Im not trying to turn this into a "Leupolds-the-greatest-scope-ever-made post, because thay most certainly are not, but I arrived at leupold scopes as a result of a combination of scope elimination and no other choise. I had no less than three mid-priced scopes fail me while in use on my slug guns. I will add in fairness to the now defunct scopes that I shoot my slug guns what is in all likely hood many more times than any other person I know of save for shotgun slug expert Dave Henderson.
I had one Tasco scope, Bushnell Trophy banner, and one Redfield wide angle all fail in such a manner as to no longer maintain zero. With the Tasco I actually could see the cross hair ellaments had broken when I looked through the scope.
I had always avoided Leupold because I always told my self they were a combination of more scope than I needed (for shotgun hunting deer) or could afford.
Well I asked the advise of a Viet Nam erra USMC sniper I knew what scope should I get now that the others had failed me. He replied "you will never regret buying a Leupold" as that was his hunting scope(s) of choise.
That was 14 years, six Leupold VariX-IIs, and litterally 1000s upon 1000s of combined 12ga magnum slugs, .338wm rounds, 7mmstw rounds, 300wm rounds, .50 cal magnum ML rounds ago and I have never suffered a single scope problem or failuer of any type.
As far as Luepolds C/S and willingness to reply to your emails I will recount my two experiences.
#1-I own 2 VariX-IIs in 4-12x40mm and although I love that scope model dearly, I was never compleatly satisfied with the fact it had a "Fine Duplex" cross hair. I emailed Leupold to inquier about getting it changed to a standared duplex reticle. I not only received an return email the same day, but also a C/S rep called my house to ask if he could help me in any way. I had both converted and turn around time was (including shipping time to Luepold and back to me) 11 days.
#2-I also emailed Leupold after I purchased my first VariX-II, asking for help because I was unsure of how the 1/2 MOA scope adjustment system worked a various yardages. I received a return email the vary next day with a deteiled explanation as well as the same un-asked for a few days lator in the snail-mail.
Are there scopes out there as good as Leupold, absolutely. But none that will serve you better or hold up any better, and NOBODY but NOBODY has better customer servise than Leupold and Damn few can honestly say thay match it.
When it came back the third time i sold it. Leupold ever since.
