Never had a problem with a Leupold to date and was looking at a 4.5-14x40 vs Zeiss 4.5-14x44 . What did Leupold's customer service say when you reported it?.. a 338 RUM should not be a problem for a Leupold unless it was a faulty one that slipped thru. Anytime you go 300 win mag and above in recoil you have to expect a shorter scope life.