Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

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SteveD
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Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

Post by SteveD »

I had the opportunity at the SHOT Show to talk to a rep from Leupold. I talked to him about some problems I had with Leupold AR scopes, that the two lines of the reticle were not perpendicular and the reticle was rotated as well. Two problems. And that I had sent the scope back twice to have it corrected.

He acknowledged quality problems with scopes that were not US made and that the company had addressed these issues. He also said something about scopes being America made. Maybe that in the future all Leupold scopes would be American made? I don't remember exactly.

I did buy an FX-3 a year or so ago and I am very pleased with that. There is one thing that I would like to be different, the reticle and mentioned this to the rep. He told me that in the near future, 3 to 4 months, that Leupold would be offering a custom reticle service. That you could design a reticle and they would make it. His exact words were, "You can draw what you want on a cocktail napkin and provide the specific dimensions and the Custom Shop will make the reticle for you". I was listening at this point. LOL

He mentioned this because I told him that the only thing that I would like to have different on my FX-3 was the reticle. I was on a range that allows you to shoot at the animals with anything not more than a 338 Edge and decided to have a go at the Pigs with my AR. It had a reticle like this:

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The circle is much too large for Silhouette but it really worked for my eye and brain to look at the Pig and bring the circle onto the Pig. I shot 3 out of 3 with a circle that was much larger than the Pig. According to what the rep said, you should be able to specify the weight and if you prefer, the taper of the cross hairs and the size and weight of the circle.

Something more like this:

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I'd like to try something like this but a smaller, like 1/2 or 3/8 min circle.
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Re: Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

Post by acorneau »

SteveD wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 9:29 am I'd like to try something like this but a smaller, like 1/2 or 3/8 min circle.

A 1/2 or 3/8 MOA dot is pretty small, I would think a 1/2 or 3/8 MOA circle would be tiny to the point of useless.
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Re: Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

Post by BCloninger »

You've got me confused (easily done). What Leupold scopes are made outside the US?
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Re: Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

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I may be misinformed. I am/was under the impression that Leupold scopes without the "Gold Ring" had sourcing from outside the US. The poor quality I saw with several non "Gold Ring" scopes made it believable to me that they were made in China.

From the Leupold website;

'Leupold riflescopes are all designed, machined, and assembled in our Beaverton Oregon manufacturing facility. We do not have any other riflescope manufacturing facilities or offices anywhere in the world."

So apparently not.

The rep did mention all Leupold scope were made in the US and I though I heard him say "now", but I was not paying strict attention so perhaps I misunderstood what he was saying.
Last edited by SteveD on Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

Post by SteveD »

acorneau wrote: Sun Jan 28, 2018 8:30 am
SteveD wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 9:29 am I'd like to try something like this but a smaller, like 1/2 or 3/8 min circle.

A 1/2 or 3/8 MOA dot is pretty small, I would think a 1/2 or 3/8 MOA circle would be tiny to the point of useless.
Interesting. You may be on to something. A 1 minute circle might be more useful.
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Re: Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

Post by atomicbrh »

I still do not feel that the Silhouette community has the best scope optimized for Rifle Silhouette. Silhouette is a small market. Overall weight restrictions limit what our scopes can weigh. We also have some dimensional limitations such as overall length and the diameter of the objective. We need the best glass, the best tracking and a adjustable objective system that is indestructible in a small, lightweight scope. Here are some Leupold factory videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k0ss-ovjU0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EOdTwe0K8o
Leupold states that not all of the components in the Gold Ring scopes are made in America.
Here is a video from December of 2012 that explains:
See the 5 minute mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nX-yMr0__Q
My question is: How close are the lenses and components checked for meeting quality control standards in our Silhouette scopes before they are assembled and shipped out to the customer or are they just relying on the Lifetime Warranty to catch any errors down the road? Are they playing a percentages game taking into account that most shooters will never put their scopes through the multiple mechanical manipulations that Silhouette competitors perform every day?
In this reply, I am NOT referring to just Leupold but all manufacturers of Silhouette scopes.
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Re: Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

Post by BCloninger »

SteveD wrote: Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:04 pm I may be misinformed. I am/was under the impression that Leupold scopes without the "Gold Ring" had sourcing from outside the US. The poor quality I saw with several non "Gold Ring" scopes made it believable to me that they were made in China.
That's the same understanding I have always had. Lenses, Green Ring spotting scopes, and many in their Redfield line are imported, but Gold Ring and AR scopes are machined and assembled in the US.
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Re: Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

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atomicbrh wrote: Mon Jan 29, 2018 7:46 am I still do not feel that the Silhouette community has the best scope optimized for Rifle Silhouette. Silhouette is a small market. Overall weight restrictions limit what our scopes can weigh. We also have some dimensional limitations such as overall length and the diameter of the objective. We need the best glass, the best tracking and a adjustable objective system that is indestructible in a small, lightweight scope. Here are some Leupold factory videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k0ss-ovjU0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EOdTwe0K8o
Leupold states that not all of the components in the Gold Ring scopes are made in America.
Here is a video from December of 2012 that explains:
See the 5 minute mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nX-yMr0__Q
My question is: How close are the lenses and components checked for meeting quality control standards in our Silhouette scopes before they are assembled and shipped out to the customer or are they just relying on the Lifetime Warranty to catch any errors down the road? Are they playing a percentages game taking into account that most shooters will never put their scopes through the multiple mechanical manipulations that Silhouette competitors perform every day?
In this reply, I am NOT referring to just Leupold but all manufacturers of Silhouette scopes.
A question and some comments;

I'm not being argumentative, just not sure I understand what you mean about there be being "some dimensional limitations such as overall length and the diameter of the objective". I don't think that there are any Silhouette rules the directly involve OAL or the diameter of the objective. I shoot only Standard rifle High Power and Smallbore and my scopes are at the very limit of 2" for Standard rifle so objective size is not an issue for me if that's what you mean. Hunter rifle is 1.5" but I don't have a Hunter rifle so that doesn't affect me. I don't shoot any other Silhouette disciplines so I am not familiar with their rules. Weight? Yes. A heavier scope forces you to cut weight elsewhere or to not use that scope.

And the comment, you probably realize that the the third video you linked to was not produced by Leupold. You can tell because of the generally amateur quality but the giveaway was that he pronounced Leupold incorrectly. Lee-O-Polled instead of Loo-Polled. LOL

I was encouraged by my conversation with the Leuopld Rep. While there was likely some 'salesmanship' involved, it sounded to me like Leupold had taken their lumps and learned a lesson. The bean counters had gotten control of the company and drove manufacturing economies for short term profit at the expense of quality and reputation (purely my inference) and that Leupold has returned to a commitment to quality (pretty much what the Rep said). We shall see.

Two years ago I bought a new FX-3 Silhouette 25x40mm which looks to be discontinued. So far, so good. We'll see how it holds up.
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Re: Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

Post by atomicbrh »

SteveD,
I will clarify.
Take an extreme example.
A Smallbore Hunter rifle cannot weigh more than 8 pounds 8 ounces with a empty magazine.
Some competitors still want to mount their scopes a low as possible.
When you consider mounting a scope with a 35 mm main tube and a 58 mm bell objective it becomes difficult to build a rifle light enough to meet the Hunter Rifle rules and impossible to mount the scope as low as many people want to.
Also with that size scope the rings have to be larger, taller and heavier to achieve enough space between the bell and the barrel which also adds weight to the total package.
When mounting scopes on Sporter Air Rifles if the scope is too long, the loading port will be blocked by the scope and there is not enough room to load the pellet.

As far as the 3rd video, Matthew Tibor(his real name) has quite a reputation in the long range community.
The style of his videos are probably corny because he made extra money playing in rock bands growing up. Maybe the entertainer coming out in him.
He plays all the music for his videos. That's not somebody else's recordings from what I have been told.
Lots of well known marksmanship instructors across the globe participate in his videos.
His pronunciation of Leupold is probably due to a regional brogue. I have heard Leupold pronounced wrong more than correctly.
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Re: Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

Post by SteveD »

That makes sense. Thanks! :D
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Re: Leupold Custom Shop expanding features

Post by Snake »

Can anybody explain why Leupold stop making the 12x 25x and 30x silhouette style scopes...leaving us with Weavers and their 1/8th minute clicks.?The allegation tha the custom shop makes these is not true....so says the custom shop :-o
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