Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters How about those Leupold LPS scopes? Are they worth the mega $$$?

I heard the new VX-IIIs are actually brighter.

What's the skinny?

I have one, they're pretty good scopes. I'm currently using a 1.5-6x on my .223 cal coyote rifle.

They have some good features, such as harder coatings, and finger adjustments on the turrets. It seems to be a very rugged scope.

I think you have a VX-III, not the LPS. Am I Correct?

BMT

Actually, there is a 1.75X6 30mm diameter LPS, and that is the one I'm interested in specifically

I have a 1.5-6x LPS. This scope is currently discontinued, but I bought it in a local gun store about 6 months ago, new in the box. They were having a closeout. It has the 30mm tube. If a Leupold scope has less than a 4x power range adjustment, then it is a VX III or other scope. For example, I also own a couple of Vari-X III 1.75-5x scopes. These have 1" tubes.

I have had the LPS 1.5x6 on my Dakota .338 for about 4 years, it is a bit heavier than I like, but, solid, easy to adjust and has superb optics. I have had about 30 Leupys in the past 30 some years, this is by far the best of them.

I have a West German Zeiss, have shot with Swarovskis, S&B and various other high end scopes; I cannot see any real difference in the optics between the LPS and these Euro scopes. I do not find the Conquest scopes to be as good as this LPS, but, my eyes are 58+ yrs. old and not as sharp as they once were.

I would certainly buy another LPS scope and will, if I can afford it.

I be interested in one if I knew that.

1.- They are more recoil proof then the vari-x-3 series.
2.- Their controls are fully repeatable as in target scopes, with no occasional skipping.

Only then would I be willing to spend extra money over the vari-x -3 series.
More brightness and sharpness then offered in the vari-x-3, are not priorities for me in a rifle scope. For that I have been carrying superb binoculars for the last couple of decades much brighter and sharper then any rifle scope.

The LPS scopes are not worth it to me but I'm just a poor,humble deer hunter from down south. The VX-III & VX-II scopes are very much worth it for my pocket book. I just mounted a new VX-II 3x9x50 for a friend and was much impressed with it's clarity and resoultion.

I would rate the Leupolds as mid-price scopes. Not cheap, but nowhere near the most expensive. I have their binocs, spotting scopes, and Var X II and III's. Most partial to the Var x III's for removing parallax. I'm second owner on one spotting scope and it needed some repairs (leakage) Given their prompt and absolutely free response (I got it back within a week), it will take considerable marketing skills to draw me to another brand. I do wish they had 1/8 minute adjustments though on the rifle scopes, as I strayed to other brands for that reason on my longer range units. Overall, a very good product with excellent warranty and service. 1Minute

David, I would avoid the 1.5-6 LPS. There are reasons that they discontinued them. Some of them work just fine but I had a brand new one on a Sako 375 H&H that didn't last 20rds before you could hear parts rattling inside. Leupold said that they had to redesign the erector mechanism and replaced rattler with a completely new scope, but do I trust it? No, I got rid of it and replaced it with something I have more trust in.
I do have a couple shooter freinds that have had good luck with the other LPS's, and 1 that has even used a 1.5-6 in Africa (why I bought mine). But having one break so quickly has led me to distrust them. If you bought one how would you know if you bought one with the redesigned erector? If you send it in for repair will they be able to replace a badly broken scope that is discontinued?
I went upscale and bought a Swaro 1.5-6 PH which is a fantastic scope. The next scope I might try in that range is the Nikon Gold series 1.5-6. These give you both a higher and lower price viable option to the LPS.........DJ

djpaintless,
I had to send a number of Leupolds back for redoing innards.
An old 3X on a savage .358 Win, a 6.5x20 on a .308 Win., and a 1.75x6 on a .338. The last one made 2 trips back to Leupold. All scopes were pretty well in the centre of their adjustments, still they skipped. The 3x broke it crosshairs and skipped.
I am looking forward to scopes made one day for super reliability like some of the military scopes!!
Unfortunately they come at super prizes.
I am willing to go down to glass as it was 20 years ago to gain reliability.
For supreme optics I use my binocs, a scope I need to put my crosshairs on the targetted animal, not for counting its nose-hairs. But.......................that is just my opinion. Many hunters seem to priorize nosehair counts.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> ... I thought I was the only poor pathetic soul that used and really like the VX-II line of scopes? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

You need to think Schmidt & Bender then. I was talking to one of their US staff last week, and she said whenever they talk to the factory the folks there "...want durability" over other features.

jim

I could not agree more. I run a combination of Leupold and Schmidt & Bender PM IIs. If I had to choose a lifetime scope in the context that there would be NO access to warranty service it would be a Schmidt & Bender PM II by a mile. I don't specialize in their hunting scopes, however, the PM IIs are without peer. imo & fwiw.

And the Flashdot wildly increases the usefullness of the optic under a multitude of conditions...

Many complain of the price. In this regard I defer to Col. Cooper when he said when you have a good gun(or scope in this matter) you don't need another. The same can be said for a Lifetime Binocular or a S&B PM II...

Regards, Matt.

I can attest to S&B's durability and repeatability since I dropped the rifle my 1.5-6x42 sits on out of a tree and it landed on the occular bell.
No damage external or internal as judged per my eyes and 2 whitetail does 160 yards later.