Leupold zero retention poll

Have you fallen with, dropped or otherwise bounced around your leupold scope without it losing zero?

  • Yes, my leupold scope has held zero

    Votes: 36 14.1%
  • Yes, all my leupolds have held zero

    Votes: 46 18.0%
  • No, my leupold scope lost zero

    Votes: 44 17.2%
  • No, all my leupolds have lost zero

    Votes: 27 10.5%
  • Some of my leupolds have lost zero and others haven’t

    Votes: 85 33.2%
  • I don’t check my zero

    Votes: 4 1.6%
  • I have not owned a Leupold

    Votes: 14 5.5%

  • Total voters
    256

N2TRKYS

WKR
Joined
Apr 17, 2016
Messages
4,198
Location
Alabama
I use Leupold vx3s on my hunting rifles. They have rode countless miles in vehicles, on atvs, and in airplanes and haven’t had to adjust my zero on any of them. I like them.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2021
Messages
1,821
Location
Montana
I am not a competitive shooter. I just kill game and have for a lot of years. A year or so ago my go to rifle started getting wierd. I sent my leupold vx-II in for repairs. I got it back but while the verticle adjustment was 1 click equals 1/4 moa at 100 yds the horizontal adjustment was 17 clicks per 1/4 moa.

I thought that was a little off but was it me, the ammo or something else. I gave it a break and changed to a new leupold 3HD - 4.5-16 B&C . Once I got it partially zeroed in I noted that I had half inch groups and then the next group was 2-3 inches. I started to question everything. What had I changed?

Then I noted that a variable was that I had not paid attention to was CCI primers have not been available for a while so I was using Winchester.

My new loads are from a differant lot of H-4350. Now I don't know what is the critical variable. I have sorted all my lots of ammo by primer to start with.

I will shoot again when it quits snowing. Then I my have to go back and start over on my loads with the new powder lot. Then I will go back to working on my scopes.

I haven't got a definitive answer yet but I have a plan and with some heat I will work on it.
 

Marbles

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
May 16, 2020
Messages
4,466
Location
AK
I am not a competitive shooter. I just kill game and have for a lot of years. A year or so ago my go to rifle started getting wierd. I sent my leupold vx-II in for repairs. I got it back but while the verticle adjustment was 1 click equals 1/4 moa at 100 yds the horizontal adjustment was 17 clicks per 1/4 moa.

I thought that was a little off but was it me, the ammo or something else. I gave it a break and changed to a new leupold 3HD - 4.5-16 B&C . Once I got it partially zeroed in I noted that I had half inch groups and then the next group was 2-3 inches. I started to question everything. What had I changed?

Then I noted that a variable was that I had not paid attention to was CCI primers have not been available for a while so I was using Winchester.

My new loads are from a differant lot of H-4350. Now I don't know what is the critical variable. I have sorted all my lots of ammo by primer to start with.

I will shoot again when it quits snowing. Then I my have to go back and start over on my loads with the new powder lot. Then I will go back to working on my scopes.

I haven't got a definitive answer yet but I have a plan and with some heat I will work on it.
I doubt it is the load, it could be, but load development is a lot of trouble and if you don't have a know accurate load, it is very hard to verify. I've tried 5 powders, 2 primers, and 3 different bullets and with various combinations and the worst group I have gotten was 2.03 inches at 100 yards and most are closer to 1.25; well I should say load development should be easy if everything else works. Of course, if the rifle is know to be a picky eater, that changes things.

If you (or a friend) has a rifle/scope combo that is known to be accurate, swap scopes and see what happens. If the problem moves with the scope, then it is a rings/scope issue. If the problem stays with the rifle, then I would pull the stock, check for areas of pressure, then torque the action screws to 65 in-lbs and see what happens. Only after that would I consider screwing with load development because if it is the rifle or scope you can waste a lot of time messing with loads and not being any closer to the answer. It is significantly more likely that a screw is loose, or the scope is causing trouble, than that a change in powder lot opened things up that much. That is true for EVERY brand of scope and I would say the same if you were using an NF/S&B/SWFA/Etc. Look for the most likely issues first, then move to the less common.
 

EasilyExcited

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 20, 2016
Messages
269
My MK5 that gets swapped around, goes to the range in a soft bag, and gets rough treatment holds zero. And, the several other friends own have held zero. And, the competitors and professional shooters I know of makes it unlikely that the stories of MK5 regularly failing.

You can’t compare all scopes by a manufacturer.

Also, is it the scope or the rings or the base?

My experience at the range and watching scopes get mounted at Bass Pro would suggest many failures are other than the scope.
My mark 5 just got the erector system replaced for the 2nd time with minimal field use...
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Messages
1,047
Had a gunrack fall off the window of the truck. Scope landed on the back of the seat. Older m8 4x. Missed the biggest buck I have ever seen due to that.

Also have a couple vx-II 3-9's that were bought 20ish years ago. I have no complaints about those scope.

I doubt if I would buy any more leupold stuff though
 
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