# Lepould VXIII



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

When My son was 9 we graduated him from a Rosi gallery 22lr pump gun to a Rugar 77 22LR. I bought a Swift brand/badged scope for it and it worled well for the boy. 

When he turned 12 We told him that he could no longer be shooting my Remington 700 in 243 that he would have to go to the gun store with me on Saturday and pick a rifle out.

Only it had to be 243, 7mm-08 or 308 because I had dies to reload for them. It could be a pump, lever or a bolt action.
He chose a used Rugar 77-243 with the Manliccher stock, figured we would put a Swift scope on it as that is what he was used to.

I allowed the stores employe to talk me into getting him a scope for his life time. Ya it has turned out to be a scope of his life time in the mail going back to the factory and in the mail comeing back to him. It just would not hold zero for a week sitting in thr gun safe, sent it to them after talking to them on the phone. they had it a long time so I bought him a Swift like is on his 22. 

The lepould came back and I put it back on his 243 got it sighted in and a week later it was two and a half miles off. Removed it and put the Swift back on sent it back to them with a note taped to it to fix it this time.
When it came back the boy said he didn't want it on his rifle any longer didn't like the third degree I always gave hom about droping the rifle and all that when it was from a mile to two miles off zero again. It sat on a shelf for a long time then I decided to put it on a muzzle loader last spring but never got around to sighting it in.

Today I take the ML out a 50 cal T/C Plains rifle, load up a mild 70 grain load of T7 340 grain Hornaday bullet in T/C split sabots (the ones with the felt ring on the bottom.).
Is about 18 inches low at 25 yards so remove the cap and adjust it the turns I felt it needed. 
Fired another 3 round group and it is still 8 inches low, remove the caps and make a half turn and it will not move any more dead stop. 
That sure isn't going to work for deer hunting. Came in removed it and put on a $29.00 Simmons Fire View I bought a long time ago at Gander Mountian for a 22LR Remington pump gun. It really worked good for that and I liked it but I couldn't keep the clamp on mounts tight so took it off.

Put it on in place of the Lepould and went back out to my range. It was a half inch loaw and 2 inches right the first 3 shot group. I adjusted it and it was sticking them right in the bull. It is a wide field scope and so clear much clearer than the Lepould.
Gona see if I can get at least a $100.00 for it at a pawn shop when I have to go to Flint Thursday.

I pay that much money for a scope again it will have a name like Pentex. I have 2 light seekers and they are great, One a 3x9 the other a 2x7. I can hunt a extra half hour deep in the cedar swamp with the 2x7 on my little Model 7 7mm08. And I could priobably stay a hour after legal quit time in the hard woods with the 3x9.

Most of my scopes are Bushnell Banners bought in the mid to late 1960's no problem nada in all those years. I have a 6x28 Simmons on the 220 Swift that has worked great in the 23 years I have owned it.

I made the sun shade for it. You know the kind of money thay want for a little hunk of plastic?



 Al


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

I've bought one scope from Leupold in my life...to go on a 17 hmr. I never could get the darn thing dialed in like I wanted it. Dad finally got it set but he went through all kind of rigamarole to do it.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I've never had a problem with any of the Leupold scopes I own.
Some of them are around 40 years old.

Most of the times the problems are actually in the mounts or the guns.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I have 2 Bushnell Banner scopes one on a 308 and the other on a 243 that are 50 years old and have never been a problem. I do shoot the 243 a lot more when it is windfy and I am coyote hunting.
They cost back then a 1/3 less than a compairable Lepould.

I have another that is 45 years old it was on a Remington 700 ML 50 cal and now on my slug gun a 20 ga.

I have a Simmons on my Rugar 77V 220 Swift . It cost about a fourth as a Compairable Lepould.


I bought the Lepould for my boys rifle and it was junk from the start, zero would change a lot and a bunch. Accused the boy of dropping the rifle but when it happed 4 more times I sent it back to Lepound. they returned it and it still did the same thing. Sent it back with a afixed note saying to fix it.

Got it back and now it is at the top of the adjustment for elevation and rifle was still shooting 18 inches low.

Just junk and hope to pawn it off tomorrow when I am in Flint.

 Al


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

That is an unusual experience, Al. 

Obviously, Leupold is just as able to put out a lemon as anyone else, but the vast majority of their customers end up very loyal- either from the initial quality of the product, or their service in cases where they do have something go wrong. 

Bushnell, Tasco, Simmons etc. also make some very good scopes, but they’ve also sold some “race to the bottom” models that were a real crap-shoot on quality/repeatability. Part of how Leupold has protected its brand is by not putting out a price-point, super-cheap line. Even their lowest-end scope is pretty good quality. 

I’ve sent Leupolds back (for myself and/or customers) over the years and never had one not come back right. The only time I’ve seen widespread fallout from them was on the earliest MK VI 3-18s. I was at a military test where 12 of the 20 optics used in the test fell out. Leupold flew a rep in, that night, to swap them out and figure out what went wrong. 

Having to send one back four times is definitely not normal, and I’d be mad too.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

alleyyooper said:


> Just junk and hope to pawn it off tomorrow when I am in Flint.


Send it back to Leupold and make sure they know you've sent it before.
They should replace it if there's really something wrong with it.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I am not mad just not happy with the scope nor the service. I did send a note the second time and told them this was time # 2 and 3d time your out and done.

Wouldn't spend 37 cents for a whole box car load of them.
done finished will move on.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Got $55.00 for that hunk of junk at a Flint area Pawn shop. At least some can buy it and never get arrested for buying stolen goods.

Beats a sharpe stick in the eye or a kick in the rear with a frozen boot.

I looked up the recipt for it and I paid $286.00 for it out the door.

 Al


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## Chuck R. (Apr 24, 2008)

Bearfootfarm said:


> I've never had a problem with any of the Leupold scopes I own.
> Some of them are around 40 years old.
> 
> Most of the times the problems are actually in the mounts or the guns.


My experience mirrors yours. The only scope brands I own are Leupold, Swarovski and Vortex (Razor's and PSTs). With the newer Leupold VX3s and HD6Xs I'm hard pressed to justify the cost of another Swarovski. 

I owned a Tasco and a Bushnell......once.


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## Vahomesteaders (Jun 4, 2014)

Leupold has been pretty reliable but they do have duds. The most reliable I had was vx1. But it's adjustments had no clicks. Just smooth turns. Took a bit to dial in but once there held great. Even on a 700 Remington ultramag. But I'm a nikon guy. They have never let me down. My mountain gun gets beat to pieces sometimes and it never loses zero.


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

Short of the real high end stuff like Swarovski, I think Leupold makes the best scope out there. Have them on most of my rifles and have never had a problem. They are lifetime warranty repair or replace at no cost.


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