Leupy VX-5HD 3-15...checks all my boxes but I'm scared

[Cahunter805]

I would agree....I simply can't Ball like everyone else and spend $3500 on a "Rugged" optic. And rugged usually means both heavy and expensive.

A Nightforce SHV is $900-$1200.

 

[skywalkr]

A Nightforce SHV is $900-$1200.

My SWFA was $250. My ATACR on the other hand was a bit more but I trust both of them to aim properly.

 

[dreamingWest]

Over the course of two years prepping for my goat hunt, tinkering with rifles and different scopes and reading this forum, I came to the conclusion that Form knows what he is talking about and to listen to him.

My rifle was in and out of multiple airplanes and horse scabbards, and hiked hard with multiple falls. Ultimately, after the most difficult hike and climb I have ever experienced, to close the distance on the goat I was scrambling on all fours through a scree field, rifle in hand. When I dialed my Nightforce and squeezed the trigger, I got a DRT goat.

I was really happy I listened to Form.

 

[PathFinder]

This all boils down to process capability. Statisticians and manufacturing engineers will get what I'm saying here.
There's theoretically no such thing as perfect. There is some degree of error in everything. It's a matter of whether or not the amount of error is significant.
There are two processes involved here. First is Leupold's production of the erector on the VX5. The next is the ability of each VX5 to perform mechanically.
When picking a sample size to represent a large number of products, 30 is the generally accepted base number to get enough data. One good scope is not enough. Neither is 10. (This is why 3 shot groups don't mean squat).
So to get an authoritative capability analysis of the VX5, we need 30 scopes, and I would suggest running them from top to bottom no less than 30 times (in addition to durability testing). How many people have done that, or been close? How many people touting their VX5 even have 1k rounds through them? Anything less is not authoritative in any way. If you were in charge of producing 100k scopes, and an employee brought you one that worked, would you be satisfied that they were all good?
That's really nice that it worked for you. But it doesn't mean that it's likely for anyone else to get a good one. Feedback on VX5s online seems to be 50/50. 50% have hunted with them a bit, and they performed well. The other 50% tried to get them to really perform (no less than 1k rounds absolute minimum, lots of dialing) and found them to be lacking. If we were to do a 30 scope test and only 15 were reliable, that would be embarrassingly bad.
Remember that we are talking miniscule changes in the scope to get the adjustments we use at range. It's not hard to screw that up. Anyone that's been involved with manufacturing that precise of a part knows that it isn't automatic. Leupold didn't make the VX5 to be a hard use, constant dialing scope. It's made for people that shoot maybe 100 rds/yr and have basic long range shooting knowledge. If that is what you want, it might be pretty OK. For someone looking to shoot a lot and run the scope hard all year around, there are much better options.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[carter33]

Just another personal experience here.

I have two vx6-HD’s. Both hold zero well if not dialed. Both dial out well it seems but return to zero after shooting out to ~500 on one of the scopes typically leaves me an inch and a half high or so which is incredibly frustrating having to rezero. Luckily I have had first shot hits on animals with said scope where I have dialed but because of the fail to return to zero I just don’t really trust it. I have a new lightweight build on the way and am planning on throwing an NXS 2.5-10 on it. I sold an NXS 3.5-15 because I wanted something lighter, but in hindsight the extra weight is worth having trust in your scope.

To the OP if you’re scared now you will most likely be second guessing the scope for a while which I just don’t think is worth it.

 

[Ryan Avery]

@Ryan Avery - I like F's input too, and always read his comments because of the knowledge he's exhibited but I don't share his experiences in this case, and neither have others, which is why I spoke up. I don't claim to have put them through their paces like he has, but I think I represent the average user more so than he.

To your point on Jon Lynch, sure, I get sponsorship, but if a sponsor product ever failed me in competition (high stakes), I would make a change. How long has Jon been with Leupold?

Its been about a year I believe. I am not saying Leupold has ever failed Jon and I know he would not keep shooting a scope that he's not confident in. What I am saying is Lupy wanted to make a splash in the Comp world and Jon is if not the best shooter he's in the top two. His first choice would not have been lupy unless they sweetened the pot. All of this is just my opinion of course.

 

[6AYoteHunter]

I had to send in a Leupold DAGR for an offset reticle, damaged occular lense, and an elevation turret that didn't line up with a dent in it. I had a phone call 4 hours after UPS delivered it to the repair center in utter panic by the head of the CS department. Told him it looked like the scope was hammered into something. He agreed and said they would be pulling records of the employees involved and have a scope sent out.
Same month one of my good friends got a VX6 that had a moa elevation turret and a mil windage turret. They called him when we were still out shooting when they recieved the email and picture. They said it wasn't possible since that would be a different production line. Said it wasn't an accident and they made it right ASAP.

I honestly think Leupold was suffering from corporate espionage.

In the last 2 years looking at hundreds of Leupolds I haven't seen these type of issues again, but you never know

 

[WesternHntr]

Wow this thread got a little heated..
I have first hand experience with vx6 , and a vx5 that did not track.

The vx5 was the worst I've tested yet, for those of you claiming your scope has always tracked to x range do an actual tall target test.

I started doing tracking tests on all my scopes and found that the zeiss v4 and v6 had tracking error as well.

I've sold everything and currently run Leupold mk5's for PRS and LR hunting, they absolutely track.
I've tested the 3.6-18 and the 5-25 up to 50 Moa and been within .2" of where it should be

 

[wind gypsy]

@Ryan Avery - I like F's input too, and always read his comments because of the knowledge he's exhibited but I don't share his experiences in this case, and neither have others, which is why I spoke up. I don't claim to have put them through their paces like he has, but I think I represent the average user more so than he.

To your point on Jon Lynch, sure, I get sponsorship, but if a sponsor product ever failed me in competition (high stakes), I would make a change. How long has Jon been with Leupold?

John Lynch is the GM of the SF 49ers and was a badass safety in the NFL. Jon Pynch is an accomplished PRS shooter.

Jon detailed some struggles on his podcast (VP precision) from a match where he had issues with his rifle holding zero. Said it was on a low round count barrel and everything checked out as being torqued down. Screams scope issue to me..

 

[wind gypsy]

Just another personal experience here.

I have two vx6-HD’s. Both hold zero well if not dialed. Both dial out well it seems but return to zero after shooting out to ~500 on one of the scopes typically leaves me an inch and a half high or so which is incredibly frustrating having to rezero. Luckily I have had first shot hits on animals with said scope where I have dialed but because of the fail to return to zero I just don’t really trust it. I have a new lightweight build on the way and am planning on throwing an NXS 2.5-10 on it. I sold an NXS 3.5-15 because I wanted something lighter, but in hindsight the extra weight is worth having trust in your scope.

To the OP if you’re scared now you will most likely be second guessing the scope for a while which I just don’t think is worth it.

This aligns with my thoughts. When bullets aren't landing where you expect them to with a hunting rifle, how much ammo and time are you going to spend diagnosing the issue wondering if it is the scope? It's just not worth it.

 

[HighlandsHunter]

Hi, I've really appreciated people's experiences with scope issues, as I've had many. Especially appreciate @Formidilosus experiences. So I thought I'd share some of my recent ones. I don't use much of my ammo testing scopes I set them up to dial then get paid to shoot lots of animals in the mountains:
VX-5HD 3-15x56. Fired around 300 rounds 308 in the field. Zero shifted a few times. Mainly windage. I think main reason was vibrations in pelican case while driving offroad.
VX-5 2-10. Fired around 600 6.5G AR15 rounds in the field. Worked 100% until groupings started stringing horizontally. Windage erector broken and scope repaired. Maybe caused by driving offroad.
VX-3 CDS-ZL. New scope fired around 300 308 rounds in the field. Windage shifted once but still using it.
S&B 8x56 Hungaria. Caused groups to double in size although POI stayed the same.
S&B 6x42 Hungaria. Horizontal stringing broken windage erector. Similar issue with 2 x Kahles hunting scopes.
Meopta 6x42. Very good but when zeroing in the cold the adjustments like to hang up (hysteresis) badly.
None of these scopes were abused or dropped.
In my opinion, one of the main issues for a hunter and scope performance, is not recoil or range shooting, it's transporting a rifle offroad. I now make sure my pelican cases are well padded and try to minimize rifles bouncing around. I am also slowly changing my scopes over to robust ones with good turrets and note that competitors to NF seem to be emerging from China, if they can maintain the QC...
Cheers