Leupold scopes

Roro

Well-Known Member
I have never owned one, but how do leupold scopes stack up against the german optics in terms of brightness and toughness ?
 
I love Leupold's. They're light, simple and tough. I'm very happy with how bright they are. I've looked through fancy German scopes and I'm sure they're good but I can't tell the difference, and my Leupold is more than satisfactory for when it's getting dark.
 
I have a Leupold Mark 4 10x40 and it is pretty much indistinguishable between it and my S&B 10x42. Long bell on the objective lens is excellent for picture clarity and light transmission.
 
My mate has several and likes them, I have a Mk 4 for 15 yrs. Well built, v good optics, good turrets and huge amount of elevation. The PA is very smooth and precise. Eye relief good but is very precise so needs consistent check weld, can be difficult to use at night. Often very cheap on S/H market.

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I have used these scopes for years, and honestly think they are just as good as more expensive glass. I have 4 including 3 VXL the half moon shaped objective scopes and have used them in Scotland, Africa and Europe and never had one let me down. They gather good light and are backed by a lifetime guarantee.
 
I have a VX3 3.5-10 x 40 just off out to zero it on my 243.
I had first dibs off a mate who had that and Kahles scopes on his rifles. He only parted with it as the reticule was not suitable for what he wanted (duplex). You could see little different in quality with the German scopes. But I believe they tend to be heavier.
 
ive had leupolds for over 35 years never had a problem with any of them, infact i was out with my mate the other week, and was using my mk4 16x on my 22.250, and my friend had a go of it on a fox, and was so supprised by it he said it was better than his ziess at night, and thats his words, not mine bs.
 
I'm a big fan of Leupold and their scopes. The first I bought was a Variax III 6.5-20 x 50, I had it on my .223 and together they made a really accurate combination. Currently I have a VX-R 3-12 x 50 on my .243 for which I paid about £700 new. Is my Swaro Z4i better from an optics perspective? I can't see any difference in normal daylight conditions but the Swaro is probably slightly better at last light but then it cost twice as much.

One thing you can't beat is the Leupold lifetime guarantee. Yes they are US based but if you have a problem with any scope no matter how old just ship it to them in the US and they will repair it. Their customer service is second to none.
 
I have tried a few and all except one went again after being disappointed in the field. These were all older types like VX 1or 3 . My friend was very disappointed with a VX-R, tried for a season but now it is for sale. Saying that I have recently heard from a few very experienced hunter/SF guys that the newest Leupold tactical scopes 3-18... would be absolutely fantastic. Recon I will have a closer look when at the IWA.
I am a big fan of S&B however they have a few scopes I just would not want. For me the best scope they made so far is the 3-20 Ultra short PMII with low turrets. from the hunting scopes the Zenith 3-12x50 is very good especially the flash dot. Never liked the 5-25 and tried the 3-27 recently but prefer the 3-20 Ultra short. Looked through the Ultra bright but never had one.
edi
 
They were, for the price, back in the 1990s very good for the money. But with the huge leap in the quality of Chinese made "glass" and the budget Zeiss range and Czech and Hungarian brands. I think that Leupold are not as an attractive option to German, or Austrian, glass as they once were.
 
I've owned a few Leupold scopes. They are solid reliable scopes but I never liked the eye relief on any of them. The last one I had was a mark 4 8.5-25x50 .
Head position on the stock was critical if you wanted a good sight picture and if you changed magnification you had to move your position again. I changed it for a Zeiss 6-24×56 which is a lot better. I don't know anything about the newer models or if they have addressed the eye relief problem.
 
Very well made
All metal components on the whole
Suffer from fussy eye relief sometimes
Optically very good but in my experience the coatings and low light capabilities are better with the big european brands

The recent model ranges released under the tactical marketing push are very good

I have personally owned most of the range at one point or another
I do like there reticule range and they are very reasonably priced compared to some of the higher mag, long range capable US brands
 
Have a FX 6x42 on my 243 for nine years now without a fault. Does just what it needs to do. Nothing more and nothing less. Sexy? No. Reliable very much yes.
 
What way is the leupold range structured ? They seem to do several scopes with similar specs, but varying hugely in prices. I am only looking for a fixed power, probably 6x scope.
 
What way is the leupold range structured ? They seem to do several scopes with similar specs, but varying hugely in prices. I am only looking for a fixed power, probably 6x scope.
VX-6 is premier hunting range, VX-3 more affordable. VX-R isilluminated reticle. The 'Mark' type (8 and 6) are more military orientated (Mark AR) and the FX are fixed power. The Rifleman range are entry level.
 
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