Is it all Leopolds

[JackButler]

Agreed. However scopes aren’t built to be used like a car daily. Different entity. Point was I can go anywhere and find people unhappy on the internet. Really doesn’t mean a whole lot on the face of it.

Me you or the next guy have no way to verify who’s responding here and their credentials

Like I said I appreciate the input and it’s helping shape my decision. However it would be silly for me to bite fully into some guys with anecdotal experience and pointing to “look our forum did a poll and a few tests” it must be true

Exactly! Heck google “nightforce scope won’t hold zero” or “nightforce scope problems”. I think NF scopes are incredible, but plenty of internet experts whose rifle setup and shooting skills are unknown think otherwise.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

I just went on a horeseback elk hunt where I rode over a 100 miles in 8 days. Leupold VX5. Lots of banging around all week going up and down the mountain. Got home and checked my gun. It was dead on.

You got pictures? No one will believe you if they are in the cult without those pics.

 

[Justin Crossley]

You got pictures? No one will believe you if they are in the cult without those pics.

I haven't seen anyone say Leupold scopes never hold zero, but I've seen enough evidence that they don't consistently hold zero for me to trust them on a hunt.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I haven't seen anyone say Leupold scopes never hold zero, but I've seen enough evidence that they don't consistently hold zero for me to trust them on a hunt.

JC, did you use Leupold scopes and have switched to others that you trust because you lost/wounded game (you mention not to trust them on a hunt), or are you a recent enough of a hunter to have been able to use drop test info and made the choice to avoid scopes that show shift in testing? Which scopes have you used besides drop tested scopes that you experienced shift, if it's ok to ask.

 

[Justin Crossley]

JC, did you use Leupold scopes and have switched to others that you trust because you lost/wounded game (you mention not to trust them on a hunt), or are you a recent enough of a hunter to have been able to use drop test info and made the choice to avoid scopes that show shift in testing? Which scopes have you used besides drop tested scopes that you experienced shift, if it's ok to ask.

I have used Leupold scopes for years (since the late 90s) and never questioned the fact that I had to adjust zero almost every time I went to the range. Around 2012, I started to hear people talking about scopes that were more robust and actually held zero. I stubbornly continued to use Leupold scopes for a few more years with mixed results. I won't say 100% I missed or wounded an animal due to a Leupold.

That is until a few years back, when I was hunting with Robby. On the last evening of the hunt, I had a shot at a buck. I was shooting a very accurate rifle and shot over the buck twice from prone with a bipod and rear bag. The distance was between 500-600 yards (from memory) and I couldn't figure out how I missed. Ryan Avery told me to check my zero and sure enough, it was off and the rifle was shooting high.

Since then, I have been mainly shooting Nightforce scopes (and a few others I wanted to review). I no longer chase my zero every time I go to the range. Load development is also much easier for me now, and I attribute that to the fact that my scopes don't wander around and give me false "bad groups."

Like many people on this site, I would love it if I could trust Leupold scopes to hold zero because I like a lot about them, especially the Mark 5 and Mark 4.

 

[Justin Crossley]

@35WhelenAI

I missed the last part of your question. Other scopes I've used that wouldn't hold zero.

A number of Vortex PST scopes had some of the worst scope failures I've personally seen. Huge shifts in zero and inconsistent adjustments compared to what was dialed.

The Vortex Gen III razor I tested (actually two different scopes) wouldn't consistently hold zero.

Sig scopes have been hit and miss for me.

Leupold Vari X III, VX3, VX5, VX6, Mark 5.

A few different Zeiss scopes.

The Zeiss LRP 3 seems to work correctly, and @Formidilosus has almost 3k rounds on the one I sent him to test.