Ways for Leupold to Improve

[Formidilosus]

Kenton turret on yours?

Nope. Leupold M1 elevation, friction windage. The standard fare was to send the Leupolds back and get TT’s at first, and then M1 elevation turrets retrofitted.

 

[BLJ]

I was not aware of that. I thought it resembled a Kenton.
I initially thought it was a Stony Point given the time frame, but it seemed to tall for them.
Wrong on both accounts.

Thanks for the time machine.

 

[Huntr]

I used to have 20-25 Leupold scopes on my rifles, and yes, I killed a lot of animals with them, however, I got tired of re-zeroing almost every time I went to the range. Also, I had several that I sent back to be serviced when they totally failed. My last Leupold scope was sold in 2013. I have never looked back. Schmidt and Bender, Nightforce and SWFA are all I have used since then.

I would love for Leupold to step up and give us scopes that track and retain zero, but I have given up on them.

 

[Balderdash]

I currently own 9 Leupold scopes, three of which are VX6's and until perusing this site I was completely unaware of the issues. The VX6's are on custom bolt rifles and are hardly minute of deer.

Do you dial frequently on them or are they generally sight in and leave be?

 

[Wildstreak]

Do you dial frequently on them or are they generally sight in and leave be?

Two of them have dialed significantly. They were sighted in at 100 and I never shot at 100 again. They have been shot and dialed on multiple targets and animals out to 550. I have not had any issues out of the other but I have not messed with it as much as the other two.

 

[2531usmc]

The problem is with the CEO - he has prioritized shareholder profits, and openly stated that in interviews. Closed the custom shop because it’s not a big profit center, reduced the number of scopes, and selling based on name rather than quality. Easy places to skimp. Sell, sell, sell, sell, and when the brand isn’t worth what it was, sell all the parts to a company with even worse reputation and cash out the investors.

The quality of machined surfaces and fit inside the adjustment mechanisms is important, better finishes and tolerances cost money. The strength of the spring that presses parts up tight to the adjustment knob assembly is super important so every adjustment dials correctly. All easy places to skimp.

Then, all the internal parts need to stay in place. I’ve heard fewer lenses are glued in place, because it makes correcting issues less time consuming. Easy place to skimp.

That’s my take and I used to love the company. Pretty sad when antique optics are better than some new ones rolling out the door.

The “shareholders” happen to be the Leupold family. The CEO is the fifth generation to run the business

 

[TaperPin]

The “shareholders” happen to be the Leupold family. The CEO is the fifth generation to run the business

I don’t think the CEO is part of the family, although you are right all the shareholders are family. I had thought 40% weren’t family, but it turns out they are part of the Stevens family. It sounds like no family members have held management positions for a few decades.

Too bad the company is simply an income stream to them, rather than something to be proud of.

This article is a decade old, but it’s an interesting peak inside the company. The family has its own council - that’s interesting.

Leupold & Stevens sets its sights on enduring family ownership

The families who own Leupold & Stevens have spent more than a decade creating a governance structure that gives them the best of both worlds—a company with non-family management that more than holds its own in a competitive marketplace while reflecting and preserving the values of its family...

familybusinessmagazine.com

 

[Chris_in_Idaho]

The VX6's are on custom bolt rifles and are hardly minute of deer.

That bad huh?

 

[cottonant]

If it hasn’t happened by now it’s not going to happen. They just don’t care about the issues. Never have so doubtful they ever will. They’ll “fix” them if you send one in but that’s all they have ever done and likely will ever care to do.

Last year I bought a Leupold Mark 4HD 4.5-18x52 and experienced a 5/10 zero shift right and 6/10 zero shift low while adjusting the powder charge by .5 grains. While thinking this was extreme, I just assumed it was due to the powder charge change, but then if shifted back.

I’ve owned a lot of VX3’s and while .25 MOA clicks have never equaled .25 MOA, I don’t ever remember a zero shift, even after dropping the gun.

Hopefully it is fixable - and Leupold will fix it.