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Is a Leupold Mark 4 the best bet?

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slowr1der View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote slowr1der Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Is a Leupold Mark 4 the best bet?
    Posted: August/05/2010 at 10:34
So as many of you know I really don't like Leupold, I've had bad experiences with their VX-I line and wouldn't want one. That was enough to turn me off on the whole company. It seems like in their higher end scopes that while they are decent, you can still get better glass for the same amount of money. Now that being said one thing Leupold does do well is take care you with their warranty. They don't do anything above and beyond in my experience, but they do exactly what they say they will do in their warranty policy which seems rare nowadays.

So now I'm wanting a new scope and I'm seriously considering a Leupold. I originally wanted a Super Sniper variable power, but I want more power on the top end than 9x. Leupold offers what I want in their Mark 4 line.

Plus the more I think about it I realize that if I'm going to drop this much cash on a scope I want it to last a lifetime. If it doesn't last my lifetime I want someone to be there to fix it. I realize that most scopes have a lifetime warranty, but it doesn't seem like many handle warranty claims very well. Take the Bushnell warranty complaint thread for example. That pretty much ruled out the Bushnell's for me, and it seems like they own most of the cheaper scope companies as well as do the repair work for the SWFA SS scopes. This leaves higher end scopes. I'm not sure how US Optics or Nightforce are, S&B only offers a 10 year warranty which scares me as I want a lifetime warranty. So not knowing about Nightforce or US Optics this leaves Vortex and Leupold that have great warranties.

The thing that scares me about Vortex is that they are a fairly new company. I know they have a great product, and I hope they do last. However, it just scares me that if something does happen they won't be around in 20 years. Where as I feel sure that Leupold will be here in quite a few years as they have been in the past.

So knowing that I want a scope to last my lifetime, and I want a company that will stand behind their product 20 years from now is Leupold the best bet? Glass quality is important and I don't want a scope that won't track properly, but from what I've read the Leupold tracks well and has decent (not the best), but decent glass.
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supertool73 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/05/2010 at 10:46
Vortex is not new.  They have been doing business in optics since the 80s I believe.  Buy with confidence.  If anyone has better CS than leupold it is Vortex. 

Get a Nightforce over the Leupold.  They are better than Leupold in everyway and will have a similar price tag.


Edited by supertool73 - August/05/2010 at 10:50
Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.

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cyborg View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cyborg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/05/2010 at 10:47
What you have to look at is this..... The economy sucks badly right now. But gun related anything is still very strong. The only thing I see as a threat to Vortex would be an import ban, which by the way would also affect Leupold (they use foreign/outsourced parts). Then there is the ubiquitous anti gun sentiment of many a political activist/politician. Short of that, I see no reason Vortex wouldn't be around for another 20 years or so.
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Ernie Bishop View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ernie Bishop Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/05/2010 at 10:52
I have and use a number of VX-3's LR/T's and Mark 4's that I use for LR  bench-rest, LR prairie dogging, and field or tactical shooting, plus hunting of course.
Leupold is a good company.
We have shot itty bity groups at 1K with them and have killed pd's beyond 1500 yards with them.
Is there better glass out there?  Yes!
I have an 8-32 NXS which I really like, and I have used the FFP 3.5-15 NXS with great success as well.
I just got a Vortex Razor HD Spotting Scope yesterday and plan to work it out good.
I am sure there is a Vortex Razor HD riflescope in my future as well.

When it comes down to it, you need to make the decision of where you spend your money.
I don't own or use VX-1's or 2's.  I compete and hunt with Leupold's and NF. without hesitation.
I feel fairly confident I will do the same with Vortex's Razor HD riflescope as well.
Ernie



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Jon A View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jon A Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/05/2010 at 14:53
If you want a tactical scope for life, get a S&B or Hensoldt. 

First, if it's for life you don't want to be stuck with sub-par performance for the rest of your life.  Those two are so much better than anything Leupold makes there's no comparison.

Next, a good warranty on paper is less of a benefit if you're much more likely to need to use it.  And if you have problems getting them to fix what's wrong.  People have had problems sending scopes back to Leupold mutiple times only to have the "fixed" ones arrive back with problems.  While they haven't been available that long here, according to the importer no Hensoldt in this country has ever failed in any way.  S&B's reliability record is also quite impressive.  And you know with those two longstanding companies if you ever do have a problem it'll get taken care of one way or another.

There are others, but those would be my top two.

Premier's scopes are beautiful and tough as nails, and CS is great, questions about the health of the company a while back is about the only reason I didn't put it with the top two.

NF and USO have been around quite a while now and will certainly take care of you if you have any problems.  NF has the reputation of being one of the toughest and problem free scopes out there.

Vortex, as you mentioned is a good choice.  The PST's are unproven and not available right now, but if you want a scope for life I'd get their Razor.  Other than one little issue they had in early production which has been fixed, I haven't heard of a single problem from one of these.

IOR has had some reliability problems in the past, to put it mildly, with some models but so far their newest stuff seems to be doing OK.  Their glass is closer to the top three and they have some fantastic new models out.  While they have a long way to go to prove their durablility, they do have a lifetime warranty, company has been around forever so you don't need to worry about them disappearing and these days if you have any problem they pretty much just send you a new scope right away.  While I have had problems with them in the past I'd still go for one of their new ones rather than spend the same amount of money or more on an overpriced Mk 4. 

Of course if you're active duty and get the 40% discount, the Mk 4's do look like a much better value. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Flats Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/05/2010 at 15:45
Originally posted by Jon A Jon A wrote:

Of course if you're active duty and get the 40% discount, the Mk 4's do look like a much better value. 
 
Where does one get that discount; direct from Leupold?  Does it apply to other lines, or Mark 4 only?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Flats Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/05/2010 at 16:00
Disregard; just did a little Google homework. 
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Lennyo3034 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lennyo3034 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/05/2010 at 20:47
I'm in a similar boat trying to decide between the Mark 4 6.5-20 or IOR 3-18. If they were the same price, I'd go IOR all the way, but I get 40% off the Leupold which makes a significant difference.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ernie Bishop Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/05/2010 at 20:51
As Jon mentioned S&B's are superb.  Used a PM 2 5-25  for a year.  Never used a Hensoldt, but have no doubt they are everything they claim to be.
Ernie



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