Leopold or Nikon?

[TommyGun496]

I have a handful of both.  I prefer the Leupold, but my wife's Monarch bino's and Buckmaster scope work good!  I would not hesitate to buy another Buckmaster scope (when the time comes).

[DRobnsn]

Plinker rifle, possibly Nikon unless something else catches my eye.

Hunting rifle= Leupold all the way.

One reason I say this is Warranty, I've had a couple good friends have to send optics to them shortly before hunting season and they get them back within days not weeks or months. No questions asked. 

[thinkingman]

Plinker rifle, possibly Nikon unless something else catches my eye.

Hunting rifle= Leupold all the way.

One reason I say this is Warranty, I've had a couple good friends have to send optics to them shortly before hunting season and they get them back within days not weeks or months. No questions asked.

Exactly why I own Nikon, not Leupold.
Never had a friend have to send one back right before the season for a replacement.
I do have a friend running a Sightron SII because his Leupold fogged inside during a hunt and cost him a nice whitetail.

[CoryTDF]

Having just sent back a Luepold Kenai spotter and upgrading to the Nikon Feildscope ED I would say Nikon. Their customer service is great and a warranty you cant beat.

[Mongo Hunter]

+1 Leupold

Been using them for years on multiple rifles. even their "lower end" Rifleman line is really good, people make fun of it cause its what they sell at walmart not knowing the riflemen line are just Leupold's older scopes.

[Bean Counter]

Both have great customer service. It really boils down to which is better glass. I think Nikon edges out Leupold hence they make up the bulk of value of my hunting optics.

[DRobnsn]

Plinker rifle, possibly Nikon unless something else catches my eye.

Hunting rifle= Leupold all the way.

One reason I say this is Warranty, I've had a couple good friends have to send optics to them shortly before hunting season and they get them back within days not weeks or months. No questions asked.

Exactly why I own Nikon, not Leupold.
Never had a friend have to send one back right before the season for a replacement.
I do have a friend running a Sightron SII because his Leupold fogged inside during a hunt and cost him a nice whitetail.

Well, I guess I should have written that different. I don't recall saying replacement but at any rate none of the instances were manufacture defect. All self inflicted and still no questions asked.

 Lets say you want mark 4 target turrets on your leupold scope that didn't come with them shortly before hunting season from what I've seen less than a week, how about Nikon? Also can you talk directly to the guy working on the optic like you can with leupold? 

[huntnphool]

Plinker rifle, possibly Nikon unless something else catches my eye.

Hunting rifle= Leupold all the way.

One reason I say this is Warranty, I've had a couple good friends have to send optics to them shortly before hunting season and they get them back within days not weeks or months. No questions asked.

Lets say you want mark 4 target turrets on your leupold scope that didn't come with them shortly before hunting season from what I've seen less than a week, how about Nikon? Also can you talk directly to the guy working on the optic like you can with leupold?

Yes

[JoeE]

They are both good. Both have great warranties and customer service. Burris is good too 

[Taco280AI]

Nikon make good scopes, I just don't like the big eye box they have now, prefer the more compact one most others offer, mincluding Leupold

[Don Fischer]

I prefer Leupold simply because they are the only scopes I have ever owned in 35+ years.  Never a single problem so I see no reason for me to consider a change.

that is one of the most honest answer's I ever read. People get a product that works well for them and a lot tend to stick with it. Many will tell you it's the best out there but they don't tell you it's the only brad they ever had. And if they had another brand, either it was flawed (every body put's one out like that now and then) or they had trouble with other scopes but they were all $90 scope's. I have right now two Nikon Buckmaster's, very good scope's. I've got two Denver Redfield's, my favorite ever. A weaver K4, very good scope. And a Bushnell Banner that's probably older than a lot of the people on this site. I've had Tasco's and the old World Class was a good scope for me but, I don't think I'd trust another very far on a rifle that recoils much. Another Tasco, no World Class, had the front len's fall out from recoil. I had a low dollar Weaver that I could not say one good thing about. Got it for free and wish I'd never seen it! Several different newer Bushnell's and a couple other really low dollar scope's I don't recall the manufacturer.

My feeling on scopes is that major manufacturer's are not gonna fool around and market all low grade scope's. And the glass they people rave about is probably so close in quality to lesser scopes it's not worth considering. If your a hunter, accurate adjustment's are important.
But, people that claim this glass or that is best have no way of telling other than looking through them, there's better ways. With these people you'll also find that the more your willing to pay the better the glass get's. I don't buy that. I think the more you pay up to a point, the better the adjustments, better dust and water seals, ect. Is a $2000 scope better than a $250 scope? If your just a hunter, I doubt it. How about the $500 scopes, they not so good as a $2000 scope? I doubt that too. It reach's a point where you end up paying for a name or some do-dad you don't need rather than paying for a good scope. Most I ever paid for a new scope was about $300. That was my Nikon Buckmaster 4 1/2-14x. My 30-06 has a 2 3/4x Denver Redfield thats about 40+ yrs old and my 308 has another 1-4x Redfield as old. Paid well under a $100 for both and they both work very well still today. My Nikon 3-9x I don't recall how much I paid but not much. Old bushnel Banner, don't recall but not much. What they all have in common is that they just keep working year after year. Now the old Redfields were premium scopes in their day, they are still great scopes today. My Bushnell Banner wasn't a premium scope but it just keeps going on on my 25-06.

If you have the money to throw around on a scope, the high dollar scopes will probably do very well. But if you don't, you'll find them from about $150 up that will work very well. It must say something the leupold will put the same guarantee on the Redfield that they do their top of the line scope. And Nikon is guaranteed for life no matter who own's the scope. I will be carefull of buying another Nikon though. My 4 1/2-14x had the BDC reticle in it and I hate it. But figured Nikon could change that for me and it was the last one around here. Forget it, they will not change it. Other than that, very nice scope. Customer service goes a long way and nobody has a better record of that than leupold. BTW, I have only ever had one Leupold in my life; it was a very nice scope!

So between a Leupold and a Nikon, I would buy the scope that come's the way I want it and not hope that a manufacturer will change something for me after the buy even though I would be willing to pay for it.

[Eli346]

 I had a salesman at Sportsmans Warehouse tell me that Nikon made the glass for Leupold scopes and then I heard it again from a different source. I've got Leupold binos and Nikon scopes. Gold Rings and Buckmasters. The rubber ring on the reticle on the scope has saved me a couple of cuts on snap shots up a hill. 300 WSM can still kick fairly well if your caught up in the moment.

[Wacenturion]

Whatever one works the best for you.  Research them by looking through each one in different light conditions...like outside the store.  Try various magnifications etc.  As much as I try to like Leupold, they just seem to be like an offset tunnel view to me.  What I mean is the full field is not there instantly when I throw up, and I have to adjust my eye position slightly to achieve that.  Occasionally I'll find a Leupold model that will work.    However with my Nikon Monarchs, Burris Signatures and Fullfields (older USA ones)  the full view is immediately evident.

I spent a lot of time looking through scopes until I was convinced which one I perferred.  I too have had old Redfield's and also have a vintage Browning 2x7 (this one Burris made) on a Browning Safari.....same instant view.

I have one NIB Leupold FX 4x that I'm putting on a Model 70 JOC (Jack O'connor Tribute) to duplicate what Jack had on his .270, but I'm hesitant to do so, as I really don't like the scope as much as I should.  May eventually just put another Monach on like the other Model 70's.

By the way, the Nikons appear clearer and better in the light department than the Leupolds as far as my sight is concerned.  That's what I meant as far as what works best for you.  Everyone's eyesight is different.  Good luck.

[bowhunterty]

Like Vortex over them both. Great warranty.

[splitshot]

leupold cuz it is harder to spell.  they are both good.  I had a leupold fog up and they sent me a new scope.  I did not tell them I fell down and scratched my gun and scope real bad.  mike w