Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Loopy or nuttin

I stick with Leupolds. Optical quality is all I could ever use. On one hand, I like to think my training and experience as a military photographer makes me a little more discriminating than most with regard to optical quality. On the other hand, I seldom shoot a deer more than an hour after legal shooting hours. Over a lot of years and a lot of rifles and magnum revolvers its been all Leupolds with two exceptions. One is a Nikon Monarch I got in a trade. I like Nikon cameras, but this scope, IMHO doesn't hold a candle to a Leupie. The other is a Burris I got because it was set up to work with my Sako Quad rimfire. Good scope, but not a Leupie. Also, over all these years and all these guns I've only had a problem with one Leupie. Sent it to them on a Thursday and it was back on the rifle the following Wednesday, no ifs, ands, buts, bills, or excuses. They've got my business because they've earned it.

Until I can afford a Z6, its either Zeiss Conquest or Leupold VX3, I am just a middle class, middle of the road kind of guy.

blind brand loyalty is a wonderful thing I guess.

There's better 'n Loopie but Loopie's r better 'n nuttin! .....................DJ

Good one DJ! There is a lot of truth in that. In fact all truth.

This statement is kinda like saying that you are a real camera buff and prefer the optical quality of a fine Point-and-Shoot to that of a Full-Frame DSLR.

Leupolds are good scopes but there are better ones out there. If you think they are the peak of optical perfection it's pretty obvious that there are a lot of other scopes that you haven't looked through.

I actually own more Leupolds than some of the Leupy fanatics on this forum. I don't consider myself a Leupold hater but I do think I'm a little more realistic than some as to where they fit in optical quality and price vs performance spectrum. There are better scopes out there it's just that many of them cost a lot more.....................................DJ

Not a bad way to put it.Say for the price approx of a VX-3 3.5 10 40mm what other glass is in that bracket.Only asking because I'm not at all familiar with most euro or other brands.

The Bushnell Elite 4200's usually cost a little less and are as good or better optically than a VX-3, the rainguard is kinda nifty also. The bushnells are a good bit heavier though.
Zeiss Conquests are also in the same price bracket and worth looking at.

My suggestion would be to try all three and buy the one that your eyes find to be best, it might very well be the Leupold but at least you'll know you checked out the others instead of blind brand loyalty.
Also take a serious look through a Swaro PH, Z6, Zeiss Diavari, or Schmidt und Bender Zenith. If you have normal eyes you'll be able to see that they are indeed somewhat better but they cost twice as much and aren't "twice" as good. The rule of thumb with optics is that you have to pay a lot more to get a little better...............................DJ

On those days when I am feeling liverish, I stop worrying about having a better scope than a Leupold.Sometimes,when I'm feeling really chipper, I want to go spend a pile on something better.

I have been looking through as many scopes as I can get my hands on this winter, outside up to and after dark,and the Leups get beat but it is always by high end Euro's that cost a lot of money.

I bought a VX3 2.5-8 the other day,sighted in a 270 with it yesterday. Nice scope....

340boy sent me up a VX3 3.5 10 for my STW.Very happy with it.But I do like the 3-9 Zeiss for the price.Also wondered why they stuck with the Bushnell name when the 2 brands merged?

Bigger Bushnell Bashed Bausch. .........................DJ

I'm not sure which version is true but there are two that I have heard. First was that B&L wanted out of the sporting optics market. The other was that Bushnell no longer wanted to pay for the B&L name on products they were making all along.

I switched all my guns to Leupold or Zeiss. Happy with both..

but my Leupold FX-II 6x36 LR is current favorite

I think you've miscontrued what I said, DJ. I said the optical quality is all I could ever use. I hunt deer and varmints. Sometimes I shoot at what might be way past legal shooting light (it's my farm and I don't watch the clock when I'm in a tree stand.) I'm not a special ops sniper taking out bad guys at a half mile at odark:30, nor do I spend $20,000 to go half-way around the world and shoot leopards by moonlight. If I did I might change my tune. Close to forty years experience with them has proven to my satisfaction that Leupies are are good product for my purposes. With regard to the point and shoot vs. full-featured analogy, features have nothing to do with quality. There are plenty of full-frame SLR's (and other products) out there that are junk. My Nikon full-frame SLR's work for my purposes, but there are cameras out there with higher optical and mechanical quality but fewer "features."

I really have to give that new VX3 a look, maybe they will have one down at Sportsmans Warehouse.

I used to mount Leupolds on all of my hunting rifles,but I will likely never buy another one.There are other scopes that offer more value for the price.

It always amazes me that almost everyone here with Leupold knows how great customer service is first hand. Every person I know with Leupolds has used customer service.Leupold is the only customer service I have ever had to use.Why not build a product that does not require such great customer service. I have lots of leupolds and they do work.But compared to looking thru some of the others they are nothing special.Maybe all of mine are just too old and the other makes I have are newer technologies, I would sure hate to limit my self to Loopy or nuttin though.

I'm a Burris man. Made in the U.S.A. and a great warranty,that I never had to use. Just say no to Loopy. JMO

foogle,

Did you ever see The Outlaw Josey Wales?

Leupolds for me too. They work and I have never had to send one back. Why change?

Thank you very much.

I have bought and used hundreds of Leupolds since the early '70's and was a rapid Leupold fan, however, in the past few years I have returned almost every Leupold I have owned for service (which is admittedly fantastic) but I, for one, would prefer to pay for a scope that doesn't break. The last 3 VX11's I bought in one buy 2 years ago, so I presume they came from a similar production run, have all broken and been returned for service. For years I maintained extra rifles in the guncase because I always seemed to 1 or more out of service ultimately traced down due to Leupold scope issues. I am now planning to eliminate all the Leupolds from my rifles as they break and have been really concerned up to buy. To me, scope cost is not really a problem but I don't want to waste money trying various products. I am really interested in these reliabilty tests being conducted on scopes and look forward to the results. Steve