Why I hate Leupold

[42769vette]

i get ask this alot and figured id type it once and be able to link a thread. some opinions may vary and this is my experiance.

i have delt with the leupold company 4 times in my life and never even remotley been happy with my service.

in 1999 (pre internet research) i found out i was going elk hunting. i was stoked. i went to the local outdoors shop who i had delt with my entire life and trusted. i told them i dont know much about rifles or scopes. i told them " i want the best of both" my father and i left with 2 weatherby rifles and 2 leupold vxIII 4.5-14x50 scopes. went hunting killed a elk mid day great time great trip.

i get home dad puts his leupold on his muzzloader. i had a simmons whitetail classic on my muzzeloader. we when hunting and i shot a doe in the spine, dropped her right at dusk but needed to finish her. since dads gun needed fired that night anyways i decided to finish her with his gun. i looked threw his leupold and had absolutly no shooting light on 4.5x out of a 50mm obj. i reloaded my gun and on 6.5x out of a 50mm simmons i could see fine. i finished her went home. the next day i compared my leupold to his and both to the simmons. the simmons drew light much better than both leupolds.

i contacted customer service and sent both scopes in. a few weeks later i got the scopes back with a letter stating "nothing done both scopes meet our standards". im not ok with paying leupold prices for standards that are lower than simmons.

fast forward a few years. i bought a leupold rx series 750 yd rangefinder needing a range finder for 750 yds. the best range i ever got was out of 400 yds in perfect conditions. i decided it was my fault and i should have bought extra rangefinder from the get go. i bought the 1200 yd version of the same rangefinder. with it my best range to date is 600. this was ranging a truck on a bright sunny day off a tripod. then my buddy (indygunworks) pulls out his bushnell and ranges 750 no problem. pissed is a understatement. i contacted leupold cs again went threw the same process and got the same letter.

 

[IndyGunworks]

leupold is all name now, they do make some quality stuff, but i am not willing to spend that kind of money. for less money, you can get better optics hands down.

i miss my rangefinder though, sucks it got stolen at a class in PA

 

[Titanium Man]

Not a big Leupold fan for scopes. I use their binos for target archery, but when I changed all my scopes on my rifles and shotguns, the majority were NIKON. I kept a couple of Millett LRS's, and a handful of Simmons, but now when I look for "top quality", I look at NIKON. I do like Simmons for the one's I use, and they are as clear, or clearer as any scope in the price range.

 

[xring62]

Ive had nothing but great luck with my Leupold scopes. American made! . Other scopes I have to rezero,Ive not had to touch the Leupold on my 44mag pistol in 12 years.

 

[42769vette]

Not a big Leupold fan for scopes. I use their binos for target archery, but when I changed all my scopes on my rifles and shotguns, the majority were NIKON. I kept a couple of Millett LRS's, and a handful of Simmons, but now when I look for "top quality", I look at NIKON. I do like Simmons for the one's I use, and they are as clear, or clearer as any scope in the price range.

if i ever buy a south of 100 dollar scope there is no question it would be a simmons

 

[Wild Deuce]

... i miss my rangefinder though, sucks it got stolen at a class in PA

Not to jack the thread .... I used to think that I could trust fellow gun owners. A few more stories like this and I might have to rethink that.

 

[42769vette]

Ive had nothing but great luck with my Leupold scopes. American made! . Other scopes I have to rezero,Ive not had to touch the Leupold on my 44mag pistol in 12 years.

there are alot cheaper scopes with better glass that will take the recoil of a 44 for 12 years.

 

[xring62]

Ok ,a 35 $ chinese scope? Ha.even If it would I wouldnt buy from them

 

[Kase]

I don't know how anyone can justify paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a scope in the first place. Optics can be found 1/4 or 1/2 the price, with the exact same quality.

The scope is not going to make you a better shot. Few people realize this.

 

[xring62]

Not the exact same ,you get what you pay for in a scope. Ive went through all of them,when I couldnt afford a good scope. Yes the scope does make a better shot,if the scope will hold a zero,like a Leupold or comparables

 

[snapping turtle]

I will admit that some of the leopold I have light tested were out-shined by the competition in low light. For most of my hunting i use low power scopes and they fair better in low light then adjustable power even with the smaller objectives. I am not an optics expert so I don't know or can;t explain why. .

. I have a 2.75 power scout scope, a 2.5 power ultralight, two 4 power rifle scopes and a 6.5 all fixed power and older than yours except for the scout. I got all of them used and in pistol scopes i have a couple of M8 2.5's.

I think they found that out and now are using an Xtended twilight system coating on the lens. It does seem the 6 power area in the lineup gets the new coatings and the older 4 and unders still have the old four coat lens.

 

[42769vette]

Ok ,a 35 $ chinese scope? Ha.even If it would I wouldnt buy from them

no not a 35 dollar chinese scope. as ive said in countless post those are worthless. im saying a 600 dollar leupold is the exact same quality as a 400 dollar nikon or vortex

I don't know how anyone can justify paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a scope in the first place. Optics can be found 1/4 or 1/2 the price, with the exact same quality.

The scope is not going to make you a better shot. Few people realize this.

the scope does not make you a better shot, however it does help you realize your full potential. you still get what you pay for but IMO with leupold you get alot more "name brand" than you do quality

 

[phylodog]

The scope is not going to make you a better shot. Few people realize this.

No but you can't shoot what you can't see. You can't dial for a shot if your adjustments aren't accurate and consistent. You can't hit squat if your zero moves every time the rifle takes a bump.

Knowledge is power, seeing is believing and with optics, you get what you pay for in most instances.

 

[Kase]

No but you can't shoot what you can't see. You can't dial for a shot if your adjustments aren't accurate and consistent. You can't hit squat if your zero moves every time the rifle takes a bump.

Knowledge is power, seeing is believing and with optics, you get what you pay for in most instances.

I think I was taken out of context there.

You are correct. A very good scope, will allow the shooter to make the tougher shots, that you couldn't make with a cheaper one.

What I meant, was there are many people out there that think buying an $800+ scope is going to magically turn them into the next Carlos Hathcock, and that it has nothing to do with the shooter himself/herself.
Money doesn't always buy accuracy

I've run into too many people that believe spending gobs of cash on equipment is going to make them the best shot in the world

 

[Titanium Man]

I'm not a Dick's fan, but when they have the NIKON Prostaff Scopes on sale for $99.99, you can't find a better deal!! Heck, dealer cost on those things from distributors is around $129!! I have my two 3006's I use in Wisconsin, paired up with the Prostaff, and I'm completely happy!

I was even thinking about changing my wife's Simmons Master Series on her 20g youth 870 to a Slughunter (NIKON), and I nixed that idea because it's such a clear scope, and holds zero no matter what. Good stuff! She has the 4x32 ProDiamond.

I jumped brands when I put a scope on her Ruger 77/44, and I put a 2-7x33 Redfield with BDC on it. No problems, it's clear, holds zero, but it is just a basic decent scope. Not any better than Simmons. IMO

 

[Titanium Man]

You are correct. A very good scope, will allow the shooter to make the tougher shots, that you couldn't make with a cheaper one.

What I meant, was there are many people out there that think buying an $800+ scope is going to magically turn them into the next Carlos Hathcock, and that it has nothing to do with the shooter himself/herself.
Money doesn't always buy accuracy

I've run into too many people that believe spending gobs of cash on equipment is going to make them the best shot in the world

Exactly.

I have those two Millett LRS's because they were a great deal, and they are absolutely intimidating!! They have all the bells and whistles on a scope I'll never seriously use, but it's sure nice looking at them. Geez, there's no way they'll ever get knocked out of zero, because they're just massive. Oh, they are nice though.

 

[42769vette]

I'm not a Dick's fan, but when they have the NIKON Prostaff Scopes on sale for $99.99, you can't find a better deal!! Heck, dealer cost on those things from distributors is around $129!! I have my two 3006's I use in Wisconsin, paired up with the Prostaff, and I'm completely happy!

I was even thinking about changing my wife's Simmons Master Series on her 20g youth 870 to a Slughunter (NIKON), and I nixed that idea because it's such a clear scope, and holds zero no matter what. Good stuff! She has the 4x32 ProDiamond.

I jumped brands when I put a scope on her Ruger 77/44, and I put a 2-7x33 Redfield with BDC on it. No problems, it's clear, holds zero, but it is just a basic decent scope. Not any better than Simmons. IMO

nikon and simmons are both good scopes for the price you pay. the only problem i have with nikon is they use aiming circles instid of dots on there bdc recticle

 

[xring62]

no not a 35 dollar chinese scope. as ive said in countless post those are worthless. im saying a 600 dollar leupold is the exact same quality as a 400 dollar nikon or vortex




Above statement is correct, If your talking that price range,I wondered if we were talking below 100$ ,most lower than 100-80$ never lasted me a year or 2 ,then I give it to a kid as a toy.

 

[phylodog]

I think I was taken out of context there.

You are correct. A very good scope, will allow the shooter to make the tougher shots, that you couldn't make with a cheaper one.

What I meant, was there are many people out there that think buying an $800+ scope is going to magically turn them into the next Carlos Hathcock, and that it has nothing to do with the shooter himself/herself.
Money doesn't always buy accuracy

I've run into too many people that believe spending gobs of cash on equipment is going to make them the best shot in the world

Gotcha, couldn't agree more. Sorry for the misunderstanding on my part.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I think I was taken out of context there.

You are correct. A very good scope, will allow the shooter to make the tougher shots, that you couldn't make with a cheaper one.

What I meant, was there are many people out there that think buying an $800+ scope is going to magically turn them into the next Carlos Hathcock, and that it has nothing to do with the shooter himself/herself.
Money doesn't always buy accuracy

I've run into too many people that believe spending gobs of cash on equipment is going to make them the best shot in the world

I read it the same way Phylodog did, so I am glad you clarified.

What buying much higher quality scopes (and mounts) has done for me was to eliminate the equipment as the problem. Now if the bullet doesn't hit where I think it should, I'm confident it's me and not something in the gear.