RIFFLE SCOPE?

[slowwalker]

  HELLO LOOKING TO GET FEEDBACK ON 2 RIFFLE SCOPES  THE FIRST BEING LEUPOLD 2-7X33 AND THE SECOND WOULD BE VORTEX 2-10X44.OTHER OPTICS? ALL FEEDBACK WELCOME GOOD AND BAD. RANGE TO TARGET WOULD BE 250 YARDS MAX BUT ALSO COULD BE LESS THEN 100 YARDS.HUNTING BLACKTAIL WESTERN WA IN TIMBER 50% OF THE TIME.  THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

[Alchase]

I am a Leupold fan, all my hunting rifles have fire dots on them. I will be honest, I have not been a fan of Vortex scopes. I have seen way too many scopes die at the range and the vast majority have been Vortex variables, an ARs, so take that for what it is worth.

[Fidelk]

Check out Burris........Fullfield II 3-9x40 should be more than adequate for shots in the 100 yards range and out to 250. Price should be around $150-200. I've had one of those on a rifle for 20 years and it does what it's supposed to do.

[zwickeyman]

     I just bought an Anthlon Argos 2-12x44 with a duplex and fire dot for 350.00. Im putting it on top of a suppressed bolt 450 Bushmaster. Its a little over kill as I wont be shooting over 100 yds but Ill try and remember to give you my impressions of it when I get it

     All my other hunting rifles have Leupolds on them but the Freedom 3-9x30 with a firedot is 600.00 and I dont think its as good of glass as the Argos

[kselkhunter]

That Leupold 2-7x33 the Op referenced is currently on sale at Midway for a "factory blemished" buy of $249.  Just FYI.  A buddy of mine has had it on his rifle for many years and worked flawlessly.   I load custom ammo for him for that rifle, and I have quite a few rounds through it myself.  Scope is well made.  Can't comment on the Vortex.

[brew]

I like Leo scopes but my concern would be the 33 mm.  In my old age eyes and specially in the dark timber I need a bigger bell on the end.  Moving towards firedot type myself

[jrebel]

Vortex is inferior to Leupold ….. period!!!   Other more expensive scopes out there but the Leupold would fit your need perfect

[Klickitatsteelie]

Leupold all the way, seen way to many problems with vortex.

[passman65]

Leupold all the way, seen way to many problems with vortex.

How many have YOU experienced?

[phildobaggins]

I've shot a lot of Vortex. It's decent. I've shot a lot of Leuopold, and prefer them. Slightly better clarity, and generally lighter and feel better to me. 

[MADMAX]

I have both
I prefer the Leupold
Crisp and clear
Great warranty too

[Dan-o]

2 or 3 of my sons have Vortex scopes.
I think we have about 4 of them.
No issues so far.

BUT......   With all I've heard of Vortex cope failures, I would go Leupold.

[JWBINX]

Vortex is inferior to Leupold ….. period!!!   Other more expensive scopes out there but the Leupold would fit your need perfect

 

[fowl smacker]

I've got both.  My more expensive Vortex's (viper PST's) are nicer than my cheap Leupolds (Rifleman), but overall if you're comparing a higher end Leupold to a higher end Vortex go with Leupold.

[thinkingman]

Check out Burris........Fullfield II 3-9x40 should be more than adequate for shots in the 100 yards range and out to 250. Price should be around $150-200. I've had one of those on a rifle for 20 years and it does what it's supposed to do.

This is your best advice.
Burris is better glass and construction.
You know why people always comment on LeeOhpold and Vortex warranties?...Because they're necessary.
I own zero Vortex or Leupold for that reason.
My Burris Fullfield scopes lived a tough life on top of a Tikka 300WSM and 7-08 and never failed or needed zero adjustment.
Burris is clear, bright, reliable.

[jrebel]

Check out Burris........Fullfield II 3-9x40 should be more than adequate for shots in the 100 yards range and out to 250. Price should be around $150-200. I've had one of those on a rifle for 20 years and it does what it's supposed to do.

This is your best advice.
Burris is better glass and construction.
You know why people always comment on LeeOhpold and Vortex warranties?...Because they're necessary.
I own zero Vortex or Leupold for that reason.
My Burris Fullfield scopes lived a tough life on top of a Tikka 300WSM and 7-08 and never failed or needed zero adjustment.
Burris is clear, bright, reliable.

I have never had a leupold fail.....ever.  With that said, I don't own leupolds with dial turrets because they don't get the best reviews.  Where the warranty comes into play with leupold, is they will warranty a scope that is 50 years old.  They will absolutely replace a scope that is no longer manufactured....and has been abused to the point of failure.  Leupolds are fantastic scopes.  Never owned a burris so can't speak to their quality. 

[Pathfinder101]

For what it's worth:
I have a close buddy who is a long range national champion.  He has run long range shooting schools as well.  His opinion of Vortex is as follows (I am paraphrasing here):
IF you get a good Vortex, it will be as good as any scope that you buy in that price range.  HOWEVER, you may run through a couple of them before you get a "good" one.  He has seen more Vortex scopes fail than any other brand.  They have a lifetime warranty, but be prepared to use it. 
So, if he were advising you (based on the choice you originally posted), he'd advise you to get the Leupy.
That being said, he runs Sig on everything he owns now.
 

[buckfvr]

Tri-MOA reticle on the Leupold Freedom series scopes is more than adequate on most hunting rifles.  I use one on a lightweight rifle and also have several Vortex including 2 of the PST Gen 2 vipers and dont think too highly of them, adequate, yes, but not top of the line at all.

[Stein]

I've owned both and at the same price point they are similar.  Inexpensive scopes of current production will likely lose zero at some point and the chance of needing to use the warranty is pretty high.

If it were me, I would go fixed power as that would at least take one failure mode out of the equation.

[jrebel]

These post make me wonder....how many people have had a leupold scope fail?  I'm not talking repeatability with the dial / turret, but a standard 2-7 or 3x9, etc.

[Pathfinder101]

These post make me wonder....how many people have had a leupold scope fail?  I'm not talking repeatability with the dial / turret, but a standard 2-7 or 3x9, etc.

Never.  I run Sig on the guns I shoot most now, but I have several Leupolds and have never had one fail.  Same goes for binos, spotting scope and rangefinder. 

[Karl Blanchard]

I have a vx2 on the bench right now that won't hold zero even on a .22 mag. Also 2 vx freedoms that won't retain a zero even when not dialing. Leupold is really struggling these days to produce a durable scope. Their vx 5 and 6's are plagued with tracking issues. I want so badly to love and support them again but for now I've got them in the "won't buy" category with Vortex.

[jrebel]

I have a vx2 on the bench right now that won't hold zero even on a .22 mag. Also 2 vx freedoms that won't retain a zero even when not dialing. Leupold is really struggling these days to produce a durable scope. Their vx 5 and 6's are plagued with tracking issues. I want so badly to love and support them again but for now I've got them in the "won't buy" category with Vortex.

That's very interesting and a good prospective form someone that obviously shoots quite a bit.  I will admit that my newest Leupold is at least 3-5 years old and even it is an older model that a store still had on the shelf.  All my other leupolds are 10+ years old and still hold zero.   

All of my new hunting rifles sport Nightforce scopes and they speak for themselves.  I do have one Zeis V4 because another member on here....no names....was such a supporter that I had to try one....   So far it has proven to be a great scope also.   

[Magnum_Willys]

Scopes wear out like anything else.  I love my Leupolds but they wear out a lot faster than my Nightforces the way I use them.  I don't do Vortex.   I have never "noticed" a problem with my non-turret Leupolds but I'm happy with 1 moa out to 500 yard with those.

[bobcat]

I've used Leupold scopes for 40 years and never had one issue. They always hold zero and track perfect, but of course the only time I'm ever turning the dials is when I'm sighting in. Which is usually only once a year for each rifle. I always hear about how great their warranty is, but in 40 years I've not had a chance to use it.

[Karl Blanchard]

Yeah this vx2 is an old gloss model that came on a barreled action I bought. I was really surprised when it didn't hold zero. Those old leupy's are normally work horses. The freedoms didn't really surprise me when they didn't work as they are pretty inexpensive and the stuff I was seeing in the 5's and 6's kinda killed my hopes of them working. They checked the boxes on what I needed in functions for their intended applications, they just didn't hold up.

[Karl Blanchard]

I've used Leupold scopes for 40 years and never had one issue. They always hold zero and track perfect, but of course the only time I'm ever turning the dials is when I'm sighting in. Which is usually only once a year for each rifle. I always hear about how great their warranty is, but in 40 years I've not had a chance to use it.

honest question here, why are you having to rezero annually? Changing ammo or something, or are they "just a bit off" come spring? If you're having to tweak your zero from time to time it's because your scope isn't holding zero. They shouldn't do that.

[Stein]

These post make me wonder....how many people have had a leupold scope fail?  I'm not talking repeatability with the dial / turret, but a standard 2-7 or 3x9, etc.

If you define fail as losing zero, then I have.  Same with Vortex.

Watch YouTubes from Leupold sponsored hunters and there are plenty of times they missed, can't figure out why and are good shots.  They line up, are steady and miss by 4 feet over the top of the animal.  They always blame themselves as I did, but then you go back to the range and magically your zero is completely off.

Of course people miss due to human error, but I got tired of having my zero off all the time.  I've missed 2, maybe 3 animals from it.

I've sent Leupolds and Vortex scopes back in to have the reticles reattached or whatever they do.  If you ever have to re-zero and you haven't changed anything, the scope has failed, at least that's how I look at it.  They weren't dropped, damaged or mistreated yet when I sent them back they found a problem that needed to be fixed.

I think people just get used to having to rezero every year and then again when they get to where they are hunting and think that's normal.

[bobcat]

I've used Leupold scopes for 40 years and never had one issue. They always hold zero and track perfect, but of course the only time I'm ever turning the dials is when I'm sighting in. Which is usually only once a year for each rifle. I always hear about how great their warranty is, but in 40 years I've not had a chance to use it.

honest question here, why are you having to rezero annually? Changing ammo or something, or are they "just a bit off" come spring? If you're having to tweak your zero from time to time it's because your scope isn't holding zero. They shouldn't do that.

They don't usually need any adjustment if I'm using the same load. But I like to reload, and I like to experiment with different bullets, so I don't often use the same load in each rifle year after year. One year might be Bergers, the next year a Barnes, and the next year Nosler.

[Alchase]

I've used Leupold scopes for 40 years and never had one issue. They always hold zero and track perfect, but of course the only time I'm ever turning the dials is when I'm sighting in. Which is usually only once a year for each rifle. I always hear about how great their warranty is, but in 40 years I've not had a chance to use it.

honest question here, why are you having to rezero annually? Changing ammo or something, or are they "just a bit off" come spring? If you're having to tweak your zero from time to time it's because your scope isn't holding zero. They shouldn't do that.

Re-zero might be a bad word, "confirm zero" works better for me. I do it before every hunt. Not because I don't trust my leupold scopes, but because I am not the most careful person at times, and things get knocked around in travel.
Five quick shots to confirm zero, is how how taught my sons as well. That way if I was to miss any shot at game, I have no doubt the problem is between eye and the finger, and not my scope.
 

[Karl Blanchard]

These post make me wonder....how many people have had a leupold scope fail?  I'm not talking repeatability with the dial / turret, but a standard 2-7 or 3x9, etc.

If you define fail as losing zero, then I have.  Same with Vortex.

Watch YouTubes from Leupold sponsored hunters and there are plenty of times they missed, can't figure out why and are good shots.  They line up, are steady and miss by 4 feet over the top of the animal.  They always blame themselves as I did, but then you go back to the range and magically your zero is completely off.

Of course people miss due to human error, but I got tired of having my zero off all the time.  I've missed 2, maybe 3 animals from it.

I've sent Leupolds and Vortex scopes back in to have the reticles reattached or whatever they do.  If you ever have to re-zero and you haven't changed anything, the scope has failed, at least that's how I look at it.  They weren't dropped, damaged or mistreated yet when I sent them back they found a problem that needed to be fixed.

I think people just get used to having to rezero every year and then again when they get to where they are hunting and think that's normal.

This is funny as I notice the same thing with meateater folks. Competent shots on game, get all nestled into a good shooting position and whiff the shot

[Karl Blanchard]

I've used Leupold scopes for 40 years and never had one issue. They always hold zero and track perfect, but of course the only time I'm ever turning the dials is when I'm sighting in. Which is usually only once a year for each rifle. I always hear about how great their warranty is, but in 40 years I've not had a chance to use it.

honest question here, why are you having to rezero annually? Changing ammo or something, or are they "just a bit off" come spring? If you're having to tweak your zero from time to time it's because your scope isn't holding zero. They shouldn't do that.

They don't usually need any adjustment if I'm using the same load. But I like to reload, and I like to experiment with different bullets, so I don't often use the same load in each rifle year after year. One year might be Bergers, the next year a Barnes, and the next year Nosler.

That makes more sense

[fishngamereaper]

These post make me wonder....how many people have had a leupold scope fail?  I'm not talking repeatability with the dial / turret, but a standard 2-7 or 3x9, etc.

Never.  I run Sig on the guns I shoot most now, but I have several Leupolds and have never had one fail.  Same goes for binos, spotting scope and rangefinder.

Probably cause they where made by the same guy lol
Fun fact years ago Sig stole a bunch of Leupold optics guys to start their own optics line. That's why Sig opened a factory a few miles from Leupold.... promised none of them would have to move...

[pickardjw]

If anyone is looking for some thorough testing on scopes related to maintaining zero and tracking, the Form Scope Evals on the slide are pretty informative. Not an extensive list but it's a work in progress. I'll consult this before buying my next scope for sure. Spoiler alert: neither the Leupolds or Vortex scopes perform well...Zero loss from riding around in the truck.

https://rokslide.com/forums/forums/rifle-scope-field-evaluations.133/

[Fidelk]

Check out Burris........Fullfield II 3-9x40 should be more than adequate for shots in the 100 yards range and out to 250. Price should be around $150-200. I've had one of those on a rifle for 20 years and it does what it's supposed to do.

This is your best advice.
Burris is better glass and construction.
You know why people always comment on LeeOhpold and Vortex warranties?...Because they're necessary.
I own zero Vortex or Leupold for that reason.
My Burris Fullfield scopes lived a tough life on top of a Tikka 300WSM and 7-08 and never failed or needed zero adjustment.
Burris is clear, bright, reliable.

tman, for under $200, the Fullfield II 3-9x40 came with a small spotting scope.......it's been on a cheap Winchester 70 in .300 WSM. I also have a Burris 2-10x42 Veracity on my Remington 700 LR that has amazing glass. I took a fall on my first hunt with the Fullfield coming down a steep slope.......which left green vegetation on the scope.......so it took an impact. I was sitting down after the fall seeing if the scope was loose, when I saw movement. Yikes, a buck, 200 yards away. Took the shot, buck went down and the Fullfield had held zero.

[Ingwe]

I have several vari-x lll leupold scopes from the 1980s and also vx2 and vx3 scopes from around 2010. I have never had a problem with any of them. Zeiss scopes have failed 2 times

[Fidelk]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1017282391?pid=773074


Great glass......$450 w/ free shipping. Link might show the 3-15x50 scope for $499......go to Magnification/Objective and click on 2-10x42.

[grizzlyadams]

I have a vx2 on the bench right now that won't hold zero even on a .22 mag. Also 2 vx freedoms that won't retain a zero even when not dialing. Leupold is really struggling these days to produce a durable scope. Their vx 5 and 6's are plagued with tracking issues. I want so badly to love and support them again but for now I've got them in the "won't buy" category with Vortex.

That's very interesting and a good prospective form someone that obviously shoots quite a bit.  I will admit that my newest Leupold is at least 3-5 years old and even it is an older model that a store still had on the shelf.  All my other leupolds are 10+ years old and still hold zero.   

All of my new hunting rifles sport Nightforce scopes and they speak for themselves.  I do have one Zeis V4 because another member on here....no names....was such a supporter that I had to try one....   So far it has proven to be a great scope also.

This 100%. At least about the Nightforce. I won't run anything else.  Expensive?  Yes, but we'll worth it. Have 3 ATACR's 7-35x56. Cried all 3 times I paid for them but I'd rather fork over the money once on something that will never fail me and tracks perfectly with steller glass than buy subpar equipment 4 or 5 times.

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