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Rifle Scopes The truth about Leupold thread
- Thread starter hrfunk
- Start date
I currently own 10 Leupold scopes, some old - some new. I mainly compete in metallic silhouette (both smallbore and highpower) and no matter where in the United States I go to a competition out of all the rifles on the line 90%+ will have Leupold scopes on them. This is a group of shooters that commonly spend $2500 to $3500 on custom smallbore rifles. There are two reasons for the OVERWHELMING choice of Leupold:
1) Quality scopes with very good glass. This also includes high quality tracking and positive click adjustments. In metallic silhouette having a highly repeatable scope is probably more important that any other quality. We do a lot of scope adjustments... up down... up down... up down... up down... all day long at every competition/practice.
2) Leupold's customer service department is amazing. Their warranty and customer service has made me a lifetime customer. I have only had two actual "failures" but I have sent many scopes back to Leupold for changes to reticules and turrets. I had a very old 24-br scope that became difficult to adjust the AO and a newer 6.5-20 EFR scope that the AO became loose on. Both were sent in, repaired and returned in under 2 weeks. The fact that it wouldn't matter if I were the original purchaser or not is rare in any industry!
I have nothing but good experiences with Leupold.
1) Quality scopes with very good glass. This also includes high quality tracking and positive click adjustments. In metallic silhouette having a highly repeatable scope is probably more important that any other quality. We do a lot of scope adjustments... up down... up down... up down... up down... all day long at every competition/practice.
2) Leupold's customer service department is amazing. Their warranty and customer service has made me a lifetime customer. I have only had two actual "failures" but I have sent many scopes back to Leupold for changes to reticules and turrets. I had a very old 24-br scope that became difficult to adjust the AO and a newer 6.5-20 EFR scope that the AO became loose on. Both were sent in, repaired and returned in under 2 weeks. The fact that it wouldn't matter if I were the original purchaser or not is rare in any industry!
I have nothing but good experiences with Leupold.
I have 2 pre- Mk 4 4.5-14x40's that have been solid scopes since they were purchased in '98. I used them for shooting out to 600 yards and hunting. One is now on a 22 and the other on a buddy's SPR.
I had a VX2 3-9x50 that I used for hunting on a 7mm-08 for 8 years and never had any issue.
I have a deltapoint that the glass cracked on mounted to my Benelli M4. It was cased and cracked while in my vehicle. I don't know if it was heat or impact, but it cracked in the upper 1/3rd of the lens. It still works and one day I will send it back, but for now it is on a suppressed ruger mk3. I do have trouble with consistent zero adjustment with thisoptic and have since day one. Inthis class I believe the RMR to be the better product.
I have a buddy who has had a Mk4 1.5-5 MRT SPR reticle since '05 in use on a LE patrol rifle and it has never had any issue exceptfor low battery life on the ilumination.
My brother in law has a Mk6 1-6. It seems to be a decent scope, but the flicker of the iluminated reticle drives me nuts if you move your head just the least little bit when aiming. I cannot see why they let these scopes go out the door with this issue. I used Kyle Lamb's Mk6 and it did the exact same thing. I use to run a short dot and borrowed a Elcan for a while so I guessI am spoiled to a scope that doesn't do this. Even at the LE price, the flickering reticle is a deal breaker for me.
I have been spoiled by S&B. I want a 1-8x duty durable scope with daylight visible dot. I know the Mk8 is suppose to be nice, but I just cannot seem to bring myself to dropping that kind of coin on a Leupy. A well know trainer that is a big S&B advocate said it best when he said, "If I'm cutting a check for a $2,000+ optic, itwill have the initials S and B". So I will continue to wait and hope S&B will finally cut loose with that short dot.
At the LE program price, most Leupy scopes seem to be a fair deal, but theMk6 1-6 is not anywhere near a $1800-2000 scope.
I had a VX2 3-9x50 that I used for hunting on a 7mm-08 for 8 years and never had any issue.
I have a deltapoint that the glass cracked on mounted to my Benelli M4. It was cased and cracked while in my vehicle. I don't know if it was heat or impact, but it cracked in the upper 1/3rd of the lens. It still works and one day I will send it back, but for now it is on a suppressed ruger mk3. I do have trouble with consistent zero adjustment with thisoptic and have since day one. Inthis class I believe the RMR to be the better product.
I have a buddy who has had a Mk4 1.5-5 MRT SPR reticle since '05 in use on a LE patrol rifle and it has never had any issue exceptfor low battery life on the ilumination.
My brother in law has a Mk6 1-6. It seems to be a decent scope, but the flicker of the iluminated reticle drives me nuts if you move your head just the least little bit when aiming. I cannot see why they let these scopes go out the door with this issue. I used Kyle Lamb's Mk6 and it did the exact same thing. I use to run a short dot and borrowed a Elcan for a while so I guessI am spoiled to a scope that doesn't do this. Even at the LE price, the flickering reticle is a deal breaker for me.
I have been spoiled by S&B. I want a 1-8x duty durable scope with daylight visible dot. I know the Mk8 is suppose to be nice, but I just cannot seem to bring myself to dropping that kind of coin on a Leupy. A well know trainer that is a big S&B advocate said it best when he said, "If I'm cutting a check for a $2,000+ optic, itwill have the initials S and B". So I will continue to wait and hope S&B will finally cut loose with that short dot.
At the LE program price, most Leupy scopes seem to be a fair deal, but theMk6 1-6 is not anywhere near a $1800-2000 scope.
I just ordered another. A VX II 4-12 X 40 A/O. I have had a couple of these. Had friction adjusters on one in the past. All were durable and went to field with no failure. Fine duplex is my favorite even had a MK IV built with one. Some mechanics I would like to see different but that is what it is. My Nightforce scopes have superior mechanics but are on rifles that require it and cost was factored in.
I must say modifications were scary and I will avoid that service. They seem to have a serious demand to manage. New product does leave well put together.
I'm a customer.
I must say modifications were scary and I will avoid that service. They seem to have a serious demand to manage. New product does leave well put together.
I'm a customer.
I have owned a VXii and currently own a VX-R 2-7x33. The VXii was a slug gun scope, and had issues with vertical adjustment dorm the get go. Went back to CS twice before it was "fixed". After the first shot the magnification became loose, and there was no zoom. Went back and we kindly got a check from Leopold after deer season had ended. My VX-R had been rock solid, but my Mk4 rings had to be lapped extensively. They looked to be about 1-1.5 degrees out of allignment and marked the hell out of my scope. My go to rings are now Badger. Vortex will likely get business before Leopold gets anymore.
Ive owned a few Leupold scopes from hunting to tactical. The most used was a 3.5-10 M1 turret model that had a premier GenII in it. Sold it a while back. I still use a 6.5-20 Vari X III, that has a premier dot in it, for varmint hunting. Never had anybissues with either. As my experience grew, and my tastes refined, I looked to leupold for scopes for future purchases. They really didnt have anything to compete with the likes of S&B or US optics. They just kept making essentially a Mk4, and ignored modern features that were staples in the precision shooting world( Mil/Mil). Years passed with no real changes, then they released a Mil/Mil scope...with .05 mil adjustments. Someone correct me if Im wrong about the adjustments. At any rate, it occurred to me that that adjustment graduation was too stupid to be anything but intentional. By intentional, I mean an intentional f$&k you. Nobody could screw that up that bad! Instead of fixing it, they did nothing, and no model superceded it for some time. Meanwhile the 3.5-10 that I had paid $795 for years earlier from premier, was now well over the $1k mark. Still no scope that was anywhere near the top makers for several more years.
The entire scope market was slow to move on to new features like 10 or more Mil's per revolution, zero stops, windage stops, and I understand why. The users tend to stick with what they were trained on. Now, the features I mentioned above are commonplace, yet Leupold's introduction to them was a S&B priced scope. I can't recall the model, but its the scope with the center locking soup can for an elevation turret. I can rant on and on, bet their ignorance to the tactical community just burned me.
I recently handled a MK 6 3-18 with the pinch style locking turret. I like its compact and simple design. The glass and field of view feels like a Mk4. Why they didnt put that elevation knob on a Mk4 10 years ago and totally dominate the midrange market is beyond me. Since they opened up LE sales to the locals, i may consider one of these scopes if the need arises. I would not even begin to consider it at it's civilian price point, because I think the comperable nightforce is very likely a better scope.
On a slightly different subject, it has been mentioned by others in this thread that they have limited funds to buy scopes, so they buy Leupold scopes...dozens of them. I couldn't possibly speculate what exactly you do with all those scopes, or what your financial situation was when you accumulated them, but ragging on someone with a top quality rig because he/she is competing in a fashion show is kind of funny. Gun enthusiasts all seem to go through two very distinct buying patterns. They buy a lot of mediocre products under the guise of being frugal (and spend a shit ton of money in the process), or they buy smaller quantities of top shelf stuff and spend a similar amount of money. I did both, and can see now where I could have done much better financially. That is, I should have gone top shelf first. At this time, Leupold just doesn't fit into that category.
The entire scope market was slow to move on to new features like 10 or more Mil's per revolution, zero stops, windage stops, and I understand why. The users tend to stick with what they were trained on. Now, the features I mentioned above are commonplace, yet Leupold's introduction to them was a S&B priced scope. I can't recall the model, but its the scope with the center locking soup can for an elevation turret. I can rant on and on, bet their ignorance to the tactical community just burned me.
I recently handled a MK 6 3-18 with the pinch style locking turret. I like its compact and simple design. The glass and field of view feels like a Mk4. Why they didnt put that elevation knob on a Mk4 10 years ago and totally dominate the midrange market is beyond me. Since they opened up LE sales to the locals, i may consider one of these scopes if the need arises. I would not even begin to consider it at it's civilian price point, because I think the comperable nightforce is very likely a better scope.
On a slightly different subject, it has been mentioned by others in this thread that they have limited funds to buy scopes, so they buy Leupold scopes...dozens of them. I couldn't possibly speculate what exactly you do with all those scopes, or what your financial situation was when you accumulated them, but ragging on someone with a top quality rig because he/she is competing in a fashion show is kind of funny. Gun enthusiasts all seem to go through two very distinct buying patterns. They buy a lot of mediocre products under the guise of being frugal (and spend a shit ton of money in the process), or they buy smaller quantities of top shelf stuff and spend a similar amount of money. I did both, and can see now where I could have done much better financially. That is, I should have gone top shelf first. At this time, Leupold just doesn't fit into that category.
I've read this thread from the start with interest....as I'm a Leupold Fanboy. Bought my first one a 3-9X back in 1971. Since then I have probably had forty or more go through my hands over the years. I currently own twelve on hunting and varmint rifles. A few of them probably older than many of the posters here. I have a thirty year old 3.5-10XAO that was mounted on a Ruger 10/.22 then a Volquartsen .22 auto that has seen tens of thousands of .22 rds over it's lifetime as a gopher slayer. I once shot 5500 rds out of the Volquartsen in a 4 day period. I check zero each Spring, it's usually it's +1" at 25 yds and zero at 50 yds with no adjustments required.
The vast majority of my use is big game and varmint hunting. But I also had a 1.5-5X that was mounted on my Patrol M-14 that rode in the back of my Patrol car for 13 years in nothing more than a padded canvas soft rifle case. I don't ever recall rezeroing or having issues with that rifle. Considering the annual 55K-65K miles over all sorts of MT roads. As well as the temperature extremes....I think that's a testament to Leupold Quality.
Of all the Leupolds that have gone through my hands only TWO were ever sent back for repair. An ancient 2-7X that was in a saddle scabbard and was rolled on and bent 20 or so degrees when a mule had a wreck up in the Bob Marshall. And a 4.5-14X AO model I sent in to get a reticle change.
I've been happy with all of my Leupolds as general hunting or varmint scopes.
FN in MT
The vast majority of my use is big game and varmint hunting. But I also had a 1.5-5X that was mounted on my Patrol M-14 that rode in the back of my Patrol car for 13 years in nothing more than a padded canvas soft rifle case. I don't ever recall rezeroing or having issues with that rifle. Considering the annual 55K-65K miles over all sorts of MT roads. As well as the temperature extremes....I think that's a testament to Leupold Quality.
Of all the Leupolds that have gone through my hands only TWO were ever sent back for repair. An ancient 2-7X that was in a saddle scabbard and was rolled on and bent 20 or so degrees when a mule had a wreck up in the Bob Marshall. And a 4.5-14X AO model I sent in to get a reticle change.
I've been happy with all of my Leupolds as general hunting or varmint scopes.
FN in MT
I have had decent luck with leupold scopes up until recently. I purchased a mk4 6.5x20 with the h27 reticle and have yet to be impressed. It never has returned to zero after elevation adjustments. I got the h27 for the purpose of ranging and holdovers, but there is a time for dialing and a time for holding, and when I spent 2000 dollars on an optic it better do either. the glass if good and the reticle works like a dream as long as you never touch the elevation knob. On the other hand I have several mark ar scopes and are more impressed with them. I have the 1.5x4x20 on a ruger #1 in .458 Winchester, I zeroed it several years ago and haven't touched it since. That gun gets a lot of use for a .458 (whenever someone thinks they are a real hard ass at the range I bet them they cant shoot 20 rounds one after another out of it) not many people get to 20. I have several others, nothing special but have no real complaints about them. They hold zero and track well so I wont bitch. All in all I think leupold makes a decent product but may have some quality control issues that need to be addressed.
M.J.
M.J.
Back when I first started shooting at clubs and someone turned up on the firing line with a Leupold Scope I knew I was Toast and Leupold become a dream of mine and since I have started building my collection I have been happy, Yes there are NOW better scopes out there but I will always have a soft spot for Leupold.
The thing that sticks in my mind is that alot of you Guys have had some serious issue's with Build Quality and that is always ticking away in the back of my mind and therefore holding me back from buying another piece of a Legend, Im Guessing I am not the only one out there that feels this way about Leupold and in one respect LEUPOLD thems selves are distroying part of that dream with the problems that have been posted here, In the past I have done some amazing shots using Tasco scopes and although these $100 scopes do go Pear shaped we expect that because of the price, But when we spent $1400 on a scope we are paying for the added Security knowing that Leupold is/was the best a scope could be, But now with the good bad ratio within this thread the balance is more a reflection of Tasco's Build Quality at 14x the price, Now some of us have deep pockets and some of us ain't got a pot to piss in, but no matter how you carve it $1400 is not a laughing matter and LEUPOLD them selves need to realize that we could 14 Tascos and still have a good chance of finding one or two that would go the distance, ( NOT A FAIR COMPARISAN ) but buying a Leupold should not Be Like a Lucky Dip as to weather you get a Lemon or not, I love Leupold optics and I want more of them But if LEUPOLD want our Money then they need to assure us that we walk out the store that we wont be worrying all the way home weather we have done the Right thing or should we Turn around and go back to the store and buy the NF and hope the Mrs dont notice, lolololol.
Thats the Bit I hate, I know there are better scopes out there, But Im sorry but I love Leupold optics, I just wish I could buy and not have to face the fear of disapointment, Sure would be nice if someone LEUPOLD could come here to this thread and let us know that they have our backs,
Blessin's to all and Happy Holidays folks (yeah Im early I Know)
John
The thing that sticks in my mind is that alot of you Guys have had some serious issue's with Build Quality and that is always ticking away in the back of my mind and therefore holding me back from buying another piece of a Legend, Im Guessing I am not the only one out there that feels this way about Leupold and in one respect LEUPOLD thems selves are distroying part of that dream with the problems that have been posted here, In the past I have done some amazing shots using Tasco scopes and although these $100 scopes do go Pear shaped we expect that because of the price, But when we spent $1400 on a scope we are paying for the added Security knowing that Leupold is/was the best a scope could be, But now with the good bad ratio within this thread the balance is more a reflection of Tasco's Build Quality at 14x the price, Now some of us have deep pockets and some of us ain't got a pot to piss in, but no matter how you carve it $1400 is not a laughing matter and LEUPOLD them selves need to realize that we could 14 Tascos and still have a good chance of finding one or two that would go the distance, ( NOT A FAIR COMPARISAN ) but buying a Leupold should not Be Like a Lucky Dip as to weather you get a Lemon or not, I love Leupold optics and I want more of them But if LEUPOLD want our Money then they need to assure us that we walk out the store that we wont be worrying all the way home weather we have done the Right thing or should we Turn around and go back to the store and buy the NF and hope the Mrs dont notice, lolololol.
Thats the Bit I hate, I know there are better scopes out there, But Im sorry but I love Leupold optics, I just wish I could buy and not have to face the fear of disapointment, Sure would be nice if someone LEUPOLD could come here to this thread and let us know that they have our backs,
Blessin's to all and Happy Holidays folks (yeah Im early I Know)
John
I have also have had very positive experiences with Leupold scopes and CS. I have broke one and seen another break, both of which were Military work related. I have also seen a couple S&Bs go down from hard use as well though. I bought a MK 4 M1 LRT 3.5-10x40mm couple years ago and got tired of the 1/4 moa adjustments and sent it in to get the M5 turrets. It has been flawless for me and I wouldn't hesitate to get another Leupold. My only gripe would be pricing, but I complain about everything being over priced... because it is
My two cents:
I have been using Leupolds recreationally since the early 90's. Leupold is like Colt. It's a solid American brand. No, it's not the highest quality or optical performance, but it's decent and it's improving. That's all you can expect.
Something else people should consider: Rifle scopes are not like and should not be viewed like other consumer products. Cars, for example, are complicated machines designed for the lowest common denominator among us. Rifle scopes require more mechanical ability. Many people post about this or that problem while it is blatantly obvious they mounted or adjusted the scope incorrectly. Some people post about blurry image problems while completely ignoring their own physical condition. Age and blood sugar affects eye sight. Stress on the scope tube affects resolution and parallax. Bedding affects point of impact consistency. Unless one has eyesight corrected to 20/20, a .5 MOA rifle, a solid stress free mount, a clean crisp haze free environment with no wind, and a super accurate load he should not be evaluating and later condemning scopes.
A Badger rail will not straighten a Remington action. But a Remington action will bend a Badger rail. Even the best set of rings will destroy a scope if they don't fit the tube exactly especially if mounted on a bent rail. We're talking about increments of .001" but that's all it takes. Can you imagine the degree of misalignment present in two piece base/ring systems? Geometry is a bitch.
Given the above parameters, the rate of disfavor with Leupold should be exponentially lower.
I have been using Leupolds recreationally since the early 90's. Leupold is like Colt. It's a solid American brand. No, it's not the highest quality or optical performance, but it's decent and it's improving. That's all you can expect.
Something else people should consider: Rifle scopes are not like and should not be viewed like other consumer products. Cars, for example, are complicated machines designed for the lowest common denominator among us. Rifle scopes require more mechanical ability. Many people post about this or that problem while it is blatantly obvious they mounted or adjusted the scope incorrectly. Some people post about blurry image problems while completely ignoring their own physical condition. Age and blood sugar affects eye sight. Stress on the scope tube affects resolution and parallax. Bedding affects point of impact consistency. Unless one has eyesight corrected to 20/20, a .5 MOA rifle, a solid stress free mount, a clean crisp haze free environment with no wind, and a super accurate load he should not be evaluating and later condemning scopes.
A Badger rail will not straighten a Remington action. But a Remington action will bend a Badger rail. Even the best set of rings will destroy a scope if they don't fit the tube exactly especially if mounted on a bent rail. We're talking about increments of .001" but that's all it takes. Can you imagine the degree of misalignment present in two piece base/ring systems? Geometry is a bitch.
Given the above parameters, the rate of disfavor with Leupold should be exponentially lower.
The truth about Leupold thread
I own 9 of their products and all function flawlessly and haven't had an issue with any of them. In my experience they have the clearest edge to edge glass in their price range.
NF and USO are the "new sex" and who doesn't like "new sex?" I also find Leupy glass superior to both of these Companies.
All companies produce lemons from time to time and writing of any brand for a lemon or two is just silly and likely speaks volumes about the individual.
Competition is good and Leupold has done a pretty decent job of keeping up with the exception of a few niche areas.
IMO Vortex is clearly 2nd tier, in terms of clarity, as compared to good Leupold glass.
Apologies for dredging this up! I forgot I searched for Leupy VX before responding. Duh.
ETA- looks like it wasn't that old after all, whew.
I own 9 of their products and all function flawlessly and haven't had an issue with any of them. In my experience they have the clearest edge to edge glass in their price range.
NF and USO are the "new sex" and who doesn't like "new sex?" I also find Leupy glass superior to both of these Companies.
All companies produce lemons from time to time and writing of any brand for a lemon or two is just silly and likely speaks volumes about the individual.
Competition is good and Leupold has done a pretty decent job of keeping up with the exception of a few niche areas.
IMO Vortex is clearly 2nd tier, in terms of clarity, as compared to good Leupold glass.
Apologies for dredging this up! I forgot I searched for Leupy VX before responding. Duh.
ETA- looks like it wasn't that old after all, whew.
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I have a 3.5-10x40 vx3 in glass black with A/O that goes down to 25 yards. This scope has some age and up close it shows. I have never had a problem with this scope and still till this day it holds a zero perfectly. My wife's grandfather has a bunch of there scopes (around 6 currently) and some have a good amount of age. They have been in the field in some nasty conditions (rain, sleet, snow, dropped ect) and on the bench for target shooting. None have failed and performed flawless. IMO leupold makes a fine product and of course better is out there but IMO it costs more.
My 15x Nightforce smokes my 14x VXIII. The one Vortex I bought that was not a base product was no better than their base product I sold both. I will say I did look thru one Vortex FFP that was definitely useable wile spotting 1000yd. steel. I liked that scope but do not know what model it was.
I'm going to assume you are identifying your Leupy accurately and say that really isn't a surprise, considering the generation of Leupy you're comparing. Try comparing one of their newer models. The VXIII isn't exactly one of their newer models and they've improved a ton since that generation was released.
NF are good scopes for sure.
This 14x I currently have is a VX-III 50mm LR. 57170 with their added M1 elevation adjustment. [Varmint Hunters reticle].
It is a good scope and was under a grand but truly does not compare. I am a Leupold customer and also have two NF.
My favorite Leupolds have been rimfire models and the Vari X II / VX II 4-12'S. Value for the application for sure.
It is a good scope and was under a grand but truly does not compare. I am a Leupold customer and also have two NF.
My favorite Leupolds have been rimfire models and the Vari X II / VX II 4-12'S. Value for the application for sure.
I don't have any of their riflescopes, but several sets of rings. The first set has been great so far, but I broke those from over torquing them to the base. With PRW rings, the screws can shear at or before 40ft/lbs, which also bent the side lugs. The correct answer was 22-24 ft/lbs to the base, same as the ring tops. 
CS was great though, and got me taken care of (when I called to see if I could buy another set of screws, before I noticed the side lugs were bent).
Have replacements mounted now. Equal fit and finish. One concern from a 30mm 4th set; the screws were tight from the factory, very. It probably took 50ft/lbs of pressure, or more, to crack them loose on the ring tops. I hope it didn't mess them up.
My opinion of Leupold; really good products and CS. The QC has been there on what I've used. Many negative cases are just one side of the story. When people feel cheated, they go straight to the net to tell everyone how they were horribly wronged. Sometimes it's true, but far from always...
CS was great though, and got me taken care of (when I called to see if I could buy another set of screws, before I noticed the side lugs were bent).
Have replacements mounted now. Equal fit and finish. One concern from a 30mm 4th set; the screws were tight from the factory, very. It probably took 50ft/lbs of pressure, or more, to crack them loose on the ring tops. I hope it didn't mess them up.
My opinion of Leupold; really good products and CS. The QC has been there on what I've used. Many negative cases are just one side of the story. When people feel cheated, they go straight to the net to tell everyone how they were horribly wronged. Sometimes it's true, but far from always...
I don't have any of their riflescopes, but several sets of rings. The first set has been great so far, but I broke those from over torquing them to the base. With PRW rings, the screws can shear at or before 40ft/lbs, which also bent the side lugs. The correct answer was 22-24 ft/lbs to the base, same as the ring tops.
CS was great though, and got me taken care of (when I called to see if I could buy another set of screws, before I noticed the side lugs were bent).
Have replacements mounted now. Equal fit and finish. One concern from a 30mm 4th set; the screws were tight from the factory, very. It probably took 50ft/lbs of pressure, or more, to crack them loose on the ring tops. I hope it didn't mess them up.
My opinion of Leupold; really good products and CS. The QC has been there on what I've used. Many negative cases are just one side of the story. When people feel cheated, they go straight to the net to tell everyone how they were horribly wronged. Sometimes it's true, but far from always...
CS8,
Did You mean, "in/lbs"?! That is what my Leupold PRW rings and Seekins HS ring\base ratings state on torque installation specs!
I have used Leopold customer service twice and they were great to deal with I have six of their scopes from Ver-Xiii for hunting to comp scopes for Benchrest Great company to deal with.
I dropped a vxlll 2.5-8x36 that was mounted on a rifle from a height of about 4ft directly on concrete. This was at the range and hit directly on the objective bell leaving a scar you could see and feel. Picked it up and shot it of course and to my surprise no change in poi. Have been hunting with it for the past 5 years and no problems or no change in poi. As for this scope I'm very pleased to say the least.
I own a VX-III 4.5-14 boone and crockett and a Mark IV ER/T 8.5-25x50 and both are solid. My only experience with their customer service was when I couldn't find the screws for the Mark IV rings, I called and asked them the part number which they provided that info but also sent me new ones free of charge. I even told them I didn't buy the rings new as I got them from someone on the Dept. and they said no worries. Very pleased with the products and customer support.
I've owned 4 FX-II Scout IER 2.5x28mm scopes. From the very early version that was sold with the Steyr to a gen2 unit made by the custom shop. Both of the early versions failed, with one being sent back twice for leaking seals. I also personally saw two of them break with loose internal parts. All of the failures were after significant use on sharp recoiling rifles. Approximately 500-2000 rounds being shot before failure occurred. That being said, all were repaired / replaced under warranty with no hassle and 2-3 week turn around. One older model was replaced with the gen2 model after being sent back for a second seal failure. All of the 2nd gen product has survived since then, so they obviously figured out the problem and corrected it.
The custom shop was accommodating when I dealt with them, though that also took 2 rounds of "send it back" before they made what I wanted. Friendly, but seemed to have tier 1 people who didn't fully understand the product and what they could and could not do with it.
I consider them a mid-tier, large volume vendor. OK to deal with, but wouldn't be my first choice unless price was a high priority.
The custom shop was accommodating when I dealt with them, though that also took 2 rounds of "send it back" before they made what I wanted. Friendly, but seemed to have tier 1 people who didn't fully understand the product and what they could and could not do with it.
I consider them a mid-tier, large volume vendor. OK to deal with, but wouldn't be my first choice unless price was a high priority.
I put a leupold MK-AR 3-9 power with mil/mil clicks and the new TMR firedot reticule on my latest AR build. Crystal clear scope, no haze or glare. I assembled the rifle in Minnesota, and shot it. Then I had it shipped to north carolina. The scope was taken off of the gun for the shipping process. I reassembled it and shot it again, and only had to adjust 2 clicks up. Pretty amazing that it held zero after 1600 miles of UPS hell. NO complaints and VERY satisfied with the scope. I I would recommend to anyone, and resale value is always good.
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I have owned seven Leupold scopes and still own four. All have been very solid reliable scopes. Two of them had to go in for repairs with no problems getting them taken care of. That said, I have moved on to other brands because I can get better features for less money, with customer service that is at least as good as Leupold. They were in a state of stagnation wtih their product line for quite some time and they have paid the price in market share. They have recently made some pretty good improvements but their prices are still quite high reletive to the features provided. The market has changed a lot in the last ten years and they dont seem interested in adapting to that change.
I have owned over a dozen Leupold scopes thru the years and never had any issues. I did buy one of their pistol scopes ( used) that was fogged but I sent it back and they fixed it for free. My favorite scopes are the fixed power scopes and I still have at least one 12X with target knobs and my MK4-16X. I still want to swap the reticule in the MK4 from a duplex to a target dot or mil dot but its not cheap anymore and I still use it as is.
It may not be the "best" but they make some damn good scopes for 99% of the guys behind them. If you want a scope to drive nails buy a 2nd one or better yet a hammer.
It may not be the "best" but they make some damn good scopes for 99% of the guys behind them. If you want a scope to drive nails buy a 2nd one or better yet a hammer.
The truth about Leupold thread
'Happy' is not a quality standard for scopes. I suggest getting acquainted with the details.
Actually, most people are happy with Tasco. Which says more about the person than it does about Tasco.
'Happy' is not a quality standard for scopes. I suggest getting acquainted with the details.
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Had a 3x9x33 EFR. It was widely popular with the rimfire and airgun crowd, so gave it a try on a high end air rifle. Overall the scope was ok, but didn't leave me with a feeling of excitement. Given the cost vs distances shot with my airgun, I sold it.
I currently own 2 Mk IV scopes. 1) 3.5x10x40 M2 turrets, Illum TMR reticle. 1) 4.5x14x50 MD LR/T. Both scopes have done everything I needed them to do. Glass is clear. Adjustments are precise and repeatable. No complaints with either.
I currently own 2 Mk IV scopes. 1) 3.5x10x40 M2 turrets, Illum TMR reticle. 1) 4.5x14x50 MD LR/T. Both scopes have done everything I needed them to do. Glass is clear. Adjustments are precise and repeatable. No complaints with either.
Even a POS Tasco in daylight, on a mild recoiling rifle allows the average shooter to shoot better than irons ( generally).
Anytime I received a Tasco scope on a rifle I tossed them in a box. Around deer season someone always wanted / needed a cheap scope and I gave them away.
The guy getting it was happy and I was happy getting is out of my house.
Even though I do not think much of Taso sometimes that is all someone can afford and if it works for them I am happy for them.
I lost count on the number of guys I know that put cheap optics on their slug guns every year and most of them fail or the cheap mounts they are attached to.
Some people live and never learn or are just damn lucky.
I currently own 4 various Mk 4's and a VX-R 3-9 and have never had any issues. The VX-R has been my hunting/beater scope for 3yrs and it hasnt let me down yet. Everyone I know that owns a rifle has at least one Leupold scope and ive never heard them complain.
Are there better optics available? Sure, but they're typically much more expensive and for what I use them for not worth the extra $. The fact that they are American made is a major plus as well. Im happy with mine and will continue to use Leupold
Are there better optics available? Sure, but they're typically much more expensive and for what I use them for not worth the extra $. The fact that they are American made is a major plus as well. Im happy with mine and will continue to use Leupold
I am not a big fan of Leupold.
I have owned several of their scopes, but the most notable was a 3-18x VX that I had about 7 years ago. It got sent to the factory for the elevation knob no longer actually moving the internals. After it was replaced, I sold it (to a good friend who knew exactly what he was getting), for $100 (a lot less than I paid).
While it was a decent optic, I personally don't feel like the value is there for the price they charge. To get into some of the features that make a scope really good, they want just as much, or more, money as scopes that are more capable, have a better feature set, and have a more impressive track record.
I have recently been on a kick to buy some more glass for my rifles (instead of swapping stuff around), and have been looking at everything from $1000 Vortex PST's to $3800 S&B scopes (even considered the BEAST... not for very long though). I have decided that I am done dinking around "cheap" scopes and trying to make them work.
In Leupolds defense, they have tried to bring some of what the long range/tactical market demands to market in their new MK6 and MK8 lines. However, I think they missed the boat with their pricing, and even with the feature set to a point. They got a lot closer, but the price they are asking doesn't fit with what they are delivering, IMO... The glass isn't up to par with the rest of the players in their selected price range, the turrets don't have the same tactile and audible behavior that many expect for that money, and the final product just doesn't seem to fit with the price.
All IMO.
I have owned several of their scopes, but the most notable was a 3-18x VX that I had about 7 years ago. It got sent to the factory for the elevation knob no longer actually moving the internals. After it was replaced, I sold it (to a good friend who knew exactly what he was getting), for $100 (a lot less than I paid).
While it was a decent optic, I personally don't feel like the value is there for the price they charge. To get into some of the features that make a scope really good, they want just as much, or more, money as scopes that are more capable, have a better feature set, and have a more impressive track record.
I have recently been on a kick to buy some more glass for my rifles (instead of swapping stuff around), and have been looking at everything from $1000 Vortex PST's to $3800 S&B scopes (even considered the BEAST... not for very long though). I have decided that I am done dinking around "cheap" scopes and trying to make them work.
In Leupolds defense, they have tried to bring some of what the long range/tactical market demands to market in their new MK6 and MK8 lines. However, I think they missed the boat with their pricing, and even with the feature set to a point. They got a lot closer, but the price they are asking doesn't fit with what they are delivering, IMO... The glass isn't up to par with the rest of the players in their selected price range, the turrets don't have the same tactile and audible behavior that many expect for that money, and the final product just doesn't seem to fit with the price.
All IMO.
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