Hmm... I think another posting is in order for those Leupold type doubting Thomas's, naysayers and simple contraries regarding the great performance I have personally experienced and seen in the last month of Big Game Hunting with Leupolds!
So far this fall I have been on two Mt. Goat Hunts with two different Hunters using Leupold scopes! Both performed flawlessly and held their zero in the most difficult of terrain and methods of transporting! Results two cleanly kilt Mt. Goat trophies!
Now, I have just returned from my second Antelope Safari. I Hunted with two partners on my first Safari on the opening of this season. All three of us used Leupold variable power scopes on our Hunting Rifles! All three of us were successful and no scope problems what so ever! 3 Leupolds and 3 very nice Antelope brought to bag! In addition on this Hunt I killed 3 Coyotes and a Badger with another Rifle/Leupold scope combo! The 8.5x25x40mm on my 204 Ruger calibered Varminter helped me make some real long shots on these Varmints.
Now on this just returned from Antelope Hunt I took a new Antelope Hunter on his first Antelope Hunt and I was happy to see he had a Leupold variable scope on his chosen Antelope Rifle! His Antelope trophy is now being mounted in Miles City thanks in no small part to a reliable Leupold variable!
In my travels and interactions this past month with many Hunters I observed that most were using - yeah, you guessed it, Leupolds were the most often chosen!
I will keep the Leupold naysayers aprised as the long Big Game season wears on here in Montana!
I still think a Leupold is a pretty good bargain, money pretty well invested and you will get a scope that performs well, very well in the field!
The price of scopes these days causes more than a few nimrods to try and scrimp on costs when it comes to scopes for Big Game. I hate to see this and when someone asks me for direction in choosing a scope for Big Game and their qualifier is "X" amount of dollars I direct them to search out and buy a real clean well cared for used Leupold 3x9 scope. These can be had for $150.00 if one has time to peruse a bit and they will be a very good Big Game scope!
Long live Leupold!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Between the elk and antelope hunts so far this year I have seen 100% success rates with Leupolds holding zero and 0% success rates with the two others. One was a Zeiss Diavari (Likely a loose nut behind the trigger) that was magically sited in 7" high at 100 on a 7 Mag. The other was a Tasco (Surprised?) that was hitting 2" low at 100 instead of the 2" high it had been the week before on a .270.

Vari-X III 3.5-10x50 on 25-06. Accounted for 4 antelope at ranges from 110 yards to 497 yards - all first shot drops (One antelope was hit in the spine and a second killing shot was needed).
Vari-X III 4.5-14x40 7mm RUM killed 5x6 bull with one shot at 240 yards.
Vari-X II 3-9x40 on 270 killed 5x5 bull at 296 yards one shot.
Vari-X III 3.5-10x40 on 300 Win mag killed 6x6 bull.

Of course after saying all that... I will use my 25-06 on which has the Leupold on it for deer, but will use my 300 SAUM that has a Burris on it for elk.

I wish all things in my hunting life were as cut and dried as my choice of scope; like loads and bullets, and barrels, and calibur. I can be fickle on those choices, but not scopes. For the past decade and a half, maybe more, all my rifles wear 6X fixed power Leupolds. (I gave up varialbles as usless. I did all my shooting at 3X.) I've taken game from spitting distance way out to 200 yards and my scope has been my least worrysome piece of equipment. This, from a graduate of Zeiss, Redfield, Burris, and my first, a Tasco, when I couldn't afford anything better. The only change I'll consider is maybe dropping back to a 4X on my next rifle.

I have been using Leupold scopes for over 25 years now and still have my first ones which are Vari X 11 3-9X. I have never had a Leupold scope fail or in any way had a problem with them. I'm also what you could call a scope changer. Seems like I'm never happy with which scope is on a given rifle or I purchase a new rifle and have to put a scope on it. Gives me a good reason to sight in the scope/rifle again.
Cam

Yes they have a good or great reputation.

I guess I am saying I just am not happy with mine.

Yes I took it on a recent hunt. And yes it accounted for two Antelope taken. But I still am not happy and I am going to list it in the classifieds.

I am glad you all are happy with yours.

Yup!! Leupold - the first & last name in scopes.
Bear in Fairbanks

54JNoll: I did not say the Leupolds were perfect just very good performing optics and very reliable. And they are a very good investment!
I must have missed your posting regarding your dissatisfaction with Leupolds if you don't mind could you relay them here briefly for me?
What type Leupold are you selling? I might be interested.
I bet you get a good price for that Leupold when you sell it.
I just had two Hunters over for dinner recently from New York state. They had come here to SW Montana for a weeks Antelope Hunting and had been succesful right away. After dinner we talked scopes on Hunting Rifles. They both use Leupold scopes on their Hunting Rifles. One of the Hunters literally Hunts around the world from Africa to New Zealand to Kodiak, Alaska and every year he also Hunts the Rocky Mountain states. He swears by Leupold for reliability and the ability to maintain zero in lengthy and difficult travel situations along with what he characterized as the "unsurpassed" ability of his various Leupolds to withstand extremes of wetness, weather and temperature!
He simply does not have time nor wants to chance trying out more expensive optics when he gets outstanding performance already with Leupold.
No one is more aware than I about the increasing costs of Leupolds and to tell the truth I have bought some used Varmint scopes recently that DID NOT have Gold Rings on them! But then again those scopes were bought for Varmint Hunting and will not be used for Big Game Hunting in extreme conditions.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy