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Another Leupold bites the DUST! ARRRGGGGG

4K views 31 replies 22 participants last post by  MikeM0331 
#1 ·
And my m1a ate the leupold m3 that was on it the parallax knob no longer works. Ugh warranty time.

BTW this was a new 2013 year model.
 
#3 ·
If you get such poor service out of a Leupold why do you continue to use them? I hear there are a lot of counterfeit Leupold's out there that can be bought cheap and then they don't hold up. I've never had to send one of mine back to the factory. I continue to buy them.

Hobo
 
#4 ·
From browsing snipers hide leupolds indeed seem to fail the most.

My theory is like SAI they fail more because they are more popular.
 
#7 ·
Sorry to hear about your scope troubles. Warranty service is a PITA. I hve been using the same Leupold 4.5x14 scope for eight years w/o any problems. I also have a SS10x42 that has been solid for about the same amount of time. I think for the money I like the SS better.
 
#11 ·
I thought I destroyed the SWFA SS 10x42 on my M-1A, then I found a loose screw on the Troy chassis that would account for the constant shift in zero...... I installed a Bushnell DMR 3.5-21x50 on it (before finding the loose screw) that I need to finish sighting in.

I am going to try the SS on the AR in 6.8 as soon as I can afford a LaRue 104 for it..... I am going to get one with the 1 inch rings as I already have a spare set of 30MM rings for it that will work with the SS. The Leupold VX2 1-4X32 that currently resides on the 6.8 is a 1 inch, so I will have a good mount should I decide to reinstall that back on the 6.8.... Whichever one doesn't stay on the 6.8 will probably go on the Marlin 336 in .30-30...... Just hope the SS is actually ok as it has great glass for the $300 price I paid for it....
 
#15 ·
Well what sort of scope do you want? Variable, fixed power, mildot, holdover reticule like a Horus? Think about that for a little while and then post back. Contrary to popular belief there are good options @ 1000 but a lot of people avoid them because they don't have all the bells and whistles they are after.



You have no idea how many times I've looked at that post on sniper's hide I am just broke dick right now. Otherwise it would be mine already.
 
#16 ·
I have been running a Leupold Mark 4 fixed 10x with M1 knobs on my M1A for several years without issue. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.
 
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#17 ·
Buy something old

I am of the opinion that the older an item, the better made it is. Some years back, the Unertl was replace by Leupold in the military. Then they got dumped (because the couldn't stand up to the desert) for Night Force.
I would suspect a 20-30 yr old Leupold would be better made than a current. Scopes are like shoes: most are now made in China, and choice is based on style, what you want to do with it, and price.
German glass is great, so is CO Redfields. All under $500.
 
#18 ·
Doesn't surprise me at all. I run a school where Sniper/Precision Rifle is the most common course that I teach. By far, the most common scope that I see fail is the Leupold Mark4. I see more of them fail than all the other scope failures put together.

Of course Leupold has excellent customer service..........they have a lot of practice!
 
#19 ·
My rifle ate a Leupold VX-1 3-9x40 scope in one season. Sent it back to Leupy and they repaired it good as new in one month, great CS.

I asked the guy at CS what model will hold up to a M14 type of violence and his reply was the VX-3 model cuz' it has a dual suspension system and is built more rugged.

Have a VX-3 4.5 -14 x40 on my girl now so we will see how it holds up to a M14.
 
#22 ·
I just started using a scope on an M-1A about three years ago. I don't get to shoot all that often so I can't say what scope will hold up on one. I have heard repeatedly that M-1A/M-14's are very hard on a scope, so when POI started shifting all over the place on my SWFA SS 10X42 I figured I had destroyed it. Bought a much more expensive scope, a Bushnell DMR 3.5-21x50, same thing was still happening, thought I destroyed it in a single trip to the range..... Found this blog site and figured out very quickly what my problem is, and it wasn't the scope or operator error..... It was a loose screw on the stock. Basically, check your rig for issues that can contribute to scope failure/change in POI first...

I have been using a Leupold VX-2 on an AR-15 in multiple calibers (5.56, 6.8 SPC II) for about ten years with no issues whatsoever. I have been using a Mk4 on an AR-10 for about 18 months now with no issues. I know that those weapons don't compare with an M-1A when it comes to recoil, as the AR-10 is far milder in recoil than the M-1A....

But your stock setup (Troy in my case) and mount system can make a huge difference. How your gas system is set up can make a big difference. Do you shoot hot loads or heavy bullets consistently? Maybe you need to use a grooved gas cylinder piston to reduce recoil..... Since I want to be able to use M-80 ball, and Sadlak doesn't recommend it with their grooved piston, I will have to stick to a stock gas cylinder piston or a TiN coated Sadlak without the grooves...... think I will go with the Sadlak just to minimize fouling issues in critical situations....
 
#23 ·
I'm sure it's the scope. I had it sitting on a table in front of me and the parallax knob did nothing. Put an old reliable M3 from 20 years ago on the rifle for now. The quality difference between the older ones and newer ones is apparent if you use them enough and if you can find an old leupold, like an Ultra M3 from waaaaaaay back then it's a wonderful scope. They just don't have that same quality anymore.
 
#29 ·
+1 on NXS.

While hunting my Arctic Warfare Magnum topped with a 5.5x22x56 took a spill from the top of the truck. Scope took a beating. Went to the 600 yard range on the hunting place where I have 6x6 steel, dialed the 600 yard dope, the 210 VLD smacked the plate. Besides the character engraved by the rocks in the scope and a bent sunshade, the rig was good to go.
 
#28 ·
I have recently gone to using Nikkons for rimfire & centerfire. No troubles yet, but then again I have only had them for about 18 months and have only used them for target shooting out in the hills, plains, & desert.

So actually, my reply is not really worth much. I think even a Tasco could stand up to what I have been doing with mine.

RNS
 
#30 ·
I have one of the original Leupold VariX-III 2.5-8x36mm scopes that I got used in 1995. For the past 17 years it has held perfect zero on my hunting rig, a Remington 788 in .308. Now, it only gets fired 6-10 rounds per year, but the fact that I haven't had to make a single adjustment in that time still amazes me.
 
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