is currently published & what is the recommended method. The following response was from Jason Rice @ Leupold Customer Service on Aug.10, 2007(before I had a seminar to present)
"To focus the reticle(crosshair), you will need to turn the ocular housing (eyepiece) all the way out. There is a stop in the system, so the eyepiece will not come off. Then, while looking at a blank white wall or other light colored surface, glance through the scope. The reticle should appear fuzzy. While looking away from the scope to allow your eyes to return to normal/relaxed vision, rotate the ocular housing clockwise a couple of rotations. Once your eyes have had a few moments to adjust to normal, quickly glance through the scope again. Repeat this process until; upon first glancing through the scope, the reticle appears clear & crisp against the blank background. It is important to make sure the background is blank, & that you look away, only glancing quickly through the scope. This eliminates the eye's natural ability to force things into focus. Once the reticle is focused, lock the lock-ring into place."

If anyone (other than the obvious individual) uses a system that provides superior focusing I would be interested in the post. Please, I am not trying to start a $hit slinging contest attacking anyone but, If possible(?) I would like to put this issue to rest. This is a free site so if anyone has friends that have employed an alternate method that improves Leupolds focusing method please have them post. I kicked the dog & chased the pussey cat out so the flames from my computer wouldn't send the SPCA over.

AND AWAY WE GO!!!!!!!!!!

Just kidding tbear. Wanted to thank you for the certified,authentic info. Still gonna keep my fire suit close by though!

til later

tbear,

Once I started doing like I was told by the Leupold instructions, my scopes got better. How could that be?

I've had nice results with E's scope focusing instructions.
He posted them a few weeks ago.
More cowbell!!

Yeah, once I focused my first (and every Leupold since) according to the manufacturer's instructions I've never had a problem one with Leuppy. They're good for what they're good for � uses that correspond to third tier scopes.

Please pass the popcorn and bring more beer. This is gonna take a while.

Wayne

Yep,

Leupold's method will get the reticle foused and give you a very good focus for hunting where you never know the exact distance to your intended target untill it's time to shoot.

However I have found thay when shooting at a set distance,it is possible to fine tune the focus for that distance a bit,this does let me see the target a little better while keeping the reticle plenty sharp enough to work well.

So I think everybody here has a point,leupold tells you how to focus the reticle for best all around use,various fine tuning methods can sharpen your target image a little in certain situations.

Britt

I can identify with that statement.

If you guys really have this much trouble focusing your scopes, I don't wanna be around when you finally get to loading the rifle.

Hey, What do the guys at Leupold know anyway? They are just professional optical engineers that designed, built and manufactured the scopes.
E, owns a few of them, read a 9 year old book and probably slept at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Surely E knows more focusing Leupold Scopes than the mere engineers who designed and built them. ...........................DJ

That's funny.LOL Strange I have an old Leupold and I haven't messed with and it puts the crosshair on target. Since new never adjusted anyhing. It's about 18 years old.
The 2 nightforce scopes I own, I took them straight out of the box and never touched anything and they are crisp and clear on crosshairs. From ranges of 100 yards to 500yards. No problems.

To each their own. I have been hunting for over 55 years & when hunting I have never diddled with the focus & never intend to. I definitely will adjust at the range per Leupolds instructions. I have found that very occasionally I need to fine tune the focus.

Obviously, everyone's eyes are different. Did this alternate method improve your focus vs. the Leupold method? If so, & an alternate system works for you that's great.

I'm definitely going to try it. I have 20-20 eyesight and find that the Varmint reticle in my VXIII has been a pain in the blurr department. I get eye fatigue pretty easily with it and would like to correct this. I think with all the fine lines and dots the focus gets to be more critical. I've actually been shopping for a Euro scope because of this focus/clarity issue.

I should add that I seem to need about a 8" focal distance minimum for things to be ultra sharp.

I've found that my ability to focus near objects, such as a scope reticle, changes fairly frequently as i become an older fart. I usually have to adjust the focus of my scopes, which are all Leupold by the way and can't wait to hear how bad they are, annually or so. I also had the lasik surgery several years ago which certainly upset the near vision factor. I've needed readers ever since.

No big deal, I just double check the focus each time a look through a scope. It may be a pain, but it's also one of the certainties of aging and vision. I still have no problem hitting what I aim at. I will be sad when that day comes.

taz, I have heard mixed opinions on Lasik and ability to shoot after having it. My wife shoots alot and is contemplating Lasik. Any reply would be greatly appreciated.

Don't want to hijack this thread.

Rob

Ruraldoc pretty much nailed it. And honestly I don't think E is going to differ that much from this. All he does is some further fine tuning to get more detail - hey it might not be important to some. This shouldn't cause a huge arguement.

The arguement starts when someone says after dicking with the focus on a Leupold it allows them to see as well as a Zeiss/Swaro, etc.

With Leupold's instructions they recommend glancing through the optic quickly so as not to use the eyes natural focusing system. This stated after the instruction to screw the eye piece out to its stopping point. The problem with these statements is thus: if the eyepice is turned to lengthen the optical device you are creating an optical system that has increased light convergence, the human eye is a convergent lens system and can only add convergent power to the system. Your eye focusing to add convergent power to a convergent system adds more convergence and will blur everything, so your eye will not use its natural focusing ability under these conditions. The only way an eye would is if you are so far sighted that lengthening the optical system to its fullest extent will not correct your refractive error then you can accomadate naturally to add the necessary power and make it all clear. It is splitting hairs, but it can make one with enough knowledge to be dangerous wonder why it was thought prudent to be placed in the instructional set. All that said, if you follow their instructions your scope will be focused, so there you have it.

I will try to post a diagram of the why of this because a picture is much easier to follow.

BrocksDad,
LASIK can be a blessing or curse and the best person for your wife to have the discussion with about LASIK is her optometrist. They know her eyes and total visual system and can cut through the hype and give honest feedback, positive and negative, as to what is best for her. A major problem with LASIK and women is severe corneal dryness that creates a lot of visual issues post-op and may require a life time of pharmaceuticals to make tolerable. This is because LASIK severs a sig. number of the 10,000 nerves in the cornea reducing sensation and women are prone to dry eye because of circulating estrogen levels and the hormones responsibility in stimulating production and secretion of tears from the lacrimal gland. She should sit and have a heart to heart with her O.D. to flesh out everything and then make an informed decision based on her feelings at that point. Also, please seek a second opinion if you/she feels it necessary, I don't take offense to it and neither should any of my compatriots, we all should have the best interest of our patients at the front of our minds

ED.

Correct me if I am wrong, but screwing the eye piece out affects the magnification too doesn't it?

I believe that the best focus for me is nearly entirely screwed in and if I recall correctly, the further I screw it in, the less the magnification???

No, it doesn't affect the magnification.
I would note that each time you change the focus setting, Leupold recommends that you turn the focusing ring a couple of turns. That's fine for the older, much slower focusing system. But with the newer, faster system, sometimes the reticle sharp range of adjustment is less than one full turn of the focus ring. I'd try 1/2 of a full turn with a fast Leupold focusing feature. E