LEUPOLD VX6HD FRUSTRATION!!!!

[Another Casual]

I agree with the above posts to tall target it again and check that the cap is on tight. I'm also wondering if you tried using the reticle holdovers instead of dialing and how that performed. Have you confirmed all mounts are torqued to correct values? If the scope was slipping in the rings it could present similarly. Please keep up posted on what it ends up being!

 

[mandl]

2 scopes, 5 and 6. Zero issues and several thousand rounds on the 6. I've sent my nf in 2x for issues and several vortex. Stuff happens, identify the issue, and if needed, use the warranty.

And regardless of the brand, I've found it pays to have a backup in case something happens just before a hunt

 

[lgwatson]

Really frustrated with my Leupold glass!! Got my custom 300RUM delivered this summer. I had a Leupold 4-24x52 VX6HD with the TMOA reticle waiting for it. Broke the barrel in and developed a great 0.5" MOA load for it. Early on I performed a vertical target test at 100 yards shooting 0, dialed 15MOA, and dialed 30MOA to verify vertical tracking in the reticle was in fact vertical and to measure the distance of turret clicks which came right out at 0.253MOA/click which was spot on. I inputted all the data into Strelok and had my DOPE for longer range. I shot a target drop test out to 700 yards and verified all the drops at 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700. Strelok's come ups were spot on as I verified each of them by dialing down to my groups (all sub-MOA) on the target. Perfect, I thought to myself, I'm good to go to start dialing my all come ups with all my DOPE.

I started shooting 500 to 1000 yards dialing and this is where my issues started. I started having low hits. I would start at a distance and my first and second shots would hit low (multiple inches low depending on distance), I would then correct by how low they hit and dial up accordingly and they would hit spot on. Then I would go back the next day with my new numbers and again I would hit low and have to do it over again. This went on for the last week and a half and is driving me nuts! I triple checked all my rounds for charge weight, neck tension, seating depth, fps, etc. and everything was spot on. I am anal about the ring and action screws on the rifle and they are tight. I'm far from a pro, but my form is solid and I'm shooting very nice sub-MOA groups. I never touched the horizontal turret and only adjusted the vertical. Horizontally, I'm spot on. My vertical hits are off and not making any sense to me. They keep dropping lower.

Every day I went to the range, my come ups increased about 0.75 to 2MOA from 500 to 800 yards. I went again yesterday and it happened again. I know the MOA/click is on because after I measure my drop and correct, I'm dead on. The problem is my MOA from one day to the next is off considerably. It took me a bit in my thick head but I ruled out the rifle, the ammo, and my form. It has to be the scope. I haven't shot it under 500 yards in weeks after I zeroed it at 200. This morning I shot 2 rounds that almost had touching holes at 200 yards that were 2.1MOA (or 4.5 inches low). About 80 rounds ago I had a perfect 200 yard zero. SO FRUSTRATED!!!!

I know there have been some tracking issues on Leupolds. I'm not sure if this is a tracking issue or just an issue where it can't hold zero. Like I said, when I dial a known observed come up, it's spot on so I know it tracks well in that circumstance. But it either has lost its zero somehow or has tracking issues when I dial and then return it back to zero and dial again. I'm not sure which it is, but neither are good. Now I don't have any confidence with this scope. For $1800 this shouldn't happen!!! Not at all happy, and really frustrated with this scope. Another thought I had was the recoil from a 300RUM too much for this scope? I have a very long awaited for elk hunt next week and just sick about this. Not sure what to do.

Has anybody else had any similar issues with VX6HD's? Is there any way I can tell if it's not holding zero or just not tracking correctly? Or both? Any other thoughts?

I had a problem with a used Leupold Target scope. Called Leupold, told the gentleman I spoke with, it was a used scope. They repaired it free of charge. Excellent customer service.

 

[Patton243]

Leupold sucks. I'm still bitter with their handling of my rangefinder warranty. "The best warranty you'll never use"? Yeah, because they'll figure a way to weasel out of it.

All companies for the most part have limited warranties on range finders. This I'm not surprised with because it's more an electronic than an optic. Yes, you will get bad pieces of equipment from all these companies once in a while. But overall Leupold is a solid company and I prefer them over Vortex from using both.

 

[Ucsdryder]

All companies for the most part have limited warranties on range finders. This I'm not surprised with because it's more an electronic than an optic. Yes, you will get bad pieces of equipment from all these companies once in a while. But overall Leupold is a solid company and I prefer them over Vortex from using both.

I'll take vortex over leupold all day every day. they both have similar products and vortex has a no questions asked guarantee for life. Leupold looks for reasons to not help.

 

[Patton243]

I'll take vortex over leupold all day every day. they both have similar products and vortex has a no questions asked guarantee for life. Leupold looks for reasons to not help.

Here's a sample below of a Vortex Warranty. Most of the paint and most of the stickers etc all came off and they did nothing when I sent it in to have the eye cup fixed that was broke. This is a Vortex Razor btw one of their better binoculars. All they did after waiting 5 weeks was fix the eye cup that broke and sent it back. Leupold, on the other hand, totally replaced a pair of binoculars after 10 years of use without question after the focus wheel came loose. Finally, Leupold glass is just better than Vortex IMO. I actually read an article the only reason Vortex is so popular these days is dealers get a commission when they sell their products. Go figure.

 

[Full Curl]

I'm seeing the forest. You may be still in the trees. You think there's any chance the dial is not anchored on the turret good enough, and it's slightly slipping when you turn it? That would account for always being low every time you come up. I really hope it's that simple and would explain what you're seeing perfectly and would be a really easy fix.

I checked out those 3 little setscrews last night. They were tight but I can see how they cold easily not be. The way they "clamp" and hold the turret stem seems like a poor design to me. They only clamp to the flat surface side of the stem and it would seem they could easily slip, even a little, and not turn 100% in line with the turret cap. Anyway, they were tight but I re-tightened them to be sure.

 

[Full Curl]

I just experienced the exact same thing with a VX5-HD. I had it on a smokeless muzzleloader. I wondered the same thing about recoil, but I have a really good brake on mine. I just don't feel the recoil on it is any worse than some of my 338 or 30 cal's. I almost pulled it off before my Kansas mule deer hunt, but the day I went out to once again check tracking, it dialed all the way out to 600 yards, going 100 yards at a time. It then came back to zero at 200, so I decided to go with it. Luckily I was able to take my deer at 200 yards, and felt where bullet impacted was left of aim. Checked when I got home, and was 2 and 1/2 low, 2 and 1/2 left. I pulled it and sent it in last week. Haven't heard anything from Leupold yet, it's too soon.

I would be very interested in hearing about what Leupold has to say when you do hear from them. I'll did another test today and it dialed up accurately, at least I think. I believe my issue is holding zero. I'll add another post with details.

 

[Full Curl]

I had to take a double take and make sure this wasn't a post I'd made before. I also had a 300rum and VX6HD 4-24 TMOA that I fought like mad out of the box. Ended up sending it back to Leupold and the replaced **** near everything but the main tube. In the meantime I'd lost so much confidence with the rifle I sold it. Ended up selling the replacement rifle and the vx6 a few years later for similar lack of confidence issues. Good luck but I'll never have one of those scopes again.

SO FRUSTRATING!!!! Especially with a long awaited elk tag in my pocket for next week. HATE not having complete confidence in my rig in the field. I wouldn't be surprised if I go the same route you did. Thanks for the info.

 

[Full Curl]

I just had a VX6 HD sent back this year, 4-24x52 to Leupold for tracking issues. The gun would lose zero around 50-100 shots every time I used it. Leupold replaced both turrets and since then haven't had a problem. Just send the scope back. My guess is probably 1/10 have turret adjustment issues coming out of the factory and we are the 10%.

This is exactly what I'm thinking is going on after shooting again today and looking over past data! I don't have time to send it back now but will over the winter. Thanks.

 

[bigngreen]

Many rifle issues are fixed by pulling Leupold Scopes.

 

[mandl]

Many rifle issues are fixed by pulling Leupold Scopes.

Ouch!!!

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I've got Leupold, Zeiss and Nightforce scopes. The only one that went bad was an older Zeiss. It looked like black pepper was sprinkled inside of the lenses. They told me to ship it back for review. They called me and said that the scope couldn't be fixed and was discontinued. They offered me anything of similar value as a replacement. I ended up getting an upgraded (new) scope. The CS rep said to just forget about the upgrade charge and he shipped the scope right out. It's pretty hard to beat that customer service.

 

[Full Curl]

Took the vertical turret cap off last night and compared the position of the zeroed turret stem to a photo of it I took when I initially zeroed the rifle 80 rounds ago. It was in the same position or very close from what I could tell. So the stem did not move. Since I was 4.5" low at 200yds I adjusted the stem 9 clicks up which put it in a very different position that's not even close to where it was previously zeroed. I put the cap back on and made sure the 3 set screws were tight.

Short on time but made a quick first light visit to the range again this morning. Shot 200yds, adjusted zero confirmed as I was spot on. There was some wind but I dialed vertical out to 600 yards at 300, 400, 500 and 600 based on my original DOPE and it held much better than it has the last week and a half and made some solid sense again. Went back to 200 to confirm zero with only one round left and it was still on or at least close.

So I have no idea if the scope just won't hold a zero without touching the turrets or if it won't go back to zero after dialing the vertical turret?? I fired around 100 rounds during break in and load development without ever touching the turret stem or twisting turrets even once after I was on paper and I never lost zero (at least not 2.1MOA's worth). It started happening when I started shooting longer distance and dialing. But the stem is now in about a 12% different position at a 200yd zero than it was previously, so something changed after about 80-100 rounds and/or after I started dialing.

If I have time I might shoot another vertical tall target test, but what I'm thinking is it took around 80-100 fired rounds for POI to drop 4.5". After I confirmed zero today, I had 14 rounds that held close to my original DOPE so whatever the issue is it seems to happen in very minor increments over time. Hoping I can confirm zero at 200 and be good to go for one hunt next week and then send the scope back to Leupold.