Re: Totally disgusted with Leupold
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: brand692</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ok. I'm going to jump on the dogpile here.
I used to shoot BR. Really, weight wise, the LCS series of scopes rule the roost. Plus you can have them frozen and use one of Gene Bucky's mounts to achieve utmost accuracy and you basically end up with an Unertl style scope with external adjustments. They come in 35x45mm, 40x45mm, and 45x45mm. I purchased two 45x45mm's totalling right around 2,200 dollars shipped.
They arrived, I mounted one and the other was backup. I got it mounted, and what do you know, a canted reticle. Not just a little bit either. At least 5-7 degrees. Although frustrated, I was happy I had a backup. Well, you can guess what was wrong with the second... canted reticle. Clearly the same guy with a 5-7 canted head QC'd them as they came off the line.
I sent both in for service, brand new. Leupold came good on the service, but whats the point? I had a rifle with no optics for 4 weeks. They came back, fixed, free of charge, but they were immediately sold at about a 150 dollar loss per. Those were the last two Leupolds I owned. They were all replaced with NF BR models.
Will I own another Leupold? Nope. I'm not going to bitch about where parts are made, or who assembles them. In todays global market, its hard to avoid these kinds of things. But, there are LOTS of good companies that sub parts and pieces out, and they are just fine. Why? Because they maintain the same QC process on foriegn products as they do on domestic products. Its just good business practice.
The problem is multi-facetted; for me, it was specifically QC. Leupold is established, and has a solid customer base that believes the company is the same company that it was 20 years ago. Unfortunately, it is or possibly worse.
They cannot expect to keep people when they continue to charge the current market value on a product that is not on the same plane as the current market quality. If they want to sell 1980s technology and quality, they need to charge likewise. If they want to charge NF prices, they will have to produce NF quality products.
This isn't a rant. Its just my observations. I'm not going to wish their demise or prosperity. I believe to become what they once were, they must:
1. Listen to the customer.
2. Take a good hard look at their competition and what it takes to not only compete with them, but surpass them in value, quality, QC and CS. </div></div>
Canted retical's seem to be very common with Leupold. (Come to think about it, I'v never had that problem with any other brand.) Anyway, if they don't care if the aiming part of the scope is right what makes you think they care about the rest of it? They told me they "allow" a few deg. of cant, I told them.... I DON'T! I don't really care where they are made or who put's them together, junk is junk.
