Thread: Leupold Scopes are NOT worth the money....IMO

Haven't had any Leupold scopes give any trouble and I've had at least a dozen or more over the last 46 years. The one feature that I've always liked about Leupold scopes is that they don't have that tyre effect when looking through them that many scopes including some expensive Euro scopes have.

Incidentally, as an aside, Leupold is pronounced Loo-pold not Lee-a-pold or Lee-ur-pold. Received a telling off from a lady at the Leupold factory in Beaverton, Oregon some years back. They used to mention the proper way to pronounce it in their catalogues many years ago but must have given up in the end as English speaking people mostly tend to anglicize most foreign words.

From the get- go this thread reeked of a farcebook type of unhealthy flaming imo.

Originally Posted by Woody

From the get- go this thread reeked of a farcebook type of unhealthy flaming imo.

Not sure what this comment means @Woody. I am not on facebook and wouldn't know a 'unhealthy flaming' thread if I read it.

I wrote the thread because I sold my Leupold and brought two very good s/h scopes for the price of that one VX-5. Due to these events I honestly felt that the Leupold scopes are not worth the cost compared to some other scopes available (no 'unhealthy flaming' there).

After reading the other posts on this thread, I can now see that it is probably worth paying a bit extra for the Leupolds due to their great lifetime warranty and customer service. No doubt we all pay the premium for that excellent warranty in the purchase price of a Leupold, therefore the price is higher.

However the lifetime warranty, customer service and piece of mind they give is probably worth the extra dollars.

You could throw my rifle down a cliff and my 13 year old MK4 would still retain it's 0

It's great in low light, is very easy on the eye to sit behind for a long period of time and is fairly light weight compared to other offerings.

It's always tracked perfectly which has been awesome as most of the animals I shoot are around the 500yard range.

The exposed M1 turrets have never adjusted on me whilst bashing through tight scrub, and if I ever have a 'accident' with it i'll just send it back and get it repaired no questions asked.

I guess that's why I have never replaced it after all those years..

Good luck with your Weavers chaps!

Screw in scope caps are the best on the market too.

Overall, Leupold scope prices in NZ are not too far out of line with U.S. prices when you take into consideration the exchange rate, freight, GST and the customs biosecurity fee. With a few exceptions, can't say that about other brands of scopes available here.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Overall, Leupold scope prices in NZ are not too far out of line with U.S. prices when you take into consideration the exchange rate, freight, GST and the customs biosecurity fee. With a few exceptions, can't say that about other brands of scopes available here.

Except there are regular sales on leupold in the US in the range of 20% plus off etc which is rare to non existent here. A vx3i 3.5-10x40 CDS zl can be had for 500 or less on a regular basis so at current conversion (71cents) 700nzd then 15% so 800 that leaves alot for the 1100 price here. Plus they buy them wholesale not retail. Freight per item is significantly reduced by importing in bulk. The prices are right on the borderline of unreasonable but I'd say still just within reason.

Just to add a Z5 3.5-18x44 was cheaper to buy in NZ until the recent price jump last year.

You have the NZ importer/distributor and then the retailer who have to make a buck. The kiwi dollar has recently increased in value; it was sitting at around U.S. 65c for a long time. H&F have probably the highest Leupold retail prices along with Gun City.

In the U.S. some of the larger retail chains must get a pretty good discount on massive inventory orders, way, way more than little ole NZ could ever compare to. 330 million population compared to just under 5 million in NZ.

I’ve owned a few Leupold’s over the years, and they never let me down .
Buttttt........ as I’ve got older my eyesight has degraded and for whatever reason Leupold glass just doesn’t work for me anymore.
Meopta and Kahles are now my chosen brands , they give my particular eyesight the best clarity and low light performance.
The fixed 6 power Leupold that sat on my .223 is now sitting on a shelf which is a real shame because it never let me down and it got a torture test of dust and bouncing on the dashboard of the ute for thousands of km’s in outback Australia.

Originally Posted by Ground Control

I’ve owned a few Leupold’s over the years, and they never let me down .
Buttttt........ as I’ve got older my eyesight has degraded and for whatever reason Leupold glass just doesn’t work for me anymore.
Meopta and Kahles are now my chosen brands , they give my particular eyesight the best clarity and low light performance.
The fixed 6 power Leupold that sat on my .223 is now sitting on a shelf which is a real shame because it never let me down and it got a torture test of dust and bouncing on the dashboard of the ute for thousands of km’s in outback Australia.

This was the same with me a few years a go now
No more Dioptre + left in the Leupold's for me.

Have you tried a scope with Side Focus
What a difference that makes for aging eyes.

Reticle focus vs image focus.
Sf for image, diopter for reticle.

Originally Posted by Dicko

Reticle focus vs image focus.
Sf for image, diopter for reticle.

Interesting
Appears to focus both with me - on full mag that is

"In the U.S. some of the larger retail chains must get a pretty good discount on massive inventory orders, way, way more than little ole NZ could ever compare to. 330 million population compared to just under 5 million in NZ."

Until you go & see how huge the large Gun Stores are in America it is hard to imagine ,both the NZ & Oz markets are tiny in comparison to even single States in the US ,from memory at the start of the year in one DAY alone the FBI did over 200K back ground checks for gun purchases & were at over 3.5 Million for the month.

Originally Posted by bunji

"In the U.S. some of the larger retail chains must get a pretty good discount on massive inventory orders, way, way more than little ole NZ could ever compare to. 330 million population compared to just under 5 million in NZ."

Until you go & see how huge the large Gun Stores are in America it is hard to imagine ,both the NZ & Oz markets are tiny in comparison to even single States in the US ,from memory at the start of the year in one DAY alone the FBI did over 200K back ground checks for gun purchases & were at over 3.5 Million for the month.

Doesn't surprise me. When they did mine I couldn't believe how quick it was turned around and the shop said he had done 20 that morning (I was in at 11 in a small rural town in Montana (Ennis if anyone knows south western Montana).

No doubt, Leupold have the most comprehensive scope lineup of any manufacturer at the moment. Objective sizes in 10mm increments from 20mm up to 60mm I believe.

Realistically, the 40mm odd objective size in 3-12 power with side focus, locking elevation dial and capped windage is the most versatile scope you can get.

Leupold have a few variants of this in terms of price/quality as well, makes it more likely to appeal when compared to other manufacturers who only make one flavour per objective size.

However, I'd be willing to pay up to 25% more for a Swaro with the same features (z8i), as pricing on the high end Leupold scopes don't make sense once you buy them outside of America. You are paying more for shipping and export tax before markup is factored in.

Not only that, but the scope tube anodising and engraving on Leupolds look and feel cheap.

Can't beat forever warranty though!