I'm not so sure about saying that Leupold is a excellent brand. I know they have their guys that like them but they also have a lot of people whom don't like them including me. The reason I don't like them is I bought one about a year and a half ago. It's a Leupold VX-I 3x9x40mm. In the year and a half it's been sent into Leupold 2 times. To top it off it seems like if you touch the thing wrong it loses zero. I've got a Simmons now granted it's on a .22 so it doesn't have to hold up to recoil but I've dropped that thing where the scope hit fairly hard in the grass, had it fall around hitting who knows what, and just not been easy on it at all. Yet when I go to shoot it it's still dead on to where it was sighted in for and works just as well as it did when I put it on there 4 years ago. The Leupold I had fall over hit on carpet and was in a gun sock to protect it and when I went to check it the next day to see if it was off it had knocked it about 3-4" higher than where I had sighted it in. The Simmons has been through much more and never moved. A buddy has a Simmons on his .270 that he said has been dropped, fallen out of the truck onto the ground a few times, and just in general had the crap beat out of it too. Yet it still shoots in the same place he sighted it in for. He got it out this year and shot it and it hasn't moved. This is after several years of abuse. I'm lucky if my Leupold will last through one hunting season without having to re adjust it.

The other complaint I have is I also have a $30 Tasco. Had two one as a spare scope I used while the Leupold was in for repair but I sold it and the other is on a muzzle loader. I've had it a little over a year and it still works great. The Leupold was sent in once when it was 6months old or so and again at 1 1/2 years. Although it wasn't shot a ton during that time. This to me is telling me that the Tasco has lasted quite a bit longer so far than the Leupold and it was $30 vs $223 or whatever the Leupold was. Then I had guys on here telling me how it was no way the Tasco could be anywhere near as clear as the Leupold. They can think what they want but it looks just as clear to me. They both are decent clairty wise and I can't tell a difference between the two. I had a few buddies look through them and they all said the Tasco looked clearer to them. So now I have a $30 scope that's lasted longer and is just as clear if not clearer. So why should I pay the extra money for the Leupold? The Simmons was only $40 or $60 or something. That was however 4 years ago and it's lasted 4 years of abuse although it is on a .22. It still is going great and has been a good scope.


I will say I bought a Burris Fullfield II and actually just replaced the Leupold with it when the Leupold went in for repair this time I put the Burris on and am leaving it on. So far I love it. It blows the Leupold, Tasco, and Simmons away clairity wise. I see what people were talking about with clear scopes now. I've never been bothered by one not being clear but this thing is so clear it's amazing to me. Way clearer than the Leupold. I love it. The friend helping me sight the rifle in said the same thing. He said wow this thing is clear when he looked through it. This was after shooting the gun with the Leupold a few minutes earlier. It was also $23 cheaper than the Leupold and came with a free GPS. Although I did get it on a clearance sale. I can't comment on how it will last but so far I love this thing. I'd either go with this if I was spending in the $200 range or I'd go with a $30 Tasco or cheap Simmons if I wanted any cheaper. Or if it was a Leupold in the $200 range I'd just save the money and get the $30 Tasco.

There are some nicer scopes for more money but I just can't bring myself to spend $500 on a scope when I can shoot perfectly fine with the ones I have including the cheapo $30 one that will hit the bullseye time after time at 100 yards.