Leupold Scopes...Do you trust them today?

[gusd]

I don't really care if
"Taping on the turrets is a thing of the past"
I like doing it.Old habits die hard.Plus it makes me feel better about the adjustment Doesn't matter what brand scope I do it to em all
And probably will continue too until the day I die.

 

[cmarchand]

I grew up varmint hunting and is still my favorite past time. I've never believed in dialing scope turrets up and down. Scopes are finicky delicate and can wear over time. I use an adjustable base for elevation change.
There are several makes out there.
This is my choice for under $500:
COLD SHOT LLC. M.O.A.B.
Minute Of Angle Base, elevation adjustable scope base system.

 

[SavageHunter11]

I participate in a forum where Leupold scopes, especially turreted ones aren't well liked. I have noticed on the LRH forum a lot of guys are running dialing Leupold's like VX5 HD, VX6 HD, Mark 5's and a few Mark 6 scopes.

Makes me curious if it's a matter of the pond water being polluted by some, where another pond isn't polluted at all.

Personally, I once owned 10-12 Leupold's, mostly VX3 and VX6. Several were set/forget and many were cds dialers. I shot enough 200-600 rounds per year, per rifle, to know if I'm having rtz issues. I didn't.

The biggest issue I encountered on a regular basis was setting my initial site in zero for my set/forget scopes. Adjusting elevation or windage with no reticle movement. Then deploying the "Leupold Knock" on the top of the turret to see if that would help the erector move...Laughable, I know, but it's a common practice, that I've heard many people try. Once I would finally get my zero. The scope was good to go without further adjustments required.

After 25 years of being a Leupold slut, the last 3 years, as I've added new rifles, I moved away from Leupold for my rigs that are used for hunting fur that matters to me... NightForce, SWFA, Zeiss, are now resting on top.

My varmint rigs hold a mixed bag of everything from Leupold, Sightron, Sig Whiskey5, Leica, and Bushnell Elite 6500 optics.

Again, I guess, I'm just curious if the consensus on LRH is different for Leupold than other forums. A month ago I bought a new VX5 HD and just today I bought two never used VX3 4.5-14x50 Varmegeddon dialing scopes. Apparently, I still like Leupold's.

Footnote: If this thread doesn't meet LRH forums criteria for a proper post, I apologize. My intention isn't to bash a manufacturer, but rather determine if the strong negative feelings other places share is based more on a mob mentality than facts...Thanks!

I have a few Leupold scopes (VX-R Patrol, VX-2 scout scope, and a VX-3i LRP FFP) and I haven't had any issues with them yet. My VX-3i sits on my hunting rifle and I've used it to dial out to 800 yards a few time (only owned it a few months) and the tracking is on. I might have gotten a good one.

 

[Aaron Tangsrud]

Leupold makes some of the toughest scopes on the market. The Mark 5HD is tough as nails and will track excellently. Even their cheap VX-Freedoms are awesome scopes and zeroing them is a breeze so I would guess the tracking is pretty true. Look up their punisher test. It simulates recoil equivalent to that of three times a 308 in a 4lbs rifle. To put that in perspective it would knock you unconscious every time you fired it because it would accelerate your brain so fast, it would also lead to detached retinas. And Leupold makes every one of their scopes in their product line withstand 5000 impacts of that and they test them periodically throughout production. Best scopes on the market in my opinion!

 

[Deviant]

I participate in a forum where Leupold scopes, especially turreted ones aren't well liked. I have noticed on the LRH forum a lot of guys are running dialing Leupold's like VX5 HD, VX6 HD, Mark 5's and a few Mark 6 scopes.

Makes me curious if it's a matter of the pond water being polluted by some, where another pond isn't polluted at all.

Personally, I once owned 10-12 Leupold's, mostly VX3 and VX6. Several were set/forget and many were cds dialers. I shot enough 200-600 rounds per year, per rifle, to know if I'm having rtz issues. I didn't.

The biggest issue I encountered on a regular basis was setting my initial site in zero for my set/forget scopes. Adjusting elevation or windage with no reticle movement. Then deploying the "Leupold Knock" on the top of the turret to see if that would help the erector move...Laughable, I know, but it's a common practice, that I've heard many people try. Once I would finally get my zero. The scope was good to go without further adjustments required.

After 25 years of being a Leupold slut, the last 3 years, as I've added new rifles, I moved away from Leupold for my rigs that are used for hunting fur that matters to me... NightForce, SWFA, Zeiss, are now resting on top.

My varmint rigs hold a mixed bag of everything from Leupold, Sightron, Sig Whiskey5, Leica, and Bushnell Elite 6500 optics.

Again, I guess, I'm just curious if the consensus on LRH is different for Leupold than other forums. A month ago I bought a new VX5 HD and just today I bought two never used VX3 4.5-14x50 Varmegeddon dialing scopes. Apparently, I still like Leupold's.

Footnote: If this thread doesn't meet LRH forums criteria for a proper post, I apologize. My intention isn't to bash a manufacturer, but rather determine if the strong negative feelings other places share is based more on a mob mentality than facts...Thanks!

I just sold 2 VX6HD Leupolds because they wouldn't track. Replaced them with March Optics and will never go back. The people I know that like them hunt and never take a shot over 200 yds.

 

[just_jon]

i use Leupold because my dad used them. Also drive Fords and vote republican for the same reason. Most are VX-2 3-9x40s that don't leave the gun safe often. When they do, the shoot fine. I have two 10 year old VX-3 6.5-20x40s on long range varmint guns (204 Ruger and 22-250AI) that see a lot of action and dialing and I've not experienced issues returning to original point of impact. Maybe I've been lucky. Hope my luck continues because I just installed a VX-3i 4.5-14x50 LRP mil ffp on my 6.5 cm.

 

[jerry moore]

there are a lot of nightforce scopes for sale ebay/gb/Lrh makes old guy like me ?

 

[73driver]

I retired two years ago and have been participating in a lot of different shooting matches. #1 silhouette, a lot of Leupold's used by this crowd for a long time and lots of dialing up and down and nary a bad word. #2 PRS, I have two VX-3i LRP 8.5-25's with two years and 1400 rounds of dialing up and down from 100-1000 yards, not many Leupolds in this crowd and mine still good. #3 NRL22, ARA bench rest, small bore silhouette and other local 22 matches with VX-3i LRP 6.5-20, couple thousand rounds with many dial ups and down, no issues. #4 hunting, multiple scopes used on many hunts. Latest was VX-6HD on a 270, called a 350yd dial up for my son and he center pushed his buck, granted newer set up not many rounds downrange on this one. BTW son was Army Snipper and nary a bad would in his crowd about Leupold's that I ever heard off. Lastly a FX-3 6X42 mounted on my 25 year old 30-06 hunting rifle. This set up was used for a lot of load workup with 165 and 180 bullets plus on deer and elk hunts. After one elk hunt with several nasty spills and a ding on my scope I took it to the range for a box test. That baby shot a nice 8 inch square and came right back to zero. "So do I feel lucky"? Well either I am a lucky one or Leupold's need to more abuse than I dish out or more abuse than 6.5c, 270 or 30-06 before their guts turn to jello. Lance brought up a good point, "8 out of 40 odds". You would think out of almost 2 doz scopes I would have one go bad??? Obviously some have had bad experiences.

 

[19elkhunter51]

I am a Loopy (never saw that before today but less letters than the full name) fan boy by numbers. I have a Simmons, came on a used rifle, a forty five year old Weaver 3-9 and eight Leupold scopes of various ages, fixed power, variables and models. For my money and the shooting that I have done, I cannot justify the added eight hundred to a thousand dollars that you pay for a Nightforce, Swaro or Zeiss scope. I went the SWFA route one time and regretted paying less for a lot less. Sold it and used the paltry amount of money towards another Leupold.
To be honest I do not shoot competition and I only shoot squirrels and coyotes in any number.
All of my Loopy's shoot the square as perfect as my old eyes can shoot, coming back to zero with no turret tapping. Until I read this post, I had never heard of the "Leupold tap".
Over the years I have had a few serious falls carrying my rifles. One was with the ancient Weaver that dented both ends of the scope and another with my then brand new 300 RUM with what I thought was an outlandishly priced Leupold
Mk 5. Again serious dents and scratches in several places on the scope not too mention the beautiful stock. Both scopes held their zero when I checked at the first opportunity.
It hurts my pocket book and my feelings when I have to pay more for the glass on the rifle than I pay for the rifle.
I know that there are some of you on this board that actually have the ability to shoot as well as your rifle/scope combination. You are the few that will really benefit spending the extra money. For me, I am invested in this line of scopes and at my age do not intend to change.

 

[Me78569]

So far so good with my vx5-hd, my vx3i was also fine.

I didn't know about tracking issues until my vx5-hd. I did some rough testing with the tracking on it and it is fine so far. I can dial it up and down etc etc and then it will return to 0 just fine. if I dial up 9 moa my next hole is ~9 moa up. Is it perfectly 9 moa? no, is that my fault or the scopes fault, no clue it doesn't matter to me.


Lots of products have lots of issues, I try and not jump on the internet complaint bandwagon as there are 100x the people who own a product without issues as there are people who post issues on the internet.


Kinda like my RAM 3500 with all the emissions stuff still on it. It's been fine so far even though everyone on forums says it is the worst thing ever and will break.

 

[Mike D Texas]

My experience has been good with the VX5 & VX6 HD, but primarily using their CDS system.

My older Mark 4 scopes have been a bit iffy.

The Mark 5 and Mark 6 scopes I have have been absolutely perfect, but that's what those scopes are supposed to do. "Hunting scopes" typically aren't designed to be dialed over and over on a regular basis.

Use the proper tool for the job

 

[338 dude]

Ive owned more leupolds then I care to mention over the past 5 years. if I had to choose one - the best value to me is the vx5hd 3-15x44. for the average hunter that see's most of his shots inside 600 - I see it as plenty useable.

unfortunately - however, in my case , in the path to finding the most reliable optic I have bought and then sold well over 20 scopes of different makes, I can say with complete honesty I have never found a sub $1000 scope to track true to click. hold & return to zero like they should. that goes for leupold, burris, vortex and bushnell.

Im to the point now where I am selling off the excess to afford a NF atacr on all of my rigs. that is the only scope I trust will do the job every single time.

Sad to say from my findings, I have yet to find any true repeatable scope in that $1k price range.

JUST MY OPINION!

I too was a Leupold man from a very young age right up until about five years ago when I finally bought my first night force and now I own 2 night force I still have two Leupold but prefer a nightforce they are just built like a tank and can withstand nearly any abuse thrown at them

 

[338 dude]

I have several "set it and forget it" Leupolds from back in the day when they were the "Cat's Meow". For my purposes, they more than sufficed. Not to get all aesthetic on you guys (We all know form folllows function) but I really like the way a nice gloss finish VX-2 or VX-3 looks on a fine rifle. I didn't get my first scope with dial on the fly turrets until 2016, when I started to reach out a little further. It became evident very quickly that you get what you pay for in this game. Haven't sprung for my first Nightforce yet but the tax return's comin'

Do it and don't look back you will not regret it

 

[Zac Bishop]

I have Leupolds on all my rifles from VX-1's, VX-R Patrols, VX-3i LRP, VX-5HD, Mark 6 and they all perform perfectly and glass is great.