Leupold scope lets me down!

[M14AMU]

Up until about 4 years or so back...I've used Leupold scopes for nigh onto 60 years with no problems. That's a pretty good record....for hunting and target work! Today I dredged up a Kevin Rayhill 7MM WSM Savage rifle from the deep and dark depths of the rifle safe...took it to the range to check the zeros and after reconfirming the 200 yard zero I went to 600....put the rifle on the bags, came up 9.5 MOA and while going through this process I got the rifle to the static position and turned the parallax knob to refocus. With the cross-wire intersection in the middle of the target I was amazed to then see the cross-wires move a full 12" downward while bringing the target into focus!! I did this several times with the same results! Soooooo....I've sent an email to Leupold to see if the problem can be rectified. I won't expect to hear back on the email until this coming Monday. I fired a test shot to see where the POI would be, knowing it would be high and it hit exactly a full 10" at 12 o/clock! With this being stated....this posting is not meant to chastise Leupold at all; rather it could be a 'stand-up" for this firm because of all the millions of rifle scopes that they have made, I cannot even remotely live with the idea that Leupold hasn't made some faulty scopes on occasion. More so than anything else...this posting is a reminder then that no matter what brand of scope a shooter may buy.....there WILL BE some that are not up to par or to our expectations. This is enough evidence for a serious shooter to run a test from time to time because some of those weird shots just may not be the man behind the trigger. I've sent scopes back to Leupold previously with 100% satisfaction and I'm quite certain they will fix the problem with this one! It's an older 4.5x14X requiring 30MM rings.

You guys have a good weekend!

 

[4xforfun]

Leupold will fix it...no questions asked.

And..you have shot Leupold for years, and this is your FIRST problem. These are complex devices subject to a SH*T kicking every time you pull the trigger. Even the best can break.

My story


Tuesday...three days before deer season..about 12 years ago. Tweaked a load....went out to test at 700 ....no impacts on my target.....cranked the scope up a little more...nothing. Now, I should have been no more than 1/2 moa off from my original POI. I started to dial again and noticed (while looking through the scope) the the cross hair was not moving. Took one more shot and concentrated on finding the impact.....dirt WAY low.

Still Tuesday...went back to the shop and called Leupold about turn around times. 10 - 14 working days. So, best case I would have it back for the last weekend. I made arrangements with the tech. I would next day it to them and after the repair is done they were to ship it back next day air...on my credit card.

So..still Tuesday i ship the scope...UPS next day air.

Wed...Leupold receives my scope.

The SAME Wed...Leupold fixes my scope.

Still the SAME Wed....Leupold Ships my scope...UPS next day air.......ON THEIR DIME!!!

Thursday.....scope arrives...is installed on gun..taken to the range..zeroed...and actually got to test the new load.

Now, I admit....I am a devoted NF guy for my comp guns....and one of my hunting guns wears a 5.5-22x 56 NP-R1 with ZS and speed dials..but the rest all wear Leupold!!!!

Tod

 

[Eagle Six]

I've had two experiences with Leupold service......

The first with with a student taking private rifle certification. He needed the MIL-DOT reticle changed and needed it completed and returned within 4 days. He next day aired it to them, they fixed it the same day and same day next day aired it back. He had 1 day to spare for mounting, zero and testing. He certified on-time, on schedule.

The most recent was my personal Vari-X-III Long Range 3.5-10x40 M3. I suspected the parallax was not holding adjustment. Their turn around time was stretched a bit more than I liked, but I wasn't under the pressure of time, and the work was excellent.

There are many quality optics available and as previously stated, any of them can go south without warning. I've done well with Leupold over the past 40 years, I'll probably stick with them.

Best Regards......Eagle Six

 

[Jeff A]

Leupold. No bullshit lifetime warranty!

 

[lpreddick]

lifetime warranty no matter who owns the leupold! i may be wrong, but i think i saw that march's warranty EXPIRES after a few years? how good is leupold? i started adjustine the elevation on a 36 fixed and it came off...they corrected this at no cost. better yet, I knocked my rifle off a concrete bench onto a concrete floor and damaged a leupold. i sent it to them with a letter telling what i did and requesting a repair AT MY COST. i could not believe what they did! a complete replacement of the internals AT NO COST TO ME! there is no business i know of that will do this for their customers. i will always be a leupold owner.

 

[NateHaler]

Leupold, nobody's perfect

I've sent Leupold one of their 'Ultra' (later known as Mark 4) fixed power scopes, twice, for repair. Both times, they returned it saying "serviced, blah blah blah" and provide a sheet showing the adustment from supposed mechanical center.

Both times, the service did NOTHING to fix the problem. What problem? At 100y, the scope uses up every bit of left windage except for about 1 MOA. Which is fine, unless the wind blows from the other direction.

Gee, it's probably your crooked rifle, right? Wrong. I've mounted this scope on three different, custom-built, match-grade, superb rifles, all of which have had other scopes on them and presented no challenges as to scope alignment and adjustment.

So, the scope is faulty, and my hunch is that Leupold got it, cranked the dials without actually putting the scope in some sort of testing fixture, and sent it back. Maybe the 3rd time will be a charm. But Leupold has let me down, twice. (And for those of you who remember the 'Ultra', and wonder if it is one of the nearly-legendary models that were glued together and were never meant for public sale, the answer is 'no'. Per Leupold's confirmation of the serial number range.)

 

[antitactical]

All of the manufacturers have a faulty one every now and then. I've seen nightforces that wouldn't track or hold point of aim and I've seen leupolds that did the same. I even know a guy that had a Schmidt and bender (big $$$$$$) that was screwed up. He sent it back and they sent it right back with a note saying they are Schmidt and bender and they don't make mistakes. He dealt with it for a year back and forth and finally sent it back with a note from his lawyer. They finally fixed it. The only scope that I havent seen faulty is the March. It shouldn't be for that kind of cash either.

 

[NateHaler]

Still cant beat a solid set of steel peeps.

For some things, maybe. But last I checked, peeps don't offer magnification. There's a reason scopes are handy, even if they aren't perfect.

 

[22turborimfire]

I had no problems with buying a March used .If it screws up I'll send it back I'm sure they will fix it . If not free i will pay for it .

 

[K22]

My uncle had a Leupold he purchased in the 60's. Shortly after buying the scope he lost the windage cap and taped the turrent to keep out the rain and snow. He had a mountain man mentality.

After many hunting seasons of foul weather the windage adjustment finally stop working in the 90's. He sent it back for repair. Even thought he probably contributed to this problem by not obtaining a replacement windage cap - they send him a new scope to replace his old one. I can only image their faces when they saw the tape of the turrent when he sent it back.