Scope Zero Dependability?

[Safari Dave]

I've always loved Leupold scopes, and have several on several rifles.

Recently, my son (A Gen Z'er) has started giving me a hard time about my love for Leupolds and European scopes, because a guy on another site does serious scope testing and has found that almost nothing except Nightforce, Trijicon, and SWFA scopes will hold zero after being subject to rough (well, abusive) field testing.

If they held zero, Leupold would be the tester's favorite, because of the reticles and ergonomics, but he has found that the old fixed-power 10X scope (now discountinued) is the only one he has ever tested that would hold zero when dropped, bounced around, etc.

I have had to re-zero my best scopes (Leupold and Zeiss) after long, rough travel.


What are your experiences?

 

[mauserhunter]

All mine have been fine, they may not track perfectly but stay were put.
I can attest to the swfa scopes,fell on one in winter with frozen ground and rifle slung on my back, slid 15 feet on 50°+ slop and there were two inch deep scratches in the frozen ground. Scope was unharmed.

 

[Safari Dave]

Rok

 

[TucsonFX4]

I have read the site/threads you’re referencing. I don’t dispute his results, and also agree they have great value. But they are still a very small sample size (though greater than I will ever personally experience) and subjecting the scopes to conditions that most scopes won’t see. So it shouldn’t be the only determining factor for a selection.

I think his testing does reveal that many scopes aren’t as reliable as most might expect, or at least it’s worth considering next time a scope has to be re-zero’ed after traveling.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

This 3x Weaver I bought in 1972 has been through hell including going end over end down the mountain on my horse ten years later. It still holds zero. Didn't cost me a thousand bucks either.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I own probably more than 100 Leupold scopes, have sent exactly one back and that was because something I caused, they still replaced it. Own a bunch of other brands that couldn’t handle anything, sent back and had to be replaced. I have maybe 10 NF scopes and haven’t had any problems from them as well as my IOR Valdada scopes. I have had many problems with Zeiss scopes. I guess if you “learn from you tube or the communist propaganda that is common with the young people” than you can buy into what ever you want. I will stick with the ones that have worked for me.

 

[GuttormG]

What are your experiences?

That if I drop my scope/rifle I testfire before continuing the hunt (or take of the scope and use the iron sights).

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

If any scope has been dropped or bumped hard zeroing should be checked. This is hust common sense
I have mainly leupolds on my rifles and on most camp rifles
By far they perform better and handle rough hamdling better than any other brand!!!
Also if there is a problem leupold replaces or sorts it no charge
Just had a pair of leupold binocs replaced no questions asked

 

[Chaplin]

Leupold blows the rest of them out of the water.
It's obvious that he like the cooler looking scopes.

 

[Scott CWO]

Leupold are fine. I own several. Old Nikon scopes were great but now discontinued. I have one NF because my special forces buddies said they are very tough. Same for S&B. They don’t have much good to say about Swarovski durability.

 

[Altitude sickness]

My personal experience is

NF, S&B, US optics are very tough. And it’s not only the exterior shell. the guts are built differently also.

However, I like the glass better on Swarovski, Ziess, Leica, VX6 Leupold, and others. From all the optics I have owned and still own.

I like the VX 6 the best. all around, ergonomics and glass. Slim, sleek, lower profile. Great glass and tough enough. Not as tough as NF of course but for hunting. Tough enough.

If possible I would trade my Swarovski scopes for the top of the line Leupolds.

 

[Philip Glass]

I've always loved Leupold scopes, and have several on several rifles.

Recently, my son (A Gen Z'er) has started giving me a hard time about my love for Leupolds and European scopes, because a guy on another site does serious scope testing and has found that almost nothing except Nightforce, Trijicon, and SWFA scopes will hold zero after being subject to rough (well, abusive) field testing.

If they held zero, Leupold would be the tester's favorite, because of the reticles and ergonomics, but he has found that the old fixed-power 10X scope (now discountinued) is the only one he has ever tested that would hold zero when dropped, bounced around, etc.

I have had to re-zero my best scopes (Leupold and Zeiss) after long, rough travel.


What are your experiences?

I am not Gen Z so I am allergic to the scopes who are "flavors of the month". I only hunt with Swaro and Leupold and I've hunted all over the world. The best setup for reliability for me has been Swaro Z8 on a Blaser R8 rail mount. The most trouble I have had was with a Leupold with QD rings. I've given up on QD rings.

Our 2022 Safari in the Eastern Cape happened to see my son have a sling come loose and banged his Schmidt and Bender and my wife took a fairly bad fall with her new VX5. Neither scope was off after these drops that resulted In visible damage.

 

[Philip Glass]

My personal experience is

NF, S&B, US optics are very tough. And it’s not only the exterior shell. the guts are built differently also.

However, I like the glass better on Swarovski, Ziess, Leica, VX6 Leupold, and others. From all the optics I have owned and still own.

I like the VX 6 the best. all around, ergonomics and glass. Slim, sleek, lower profile. Great glass and tough enough. Not as tough as NF of course but for hunting. Tough enough.

If possible I would trade my Swarovski scopes for the top of the line Leupolds.

But how tough is NF really? Where do they get challenged? They are almost exclusively on bench guns. They have the cool factor, I know that.

 

[Philip Glass]

Leupold blows the rest of them out of the water.
It's obvious that he like the cooler looking scopes.

Agree. "Flavor of the month"!

 

[mark-hunter]

What are your experiences?

I have variety of scopes, and almost all on detachable mounts. Zeiss, Swarovski, Vortex, Meopta, Sightron, etc.
I never had any issues, except small change of POI, when changing ammo lot.
I had one experience, but it was not the scope problem, which I will describe below.

However, my first hand experience is when my friend had sudden change of poi, undetected before, during the hunt which resulted in missing the deer (3 times in two days).
I took the rifle in the field as we were hunting together, tested on a target on a tree (empty pack of cigarettes), and the setting was off. I re-zeroed the scope, and rifle kept POI for next two seasons. 300 win mag.
Swarovski Z8.

Another case.
Another friend of mine, lost POI after starting 300 meters match. I was in prone position next to him, when he started cursing.
he had hits totally out of target. Unknown point of impact
He had experience, and quickly bore sighted, re-zeroed, and kept shooting. (Bore sighting, by removing the bolt, looking through the barrel and re-zeroing it at 300 metes, under the stop clock, under the stress, during a rifle match string, these conditions speak of his skill)
308 win. Sightron SIII.

Independent conclusion in both cases was, the scope dials moved during car transport, with rifle carried in a soft carry bag, with other bulky equipment in the trunk.
Both of them were 100% certain, their respective rifles did not fall anywhere, have not been hit, have been properly stored in locker, no rough handling, etc. They dont know each other, and both of them reached the same conclusion.

Lesson learnt:
Both of them later switched to hard polymer rifle case for transport.

My own case some years ago.
I had a 22lr rifle, with scope with adjustable objective.
AO in front was a bit hard to move, needed some solid power to rotate.
So, I went for my periodic training.
Tried 100, or 50 meters. This required moving the AO, and elevation adjustments.
Every time I turned AO, I lost zero. Clicking windage and elevation dials, did not change anything.
Hmmm...
I got crazy, and I was set up already to buy new scope.
When I came home, went to clean and check the rifle, I noticed that the lower vertical bolts, connecting wooden stock and receiver, were loose.
Each time I turned AO, I would turn just a bit entire receiver in the stock, and this changed POI, quite visible.
problem solved, by tightening the bolts, an re-zeroing the rifle.
22lr. Scope (for air rifle) Diana "el cheapo".

Lesson learnt, before season starts must check rifle, including tightness of these bolts.

 

[USMA84DAB]

My VX5HD 1-5x24 went through the plane ride to RSA, then a 10 day hunt, then was bounced down a highway when the PH rolled the Bakkie coming out of the hunting area, then the trip back to the states - it never lost zero.

 

[Tucketed]

@Philip Glass i am not a NightForce guy, I am a Swarovski guy like you but NightForce has a number of contracts with the US government and are fielded by our Special Operation teams all over the world. I would assume very rugged build.

 

[mdwest]

@Philip Glass i am not a NightForce guy, I am a Swarovski guy like you but NightForce has a number of contracts with the US government and are fielded by our Special Operation teams all over the world. I would assume very rugged build.

Night force does indeed sell a lot of scopes to the US Military and they are fine optics...

Leupold however also sold A LOT of scopes the the US MIlitary and to US Law Enforcement… Leupold was the only thing I ever saw mounted to an M24 or M40 sniper system from the late 80’s through the late 90’s.. and those rifles got put through the ringer when they were in use..

I’m buddies with the former Chief Instructor of the army’s sniper school (circa mid 90’s)… the only thing Charlie shoots in leupold.. on both his competition and his hunting rifles..

I myself was a “sniper” for a period of time (law enforcement).. the only thing I shot on any of the rifles I drug through the mud, over rocks, through half water filled culverts, etc.. was leupold..

While a leupold may not be “nightforce tough”.. I can assure you they are tough enough to take any reasonable amount of abuse that a hunter would give them in any possible conditions (mountains of Pakistan to desert of Namibia to rainforests of central Africa)…

 

[Justbryan]

I have never had a problem with the zero on a Swarovski Z3, Z5, Z6, or Z8. But I treat my scopes with kindness.

Maybe you guys should be more careful.

 

[TucsonFX4]

I have never had a problem with the zero on a Swarovski Z3, Z5, Z6, or Z8. But I treat my scopes with kindness.

Maybe you guys should be more careful.

Not that you’re necessarily wrong, but not everyone hunts/shoots the same way or place that you do.

In the terrain I have typically hunted the past few years, it would be impossible to expect to never slip/trip/fall at some point during a cumulative few weeks of hunting during the year. A person might make it with never ending up on their bum and their rifle/gear on the dirt/rocks, but it’s probably closer to guaranteed they will fall than closer to a coin flip if they fall or not. So being careful is great, but it doesn’t mean your scope won’t be subject to an abusive moment at some point or two.