I received my Leupold VX6HD a couple of days ago and open the thing up. Today, I realized that I lost the little scope lever switch. I emailed Leupold and load and behold an email from Leupold CS:

Sent one your way!

Best,
Tommy

Free to my door, damn that is service! Never been a much of a Leupold person and have always been a Zeiss or Swarovski but will be now.

What is a scope lever switch??

This:

Leupold is a class act.....

I like them, no problems here.

Do those lever switches fit vx-6 & vx-5 hd's also ?

tag

Many call them cats Paws or scope throw levers.

I looked at Leupold's site, they don't list them separately as accessories....I'll call on Monday

Yes they fit my VX-5HD but I don't know about the other Leupold models.

Who the Hell wants to read a Leupold scope story with a happy ending? Get with the program!

Doesn't fit the script here, does it Pappy...lol. Oh, I also have had to use Leupold's CS one time, and wasn't because one of mine malfunctioned. Just needed 1 turret cap for a scope I bought used. I tried twice to get the guy to let me pay for it since I bought it used, but he wouldn't do it. And sent me 2 instead of 1. I would use their scopes anyway, but it was still nice to be treated like that.

Signed, a Leupold fan!

Yea.....they suck but Leupold's all I own. I consider them as the working man's scope.

Mine are all old school hunting scopes but I do have one of those fancy CDS dials on my 222 Rock Chuck gun... grin

I have over 20 Leupolds, I haven’t had one fail. They get bashed a lot on here.

Just had one fail this week. Completely fogged up (internally) on a hunt. Back it goes..

I like’m too!

Got a bunch, too.

First one to go back, broke, in 40 yrs. Older Vari X III 1.5-5x20 failed to hold zero. Adjustments went crazy. MOA rifle shooting two foot groups.

They’ll probably replace it due to age.

DF

My fourth rodeo with sending leupold scopes back due to internal fogging. Really can't complain, as they send me a new one, and I promptly put it up for sale, NIB. I was loyal to a fault, but I'm moving on.

Moving on to what?

Just curious.

DF

Just a generic question: How many think it's possible the uneven pressure of mounts/over torque could cause some of the problems with sporadic adjustments/failure ?...meaning=lap your mounts.

Had some of their old MK IV scopes and had issue with canted reticles. Must say that they had good CS and replaced defective product as it was brand new out of box. But at the same time it made me question if they had any control at all over the actual quality control as these things are spec'd out who knows where.

Nonetheless Leupold made good on them and I moved to USO and a Schmidt Bender.

I have owned one Leupold and it failed-TWICE! I finally got them to fix it right and it went down the road. Other than the fact that they did not fix it the first time, I have no complaints with their customer service.

There is much that I love about Leuopold scopes and their customer service has consistly been great the 10 times or so I have have sent scopes back.

Probably the 6x Super Sniper. Have my first one on the way. I did kill a few bucks yesterday with the Leupold on my backup rifle though. Lots of memories with Leupold, but the terrible tracking and the constant send backs put me over the edge.

These Leupold threads always remind me of a Toyota car advertisement I saw a few years ago.

Customer: I am here to look at this sedan. Is it as reliable as a Toyota?

Salesman: We have the best warranty in the business!

Customer: No, that's not what I meant. Is the car as reliable as a Toyota?

Salesman: Our warranty is great, you can rest assured we will take care of you!

Customer: So, is the car reliable, or is the warranty reliable?

Salesman: Our warranty is great!

Customer: I am going to buy a Toyota.

You've had to send Leupold's back 10 or more times and you love them?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over (buying Leupold's) and expecting different results (reliability).

I'd buy another Leupold before another Toyota, their cars anyway. My Corolla was a major POS.

Sorry for the hijack; I'm still pissed.

I hope I am detecting sarcasm.

Toyota vechile’s been great to me and I hope my two Leupolds would do the same. I did fall hard on my vx5HD on a steep hill and banged the crap out of the scooe but it still tracks.

So to the folks who moved on from Leupold, what are your top brands?

Normally if something bad is going to happen to someone, it happens to me. Product failure, recalls, you name it. Leupold has been an exception to that rule. Six rifle scopes and a spotting scope, not one problem. My only dealing with their cs has been to order a new eye cup for the spotter, and dammit if they didn't send me two, no charge.

I like the companies that have great customer service ...I never have to use.

I switched over to SS scopes. 3x9 and 3x15. Love em. My wife shot a nice whitetail buck tonight with my 243 about dark. They have been very reliable.

No way...if you will read all the threads on Leupold you would realize that none of them track to begin with so how in the world is it going to work after BS's drop test?

I got one for you, just mounted my VX-6 I got last year and low and behold.........there is an elevation dial for the windage. So my “R” is a “U”. How crazy is that?

They do that nowadays. That way, when the erector starts acting screwy and you call and tell them that the adjustments are bad, they can say that they mean for the POI to move 'Up' when you try to move it 'Right'.

Just got a 4.5-14LR back from repair. 4th time on that scope.. great service!?

I will let you know if and when it stops tracking. BS testing? I fell and tested the scope for tracking that was all. Why you don’t test your scope if you accidentally banged it up?

Yurotrash: I have Hunted all this Big Game season with Rifles scoped with Leupolds - not a glitch nor even a need to adjust from LAST seasons scope settings - in fact my Remington 700 Sendero with Leupold 6.5x20 variable scope on it has not needed an adjustment in the last 7 years!
It (Rifle and scope combo) HOLDS zero!
In fact I have been using Leupold scopes for the last 56 years and have as yet to experience a "failure"!
Just checked my online inventory of Rifles (both Big Game and Varmint Rifles!) and I currently have 66 (sixty six) Rifles with Leupold scopes on them.
Over the last half century plus I have probably owned another 40 - 50 Leupold scopes that were mounted on Rifles and still, have as yet to incur a failure with any of these!
I am proud and confident to own and use Leupold scopes - and will continue to do so despite the drivel espoused by the few Leupold naysayers around here.
Leupold & Stevens Company a proud AMERICAN company.
On our Hunt yesterday (November 19th) two head of Big Game were brought to bag by "Leupold scopes" - most savy Hunters I know and Hunt with do NOT hesitate to use Leupold scopes.
I have used Leupold scopes from Alaska to the south end of the Rocky Mountains and most places in between (including SE Alaska, the Olympic Rain Forest, in bitter cold, in blazing heat, in blizzards and monsoon like downpours) still waiting for failure #1.
I'll use your term "freaking Leupold" in this context - freaking Leupolds, are amazing!
Long live Leupold & Stevens - a great AMERICAN Company.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Well no wonder. With that many rifles, you can't have fired any of them enough to reveal the inherent weaknesses!

Just pickin'😜

Honestly, sixty-six?!! Next time I start felling guilty about about how much I spend on guns, I can just say, "At least I'm not as bad as that VarmintGuy (just like a good Baptist).

Sold most of mine a few years ago. Still have a couple. I really love Leupold scopes, especially the 6x42. Just finally got tired of using their amazing customer service.

Hate to go back from the Leupold bashing that some seem to enjoy so much but did find that they list the Throw lever under accessories. $165! OUCH!!!!! MK machining makes a plastic one for $17 so will try that one first. Reviews are all over the place but I can afford to lose $17. The $165 price is ridiculous!

Well, I’m starting to have to send in (for repair) more VX2&3 stuff than I get to keep and use, so my Leupold support and returns on investment are diminishing lately. If this latest VX2 1-4 can’t have a new reticle put in for under $200, I’m probably shopping for a lot less Leupold stuff in the future.

Hwhiskey, why would a reticle cost you $200? You said it’s going in for repair? Or, are you saying Leupold is too expensive for service work that you want done, not because the scope broke or failed? 😎

I sent them an email a week or so ago, then decided to call and request a call back. I somehow lost the bronze button emblem off a VX-R reticle switch. The guy on the phone mailed one right away, and the next day I received an email saying one was on the way as well, in reply to my email. So, I have a spare.

A few years ago I purchased a Youth Weatherby Vanguard rifle in 7mm08 for my grandson. I glass bedded the action in the stock but ran out of time so I just mounted the Leupold 1.5-5x20 VX3 in a set of Talley Lighweights without lapping them (not my normal procedure). When shooting the rifle just before the deer season I could only get the rifle to shoot 3" groups and most brands of ammo was 4"+. The adjustments were very erratic. Grandson killed a deer with the rifle anyway at about 30 yards.

After the season I decided to get into the rifle to find out why it was not as accurate as I knew it could be and the scope was the first item I address. When I removed the scope to check the mounts for tightness (which they were tight to the receiver and ring caps were tight) I found the scope had serious ring marks and appeared to be in a bind when I mounted it. After lapping the rings, which needed considerable material to be removed to get good alignment, I reinstalled the same Leupold scope and returned to the range. Now the rifle was around 1" +or- with several factory loads. I made no other changes to the rifle and used the same ammo as before. It appears the scope was definitely in a bind and not allowing the scope to adjust precisely and it appears the binding cause the erector to move during recoil which produced the large groups.

Now there are those who will tell you that you do not need to lap Talley rings or any rings for that matter because the rings are perfectly machined at the factory, and I am sure they are manufactured to exacting tolerances. It is my opinion that when you are lapping rings you are correcting the misalignment of the rifle receiver mounting holes and the tolerances of the rifle action. I also believe some of the issues people have had with their rifles poor accuracy and Leupold, and other manufacturers, tracking and zero retention are due to scope mounting issues. The issue I had with the Weatherby rifle somewhat proves poor mounting will cause a scope to track and retain accuracy and zero poorly.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying it is the cause of all issues. I have had scopes that did not hold zero and the adjustments were poor even with proper mounting, and some were Leupold scopes.

I’ll never buy another losepold.

Probably Vortex Super Razor Wide View Twist- a-Turret

Yep, that's what I suspect also...Talleys are not "machined" they are "cast", and definitely bind the internals if not aligned or lapped.

Talleys are not cast.

2nd paragraph clearly states they are cnc machined:

http://www.talleymanufacturing.com/Products/Lightweight-Alloy-Scope-Mount.aspx

David

I've used a lot of Talley lightweights and never lapped asingle one. The SWFA variables and fixed 6x track correctly every time.

David

Well good for you in having rifles that have their mounting holes in perfect alignment and the receivers on all of your rifles exactly in specifications. Talleys, Warne, Weaver, Seekins, etc. all make rings and mounts that are perfectly machined when you get them. When you put them on a rifle chances are about 80% (my guess) that the will not align perfectly because of the variances to be found in the rifle mounting surface.

Now if you use a 1-piece base and bed it to the rifle action most likely the rings will be in good alignment.

YOU DO NOT LAP RINGS TO CORRECT THE RING MANUFACTURING ISSUES, YOU LAP RINGS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS CAUSED WHEN YOU MOUNTED THEM ON YOUR MASS PRODUCED RIFLE. I don't understand how this is so hard for some to understand, then I realize we have a forum full of doctors, lawyers and car salesmen who cannot understand mechanical things.

I'll never buy another used one that doesn't have the exact reticle I want. They are still priced o. k. on reticles new out of the custom shop. Sounds like they don't want to have to deal with used scopes any more. I got burned on that one. I bought a VX-I and VX-II 2-7x33 with crappy reticles when they were discontinued thinking I could have them fixed. When I called they wanted $150, and I hear it's worse now.

Yes, it is good for me.

It's lovely when you mount a scope on a rifle with minimal fuss and it works exactly the way it's supposed to.

Maybe the problem is the scope, not the rifle or the rings?

I'm 4 for 4 mounting SWFA'S in unlapped Talley's with zero problems. A Rem 700, Ruger American and two Kimber 84M's. I must be luckiest doctor/lawyer/car salesman mechanical concept not understanding guy on the planet! A shame I wasted all that good luck on a bunch of silly rifles, I should have bought a lottery ticket instead!

David

Canazes9,

Sorry for coming of as an as..hole. I am sure what you are doing is working for you. I see you use a lot of SWFA SS scopes which have very thick/strong tubes and small amount of misalignment most likely does not effect them. My original response was to to Bwana_1 question if uneven pressure and over tightening the rings could cause issues with scopes not tracking, and his question was in reference to Leupold issues. My response to him was yes, and I gave him an example.

Many of the issues people have with scopes are mounting problems in my opinion, and lightweight scopes with thin tubes seem to be most susceptible to misalignment. Now when I lap my rings many times their is very little misalignment and in most cases would most likely not cause any problems.

I took my frustration out on your post because every time someone mentions that they lap rings someone says they have been mounting Talleys for years and never had a problem. It is like they think we who lap rings are doing it because the rings are poorly made, but in fact it is the rifle that causes the problem. I love Talley Lightweight rings and use them a lot.

Now as you have found out even a slight misalignment may not have any effect on your scope, especially if you are using a heavy tactical scope like SWFA or Nightforce, even lightweight scopes may be fine. It is when they are not fine that the problem occurs with tracking or holding zero. That is why many of us always lap our rings even if we find that we remove hardly any material because the alignment works great on that particular rifle. Over the years I have only had one rifle that when I put the lapping bar on it the rub pattern indicated that the alignment was almost perfect and that was on a Weatherby Ultra Lightweight in 338-06.

You got to love them SWFA SS scope as they solve a lot of problems.

VaHunter,

It's all good! I'm glad you understood what I was getting at, mechanical ruggedness of the SWFA's solve a lot of issues.

David

You are correct, my mistake...I misunderstood a thread I was reading the other day here.

Leupold Derangement Syndrome is still hanging on here at 24hr

Well "Mr. Suntan" is posting again.

JohnBurns: You are so absolutley RIGHT ON with your wonderful description of Leupold "nay-sayers" as people suffering from "Leupold derangement syndrome"!
May I please have permission from you to use this amazingly right-on descriptive phrase at appropriate times?
I seldom see something so funny and yet so perfectly truthful as your phrase "Leupold derangement syndrome"!
Thanks for sharing that with us even if you don't give me permission to re-use it.
Leupold & Stevens Corporation - a proud American Company.
Long live Leupold & Stevens!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG, I've had a few Leupold issues. Are you saying I'm full of it?

Two complete sentences there.

Apparently Leupold has upped their reticle change charges from $60 to $200, last I heard. I’ve got another Leupold that the magnification ring just crapped out on. It’ll have to go back to Leupold, and that costs me time and $, no matter. I had another that had elevation stuck at about 8” low at 100, no matter what it rode on. Combine the increased down time lately, with the upped reticle change pricing, and Leupold isn’t the value it once was. I’ve been a Leupold fan for decades, but they’ve slipped a bit and seemingly thumbed their noses at a segment of shooters lately. Not owning up to those obvious things is retarded.

A new LR reticle in a VX-1 or 2 is less than a $100, I'm thinking they quoted my around $80. A new B&C reticle in a VX-3 cost me $110 plus the cost of shipping to them.

Maybe some of the other reticles are more expensive....

There was just a thread on a price increase somewhere. If it’s still <$100, cool.

Love telling this story...
My buddy had a 7-08 with a VXIII tactical on it. Older 1" tube black ring.
Anyway, he accidentally shut the safe door as the rifle slid inside and crushed the eyepiece a bit .
He sent itl eupold in hopes that the eyepiece could be replaced, telling them what he did and offering to pay for any repairs.
Couple of weeks later he gets a brand new scope in the mail.

I have VXRs in 2-7 and 3-9 and patrols
3-9s with CDS , one with a LR reticle.
a#4 3-9
a 1.75-6 Heavy duplex
An older vari 2.5-8
A gloss 4-12x50 and a 40 of the same
Really about the only rifle without a Leupold is a Ruger 22 that has a redfield/Leupold on it.