Re: Leupold Bashing??
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kino</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Guys I read post here about every day and it seems that there are ALOT of people here that really bash the MK4. Owning many MK4s and dozens of leupold products, I have yet to have a single issue other than a target scope (vari-x III) with bent crosshairs that was caused by some knucklehead cranking on the turrets.
Why all the hate and what ACTUAL problems have you personally had with your luppys in the MK4 or VX3 lines?? </div></div>
The litany of why Leupold's get bashed, and why they deserve it is better answered in book form, as the list is so long, but let me just hit the highlights:
1983 - Leupold introduces the Ultra Line of Scope for the US military, the first true "Tactical scope".
1987 - Leupold makes there tactical scope available to civilians w/M1 and M3 turrets
1993 Mk 4 line introduced.
1999 Premier Reticles begins to convert MK 4's to FFP (Leupold did not introduce FFP in the Mk4's until 2009)
2001 Leupold introduces the TMR reticle, the first new tactical reticle (with help from Premier) developed in 18 years of completing owning the tactical market.
2001 Leupold introduces the Euro line of 30 mm hunting scopes with 1 cm click adjustments (Tactical MK 4's did not get this "new invention" until 2010)
2003 M2 turrets introduced to the market.
2005 Premier Reticles thrown under the bus by Leupold.
2009 Leupold introduces the M4 turret w/0.05 Mil adjustments. Leupold introduces FFP a full 10 years after Premier did the same thing to Leupold MK4 scopes.
2010 Leupold introduces the M5 turret w/0.1 Mil adjustments, a full 9 years after introducing metric turrets (same as MIL) in there Euro line of scopes.
2011 Leupold introduces 34mm tubed Mk4's 10 years after S&B did the same thing. Leupold introduces the MK8.
And we still do not have a MK4 that has:
FFP and illumination and greater than 3x ZOOM MK4 Tactial variables, like Bushnell, Nikon, Falcon, Vortex, S&B, IOR, Hensoldt, Burris (Steiner), USO, Premier, march, SWFA SS, et al all provide.
And Leupold is the largest scope manufacturer in the US.
Leupold has told me that they do not want my business, so I spend my money elsewhere.
As to the problems I actually had with Leupold:
- Canted Reticles (2)
- Sent a scope in for conversion from M3 to M2, after speaking with Leupold's own tech support that it could be done, but they were incorrect, I was out shipping one way.
- E-Mail quote to convert M3 to M2, $130. or $65. per turret. It took 3 more e-mails to convince them that my M3 ALREADY had 1/2 MOA windage knobs.
I also had no problems with my hunting Leupolds, other than overly stiff VariX-II zoom knobs, and I sent a couple back for correction.
I sure I can think of more, but that's about it off-hand. Of course alot of you have not been around and shooting Leupold stuff since 1975 as I have. But those that have will understand our "displeasure" at Rip Van Leupold business sense, lack of innovation, and support of tactical/LR shooters.
Bob