Broke my Vari X III, bummer.

[sambo3006]

I was at the range with my unbraked 300 RUM the other day intending to start the sight in process with some 200 gr AB's at 3200 fps. The scope was a Leupold Vari X III 3.5-10x 40mm fixed objective. After the second shot it looked back through the scope at the target and the image was horribly blurry, as if I had taken the focus knob on a spotting scope and spun it way out of focus. Upon examination I saw no debris on the lenses or anything else that would have caused it, so I packed up and went home. I figured a lens had been jarred out of adjustment.
When I got home, I looked through the scope again and the image was clear! What the heck? I called Leupold and the tech thought the same thing as I did about a lens, so off to Leupold it went Monday.
I'm not sure I would trust just any company to tear into the scope to figure out the problem if it looked fine when viewing through it, but I am confident that Leupold will find the problem and fix it. I'm just glad it didn't happen in about 3 weeks when I will be out in Colorado trying to slay a cow elk.

 

[Hicks]

I think you'll be happy with the response time and professionalism of Leupold. I sent in two older Vari-X IIIs for turret treatments and had them replace the reticle on one of them. I think the turn around time was just about 10 days including shipping. They were also very gracious with me on the phone with some fairly newby questions. I was looking for a new scope for an 8 Mag I bought earlier this spring and my buddy said "Why don't you try to pick up a used Leupold as the warranty follows the scope. If it breaks they'll fix it." That idea coupled with the excellent service I recieved a few weeks back le me to a nice used matte finished Vari-X II C 3x-9x for $200 and I'm not worried in the least about it.

Hicks

 

[kfrye]

I sent a batch of older scopes back a few months ago and had everything back within the 10 days. One was so old the finish had a nice plum petina to it. Still works as good as the new ones.

 

[rtv900]

I just sent a 3.5-10x40 LR B&C back to them. They fixed it very quickly and I could not be happier.

 

[jmden]

Not saying this is what is going on, but that happens to me consistently with the same chambering and Leup scope. The culprit?--barrel mirage--heat waves coming up from the barrel. Give it a couple to few minutes to cool down and it might be nice and clear like you found it when you got home.

 

[sambo3006]

I considered that but ruled it out as it was only the second shot, the barrel was only warm to the touch, it was a nice cool morning and it literally went from crystal clear to complete blur at the shot. I have seen what you described before on a hot day with a hot barrel. Thanks for the input, though!

I sent it priority mail Monday from Missouri and according to the tracking # it arrived to Leupold on Wednseday. Wow! Now if the money I am waiting on that was sent also on Monday from Kentucky via priority mail would get here. Go figure?

 

[dmgreene]

Sambo I had the same exact thing happen to a XVIII a couple of years ago. At first I thought it was my eyes. I would make a shot and it would be blurry and then the next two may be clear as bell. When I took the scope off it would be clear when you bumped the scope on the ocular end of the scope and would be blurry if you bumped the objective end of the scope. I sent it back to Leupold and I had it back in about 2 weeks and I haven't had a problem since.

David

 

[sambo3006]

Got it back yesterday, right at two weeks. Not too bad. The print out just said that they inspected it externally and internally and reworked the erector assembly. I'm going to put it back on the 300 RUM and shoot this weekend. I guess I'll find out if they fixed it. I sure hope so. I'm going to take a backup scope with me out to Colorado just in case.