Compared to older models?
All things being equal would you prefer a NIB VXIII to a VX3i?
VX3 to VARIX III?

I've had zero issue with any of mine. Glass has improved with each generation. I'm happy with the VX3i line.

The VX-3i is a superior scope to the VX-3.

Leupold is now and has always been a reliable brand making reliable products. If you get any Leupold optic and have any issues with it Leupold will correct that issue, no worries.
The reality is they make and sell more scopes than most companies and product failure rate is extremely low.

I agree and I would take Leupold over all those new FAKE brands every time!

Leupold has a great warranty but it does little good when the scope's reticle spring failed while moving the elevation turret during a coues wt hunt. Happened to me TWICE. Just cannot abide with a possible issue. Tags in Az are rare and not interested in missing or worse wounding a big game animal. I am moving all my Leupolds to varmint or target rigs where a failure is no big deal. Serious big game hunting where I have the need to twist a turret will have me using SWFA SS scopes.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

What he said.

I sold optics for 22 years and return rate on Leupold was significantly under 1%


I have tried a few others, and keep going back to Leupold..

Didn't you have one fail on your .270, that one time???

It was at band camp, and you don't want to know why/how it failed...

I’m guessing you’d be unaware of most problems, as the majority of faulty/failed scopes would be sent directly from the consumer to Leupold for repair or replacemenr, bypassing the retailer. A few guys may return it to the retailer, but my guess is that they’d be in the minority, given that most people buying a Leupold are aware of the company’s reputation for warranty service.

I have many leupolds, about 20. Have had one handgun scope shoot loose. It was fixed and repaired free in about 15 days.
I’ll buy more of them and always consider them first when I need another scope.

Personally, warranty ranks somewhere down my priority list, certainly nowhere near the top, when considering a scope purchase. I haven't tried anything newer than the VX3/FX3, because I’ve had multiple failures from that generation and even the Vari-X generation (mostly frequent and unacceptable amounts of zero shift), but had better luck with the M7/M8 scopes.

I was a dyed in the wool Leupold man, since the early 90's. However, the last 2 out of 4 Leupolds I have bought have crapped out. The tracking on the other 2 are very inconsistent and make sighting in a PIA. I was in denial for a while, but have decided to try other things. I have not tried anything newer than their VX3 or FX3.

I've had Leupold scopes for 30+ years and never had a problem with them. I have 4 or 5 of the VariXII's and 3 2x handgun scopes. They all hold zero and they get the job done. I'm a fan.

I guess bashing Leupold is the in thing for knob twirlers.I never shoot more than 400 yards and have no need to twirl my knob.

You'd have to have your head in the sand to not realize Leupold has major problems.

I saw three Leupolds quit, just this fall.

This^^^^^
I never knew Leupold had problems until I started hanging out on the Fire. I've had a couple fail but they were fixed to my satisfaction. I think the knob twisters are most of the knocks and they never have tracked very well IME but for us set and forgeters, they work fine.

Yeah...they instituted that program just prior to my departure from the biz...and if the Leupold problems are more recent ( which seems to be the case...) I haven't sold them in 6 years.....but Ive bought them in that time, and they've all worked!

What happened, each instance? Thanks

Actually no, I am a set and forget guy and never shoot game past 500 yards. I do swap scopes on rifles from time to time, and I shoot more than 10 rounds a year. I always check my zero after major travel, and a couple times during the season for good measure. In doing so, I have found the problems.

I’m a “set and forgetter”. Never had a problem with Leupold scopes in over 30 yrs. Just lucky I guess.......

When I buy used leupold here or on gunbroker, I try to get the seller to ship to leupold.

I will often request an different reticle, and if one is not available a systems check.

You won't believe how many get new erectors free of charge, and then refilled with I am assuming a more modern gas.

In fact twice I sent scopes I had bought used and they were broken and unfixable, they sent me the modern equivalent free of charge!

There is perhaps no better company to deal with in the world. When I get customers meowing at me I often ask myself.

" Now ........ what would leupold do in this situation?"

I used to be a Leupold fan (as in I ONLY buy Leupold), then I started testing my scopes: low light performance, rtz, tracking, resolution, etc. Now I won't own one. They were consistently the bottom of the heap on race day. They did have superior edge to edge clarity, and the color prescription looked really good in daylight though.

I only have one Leupold VX-3i but so far it is working fine. It's on a 6.5 CM and hasn't been shot a lot yet. I will say that the tracking on the earlier VariX-III, VX-III etc. models was sometimes inconsistent but I have seen few problems with not holding zero.

Everything can have issues, and I don’t twist knobs as s general hunting rule, but I trust leupold 1/2/3 over Nikon, vortex, Minox, Weaver, bushnell, newer Burris, and the other half dozen never heard ofs running out there these days. Doesn’t mean Leupold is the best or any of the new, unknowns aren’t any good. It’s a trust/track record thing, and Leupold has a good one, the others not so much. I’m not getting into NF, Swarovski, SB, Kahles, euro Zeiss, etc. To me, that’s a dirrent level of scopes, and where Leupold’s upper models are made to compete, and they’re more than I need for most hunting, so I have less experience, outside NF and Trijicon for duty use.

I see a pattern emerging.

We have the Leupold lovers and what they have in common is they have 20 plus Leupolds and have used them for years with little to no problem. They seem to use Leupolds almost exclusively. They also lean towards set it and forget it.

Then we have the guys who have nothing but problems? They generally shoot a lot and at distance. They swap scopes a lot, twist turrets etc..... they also have other brands of scopes in the mix.

I started in the first camp and the Leupolds seemed fine. Then I became a chronic scope swaper and knob twister and that is where the wheels fell off. I also started shooting a LOT more. I also stated using a lot more custom barrels and generally more precision rifles.

And in that mix I purchased other brands of scopes and that was enlightening. Suddenly problems I blamed on the rifle or inaccurate ammo started to disappear with other brands of scopes.

In swapping scopes I was constantly re-sighting in rifles and then it also became very tedious with Leupold scopes and I wasted a bunch of ammo. I started to notice other brands where easy to dial in and it was an eye opener.

I still own a pile of Leupolds but they are for the most part set and forget now, I have also weeded out the Leupolds that wont hold zero etc.....

Everyone loves to cite Leupolds great warranty and service dept. I disagree, the warranty wont help in the middle of a hunt. And I have sent scopes in only to have them returned with the same problem.

I want to love Leupold scopes, I like the light weight and clean lines, I like the made in USA part etc..... but I have little faith in them anymore.

It's similar to Remington M700's--their very popularity sometimes works against them. By the early/mid 90's Leupold owned the scope world and the sheer number of them dictates there will be failures. But the failure rate may not be nearly as terrible as the numbers suggest.

Having said that my VX-1's VX-2's VX-3's, and VX3i's have in every instance been pretty poor in their adjustments. Most, but not all, of my Vari-X's move consistently with the amount dialed when sighting in. I don't twirl so that's not an issue with me. The ballistic reticles make shots as far as I'm going to take plenty precise out to minute of antelope distances. At this juncture I'm not aware of any of my recent Leupolds losing zero. I've had two older ones lose zero after 20 years of use.

And it's still hard to beat Leupold's eyebox and light weight.

Better yet, the price of new Leupolds have come down a fair amount the last 6 months--to the point I can buy a new for one the same or less than what used ones are selling for here on the Classifieds.

It would be wise for Leupold to read these threads.

I think the first scope I purchased as an adult was a Simmons. I think I paid something around $25 for it. Later I bought a pair of Alpen Binos. Truth bring, at that time, after just going broke, and having 3 babies in diapers, that was more than I should have spent. As time went by I was able to trade up. For years my favorite scope was a Vari-x III 2.5 x 8 x 36. I to have owned dozens of Leupolds. However, the last dozen or so scopes purchased either new or pre-enjoyed have had the labels Meopta, Swarovski, S&B, and Zeiss. I don't recall having taken off one of the aforementioned to replace it with a Leupold, I can think of several instances of the converse!

just sayin'

GWB

Eh, I don’t think saying leupold is a great hunting scope has anything to do with who shoots or twists the most or has the most different scopes, etc. To me, it’s a weight, reticle, set and forget durability and ‘package’ issue. My tactical/duty/target/LR stuff doesn’t generally wear Leupold stuff, though the Mark4-8 stuff is suitable. It’s uses. No need for a NF or even SS on my ‘hunting’ packages. If you’re gonna twist a lot and shoot 600+ across canyons at muleys and elk, you probably have a different perspective. That’s fine. Doesn’t mean any shortcomings leupolds may have for that use are any worse than the shortcomings others have for typical hunting and carrying use, and that’s a majority of hunters.

I agree irfubar.

I got me laser in the chamber bore sighters for my rifles / carbines.

The minox scopes I own, and the upper grade weavers Do Not Move once the dial is done twirling.

The leupolds often drift around. It does take more ammo and effort to get a leupold Hammered into zero.

And I use LRD reticles on them if I can because I do not trust twirling around on them.

The leupold guys know dang good and well that the procedure for zeroing a brand new leupold is shoot a group, make the necessary adjustment, shoot again and then look at the turrets to see what they say they do- and then check your math scratch your head, and start trying to either creep it over to zero a click or two at a time between shots or else brackett your zero attempting walk the rounds closer each time like artillery. But they might not know that that’s not the procedure with other scopes

Not trying to be smart or nuthin but for the same money, or less, what is better? Maybe I can be educated on this matter?

I need a scope with good eye relief and eye box dimensions and that, AFAIK, is LEUPOLD...this is more important to me than slightly better clarity, brightness, definition, repeatability, etc. I don't F with adjustments unless I'm changing loads and never had a lick of a problem doing this with a Leupold, Being that's the only time I adjusted, I even liked the old friction adjustments better than clicks..

I'm basically a hunter and wear thicker duds when hunting, despite thinsulate and goretex,etc., There's a difference than when shooting in the summer with a T-shirt on. I like a scope to come up without crawling into the stock too much. So, when someone say's they looked through a Leupold and a Brand X at dusk and the Brand X had better whatever, don't mean diddly squat to me if the eye distance and box don't measure up.

But that's just how I approach scopes, it seems to me that even a lot of the lower cost scopes of today are just as good or better optically than the top name brand scopes of 20 or 30 years ago. We killed just as much game then. Being US made is also a consideration that is actually important, IMO.

I occasionally shoot USPSA matches with engineers from Leupold. I've told them about these threads and suggested to one that he should check them out. I'm not sure if he did as I haven't seen him for a few months. But you're right, they should know what their potential customers are thinking.

Eye box and I’ve let a LOT of other scopes go because I couldn’t see the reticle at first/last light, and kept the leupolds w/Heavy duplexes because I could. Simple as that one consideration sometimes. Easily visible hunting reticles in a light scope. That’s easy to get with a leupold, but not with many others. I’ve like some qualities of other scopes in the same $ range....sightron, Weaver, Minox, vortex, etc....but only the easily available zeiss conquest reticles are as heavy for eastern hunting, IMO.

WWLD

I lost patience with them on my first trip to Africa in which I used a Leupold 6x42 on a .30-06. I arrived and the scope was off after the plane ride. It did the typical Leupold move of not taking adjustment, not taking adjustment, not take adjustment, move way too far and in an odd direction. I think it made the PH a little nervous. I had the epiphany that 100 percent of my Leupolds did that and sold them all when I got back. In addition to the adjustment issue described above, I have probably had 10-20 percent of the Leupolds I have owned go totally haywire, meaning not being able to keep them on a target or in one case not being able to keep it on a 100 yd backstop. This has happened with everything from an older M8 4x I bought NIB to newer scopes made in the last 5 years. A scope change has always solved that issue. I in fact have my last new Leupold bought a couple of years ago sitting on a shelf. It was bought for an AR, which shot 12" groups with the scope. Switching to open sights resulted in a 1-1.5" rifle.

I found a Leupold 6x42 stuffed in the closet that I didn't know I had this morning. Too bad Leupold makes such crap because holding that scope reminded me that in every other way I love everything about the Leupold 6x42.

There are various groups of interest here on the "fire. A lot guys hunt some and shoot at the range a lot. I take a perverse pleasure in finding used, pedestrian hunting rifles, and making them shoot accurately with hunting loads. I shoot a lot over the course of the year because I'm as much of a handloading loony as rifle loony I guess. But I shoot with my kind of hunting in mind here in the Rockies. Light, portable rifles generally shooting a stout hunting bullet is what interests me the most. I do like shooting steel out to 600yds, but I'm not shooting at game at those distances..........

I shoot a relatively flat shooting cartridge in a light mountain rifle but my rifles are set up to make those quick shots on fleeing elk in the timber. As Brad says a "general purpose rifle". That's what works for me. Consequently quick acquisition in the scope is every bit as important as taking a fine bead on a target 600 yds away.

I've got two VX-1 2-7's that do just that. A third one has been sent to Leupold and is much better now. I've had a few people tell me "send it in and it'll come back better".

I'm not sure how much that says for Leupold's manufacturing QC..............

My question is how many of your customers sent them back themselves and thereby skewed those numbers? I have returned all of mine directly to Leupold and have lost track of the number I have returned, though it is a sizable number and a multiple of 20-30x the 1 percent number mentioned. Their customer service has always been incredible, but I expect because they get a lot of practice at CS. Though, good CS doesn't help much on a far away hunt with a broken scope.

I sure hope Leupold is becoming aware of the criticism--the Campfire has got to be the largest hunting/shooting website on the interweb these days. If not they're even more dense than we're accusing them of..........

I believe all of mine did that with tracking. The only one I remember owning that would track was a vxII 2-7 that was broken by a light .375. It tracked really well when it came back until the .375 broke it again and it went back for the second time. It was then put on a .30-06 and eventually sent back a third time if I remember correctly.

Leupold remains my first choice.

From what I can tell, most of the whining and bitching comes from people shooting scopes with turrets who are dialing pretty constantly ... the long range shooters. I gave up on that stuff quite a few years ago. Problems with that sort of scope aren't relevant to me. Even when I had a couple Leupolds with CDS and target knobs, I never had any issues. Now that I'm back to plain duplex or, at most, B&C or VH crosshairs, not knob-twisting, there's simply no reason to even look at any other brand.

Tom

On another thread Randy Newburg took the CEO of Leupold on an elk hunt, I wonder if they had a discussion?

Also would not be surprised if they visit the campfire?

I've got several Leupold scopes and never had an issue sighting them in. They've always moved the correct direction and distance. That's one of the things I love about Leupold, how quick and easy it is to get sighted in. If I'm 2 1/4 inches left at 100 yards and move it 9 clicks to the right, my next shot will normally be dead on. I'm confused by all the reports of issues people have with this.

Leupold is a $100M a year company. My guess is they could care less what the campfire says.

I've had good luck over the past 35 yrs with L, having only one (recent vintage VX3) not track even close to what was dialed. My most recent 2-12 VX6 has made 3 trips across the pond to Africa and I've never touched the dials, and something has to be said for surviving the baggage handling gorillas. My Americase looks like a herd of hyenas has been attacking it. I've never dialed any Leupy very much, just occasionally.

This^^^^^^^

That is until they see it as affecting their balance sheet...

They built that $100million dollar company on a great reputation. They are losing that reputation. The market share they have already lost is astounding!
The tactical crowd is the fastest growing segment of the shooting industry and Leupold cant compete.
Mainstay companies fail all the time if they cant adapt and compete. Think Sears , Montgomery wards, Kmart etc.....

Hunters are a loyal lot and we want Leupold to succeed. But hunts are expensive and an optic failure is not to be tolerated.

In complete agreement! The only Leupold I returned for a failure on a hunt was a 4x M7 in 1967. The reticule broke which was promptly fixed and I still use it on a Mannlicher-Schoenauer. I have several newer models ranging from M8, Rifleman, VX-l, VXll, VariXll, and VariX-lll, use them and, until I've found all their attributes in another brand, will continue. My only complaint is they are too short and that is why I use a lot of El Paso Weavers and Denver Redfields.

Agreed. Bean counting executives are able to burn through the equity which is a company’s brand because it’s not adequately accounted for on the balance sheet.

Well said. I don't know the stats on Leupold's market share but if they want to maintain their position they need to be on top of current trends. Even very successful companies need to stay on the leading edge to survive.

Always wondered about market shares in the sport optics market. Care to share what they are? Source?

So true.

JGRaider,
My assertions are strictly anecdotal so you can take them for what they are worth.

Your confidence in and loyalty to Leupold is a perfect example of the equity capital that is their legacy. This somewhat intangible, but very real and, in Leupold’s case, significantly valuable asset is difficult to inventory and account. The fear here is that much of
Leupold’s profits are the result of spending the irreplaceable capital that is their legacy.

Quietly spending down brand equity capital is much easier than figuring out how to operate in contemporary manufacturing, distribution and user/consumer markets.

Never been a "hater" nor have I ever been a fan or loyalist. Over the years I've had my fair share that wouldn't track worth a darn right out of the box brand new. Yes they have very good CS but it a PITA shipping them back and forth. I'm down to my last few and they're being sold off and replaced with Euro optics.

I make sure to forward links to all of these threads, both complimentary as well as problematic to the manufacturers as I feel, as a supporting vendor here, it is my obligation to the members to make sure their voices are heard and as a retailer that the manufacturers see what's going on an address these issues

Leupolds are being heavily discounted right now. Lot of it can be accounted for with the Trump effect which is affecting the entire American shooting world currently. But being a large company they are probably seeing a loss of market share, and more importantly the advertising they don't receive when folks win shooting competitions with other scopes.

That discounting is most likely affecting this year's bottom line.

I’ve had good luck with mine.

I'm sure there are folks at Leupold that it's part of their job description to kind've keep track and monitor what is being discussed on social media and such. At some point they gotta take heed.

Of course, SOMEBODY put what appears a fairly light Howa 338 WM in the hands of Tracey Pettet in that New Mexico video..........sure looked like it was the idea of CEO Bruce Pettet's idea.

Let's hope he has more sense then than that when it comes to scopes..............

For decades Leupold's were my go to scopes about 15 years ago I took to big bores thats when my Leupold's started making regular trips to be repaired....I would keep 5-8 on the shelf for replacements....sending 6 at a time to be repaired was cheaper on my end for shipping....

I've busted one with 2 shots with a Remington 11-87 12ga slug gun... a couple scopes on a 338 WM that weighed 6.5 lbs....a whole bunch on 458 Lott's, 9.3 B&M, 458 B&M, 50 B&M SS ....had a brand new 6-18 in 12 shots lock up the power ring with 12 shots in a Ruger 10-22 22 WMR....

For years I've brought on a hunts 2 extra pre-sighted in scopes with Leupold QRW rings....there's been several times one extra scope has come in handy....

I've completely phased out Leupolds for the heavy hitters....

dang.....

I'll fix it.

Just purchased another last evening. Only had a single failure in all the years of shooting them. The one failure I had was a used VXII I purchased. Found the problem at the range (not holding zero) Sent it back to Leupold who promptly repaired and returned it free of charge. I took a tumble on the rocks crossing a creek last Fall and bent the objective to a VX3. Sent a letter with the scope explaining what happened. Leupold fixed it and returned it once again free of charge. My 'luck' with Leupold has been pretty good.

I will keep buying and using them until my 'luck' runs out. If it that is as many years as I've shot their products, I will use them until my hunting career is done.

IMO the distrust of Leupolds saved me some money. I got a couple of great buys off the classifieds. Both work fine.

I have 4 Leupolds. 2 30 years old one of them kicked loose I sent it back and it was returned inside a month fixed. The other 2 are newer and they are good. The adjustments on all 4 of them are not accurate. they don't adjust as stated. But they stay there once set. I like the eye relief and glass. I can see to shoot when it is legal shooting time. I like them as well as anything else I've looked through on a hunting rifle. When I quit trusting them I'll probably try something different because of what I have read here. That day may not come if they don't shoot loose. If I buy another rifle that kicks a little I'll probably try something different on it.

I have two .375 Ultramags that weigh eight pounds or less, a .375 AI, and two .338 WMs. all have Leupolds and all have digested hundreds of hot loads without problems.

Everyone wants to play "Chris Kyle".

Has Leupold ever even pretended to give a phuuk?

I have zero issues with Leupold.

Thank you.

I’ve never had any trouble with (dozens) Leupold rifle scopes personally, but it’s cool to see a retailer follow up for their customers. Your voice is likely a bit more important to them, than an individuals.

Something never mentioned in these threads, likely due to youth or ego, is that it takes a certain level of ability to know whether a scope is adjusting correctly or not. We’ve all seen the guy at the range who can’t hit a pie plate at 100 yards and then insists that his scope must be broken. I’ve seen it dozens of times, and often notice plenty of other indicators that tell me it probably doesn’t have a damn thing to do with the scope.

Not to discount anyone directly, here or elsewhere. It’s just that I’m certain some of these accounts, at least a fraction of them, are mistaken. Not everyone is a high level rifleman, with premium equipment and ammo

So if you had a variety x -iii and you wanted a different reticle, would you sell it for a VX3 or send the old scope back for a new reticle?

I've had a half dozen or so changed to the cpc reticle over the years. It was then my favorite reticle. Fast turn around,and not expensive at all. But,with today's canted reticle problem I'm not sure I'd chance it.

I've had that done and they did a good job. They will not upgrade your old glass into new glass standards but they will put it back to new factory standard for that product. They have steadily improved their line over the years. Their lower end products are just that. They are made to sell at a price point. The highest end products are great but not as cheap as the Razor. All the high end scopes made for competition are heavy for a reason. The internals are on steroids so they can have a better chance of withstanding hard usage. Hunting scopes are made with weight savings in mind as they are not normally subjected to the brutality that a PRS comp. will see.

Great glass is expensive no matter who makes it.

I'd send it in. It seems there is still a better chance the people who repair or upgrade the scopes at Leupold generally do a better job at QC than on the assembly line. Although the price of new Leupolds have come down a bunch in the last 6 months, and used ones are cheaper in some places (except on the 'fire Classifieds generally) having the repair shop look at my scope is preferable for me.

I just bought a nice used VX-3 2.5-8x36 with the B&C reticle for $270.

+1

They're good 'til they're not, and I've yet to have a problem other than the classic evasive adjustments; never lost zero. Now though, I'm looking for the trouble signs, and won't waste time and ammo chasing a problem. Since two of my most-used rifles are short-action Hawkeyes, I have a Super Chicken already sitting in rings ready to go at the first inkling of an issue, as backup, and for comparison. Ought to invest in a collimater too, for quickly diagnosing obvious problems, and testing new scopes. Anybody able to recommend one?

I just wish these rounds of Leupold bashing (which happen about every 2-3 years) would continue for a bit longer. It always brings a bunch of good scopes to the used market and saves me some coin.

Need a CDS 4x12 that won't track?

Ringworm I would call the repair shop at leupold.

Tell the your scope model and serial number, they may be able to tell you what options they offer 4 your situation.

I will see your CDS 4-12 and throw in a FX-II 6x36 that won't hold it's POI. It was always reliable.......right up until I took it on a very expensive sheep hunt in Alaska. That will save me having to send it back to Leupold CS.

I am simply not wealthy enough to use the newer Leupold scopes on expensive hunts anymore.

Only issue I've had with Leupolds is wonky adjustments. IE - Left 12 clicks at 100yds should be 3" , but it only moved maybe 1". 8 more clicks and it moves over 4".

Once they've been set, all seem to have held zero, save a couple hard knocks that very well may have been mounts moving.

I'd guess most Leupolds get mounted, sighted in, and then put in the safe where they sit all year until they get dragged out and toted around gingerly for a day or three before being cleaned and put back in the safe.

Not exactly conducive to showing deficiencies in materials, design, or assembly.

I'll give you $100 for it.

Here's one that I can't get to hold zero. Taken out of the box, mounted once and probably 20 rounds fired through an AR. Made my 1.5 MOA AR with open sights a consistent 12 MOA gun. I am considering posting in the classifieds with full disclosure to give someone else a chance to experience Leupold's phenomenal customer service.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...eries/12512256/leup-mark-ar#Post12512256

I can't imagine going on any far-away hunt without backup sights of some sort, whether irons, a spare scope, or a lightweight electronic of some sort. Weight constraints would dictate what sort. Wouldn't make up for a missed opportunity, but would let the hunt continue.

I can't imagine going on an expensive hunt with a brand of scope that has felled to hold zero in so many instances for me. I had a light'ish .375 that broke 5-6 of them alone. Consistently at 50 rounds with that rifle Leupolds would not stay on paper at 100 yards.

Going back to the original question (varixIII vs. vx3), I’d take the varixIII every time. While the coatings may not be equal, the reliability/predictability was much better. I say that having owned more than a dozen new and older model scopes. I won’t purchase another....which is something I never thought I’d say. I hope they’re listening.

When I made that hunt, I was still under the opinion that it was just the variables that had problems. Everyone knows that the fixed power scopes are tougher.....right? Sometimes we brand loyalists are slow to accept change.

Fortunately, I still hit the sheep, although the POI had shifted 1.5" left. I aimed for the shoulder and hit the neck. If the sheep had been facing the other way, I would have had a gut shot sheep.

And, unfortunately, you often only get one chance. That was the only decent ram we saw on a 10 day hunt and it was the last day. A backup would not have helped, but they are a good idea.

I am far from a Leupold basher. However, when you spend a lot of time and ammo chasing accuracy issues only to find it was the scope (VX2), the plausibility of larger issues goes up. Would you then want one, even that one that has been supposedly repaired, as what you count on for your hunts?

Being brand loyal is logical and practical.

Yup, this is what did it for me. Always was willing to put up with poor tracking, funny particles inside a VX3, hard to turn power ring, etc etc, great customer service though the ones sent in for poor tracking were never any better upon return. The one that did it for me was a VX2. It sat on rifle A and did well, then groups opened up. Tried everything on that rifle to get it to shoot again, never thinking scope, though I did check mounts, bed it, etc etc. Then that scope went on rifle B and gave 4" groups. Said Hmm...put a tasco on there I found in the bottom of a garage drawer, less than 1" groups. Wow, never seen a scope do this before (or maybe I have but thought it was the rifle). Sent it to Leupold. They returned it no problem found and recentered the adjustments.

Have owned some since but simply dont trust them. Usually seek out Burris, Weaver, Sightron. Its a shame because they are lightweight and optically very good. Weight wise, only the weaver classics compare. The M-8 fixed powers are the only ones I use anymore.

Leupold simply needs to toughen up the internals.

It really shouldn't be very hard to put in turrets made of strong metal, and source a higher-quality erector spring. There isn't anything else wrong with them.

Leupold dont give a fat rats azz about what some have experienced with their scopes. Someone went to a lean sigma six conference back when and started the good idea fairy trend in the company. I bet most of their managers are lean sigma six "qualified" and as a result of this the company "streamlined" its manufacturing and decided cheaper components were the way of the future and eliminate some qc process,s on the assembly line in order to reduce costs overall. All done to compete against others in the market. I'm sure their reputation of past gold ring reliability was discussed in head shed meetings and how it has been long established as a hedge for sales. If it's cost effective to replace versus repair a customer's scope. That to me speaks volumes. And when you as the customer become the company defacto QC, cause they more than likely hope s h i t will stick for the average 1 box of ammo or less a year shooter. That speaks for itself also.






Cheap made is cheap made whether it sports the "vaunted" gold ring or not.

Leupold go back to the 70,s and 80,s.
Beef up scope internals, that is what your company needs to do and if you add 1-3 oz of weight to your scopes then so be it.
Your company is losing trust from life long customers who dont care anymore about the gold ring factor. People want a scope that works and the word is spreading everyday about leupold,s sub par scopes.The best lifetime warranty is one you dont have to use multiple times.
Leupolds gold ring reputation of the past isn't cutting the mustard with their modern good idea fairy business model........

I have a couple of old 3X9 that are pushing twenty five years old or more. I never had a n issue at all. Not sure if they’re VariX II or VX II. But, I have always zeroed at 200-250 yds and left it alone. I figured out my drop and knew how to hold for whatever I was shooting so I wouldn’t have a clue on how well they returned to zero. Sad to hear that Leupold has gone to [bleep]. I guess I’ll just have to go strictly to those SWFA SS 6X and call it good.

I have owned dozens of Leupold scopes over the last 35 years, the only problem i ever had was out of a vari-x II 2-7x33 that the windage/elevation adjustments were hard to turn so i sent it back and they sent me back a brand new scope....I also had a fall and broke the eyepiece on a VX2 2-7x33, I sent that scope back to Leupold explaining what happened and for an estimate on repairs and they sent me a brand new scope no questions asked, if you have any trouble with your scope I dont know of another scope maker that will take care of you any better than Made in USA Leupold......I also have a high opinion of Bushnell's Elite rifle scope but i dont have any experience with their CS and they are made in Japan.........Hb

two things...the older friction adjust scopes seem to hold zero better so a lot of people have those and are happy with them, secondly some people have scores of Leupold scopes but don't shoot that much. I have a friend that has a liberty safe full of rifles with Leupold scopes on them, and he almost never hunts and never shoots that I know of. I have two of their scopes left, the vx6 is still working on a 223 after it went wonky two months after I bought it, the old vx2 1-4 had been back 3 times to get it right and resides on a 10-22. OTOH I am sure that most hunters in the southeast would still be happy with leupolds as most shots are under 50 yards anyway.

VX-II 1x4x20 on a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. After approximately 50-60 shots the front lens went a foggy yellowish. Returned to Leupold and fixed. Been fine since.

A year later same scope. Rifle went from shooting 1.5 or so inches to 4-5 inches. Returned to Leupold and fixed. Been fine since.

VX-II 2x7x33 on a Remington 7600 270 Winchester. Groups went from 1.25 to over 6 inches. Returned to Leupold and fixed. Scope not used in 2017.

Second VX-II 2x7x33 on a Sako 308 Winchester. Out of the box, adjustments hard to turn but usable. A sub-MOA rifle to not hitting the target in 200 or so shots. Returned to Leupold and fixed. Scope removed in favor of a tried and true Varix-II.

That is my experience, albeit small, with newer Leupolds. No knob turning, no hard kicking rifles, no lawn darts, no throwing, no 500,000 shots.

I am one of those who has a number of old Leupolds. I think the most recent purchase, a 6.5-20x, is close to 25 years old. I install a scope, set it up and try to forget it. My beef has always been in trying to get the initial sight in done. Make adjustments and then finding the P.O.I. has not changed. Too much money had to be spent on getting the shots landing where I wanted them. Once set they were always excellent at maintaining that setting.

I didn't go to the safe to count how many newer scopes of other makes I now have. I just know Leupolds are not among them. I am not a turret twister. Our local club range has a maximum distance of 300 yards and I have a good idea of the drops for my hunting rifles without trying to change the settings.

I am over 80 years old so I know I'm not a customer who the company is wanting to cater to. As many posters have said, the turret twisters want more reliable scopes not good customer service. Maybe I'm way off base since I don't own any recent Leupold scopes to relate to. At one time I thought the Leupold scopes were the gold standard but not any more. Sad.

Jim

Leupold dont give a fat rats azz about what some have experienced with their scopes. Someone went to a lean sigma six conference back when and started the good idea fairy trend in the company. I bet most of their managers are lean sigma six "qualified" and as a result of this the company "streamlined" its manufacturing and decided cheaper components were the way of the future and eliminate some qc process,s on the assembly line in order to reduce costs overall. All done to compete against others in the market. I'm sure their reputation of past gold ring reliability was discussed in head shed meetings and how it has been long established as a hedge for sales. If it's cost effective to replace versus repair a customer's scope. That to me speaks volumes. And when you as the customer become the company defacto QC, cause they more than likely hope s h i t will stick for the average 1 box of ammo or less a year shooter. That speaks for itself also.


Back in the '90s, my company wasted millions on a Quality program. One of the tenets was, "Quality means meeting customer expectations, not Goodness". Translation: It they don't know we're selling them schitt, it's not schitt.

https://static.businessinsider.com/....23076856.1515077818-32474369.1515077818

Leupold marketing and product streamlining consultants😃😃😃

Some members doth protest too much, methinks.

So what in the same price range is better for a low/mid power 40mm objective set and forget type hunter?

Your last Leupold was bought 25years ago. You like to set a scope and forget about moving things around-at least something most give Leupold being good at, and you know your drops out to 300-and you don't own any recent Leupolds. Yes, you definitely may be off base. Been 25years since you bought a Leupold, yet once thought they were the gold standard. When were they the gold standard in you mind? Logistics 101 there.

Another Lemming? Sad????

The Burris FFII seems to have a good reputation for holding zero for a set and forget scope. I would expect the E1 to perform as well if you like the reticle choices. I really like the Burris C4 reticle - though it's discontinued in the 3-9x40's, I've been buying them whenever I find them (found one locally and several more on ebay). I've assumed they're comparable to the FFII internally and they do have an etched reticle. Reviews have reported that they do track well but if one doesn't, the elevation cap can be replaced with a fixed cap for a set and forget. I used one this hunting season for the first time but haven't done any dialing yet to verify tracking. Natchez currently has some C4's at a good price and is what I'd do (actually I just did and now have 8 of these):

https://www.natchezss.com/burris-c4-rifle-scope-3-9x40mm-c4-wind-moa-matte.html

Bunch of us have had excellent results with sightron scopes. S2 3-9x42 is whats going on my naked model 70ot6, previously on this rifle i had a early 1990,s lupy 2-7x33, a early 2000,s 2.5-8x36 both worked perfectly fine......Then came along the newest and greatest 2016 vx3i 3.5-10x40 with its p i s s poor performance....... Sightrons track per advertised click value, hold zero and have a lifetime warranty. Jmo..... cost effective reliable and trust worthy scope..... plenty of other brands perform also....... do yourself a favor get away from the gold ring until they address their issues, which probably ain't gonna be anytime soon........

1Ontariojim, congrats on still hunting at 80 plus, plenty of us that used lupy scopes for decades . Have Had ta burn ammo chasing zero with leupold scopes to find that damm sweet spot for a zeroed weapon just like you, Plenty have posted about chasing zero with leupold scopes and "wonky" adjustments even with older models...... I bought my 1st leupold in 1979 , had to chase zero, once it got their it held. I was enthralled having a gold ring scope and my buds didnt......

The gold ring "thrill" is gone.........

I still think leupold should reimburse me for 37 rds of Barnes 168gr vortex ot6 ammo, after the bulls h i t I went thru in dec 2016, march 2017 and early sept 2017 with that vx3i I had.......






And the way I look at making post about leupold.... it exposes more people to it , and also more people start posting about their crappy experiences with newer leupold scopes also. It ain't just an uncommon issue people are having with their products. And it ain't just limited to models advertised as turret twister scopes.... I love the term " wonky" when People use it also. I hope alot of guys are like me and spread word of mouth also. Not just on internet sites, but to people you know and run into at stores or gunshops. The word needs to get out, and then maybe sometime down the line , leupold will get the hint to make a reliable product once again........ i also get a kick out of numerous post about the same scope being sent in multiple times to fix problems.
The best warranty is one you dont have to use time and time and time again. Took me one warranty experience with leupold to tell me all I needed to know... when it's cheaper and easier to replace rather than repair. Then that speaks volumes to me about a companies current business model......
I will never forget the day I called the tech about my repair status and the term " grossly out of spec trapiziod" was used to describe how that scope shot on their test guys bench rifle. Then I was told I would get a brand new replacement sent. Sold that thing the day after I got it in the mail. Told the guy I sold it to everything I had experienced. sold it for 275 bucks unopened in plastic. Got a lifetime warranty, honestly hope dude never has to use it.

I intentionally spread my scope purchases out over several brands, just to see what I could learn. Turns out, not much. Most have been very reliable. Some have been optically better than others

Simmons AETEC: Bright and sharp, with horrible barrel distortion.

Burrus FFII: Very nice. No problem. Great scope IMO.

Leupold: Very nice. No problem. I have two. Great scopes IMO.

Bushnell ScopeChief: Very nice. Bad barrel distortion at low magnification, excellent otherwise.

Nikon P223: Fixed 3x32 on an AR-15. Incredibly bright, with fast target acquisition. Could use a more durable outer finish, but a scope that I like a lot. Turret design is subject to accidental sight adjustment.

Once again, optics is a mature technology. There are no secret recipes that competitors cannot duplicate if they choose. Good lenses are surprisingly inexpensive. Good mechanics seem to be harder. A typical 30-06 can generate 500 g of acceleration, and that's tough on the mechanism.

There are so many counterfeit Leupolds out there. I wonder how many of these problems come from scopes that never saw the inside of Leupold manufacturing?

😃😃😃when you send one in and place the work order via phone. They run the serial number.......
🤣🤣🤣 ot6 tough on a scope😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

It’s one thing to post about something you have experience with and another to BS about something you don’t. And age has nothing to do with it. However, congrats on using another’s BS to make your case?

Last couple Leupold’s were bore sighted at 50 and tuned into100 plus in less than 10 shots apiece. Some dialing also went on.

But you keep watching every post and keep doing your best to save the world from having to suffer a Leupold. Funny [bleep] at minimum.

You go fanboy!!! Glad you got ones that came off the line and work for ya. Too many people have issues with leupold scopes to just turn a blind eye. I geuss some take it as personal attack if any ill words are spoken of leupold scopes 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅 get over it. It's an inanimate object not a person or a pet......

I own or have owned Zeiss, Leupold, Meopta, SWFA, Bushnell, Pentax, and probably others I'm forgetting. The ones requiring a trip in for warranty repair have been a VX-III and an FX-II. I shoot far more than Joe Average, but not as much as I'd like. FWIW

Oh personal attack. Ha, looks you jumped and quickly. You are not comfortable with a differing opinion? Didn't mean it as a personal attack, but again funny [bleep]. I could use multiple emoticons x XXXXX, but I'll leave it for the kids.

And for the record there are more shooters who are happy with Leupold then are not. Think about that for a second.

What? For some reason Leupold didn't KYA awhile back? Come on, let it out. You will feel better.

Best,
Leupold fan

Oh and please correct me if I'm wrong, are you an active or were an active competitive shooter on a circuit somewhere(I might be mistaken) if it is or was the case. Ya your experiences with equipment are worth hearing, however when you are under a sponser for whatever gear you use. It is not wise to speak ill of said sponsers gear is it.... no matter what others experiences have been with that companies products.

😃😃😃😃😃 not the case at all
Best,
Not a Fanboy🤗


P.s. they did KMA they sent me a brand replacement scope which I s h i t canned and sold the day after I got it.😃😃😃

I am a Leupold fanboy but have had issues with newer ones as illustrated above.

Just before Christmas I was snowshoe hare hunting. Rather than go around a beaver pond I decided to walk across.. My feet went out from under me on the ice and my beloved Remington 541S with a Leupold Varix-II was about 3 feet above my head. Rifle and scope landed on the ice and clattered off into the stumps. When I shot to check zero, everything was spot on. Wish I could say the same about my shoulder and neck.

You would be wrong. But what would make you think I was sponsored by Leupold? And If I was, I would have let it be known. Anyway, another obvious weak and attempt to bring up a point that doesn't apply in this case. However, to add a little common sense to your flailing point. You think a race car driver, competitive shotgun shooter, professional individual in any sport goes out and publicly trashes the sponsor that pays the bills? As you said, it is not wise. Those Goodyear's are not up to snuff, they know in the first couple laps and they come off. So no [bleep], who doesn't know that? But insinuation seems to be part of your game plan.

But again, the vast majority of Leupold users are not sponsored. They are just hunters, the vast majority of whom, find it in themselves and Leupold to kill their game and get on with it. I know, I know, you think they just shoot a box or so every year and then quit for the summer. They are not serious shooters like yourself, who are insiders. Funny [bleep].

Camera land seems to have some killer deals on SB right now. Go big or go home....

Best in shooting,

Leupold fan(boy)

I got 1 leupold scope left , it is a vx1 3-9x40 on .45 cva Kodiak pro mag ml. Hasn't gone south on me yet, and been on that rifle for 6yrs. I discharge the gun at the end of each days hunt. So I'm guessing their has been 40- 50 rds put thru it each yr and maybe 3-5 to check zero prior each yr. That scope has held up and I hope it continues to do so. If it ever fails it will get sent in and when it comes back it will get sold the next day.

You really should get rid of it now. Unless you are hoping to find some ammunition came along with it.

Mistook you for someone else. I apologize...Nothing weak or attempted on my part. Just speaking my mind, I see a parity in one way or the other responses about leupold scopes on all the threads started about leupold on this forum. Ya either love or hate em based on experience with em.
I'm on the hate em side of the fence, but I still own one that works.

Ain't gonna happen till it stops working and this scope is one that is holding up. Aint never lost zero yet. So I geuss one could say I have a tiny bit of fanboy for leupold still.

Dump them all, move on. Keeping something you hate makes for bad vibes. I don't buy Ford's for much the same reason as you don't have faith in Leupold's. It makes about as much sense.

Ahhhhhhh ya....... new leupold scopes are da issue , ya need to go back and read some of my post from the entire forums threads man. I don't have alot of bad things to say about older leupold scopes other than chasing zero to get em in that sweet spot.

I've got a newer Leupold VX-2 on a relatively light Remington 700 in 338 Win. Mag. Did quite a bit of testing of handloads last year before hunting season, and the scope held up just fine. Adjustments work as they should, and it holds zero just fine. But after all the Leupold bashing, which I only see on this forum, I'm beginning to wonder how long it will last.

I'll be doing a lot more shooting with it here in the near future. I'll see if I can break it. I've also got a couple VX-1's and a VX-3 on other rifles. From what I read here, I should probably sell all of them and get another brand? Hard to believe, since I've been using Leupold scopes for 25 years and never had an issue. I do have a Burris Fullfield 3-9x40, maybe I ought to use that on the 338 instead of the Leupold?

Make couple of voodoo dolls in the shape of scopes , get a gold paint pen and put a letter L on em. Make a small Spanish like Jesus shrine for em . They should hold up. 😃😃😃😃 They either work or they dont . That's the bottom line.

I don't have a problem with the new Leupold hunting scopes. I don't have any need for their high end tactical offerings and have never used them. So I don't go there.

But in your case, on just about every Leopold thread you jumped in with the same old [bleep] and humor. It got old for those of us who find them more than adequate.

Sorry forgot. Best,

Leupold fan(boy)

I bought a vx3i 3.5-10x 40 baseline model no cds option hunting scope for a mod70ot6 . Others have had the same or similar scopes with same issues. Not just me, but ya I am on a crusade.... Don't let what I post get ta ya and like I said it is an inanimate object don't take it like im talking about a relative for gawds sake.
And I don't mean that sarcastically.

Best,
Ex fulltime leupold fan (boy)
😃😃😃

Fixed. Most shooters are not real big on Leup scopes...

Ok, I can see where you are coming from. "Shooters" to you has the same meaning as serious competitive shotgun "Shooters" have with me. I acknowledge the difference. But, now I'll add another fix. More hunters....Most of which take their game inside 300 and in most cases less. They are not LR shooters, just everyday hunters and they have little problem getting it done with Leupold and these threads seem to have more than a few thinking they can't.

Wave the flag if it makes you feel good. But all don't agree with you, nor will they willingly follow and some will even call BS.

You're not wrong there. Even the hunters that have mysterious rifle problems don't often realize that they actually have a scope problem. So even if they're happy with a bum scope, they're still happy.

Here ya go .... just ta let everyone see that I have one leupold scope that works.


https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12407343/buck

Sometimes it's the scope, sometimes the rifle, sometimes the mounts and sometimes the person pulling the trigger. However, in these threads it is always Leupold. We have both seen enough people at the range that you could give them your scope of choice and let them mount it, or do the same with a Leupold. In most cases the scope will not be the determining factor of them being successful.

If I have to shoot LR against you right now, I personally am not up to the game. No matter what scope I use, and you could lower yourself and shoot a Leupold and still win. Threads like this have Mr Average thinking he needs something better. A point on which I obviously disagree.

That’s true too but when Joe $hit the Ragman, who couldn’t hit his butt with either hand, reads on the “innanet” how bad Leupold scopes are he has an automatic excuse about why his groups are so big. 😊

Battue - I don't know whether you have comprehension problems or whether I don't write clearly enough. My specific complaint about Leupold scopes relates to the fact the ones I owned wouldn't give the corrections I dialed into them without multiple attempts. Net result was firing a lot more ammo than should have been necessary to achieve change. I stated clearly that once the P.O.I. had been found the scopes were excellent at holding the settings.

Around 25 or so years ago I decided the Leupolds weren't working to my satisfaction so I started using other makes which satisfied my demands. So, with the price Leupold was/is asking for their products, I decided they weren't what I wanted to buy. Sounds simple to me. You are happy with Leupolds so we balance each other out on our purchasing power.

Jim

Jim,

In this case I don't have a comprehension problem. Leopold's of today, not 25 years ago, are the issue at hand. You said you have not bought a Leupold in 25 years, don't have any in your safe and have not used any of recent issue. Now where does that leave you in discussing the merits of Leupold today?

I haven't had any recent issues in getting a newer Leupold on target, coming close enough in it's corrective capabilities, or holding zero that it is an issue for me.

FWIW: Some have been sold and replaced with these. One time perhaps 20 some year ago, a Dot fell off of a crosshair right after my Cousin shot a Deer at around 150. That has been the extent of my problems with Leupold. But then again, I'm not LR certified. Although I have shot them at 220 dialed with a 6x36, 335 with a dot resting on the spine, 200 something with a 6x42 and 358 dialed with a 6x42. I'm much better than average, but not real good and Leupold has served me better than real good over the long haul.

I figured out many years ago that the product didn't work to my satisfaction so I put my money where my mouth was and took it elsewhere. Tell me, for how many years should a person spend money on something in the hopes the company has finally got it right? If you are right and the current product works the way it always should have, for how many years has this been the case? I bet they didn't magically start working right just after I bought another manufacturers product 20+ years ago.

According to your line of thinking all those owners who complain about the Sako rifles not ejecting properly should continue to buy them in the hope that eventually they will get one that ejects to their satisfaction. To me that is perverted logic.

Enough said. We'll let it rest at that.

Jim

That would be wise, because you are still going in circles.

We pretty much agree here. Joe Average does fine killing a deer and shooting a box of ammo every year with a Tasco Pronghorn, so a Leup is tall cotton for him. But if he wants to hedge his bets and put his mind at ease, a scope that is meant to take the abuse of Hell and keep on working, while not a “need”, certainly isn’t a mistake.

A spare SS 10x can quickly confirm or quash that excuse

I used to think the gold ring gave my rig a status above others rigs or an envy factor possibly from others.
I got over that perception.......

That is how I feel about the super chicken head on my scopes now.

I wish i could afford one. But im gonna get a sightron s2 3-9x42 , plain jane hunting scope that works.


I know I could shoot pairs and make a 16 click square at 100yds with a sightron and it would rtz, and not have to chase "wonky"(love that term)adjustments hoping to find that rtz sweet spot like I tried with a vx3i....
Frigging expensive exercise in frustration.....

Give me a woods reticle on a SWFA and I would buy one. In fact I’m fighting buying one of the SB 6x42’s Camera Land has on sale. Fanboy that I am. 😁

Battue, what’s this about a sale on SB 6Xs?

I was almost over having the last vx3i 3.5-10x40 go back twice and still not act right. Then I read this thread, came to my senses and ordered another 3-9x40 Meopro

Haven't had the need to buy a new scope in a while, but did so last fall. A friend and I each bought a Leupold VX-6 2-12x42mm CDS FireDot LR Duplex riflescope. I mounted and zeroed mine on a M70FW 270 WIN, he mounted and zeroed his on a Ruger American 6.5 Creedmoor. I had no issue zeroing mine with about six shots, he did the same. I did order the "free" promo knob but haven't installed it. Both scopes were hunted through the season with no issues. Small sample, but scope has performed as advertised so far (low light performance has been excellent - the reason I bought the scope). If it fails I will be disappointed and will send it in to Leupold for repair - if that ever happens I'll report back in this thread.

I hope the bashing continues until I can pick up some more VX3I 3.5x40 for way under $300! I only had to send one Leupold scope back because the turrets were way too tight. The scope was corrected and sent back with no other issues. I have also had a $1500+ Kahles scope that was bad right out of the box. The elevation on the scope only went up for a few clicks and then stopped. Talk about bad quality control but it happens to the best of companies.

I think with anything you will have promoters and detractors (ford vs chevy, remington vs winchester etc.) it just goes that way especially when a company gets as big of a following such as Leupold.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/12520715/camera-lands-blizzard-sale

Phugging Enablers

Perhaps some may be enticed to dump their leupold 6x42’s, and since you can’t trust them,should sell them at a giveaway price???? And pay the shipping. 😀

I have Leupold optics on 17 different rifles and have never had any complaints other than tracking. Since I don't fiddle with turrets, it's been pretty much a non-issue. I believe three of these scopes are VX-3i models.

I did have a rifle in the safe lacking a scope and decided to try out a Sightron. I found an SII 3-9x with the HHR reticle, which I like. As far as I know this scope has the ExacTrac adjustment system...Sightron's website says it does. I should have shopped around more for a better price, but it's done.

The glass in the SII seems very good, eye box is good, eye relief is good, and the turret clicks are very positive. I think I'll like the scope.

I'm not about to sell off all my Leupolds, but I'm not going to buy more of them just for the name either. As long as I am satisfied with them they will continue to be an option. Eyes wide open!

I purchased my first Leupold, a plain 4x back in the summer of 1963. I still have it on the Win 70 it was originally installed on. It has held zero all these years without any problems. Since then I cannot remember how many Leupold's I have purchased, and have never had any problems with them. I have a Redfield 4-12 from 1970 that is nowhere as clear as any of the older Leupold scopes, and have tried a Nikon but still prefer Leupold. My latest purchase is a VX3i 6.5-29x50mm. I have not gotten it mounted yet, still awaiting rings but it looks very sharp and clear. and I like the side focus much better than the ocular focus on the old Redfield that it is replacing.

What are you getting out of this 16 click square exercise? Do you think it has anything to do with holding zero?
How does that apply to hunting?

It would be great if swfa marketed 1 pure hunting scope along the lines of their 3-9x42 with a simple duplex and capped dails with around 65-70 total MOA of adjustment. They would sell like crazy I bet. I wonder if the company has ever approached that.

It is an old school tracking exercise/ test . Another is verticle rtz test for turret scopes. Both will show if a scope holds up to click values. Not a big thing on set and forget scopes once you find the sweet spot after making "wonky"(love that term) adjustments chasing a zero and ya leave it their. Also the test lupy did with my vx3i and the grossly out of spec trapiziod it shot on their test bench rifle. Hows it relate in my mind to hunting. Trust.....

I've never had a gun with a Leupold on it shift zero by more than an inch (and that's probably stretching it) on a year to year basis - I trust them.

I do a lot of scope swapping, years ago thought it was just the older 2 X 7 Leupolds that were difficult to sight in,
With a Leupold 2 X 7 you needed scope 2" up and 2" right and scope adjustments were all over the place. The last 7 years or so I found the problems were in more Leupold models. Very noticeable when swapping scopes with another brand of scope.

Have not had any issues with the cheaper Redfield Revolution 2 X 7 holding zero or adjustments not working as they should, and they are made by Leupold. There tubes are short for a long action rifle.


For example took off a newer 2 X 7 Leupold on my accurate 35 Whelen that would not hold zero, replaced it with a Vortex Viper 2 X 7 adjusted perfectly has held zero and just works.

Sadly they have discontinued the 2 X 7 Vortex Viper got any for sale?

This is weird to me hearing about Leupold scopes not adjusting properly. I've been using almost nothing but Leupold scopes for 25 years, and that's one reason I like them, they've always been so easy to get sighted in. I normally can get my 270 sighted in with two shots. First shot, let's say it's 2 inches low and 2 inches right. Adjust 8 clicks left, 8 clicks up, shoot, bullseye. Done.

I'm very happy with my Leupold scopes. I have more than a dozen. They are all hunting scopes. I don't have any bench rest scopes and I don't spin turrets.

I just btt my old leupold manifesto 🤓😔😃 when my scope went "wonky" (love that term). All you that got leupold scopes and love em and they work great i am happy for ya. My trust is gone in em is all I have to say,,,, and many others are experiencing the same loss of trust in em.
Confidence in gear that works is a huge thing to all of us. If ya have confidence in your gear use it, if ya don't then it's time to move on to something else that has been proven to work for ya.

Thanks Battue.

Personally, ive never had any issues with them.

I must be fairly lucky with Leupolds after reading some of these posts.....I have dozens of them (along with many other brands) and have yet to have an "issue". I have them on hunting rifles, slug guns and pistols, target rifles and pistols, and just casual "plinkers". The target rifles include several silhouette guns and long range rifles that require constant elevation tuning. Certainly not saying things can't happen with any product and I'm sure that I do not shoot as many rounds as some here but I am happy with my experiences with Leupolds both old and new.

PennDog

Looks the Leupold fans are starting to outnumber the naysayers.

Just tired of beating a dead horse. It has all been said.

Doesn't look that way.

I've got one I was using as a toilet plunger handle I'll sell cheap.

It's mint condition.

Just the handle. How much?

Sorry, I didn't mean to say "mint," what I meant was "minty."

Sani-Fresh Spearmint, I think.

No problem. They will do a refurb for free. How much and ship it hazmat.

I believe Renegade has put the finger on the pulse here.

The same thing happened with American car industry back in late '60s and early '70s QC quit mattering. Foreign competition forced the execs to bring back some QC to make more reliable products and after several decades American car brands have become better than they were but not quite as competitive as they should be. My fellow consumers, I have not yet experienced owning a Leupold that tracked well enough to trust turning turrets on a hunt, but I have only owned less than a dozen.

Your right, I talked with my buddy at leupold, he just laffed, so did I.... haha

You fuucking donkeys think this shiit matters, look at tasco... Burris... Simmons... weaver... on and on and on...

Leupold will always be 10 steps ahead of the aforementioned, and they even sell slots glass...

This has been an interesting read. I have 1 Zeiss, 1 Swarovski and over 20 Leupolds. The Swarovski 3-9x36 is a lovely little scope but it costs about double a VX3i 2.5-8x36. Is it double the scope? No it's not. It is a tad brighter but the Loopy holds it's own considering it is half the price.

I have only ever had to return one Leupold scope for warranty work. It was a 20 year old M8 6x36 that had a slightly loose front lens. It would move about half a millimetre under my thumb. It was returned looking like new. I've had no other issues in all my other Leupolds ranging from Varix ll and lll, VXlll, VX3 and VX3i. In fact the last new scope I put on a rifle was a VX3i in 2.5-8x36. I never bore sight but start shooting at 25m and then move out to 100m. The scope adjustments were so accurate it took two shots at 25m and three shots at 100m to get the bullet shooting 2 1/2 inches high. I'd only shoot one shot and adjust. The rifle was a very accurate .257 Roberts so there was no need to shoot three shot groups.

I am a set and forget scope hunter. I check POI every year on my guns and may have to adjust one or two clicks occasionally but not sure if this is the scope losing hold or the wood stocks moving over the summer/winter temperature changes. I am at a loss to explain the high rate of failures others have experienced with their Leupold scopes. About a third of my scopes are either VX3 or VX3i which I understand are the models some are having issues with. These are the ones that have been the easiest to sight in and adjust as I explained above. They are more precise than the old friction adjustments. I simply cannot fault them and can't understand the high rate of failures others have experienced. I will continue to support them as I have found them a sturdy, accurate, reliable scope for a reasonable financial outlay for over 20 years.

After reading all the posts in this tread, I now understand why I was able to purchase a new in the box Mark 4 6.5x20 FFP, mil dot reticle and 50 mm objective from Cabela's in Yakima for only 402.00.

Bargain Cave?

They’re really that bad! I’ll put my tasco pronghorn up against em!!!!



Funny thing is I’ve drug that RAR Mag around Washington Idaho and Montana and never touched it!! Haha
Killed 6 coons with it last week, all right betwixed the runnin lights....

All Leupolds are being discounted. VX-1's and 2's are being discontinued. I've ran across two websites that say the VX-3i is being discontinued.

I can buy new VX-1 2-7's and 3-9's Duplex for $155, LRD for $190. TYD

New VX-2's 2-7's and 3-9's Duplex for $190 and LRD for $240. TYD

New VX-3i''s 2.5-8's and 3.5-10's Duplex for $310 and B&C for $390. TYD

Just watched a new VX-1 3-9 LRD sell for $156 w/free shipping on ebay yesterday.

Just have to look around.....

The funny thing is used Leupolds on the Classifieds are selling for almost as much as new, sometimes more.

No bargain bin. Cabelas had the price on the empty spot for this scope. I'm going, dang it i missed a good deal. I can't see the same scope amongst the scopes behind the counter. I ask the clerk if they have another one available. He looks up the scope SKU on their computer. He tells me that they should have in back in the warehouse. After ten minutes, he comes back with the scope. He asks me if i want to have him to remove the wrap and open the box so i can look at it. My response was "no" and I then headed to the cashier to pay for my exceptional deal.

I've no doubt that your Leupolds work the way you use them. Some shoot a lot more and demand more of a scope,so they do not work nearly as well.That's the reason for the failures.

This is like the north versus the south. Good thread. I like the look of the gold ring.