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leupold

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Poll Question: Do you think they are worth the cost?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
28 [56.00%]
22 [44.00%]
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don940 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote don940 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: leupold
    Posted: June/26/2006 at 20:38
If you have owned one do you belive they are worth the money spent bar the waranty?
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varmint700 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote varmint700 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/26/2006 at 21:37
 I have a VXIII 8.25-25x50  they are nothing I don't like about this scope.                            
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cheaptrick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2006 at 15:14

I say no.

Not worth the cost.

 

There are a lot of players in the scope game these days and Leupold's lifetime warranty, while superb, doesn't justify the cost of the scope for the quality of the product.

IMHO, of course.

 

They continue to price themselves out of the market, while failing to provide much in the way of innovative advances like coatings, glass, design, etc.

 

The new VXL is about the only thing that they have come out with lately that has been remotely interesting in their hunting line.

The FFP tactical Mark 4's are too little, too late. 

For about the same money, a guy could get a Night Force, XOTIC, USO or IOR.   

The new and improved VX line has been a bust, in my opinion.

Still can't compete with the Conquest.

 

No hate for Leupold here. I appreciate what they did and were "back in the day".

Technology advanced, and Loopie sat on their collective......laurels.

 

This poll will back up my above assertions, I believe. 

If at first you don't secede...try..try again.
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Trinidad View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trinidad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2006 at 17:47

Another No here. It is very hard to break old habits, I was tought how to shoot with a Leupold

and used nothing but Mark 4's and VX III's for a while. I believed they were the best scopes

when I was at a young age, and they could have been at that time. I started looking at different

scopes and features always comparing them to my Leupold's and as time passed and expierience

was gained I found much better value and advances in other brands without the constant increases

in price. Cheaptricks post is Exellent this is also how I feel now. Leupold makes great scopes but

they are overpriced in todays market. My next scope purchase is a Nightforce. I am in the

process of ordering one at this time. My friends Nightforce is a total work of art.

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bikenjam View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bikenjam Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2006 at 18:52
well, looks like i'm one of the few to think that the leupolds are worth the money.  I have a burris black diamond, and friends of mine have the V-3, mark 4, nightforce benchrest, and nightforce NXS.  I have looked through all of them and compared them.  After doing so, i'm not overly impressed with my Burris black diamond, which was the lowest on clairity. But the real surprise was looking through the two leupolds and two nightforce's.  The NXS was better than the bench rest, but both were not as clear as either of the leupolds.  I could notice it, along with the owner of the nightforces.  Nightforce has the best features and great reticles, but the optical clarity isn't up to the leupold.  i have not compared these scopes to any other high end scopes yet.  My friend with the Mark 4 was very fortunet to pick one up when they were on sale for 670 bucks (6.5-20 X 50 long range)  looking back i wish i would have bought a few. 
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ceylonc View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ceylonc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2006 at 19:36

Originally posted by bikenjam bikenjam wrote:

well, looks like i'm one of the few to think that the leupolds are worth the money.  I have a burris black diamond, and friends of mine have the V-3, mark 4, nightforce benchrest, and nightforce NXS.  I have looked through all of them and compared them.  After doing so, i'm not overly impressed with my Burris black diamond, which was the lowest on clairity. But the real surprise was looking through the two leupolds and two nightforce's.  The NXS was better than the bench rest, but both were not as clear as either of the leupolds.  I could notice it, along with the owner of the nightforces.  Nightforce has the best features and great reticles, but the optical clarity isn't up to the leupold.  i have not compared these scopes to any other high end scopes yet.  My friend with the Mark 4 was very fortunet to pick one up when they were on sale for 670 bucks (6.5-20 X 50 long range)  looking back i wish i would have bought a few. 

 

Welcome to the forum.  Good to have another opinion to add to the mix.

 

It's a funny thing how opinions differ.  Everybody on this planet sees just a tad differently from every other human in existance.  With that being said, my eyes couldn't disagree more with what your eyes are seeing .  I have owned two Leupolds & looked through countless more both in stores, in parking lots, at hunting camps, etc., etc.  With that being said, I have NEVER looked through a Leupold that had better clarity than a Nightforce of any model.  Just last week I looked through (side-by-side) a Nightforce NXS vs. Zeiss Conquest vs. Leupold VX-L (I have my opinions posted on this site).  To me and two of the sales reps the clarity of the Leupold came in third when compared to the other two.

I think the problem isn't necessarily that Leupold scopes aren't of good quality (they are).  The problem is that you pay a premium for what you get and the quality, features and benefits of their upper & premium lineups have been surpassed by the competition's offerings at a lower retail cost.

Seriously, you owe it to yourself to look through the following scopes in an outdoor enviroment and then compare the VX-L or Mark 4.  Just be sure you're comparing respective models that are similiar or identical in magnification and front objective size.  I think you'll wonder why you're paying a $700-1,200 for a VX-L or a Mark 4.  Check these out:

1) Nightforce NXS;

2) Zeiss Conquest;

3) IOR;

4) Kahles CL models;

5) Swarovski Professional & American models;

6) Zeiss 30mm models;

7) Bushnell Elite 4200;

8) Nikon Monarch;

9) Xotic (huge scope but fantastic quality)

10) Weaver Grand Slam (too see that high quality isn't necesarily over $500)

 

Best of luck

 

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote martin3175 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2006 at 20:40
2 cents worth- I own a couple of VX-III's and overall they are nice scopes. Are they worth $100  plus more than  a 4200 elite or Zeiss Conquest___Nope.___
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don940 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote don940 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/28/2006 at 07:44

 Check these out:

1) Nightforce NXS;

2) Zeiss Conquest;

3) IOR;

4) Kahles CL models;

5) Swarovski Professional & American models;

6) Zeiss 30mm models;

7) Bushnell Elite 4200;

8) Nikon Monarch;

9) Xotic (huge scope but fantastic quality)

10) Weaver Grand Slam (too see that high quality isn't necesarily over $500)

 

 

 

 

 ceylonc
 Is this the order that you would rate these scopes? best being No 1



Edited by don940
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ceylonc View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ceylonc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/28/2006 at 09:45
Originally posted by don940 don940 wrote:

 Check these out:

1) Nightforce NXS;

2) Zeiss Conquest;

3) IOR;

4) Kahles CL models;

5) Swarovski Professional & American models;

6) Zeiss 30mm models;

7) Bushnell Elite 4200;

8) Nikon Monarch;

9) Xotic (huge scope but fantastic quality)

10) Weaver Grand Slam (too see that high quality isn't necesarily over $500)

 

 ceylonc
 Is this the order that you would rate these scopes? best being No 1

 

Hmm, I'll try to rate them from one to 10 (1 being the "best" and so on down).  Just my opinion, mind you, and others will certainly differ.  Here goes:

1) Zeiss 30mm models;

2) Nightforce NXS (as a side note, I'd say Schmidt & Bender should go here but their prices are insane so I'm not including them)

3) Kahles CL models;

4) Swarovski PH (then AH line);

5) Xotic

6) IOR

7) Zeiss Conquest

8) Nikon Monarch

9) Bushnell Elite 4200

10 Weaver Grand Slam

 

Just my humble $.02.  Hope this helps.  As a side note, I'd say that optically the VX-L falls somewhere between the Monarch & Elite 4200.

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Trinidad View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trinidad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/28/2006 at 14:44

Hello Ceylonc

 

Is that your Kahles CL on ebay? Is that sale to fund a Nightforce purchase?

It looks like somebody is going to get a good deal on a nice scope if it is.

Ceylonc what is your opinion on the construction of the conquest compared

to scopes in the same price range like Leupold, kahles, IOR etc..

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ceylonc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/28/2006 at 16:23

SVD666,

Yep, that's my Kahles CL on ebay!  I am indeed selling it to fund the purchase of a Nightforce.  I didn't sleep very well for a few nights as I tired to decide whether I wanted to sell this scope .  In the end I decided that the Nightforce, both in quality of glass and my intended application, would better serve my needs than the CL.  Mind you I do have ANOTHER Kahles CL in 4x12 52mm that I am keeping so I'm not forsaking the CL line, just diversifying based on my needs!  Whomever wins that auction is literally getting a scope that is in almost new condition with glass that is, in my opinion, better than anything else out there in a 1" tube for under $1,200!  Part of me HATES to be selling.  Hopefully I'll be able to go through with the sale & not withdraw the auction altogether.  Right now it looks like it's going to sell at or below $700 and that IS AN ABSOLUTE STEAL FOR THIS SCOPE!

 

With regard to your question, I believe that the Conquest is a very well made scope.  Others may disagree with me on this but I think that the turrets on the Conquest are certainly robust enough for what 99% of hunters/target shooters put them through.  The adjustments (based on many reviews on this site) appear to be accurate & consistant and I have yet to read an owner claim that their Conquest did not hold zero.  For comparison sake, every IOR I have checked out appeared to be very rugged and built to take a beating.  They are probably over-engineered for most users and feel heavier than any Conquest I've held.  I am a big fan of IOR (especially the MP8 reticle) and believe that they offer a heck of a deal for the money.  With regard to Kahles, I own 2 and know of 2 friends that hunt with 30mm tube models.  All of us feel that the quality, performance & construction of Kahles is top notch.  Do a box test with a Kahles & you'll be amazed!  The adjustments are extremely precise and the scopes are some of the brightest on the market.  They are also tough as hell.  One friend dropped his rifle about 12-15ft. (fell from his ladder stand; just the rifle, not him) and the zero never changed from the gun.  Killed an 8 point that evening without touching the scope after the fall.  Finally, I've owned a couple of Leupold scopes & never had a problem with one.  Had a friend complain that his VX3 reticle went bad but I'm sure Leupold took care of him.  Adjustments aren't near as precise as the Kahles but they are good enough for any hunter.  This may not be the case with the Mark 4 but it certainly applied to the VX II & VX III I owned. 

Hope this helps.  Just my opinions...  I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Conquest for the most rugged of terrain.

 

 

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Trinidad View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trinidad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/28/2006 at 16:52

Thanks Ceylonc for a exellent post, I was unsure about the conquest due to its light construction,

It did not feel robust enough when I handled it in a shop but I will take your word for it that it is a

well made scope. Good luck on your Kahles, hopefully you will get back most of what you paid.

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ba_50 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/30/2006 at 15:58
I figure we are paying for 2 or 3 scopes, in the purchase price, that's why the warranty is so good. Either that or they sure get paid good. 
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