Q&A Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10x40mm

[Formidilosus]

Q&A for-

Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10x40mm CDS-ZL Field Evaluation

This is a field evaluation of a Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10x40mm CDS-ZL scope. This scope was sent to Ryan Avery for an evaluation. The ammunition used was Hornady Black 168gr AMAX that was purchased by Ryan. The 20 round proof group was just over 1.3 MOA. The scope and weight- Turrets...

rokslide.com

 

[kkp005]

Man I was such a Leupold fan boy.. I’ve slowly been getting rid of all mine. Still have 3 Vx5hd’s but I’ve lost confidence in them after joining the Rokslide community

 

[DangerRanger]

Did you bring a screwdriver to love tap it before and after adjustment?

 

[yycyak]

No joke, I was on a local forum, and this was the topic of a thread in the optics section there. A whole article about how scopes needed to be clicked/adjusted past zero, and then clicked backwards onto zero. That way everything will settle in. Then, give it few taps with a leatherman or something to make sure everything was good to go.

And most of the replies were in agreement and giving hot tips about how this was the way to go...

Edit: Found it.

2nd Edit: Full disclosure: I was one of these guys. Leupold all the way, because "Warranty." I sent a bunch of friends on the Gold Ring path, because you don't know what you don't know. I'm far from an expert, but I have to say that having gear that works is a relief, and a lot easier on the wallet.

Did you bring a screwdriver to love tap it before and after adjustment?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

tap too much and it will overadjust though.

It's embarassing how many years I spent wasting ammo and chasing my tail messing around with gold ring scopes, and telling everyone I encountered how great they are. Fortunately the locals in my area love buying them off craigslist.

 

[SirChooCH]

Following. I just mounted one of these on a Savage Axis 6.5CM...

 

[ElPollo]

No joke, I was on a local forum, and this was the topic of a thread in the optics section there. A whole article about how scopes needed to be clicked/adjusted past zero, and then clicked backwards onto zero. That way everything will settle in. Then, give it few taps with a leatherman or something to make sure everything was good to go.

And most of the replies were in agreement and giving hot tips about how this was the way to go...

Edit: Found it.

2nd Edit: Full disclosure: I was one of these guys. Leupold all the way, because "Warranty." I sent a bunch of friends on the Gold Ring path, because you don't know what you don't know. I'm far from an expert, but I have to say that having gear that works is a relief, and a lot easier on the wallet.

So the backlash is “inevitable” except when using the Nightforce he is demonstrating with?

 

[Formidilosus]

Did you bring a screwdriver to love tap it before and after adjustment?

You know what’s funny about that- I haven’t personally zeroed a Leupold hunting scope in years, and yet the very first adjustment- I tapped the windage turret. Totally subconscious. I laughed as soon as I did.

This scope is a perfect example of why people think so many other scopes, including the Mark5, are so much better…. Because they are. It isn’t that there’s all these other scopes that are “good”, it is just that Leupold hunting scopes track like a neurotic dog trying decide where to poop. If that’s what you are coming from, then yeah other scopes are “better”.

It’s battered wife syndrome. It isn’t that your new husband is a good husband, it’s just that he’s not smashing your head through the wall every Saturday.

 

[DangerRanger]

You know what’s funny about that- I haven’t personally zeroed a Leupold hunting scope in years, and yet the very first adjustment- I tapped the windage turret. Totally subconscious. I laughed as soon as I did.

lmao this is fantastic

 

[Macintosh]

Thanks for doing this. Of all the tested scopes, the vx series are the one group of scopes that come up the most in conversation, and yet hadn't had anything for people to refer to. I predict this one will get a lot of views.

 

[Formidilosus]

Thanks for doing this. Of all the tested scopes, the vx series are the one group of scopes that come up the most in conversation, and yet hadn't had anything for people to refer to. I predict this one will get a lot of views.

Yes sir. I agree. It’s not surprising the results, in fact it’s as close to a predicted outcome as you can get, but it needed/needs to happen. It’s a shame because just shooting it there is a lot to like about Leupold hunting scopes from a size, weight, eyebox, etc. point of view. They just don’t work.

 

[Macintosh]

Yep. The form/function (by which I mean the size, locking elevation turret, etc) of those cds/zl scopes in the vx-series in my opinion is hands-down the best there is in a hunting scope, bar none.

 

[Diced]

The Vx5s I've used have been just fine for sub 500 yard hunting. They don't track very well but i always zeroed mine with a 2" high zero offset so I wouldn't have to spin the turret as much. For the rifle it was on it was a very effective scope. But that's about where their effectiveness ends. They just aren't good scopes for anything but light use and low round count. Which is why I don't rely on them anymore.

 

[Macintosh]

Well, I had problems with mine holding zero even without any dialing or heavy use, so Im not sure I agree with the 500 yard part. More than fine for sub-200 yard “minute of deer”, but I frequently had zero shifts that would cause a wound or miss past 300 yards or so, basically what the initial part of the test showed only a bit worse. I always thought it was my rifle until I tried a different scope. I had that issue on 2 diff vx3 scopes. Maybe the vx5 and 6 are different—leupold told me the guts on all the vx scopes are the same, but I see the vx6’s are heavier, so perhaps there is a difference that would matter there. So hopefully a vx5 3-15 and a vx6 3-18 will be next!

 

[gatekeeper]

Interested in this test. Especially in the outcome of drops. I was a Leupold guy for decades til I recently figured out the wandering zero on my AR wasn't the rifle or mounts fault, it was the 30mm vx3 4.5-14x40 cds.
It would be zeroed at 100. Next trip or after missing a groundhog or fox I'd notice it was shooting diagonally 1.75" up and left, I'd rezero, next time I took it out of the padded case from riding in the truck it would be 1.75 low and right, then repeat again and again. This shift was even without touching the dials between shooting sessions.
Took me reading these previous drop test here, and finally figuring out there was a pattern to the zero shift to decide to test the scope.

I did a small soft drop after rezeroing one day, maybe 12" into soft hay and the impact shifted 1.75". I was so mad at myself that I had trusted that scope because of the Leupold name and trust they had earned from me 25years ago.
I got rid of all my leupolds immediately after (I kept one older 2-7x33 vx2 I have on a 7600 35whelen that has never shifted since initial zero).
Switched to trijicon tenmile and credo and have been very happy.

 

[Diced]

Well, I had problems with mine holding zero even without any dialing or heavy use, so Im not sure I agree with the 500 yard part. More than fine for sub-200 yard “minute of deer”, but I frequently had zero shifts that would cause a wound or miss past 300 yards or so, basically what the initial part of the test showed only a bit worse. I always thought it was my rifle until I tried a different scope. I had that issue on 2 diff vx3 scopes. Maybe the vx5 and 6 are different—leupold told me the guts on all the vx scopes are the same, but I see the vx6’s are heavier, so perhaps there is a difference that would matter there. So hopefully a vx5 3-15 and a vx6 3-18 will be next!

We've never had a vx5 or 6 lose zero(i also cant recall dropping one). It's just the tracking that concerned me. I had mine on a 28 nosler sighted in high so I never had to dial alot of elevation on an animal. I'm interested to see how this vx3 handles being dropped. So far it looks like it can't even handle being dialed haha

 

[sickles107]

@Formidilosus
@Ryan Avery

Thanks for doing this. I know there is tons of anecdotal discussion on these scopes failing, though having a formal evaluation really solidifys it.

I will be forwarding this evaluation to many many friends and family, rather than going on rants about 14 different threads from this mystical internet forum, trying to explain why I'm not insane or unethical for hunting elk with a 6mm and fixed 6x scope from here on out.

 

[Formidilosus]

Updated.


Short version- I am still at 100% for how Leupold hunting scopes behave. There is no bias from me- I don’t care what scopes work and what scopes don’t. I shoot them and note what happens- that’s it. When I tell people I am not guessing what they do- I am telling you what they do, it is because I have seen dozens of them do exactly what this scope did.

Leupold will tell you that all the current VX series of scopes are internally the same- same durability and same function. From what I have seen with VX-5’s and VX6’s, that is true.

 

[ChrisAU]

There’s an astronomical amount of forgiveness in shooting a whitetail at 50 yards with a high powered rifle. And yet, most of America’s deer camps are filled with stories of “clean misses” and cut shirt tails.

Hmmmm.

 

[Formidilosus]

To put this in perspective, this is how another scope performed in the drop eval 20 minutes after removing the Leupold-