"Darn Leupolds!"

I've spent several trips to the range the last couple of months w/ two rifles I've been working w/. One topped w/ a brand new VXIII 3.5-10 x 50 and the other topped w/ a new VXII 4-12x50. Both scopes fairly clear on paper but my main gripes are the poor tracking. While shooting at 200 the clicks are horribly off. one click would move impact over an inch w/ both scopes. I guess it doesn't really matter both rifles are hunting rifles and the guys using them will probably never move them unless they change loads but, it's still aggravating. They were both zeroed at 200 and grouping fairly well at that distance but, it sure was a real pain and the cause of several wasted rounds when first moving the adjustments until we figured out the problem.

I've seen other scopes w/ the same problem but, I sort of expected more from these new high priced Leupies. I do feel they'll hold their zeroes but, they'll probably be near the bottom of my list for a target scope that you intend to dial in ranges w/.

Any of you experiencing the same tracking problems w/ your Leupies?

Reloader

I sighted a friend's new 2.5-8 VX-III a couple of weeks ago. The first shot from the boresighted scope was a foot low and four inches right. The gun was on a steady rest, so I simply held it on the original point of aim while I adjusted the reticle to rest on the bullet hole. The next three shots formed a group almost perfectly placed where you would have wanted it. This says nothing about the graduations or clicks, but does indicate that the adjustments held consistently.

I have observed that the graduations on older friction-lock Leupold adjustments were pretty meaningless. The adjustments were consistent, just that you never knew what portion of MOA a graduation was supposed to represent.

"Squaring" the target is a good way to test your adjustments and their graduations. Fire a group of three. Move the windage, say, twelve clicks left and fire another three shot group. Now move the windage 12 clicks up, firing another group, after which you move 12 clicks right and shoot a group. Moving the remaining 12 clicks down should place your fifth group on top of your first. If it doesn't (and barrel heat is not the problem), then your scope adjusments are suspect.

reloader, interesting,i bought a new vx3 4.5x14x40 no ao,haven''t had a lick of problems at all,its got the varmint hunters retical and its spot on tested it to 625 works like she''s supossed too.one click should move her 1/2 inch thats all no punn bud, i know you know whats what.....does the 4x12 x50 vx2 have 1/4 inch clicks or 1/2 inch clicks like the older ones............. i used too own 3 vx2 old styles now i''m down too 1 a 3x9x50 the others were 4x12''s with ao''s there were fine also but i sold them for money and other projects, anyway years ago you couldn''t not convince me too try any other scope but Leupold since then iv''e smartened up and tryed other brands very happy i did,Nikons,Burris,Nightforce have all made me proud, i know you like nikons, i bought a new older style 4.5x16 ao Buckmaster scope on sale clearence, mounted it on my 700 26 inch shilen 25-06, and it Impressed the heck out of me, also shot a friends Burris signatue select 4.5x16 44..balisti plex ao and couldn''t deside between the burris ss same power but different retical balistic mil-dot or the vx3 4.5x40 varmint retical no ao,......sorry so windy..... i finally chose the LEUPY cause she had more internal inch adjustment,it sure pays too shop and take the time 2 compare,Nightforce scopes are the CREAM of the crop as far as my money goes.. regards jjmp

jjmp,

I'm not saying they aren't good scopes, I just expected them to track better than they did. They are the 1/4" type. Both rifles are out of my hands now and back w/ their owners and like I said, they're zeroed and I don't expect them to move. It was just a pain when I first started w/ each. You know the drill, for example: impacts 4" left at 200 move her 8 clicks right etc. only those two went way more than 4" had to waste several rounds to get them figured out but, all is good now. I've run into several scopes that didn't track right.

That reticle your speaking of on your rifle sure takes all of the guess work out. I wish my new VXII had that instead of the FD but, the FD is pretty nice for punching paper.

Most folks will never need to dial turrets anyway.

I only have two scopes w/ over size turrets on a couple of HB rigs and they do just fine for what I use them for but I really don't even need the turrets. I'm not a varmint hunter and the game I'd shoot at w/ them is usually less than 400 and holdovers are pretty easy on big game at those short ranges.

Good Luck

Reloader

reloader thanks i''d never question your rational, but i also frown on wasteing perfectly good reloads, nothing wrong with your Fd retical, i have a couple also, and your right they punch paper great as they preform on long distance targets, you are cleared for take-off friend,regards jjmp

The Leupolds I have owned have always had so-so adjustments. The good news was that an adjustment always moved POI in the direction intended, the bad news was, that it was anybody's guess how much a particular scope would move for a given number of clicks. Still, it was not too bad, and in general the scopes have been reliable and trouble free.
- mike

Reloader,
I have a Leupold Varix III 4.5-14x40. Without going into all the details, just to say I dread trying to make any adjustments to it. Not good for my sanity.
Pete

quote:

Originally posted by Reloader:
"Darn Leupolds!"
While shooting at 200 the clicks are horribly off. one click would move impact over an inch w/ both scopes.

Any of you experiencing the same tracking problems w/ your Leupies?

Reloader

I've had simular troubles with just about any scope, but when I test them on a collimeter they track quite good, even the el cheapos.

Check me here, but at 200 yards 2 clicks would be 1 inch wouldn't it?
Well if you were getting an inch group and you shifted 1 inch over, you could have a shot still in the old group, or maybe 1 1/2" over.

With wind changes and a "not the best shot" the scope changes could look quite dodgie.

In my usual case, chasing the perfect zero, I'd be adjusting a bit thisaway and a bit thataway and weeks later decide I was just getting moved by light wind movements.

If you blokes get me to worrying I might put the bore-sighter on and wind the Vari-x 11 around to see how it goes.

JAL,

What your saying about group size and whatnot may be true if you are just shooting a couple of rounds at said distance.

When grouping then adjusting in calm conditions, improper tracking can be a real pain. You can usually find out the adjustments quite easily w/ just a few rounds but, who wants to waste good handloads . IMO for what we pay for these "Quality Optics" if it says 1/4", it should move 1/4" period.

Your right, alittle wind on range days is not the best time to be zeroing.


Reloader

Thanks for the post, all this time I thought the trouble I was having zeroing a leupold was operator error!!

Reloader the clicks on most of my Leupolds are to say the least not consistant. I have lots of Leo's but I don't use the clicks other than for zero. In the past I've heard lots of guys say they use clicks on them to adjust. I'd love for my benchrest competition to do the same thing. That's why I didn't pick a Leupold for my BR gun. I have a Weaver T36 and it clicks are as repeatable as it gets.

Funny, I recently bought a Burris FFII 2x7. The instructions said one click = 1/2" at 100 yards. Under the elevation cap there was a sticker from the factory saying one click = 1/4". I figured the instructions might be wrong. Found out the sticker was wrong after my first adjustment took me off the paper.

Well I did it. After a trip up the hill and the Leupold was handy I got the bore-sighter out and stuck it in the barrel.
I moved the retical over onto a line as a starting point.
Turned the friction adjustment until I got to the next line which was supposed to be about 4" at 100yards.
Looked at the scope scale and it was dead on 4".
Set it back and went the other way. Dead on 4" again. These blokes don't know what their talking about I thinks.

So set the xhairs back where they were on the bore-sighter. . . bugger, it was 1 1/2" off the zero. Rechecked the setting, turned the turrets back and forth, tapped the scope, reset the xhair, and the best I could get was at least 1" out from the previous zero mark.

I'll have to shoot it to see whats what if ever I get a calm day, and I'll never doubt you guys again.

So I took my Leupold 3-9x Vari-x 11 out today, still set 1" to the left where the bore-sighter reckoned it started from.
Sure enough it shot 1" to the left. Set it back on zero, and 5 shots dead centre.

And no, it's not for sale.

i have found my newly purchased VX3 to track as reliably, if not more so then my schmidt & bender and zeiss conquest

quote:

Originally posted by Jay Johnson:
Reloader the clicks on most of my Leupolds are to say the least not consistant. I have lots of Leo's but I don't use the clicks other than for zero. In the past I've heard lots of guys say they use clicks on them to adjust. I'd love for my benchrest competition to do the same thing. That's why I didn't pick a Leupold for my BR gun. I have a Weaver T36 and it clicks are as repeatable as it gets.

That's EXACTLY what I've noticed on the range with the guys who've wasted money on resellable scopes.

"Squaring" the target is a good way to test your adjustments and their graduations."

Does anyone know if the following scopes would "pass" the Squaring-the-target test?
- Nikon Monarch
- Burris Euro Diamond

Size would be in the 1.5-6x or 2-7x range, if that matters. I'm thinking of getting one of the above for a Rem 700 in .308.

Thanks,

Hunter308