How long before Leupold folds or gets sold out? Will there be a company to fix older Leupold scopes?

I think that’s looming on the horizon. They seem to have lost their way.

They've been living on name brand recognition for 20 years...and spending stupendous amounts of money on full page glossy magazine advertising. Eventually they will be gobbled up or implode. They were famous for no fault customer service...why would shooters continue to purchase a brand that NEEDS customer service? Before I wised up I could recite their warranty address by heart, something wrong with that picture.

Five years ago, Burris/Nikon/Weaver/Sightron/Leupold/Redfield were all selling “set and forget” hunting scopes, that didn’t look like something out of a Remington 770 wet dream.

Now, I’m told those are all “passe”, and I gotta buy something either “made in China”, or with a gawd-damzed 2” elevation turret sticking out of it, or some stupid “LX-Freedom” angular styling, unless I wanna spend $700 on a VX-3HD without a CDS cap....

Screw it. I’m hoarding Filipino Burris’s before Burris messes that up,too.....

Happy w/ the Vari-X II, VX-1, and VX-3i.

Hope they find their way back.




GR

I’m sure their inability to deliver new gloss and silver scopes to nursing home gun collectors will do them in.

I don’t think they’re the only scope manufacturer that makes scopes that need customer service. They do however have very good customer service. Some companies have zero or poor service for their optics. I’ve used their customer service once in 46 years of owning I’d guess 40-50 Leupolds. The 20 or so that I own work fine for me.
I sure hope they continue as an optics manufacturer.

I do too. I like my Leupold scopes.

Your sarcasm may be on point.

Then again, thinking that guys are going to continue buying $1500 scopes, to stick on $1500-$3000 guns, in order to blow through ammo that is either unavailable, or now costs $50 a box, to fling at steel targets that are 1000 yards away, might also be a “mistaken” business model.

Time will tell, but the word “fad” comes to mind....

I used only Leupold for years and years. Finally had it with inconsistent adjustments and rtz. Further, even if I still had faith in the vx-5 and 6, they don't offer them in the FFP and mil configurations that I and more and more buyers prefer.

They seem to be bleeding market share big time in all areas of their lines as years go on. They do now have some compelling offerings in their Mark lines, but it seems that they priced themselves out of being competitive in the spots they're trying to occupy. Competition in these areas is just too good and has been long established as reliable.

I still hope they get the ship righted before it's too late. They should've owned and taken care of inconsistent tracking early on. There's no way they weren't well aware of their shortcomings in this area, and it didn't take a crystal ball to see that the market for new scopes was headed towards reliable dialing and away from set it and forget it use. Instead they topped their old designs with exposed turrets and tried to cash in without first doing the requisite work to make a viable turret twister, and now they have a tarnished brand.

I've always thought their biggest problem with mechanics is their 12oz scope. Heavy scopes are generally built heavier duty. A nightforce is literally twice the weight for example.

I still like Leupold. Maybe that's because I like to hunt more than I like to shoot at animals a 1000 yards away. It sounds like people are becoming more shooters than hunters. I have yet to have a Leupold fail me while hunting something I can't say for another brand. That only happened once and the other scopes I have had of same maker are still going strong. I have bought 3 Leupolds this year and will buy other brands too. It does seem people like to bash the company at the top. Maybe it is to give them cover for their choices.

There's a lot of us who have about as much use for a nightforce-weight scope as we do for tofu and pajama boy. Leupold needs to pull their head out. Or someone needs to take over their niche.

Plenty of 20 oz scopes out there that work, even those are almost twice the weight of Leupold though...

Agreed. Leupold is a stable company. I have no concerns with buying more based on my experiences. There are several other brands I will never buy again due to failures in the field.

I am a Leupold man for sure. I have owned many different models. I have only had two scopes fail. One the elevation would not adjust, would not move. Sent in and got same scope back like new with new erector system. The second scope failed two times fast. It was Air rifle scope 3 x 9 EFR. It blew erector system out on spring gun. They told me they Would not rebuild again for free. They stopped the air rifle line. I think Leupold LPS scopes are the best scope buy on the market. Lenses were made by Leica, when Leupold tried to take over the scope market. They put it all in the LPS series. Best glass, built like a tank durable. If you get a chance to buy one, buy it. Good shooting

My disgust with Leupold is they no longer repair older scopes and only offer a replacement. Some of my scopes fill a need that there is no other that will works or work as well. I can live with higher prices for mods and reticle replacement. If I wanted what they offer now I'd buy it. I don't get older scopes to be "period correct". I'm a function over form type.

Me too. A half dozen in the past couple of months. Natchez...

Question is, how many is enough?

Hard to beat the FF2 and E1 for the money. Definitely better adjustments than any V-whatever 2 I’ve had, and the view is good enough.

Anyone know someone who works at Leupold? I would love to know what they are doing with all the scopes they "cannot repair."

My cynical side, which is becoming way to obvious even for me, says that employees are likely repairing their own classic Leupolds or refurbishing them for a good profit on eBay! Be interesting to go through their dumpster behind the shop...

All my scopes are on hunting rifles - set-n-forget.

All are Leupolds.

To me, "dialing" scopes are like "fish-finders."

At that point, I'll just go the market.




GR

Don't forget the Droptine line as I have used them sxs with the FF2 and see zero difference. The Droptine 3-9X Rimfire is top notch IME.

The Droptine and FFii are the same glass and coatings. I asked Burris. Turrets and the bell turning are the difference.

And I have seen no difference in their behavior.

Go look at your local store. It’s vortex and Leupold. Burris has lost market place, weaver,bushnell, and Nikon pretty much went out if business. Leupold has maintained the whole time. Back in January I showed how Leupold has the entire adjustment assembly held on with 2 tiny threads. Who knows what else is built so chinsy in the scope. The average guy doesn’t know Leupold sucks. They put a box of shells through their rifle every 3 years.

The market isn’t what you or I think it should be. Weaver and bushnell sold excellent Japanese bulit scopes. The market bought junky vortex Chinese acopes instead.

If I could find a rifle scope that is lightweight, good glass, holds zero reasonably well, and most importantly has a big eyebox, Leupold would never enter my mind.

Never mind the absence of a sensible ballistic reticle.........

I bet they're doing just fine despite us

RO'd a gas gun match yesterday, spotted over 2500 rounds at 493 yards on my stage...my eyes hurt today. I was shocked by how many Loopys were there. I'd venture to say 40-50% of the 120 shooters were shooting some Mark variation Loopy. Tyler Payne of the Army Marksmanship Unit out of Ft Benning won overall, pretty sure he used a NF. But, he grabbed a Mark 8 off the prize table and said he planned to use it.