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Need help with Leupold, please!

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tsg915 View Drop Down
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    Posted: January/12/2016 at 20:36
Ok, so I want to start out by saying I'm a new hunter. I bought a Browning X-Bolt Eclipse Hunter in a .308 and I bought a VX 3 4.5x14x40mm Leupold. I bought all this at a local and well-known outfitting store that sells guns and everything revolved around hunting gear. The guy asked if I wanted him to mount it for me and I said sure (being the new hunter I am, I felt more confident he could do a better job). He bore sighted it with some metal thing he put at the end of the barrel and all that stuff. Well, when I got home I was looking through the scope just because I was in fascination mode and I noticed that when I look through it on full magnification, a black ring appears in the image and the only way to get rid of it is to basically put my eye right up on the scope. When it's on the lowest magnification, the image is full and there is no black ring. I only see the black ring as I start to zoom in on the scope. I've tried googling a ton of things and I can't seem to find the right answer. Sorry if I got any of the lingo wrong, but remember, I'm new at all this. EDIT: I didn't buy a cheap scope and I read that a lot of cheap scopes have bad eye relief problems and that this might be the problem. But, this scope is fairly pricey in my opinion though.
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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: January/12/2016 at 21:27
Leupolds are known for pretty extreme variable eye relief. The more u turn it up the closer your eye has to get.

Many scopes on higher mag the eye box gets very critical. Sounds like your scope suffers from both.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Rainman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/12/2016 at 22:19
You bought an excellent package.  Many of us here own, use and like Leupold rifle scopes while others prefer other brands.  You didn't mention whether the salesman just installed the scope or involved you in the process of setting the fore/aft position to your eye, arm length and body shape.  Eye relief is less critical at lower magnification so the final positioning of the scope needs to be validated at different magnification settings to identify the best overall scope position.  If you have access to a range that is the best place to fine tune scope adjustments and you are very likely to run into experienced shooters who know how to and will be glad to help you get to where you need to be.  At that point you can fire at a target to fine tune the bore sighting the salesman did at the shop.  Bore sighting will usually get you on the target at 100 yards but you will need to adjust the scope turrets to establish the final zero for hunting with the ammo you plan to use.  Read the Leupold directions before you go and take them to the range with you.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JLud Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/12/2016 at 22:34
If you can upload a pic of how the scope sits on the rifle would be helpful.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Urimaginaryfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/12/2016 at 22:50
Difficult to know what is going on without seeing it in person or at least photos.  I would suggest you go back to the place you bought it if its a reasonable distance and ask them about it to see if it is correctly mounted and if the eye relief is correct for you.  Also suggest you ask one of your friends to look through it to see what he says preferable one who is familiar with firearms.  That scope should have 4.4  (at low powers) to 3.7 inches (at high powers) of eye relief--- distance between the back glass and your eye.  Just because someone in a store mounted it doesnt mean it is properly adjusted for you when you are holding it correctly.  Your cheek should be consistently in the same place in relation to the stock and the scope without having to struggle to see through it.

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tsg915 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tsg915 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/12/2016 at 23:32
I can upload several pictures of the setup whenever I get home (I work night shift) to try and give y'all a better idea of it. But, I can tell you he didn't include me in on the process when he mounted the scope and bore sighted it. I plan on taking it to the Sheriff's Academy that I went through and seeing how it does on their 100 yard range just to see. But, I will definitely get those pictures up tomorrow. Thank y'all for the help! I really appreciate it, and I'm very glad none of y'all gave me crap about being a new hunter. Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 8shots Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/13/2016 at 01:57

Tsg915, I run Leupold on my rifles and they are pretty good. I have none of the issues you about.

How to set your scope in with one bullet!!!!

Set up a target 25 yds away, as big as possible. This is to make sure your bullet lands somewhere where you will see the hole. About 1ydx1yd target is ideal.

Aim at the bull and fire. Then use a good rest on the front and rear of your rifle and set it up so that you are again aiming at the bull. Then, without moving the rifle(get a friend to help hold the rifle rock steady) move the reticle (using the windage and elevation adjustment knobs) onto the bullet hole.

Wallah, you are dead nuts and good to go to 100yds and check everything with another shot.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote magshooter1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/13/2016 at 08:00
It may be that particular model/variation of Leupold scope.  I know several people who don't care at all for the 4.5-14 Leupolds.  I've never had one.  I currently have 8 and have had several more and liked all of them but they were all fixed/variables of 10x or less.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JGRaider Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/13/2016 at 08:03
tsg, you've got a great combo there, you just need to get it set up correctly to start out with.   When mounting any variable no matter the brand, it's best to set the scope on the highest magnification setting, in this case 14x, and then proceed mounting it.  Scoot the scope as far back toward your eye as necessary to get a full field of view when you take your normal cheek weld/shooting position.  All of the lower powers will still have a full field of view as well, since the lower power you use, the more forgiving the view (eye box) is.   I have a couple of that exact model VX3, and they work extremely well when mounting them like this.  

Also, getting the correct focus on the VX3 is critical to getting the most out of your scope.  Point the scope towards a clear sky and move the eyepiece until the reticle is very sharp and stop.  I like to take it one step further though.  Now aim the rifle at a 150 or 200 yard target, and turn the eyepiece a bit more to bring the image into sharp focus while still maintaining a sharp reticle.  You must always keep the reticle sharp, but the object is to attempt to get both the image and reticle tack sharp, and it can be done rather easily.  

Good luck!  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 3_tens Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/13/2016 at 09:39
It could be the erector assembly has come loose. I had this happen on a scope once. If this is the problem they can fix it or just take it back to the store. A picture will help a lot.  PM inbound.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote urbaneruralite Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/13/2016 at 20:37
Originally posted by tsg915 tsg915 wrote:

...he didn't include me in on the process when he mounted the scope and bore sighted it...


That's your problem. The scope needs to be moved to have it the proper space from your eye when you shoulder the rifle. JGRaider explained the proper relationship in a post above.
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8shots View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 8shots Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/14/2016 at 02:39
Also, when focusing the reticle, frequently look away and back again, as the eye adjusts to the out of focus reticle. Well Chuck Norris's does anyway.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fletchman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/14/2016 at 18:41
Welcome to the hunting world. What I would do is contact Leupold customer service.  The guys at Leupold I have talked to are all hunters and really want to reach out and help their customers. They know their product and can get any problems worked out.  They have the best customer service department I have ever dealt with.  Example - I had a 30 year old Vari-X II, 3 -9 x 50 that wasn't holding zero.   I had hunted all over Nevada, The Sierra's and Northern California with this mounted on a 30-06. It had been dropped and banged around pretty good.  I called them and they had me send it in.  Leupold completely rebuilt the turrets, installed new gas seals and got the specs back to original like it was new from the factory.  The cost? NO CHARGE.  The only thing I had to pay was the shipping cost to get it there. It took 14 days from the time I sent it in to the time it came back to me.  If you tell them you are a new hunter they will probably be even more helpful.  Good luckBandito
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