What scope do you trust? Most rugged, dependable rifle scope?

[steve white]

I like Zeiss HT, but not necessarily for ruggedness. The only Leica I see are at SW Ammo and half of them have something wrong with them! Must be my bad luck or a torturous display life.

Oh, no! I meant to say Kahles, not Leica. Sorry about that.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Swarovski then Leupold scopes. I also prefer simple illuminated reticles as opposed to some wild configurations.

HH

 

[WesRic404Jeff]

my personal opinion regarding sights is that German & Austrian made are of the best quality. You won't be disappointed, just hurt your wallet a little!

 

[Wyfox]

I've owned and used most of the Alpha manufacturers scopes in the last 20 years, mostly in the long range hunting/PRS roll.

On my main use rifles I only use Schmidt and Bender or Tangent Theta now after trying alittle bit of everything. That is where my preference is, I have admittingly become a scope snob...

I've owned and used the following for comparison,
Leupold VX6 3-18
Leupold VX6 6-24
Leupold MK6 3-18
Leupold MK5 5-25
Leupold Mk4 3-10
Leupold VX3 4-14
Vortex Gen2 Razor 4-27
Vortex Strike Eagle 3-18
Nightforce NXS 5-22
Nightforce ATACR 4-16
Nightforce ATACR 5-25
Kahles 6-24
Bushnell Tactical ERS 3-21
Bushnell Tactical HDMR 3-21
Bushnell LRHS 3-12
Bushnell LRHS 4-18
Swarovski z3 3-9
Swarovski z3 4-12
Swarovski z3 6-18
Swarovski z6 3-18
Steiner T5 3-18
Steiner T5 5-25
Steiner p4 1-4
Zeiss conquest 4-14
Zeiss conquest 6-24
Schmidt PM2 1-4
Schmidt PM2 3-12
Schmidt PM2 10x
Schmidt PM2 3-12 Ultrabright
Schmidt PM2 3-20
Schmidt PM2 3-20 ultrashort
Schmidt PM2 5-20 Ultrashort(illum & non illum)
Schmidt PM2 3-27 Highpower
Schmidt PM2 5-25 (approx 10 different variations)
Schmidt Polar 4-16
Schmidt zenith 3-12
Schmidt klassik 3-12
Tangent theta 5-25P
Tangent theta 3-15P
Tangent theta 3-15M
Tangent theta 3-15H
Zero compromise 4-20(my hunting buddies that i've used for comparison)

I'm sure I've missed a few, some of these I've owned 10 plus variations of the same scope like the S&B 5-25.

 

[Deepfork]

I know I'll get push back on this no problem, I am obsessed with weight so I almost always end up with a Leupold.

I have a .308 rifle that weighs 4lbs 5oz. I ended up with a Leupold VX2 2-7x33 on it. The scope weighs 10oz. The whole rig rifle, scope, silencer, sling, scope cover and 3 rounds on board weight a bit over 6.5 lbs.

The highest magnification scope I have on any of my rifles right now is a Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 on a .338WM, it weighs 19oz.

I have a couple of VX3-HD 2.5-8x36 scopes, they weigh just 12oz.

All very light or maybe the lightest in their class. So I have a made up statistic I use for buying glass its the "Weight to quality to value ratio as I perceive it" and Leupold pretty much always wins for me.

And all of that being said I have not had a problem with any of these Leupolds!

 

[steve white]

I know I'll get push back on this no problem, I am obsessed with weight so I almost always end up with a Leupold.

I have a .308 rifle that weighs 4lbs 5oz. I ended up with a Leupold VX2 2-7x33 on it. The scope weighs 10oz. The whole rig rifle, scope, silencer, sling, scope cover and 3 rounds on board weight a bit over 6.5 lbs.

The highest magnification scope I have on any of my rifles right now is a Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 on a .338WM, it weighs 19oz.

I have a couple of VX3-HD 2.5-8x36 scopes, they weigh just 12oz.

All very light or maybe the lightest in their class. So I have a made up statistic I use for buying glass its the "Weight to quality to value ratio as I perceive it" and Leupold pretty much always wins for me.

And all of that being said I have not had a problem with any of these Leupolds!

I have that VX2--great scope for the money!

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Your experience with S&B is different than mine. I was running 3 PMlls on match rifles. The zero would always float, it would only be a few .1s one way or another. I lost trust in them and moved then down the line. They were replaced by Genll Razors. Never had a lick of problems.

The Razor line is built similar to the NightForce line of scopes. A lot of their lenses are glued in place.

NF has never let me down, just wish their glass was better.

Zero Compromise and Tangent Thata are newer Alfa glass. I can't speak to the durability of these. Glass is phenomenal.

Hensoldt is one that gets over looked. They do not have the best reticle choices. If they did, my bank account would hate me. Best glass to my eye.

Leupold, they have come a long ways I will give them that. I have personally witnessed to many go down in matches to trust them. That's just a thing I'm not willing to overlook.

You are 100% correct about the PRS scope list. Budget and sponsorship play big roles. I shot for Kahles, they had some funky things happen with thier scope. It too was replaced with a Genll Razor. 8 years and 13k rds later, with God only knows how many ups and downs on the elevation turret. It has never missed a beat. I'm now running Genllls on a few rifles, the glass is better and so far they are holding up.

Hensoldt is a great choice too. Ive never personally owned one, but had an old army buddy who worked for them and I have played with several of his. I almost bought a ZF.

Ive got the same complaints as you on NF glass. I don’t personally know anyone else who’s had to use their warranty. That said, I don’t know anyone who’s had issues with S&B PMII’s like you’ve had. As you know, these are man made mechanical products, there’s always a chance of failure. One of them has to be the last one off the line the Friday before holiday shutdown or first one on the line Monday morning. More than 1/2 of by S&B’s anre short dots, because I’ve seen them take an insane level of abuse without any issues. I’ve got a couple PMII 5-25’s like you had, and seen them take a high level of abuse without going down or having issues. I’ve got at least 1 in the optics safe that I need to find a rifle for.

I find your vortex choice interesting, but my experience with them is the polar opposite. I also know you’ve got a fair bit of trigger time behind them and the other optics so respect your views on them since it’s based on your experience.

 

[Doubleplay]

I am searching for a new scope. I have 50 years experience. Looking forward to feedback & opinions. God Bless, Dale

Higher grade Swaroski and Zeiss.

 

[Inline6]

Hensoldt is a great choice too. Ive never personally owned one, but had an old army buddy who worked for them and I have played with several of his. I almost bought a ZF.

Ive got the same complaints as you on NF glass. I don’t personally know anyone else who’s had to use their warranty. That said, I don’t know anyone who’s had issues with S&B PMII’s like you’ve had. As you know, these are man made mechanical products, there’s always a chance of failure. One of them has to be the last one off the line the Friday before holiday shutdown or first one on the line Monday morning. More than 1/2 of by S&B’s anre short dots, because I’ve seen them take an insane level of abuse without any issues. I’ve got a couple PMII 5-25’s like you had, and seen them take a high level of abuse without going down or having issues. I’ve got at least 1 in the optics safe that I need to find a rifle for.

I find your vortex choice interesting, but my experience with them is the polar opposite. I also know you’ve got a fair bit of trigger time behind them and the other optics so respect your views on them since it’s based on your experience.

To make sure we are on the same page, only their Razor line is built that way. Their lesser lines I have seen fail.

 

[WyoBull]

Those tests are on R-slide and most (all?) of the Leupolds fail to hold zero.

Edit- I guess that link is not permitted. Search R-slide scope evaluation.

Wow, I guess my 45 years of using Leupold scopes in pretty tough environments with only one problem would blow the tester’s statistics right out of the water.
I apologize up front for my sarcasm but when I see tests like this that are 180 degrees from my experience over a long time of using the product, I have to question their credibility and validity of the test. I’ll just continue to use my old crappy and unreliable Leupold scopes and continue shooting animals.

 

[rookhawk]

I'm told that the Nightforce is the most dependable scope, never owned one and don't intend to do so. The second most dependable scope is the Schmidt & Bender and I've owned several. Excellent durability and excellent glass. Nonetheless, they are not my preferred go-to scope.

My preferred, go-to optic is Swarovski/Kahles. They are lighter weight, catering to the civilian hunter market rather than military / law enforcement. Their glass is as good or better than S&B, and definitely better than NF. They are lighter. They have less bells and whistles that a hunter doesn't want but a sniper does.

Given the choices of the most durable scope (per the OP's question), I would pay more for the less durable, but still top, top, top quality Swarovski/Kahles for the reasons given.

 

[JimP]

Just looking at the price of the Swarovski scopes I can save enough money by not buying them and just use Leopold and go on another safari.

I also saw something quite interesting looking through a couple of hunting magazines. Just about every rifle that has a add in those magazines was packing a Leopold scope.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

This is useful but, a better measure would be returns as a percentage of sales by brand. I have no idea as to the volume you sell annually but for example, If you sell 50 Nightforce scopes a year and send back 2, that's a 4% return rate . If you sell 500 Vortex a year and send back 20, that's also a 4% return rate.
Can you provide that type of data?

Can't rate as percentage of sale really.
I send back scopes not bought from us also.

I send back more Vortex as this is agriculture area. Farmers, ranchers are rough on guns and optics. Usually buy lower end Vortex due to warranty. As we replace on the spot if we have on shelf.

 

[Inline6]

Wow, I guess my 45 years of using Leupold scopes in pretty tough environments with only one problem would blow the tester’s statistics right out of the water.
I apologize up front for my sarcasm but when I see tests like this that are 180 degrees from my experience over a long time of using the product, I have to question their credibility and validity of the test. I’ll just continue to use my old crappy and unreliable Leupold scopes and continue shooting animals.

You have to understand the circumstances. How hard are you on your gear? Tough environments is one thing, getting bounced around having turrets spun up and down for repeatability is something else.

The first 12 field matches I personally shot, atleast one went down every match (have seen as many as three in one match). The game some of play, we are trying to hit 1/2 MOA targets at distances past 1k yards.

If one of your scope/rifle combo's hold 1-2 moa are you fine with that? I'm sure a good many here are okay with that. Some of us are not, if a match barrel of mine cannot hold 3/8" @100 yards (I know when I'm holding it back and when the rifle is holding me back). The barrel gets replaced. Depending on the round that can be between 1k-2k rounds (6mm-7mm) 308win and 223 live longer generally speaking 2-4X.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I will ad, for heavy recoil rifle like my 458 Lot CZ. I use Leupold and it has held up very well. Even after a fall this year and eyepiece coming loose it held zero for the rest of the hunt

As a follow up on this.
I use the Leupold Patrol VX6 1-6 FireDot on my 458 Lott. The fall this past hunt did loosen the eyepiece and allow dust particles to get inside. The scope held zero for the rest of the hunt.
It just returned from Leupold, new lens, new eyepiece, erectors overhauled.
No charge as usual from Leupold.
I will continue to use Leupold myself.

 

[skydiver386]

I kinda like Leupold.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

I have a dozen Leupolds and 10 or so Nightforce.
The scope brand that is the most rugged, most dependable? Nightforce.
Others have better glass and/or are lighter in weight.

But at least one Nightforce NXS has a bullet hole from a 7.62mm x 39mm from an AK-47.
The scope still held zero and had clear optics. It was stuck on 15x magnification but otherwise still function.

The solder carrrying it do so for three more day with duct tape covering the bullet holes (entry and exit) to keep out dust. Rugged, Nightforce.

Displayed at the 2018 SHOT Show​

Then there was a negligent discharge on a hunting trip in Australia...
https://www.m14forum.com/threads/another-nightforce-bullet-hole-story.481810/

“We have a second “Bullet Hole” story! – The story goes that an “anonymous” father/son were on a hunting trip in Australia whereby there was an unfortunate misfire event due to a dirty action. Luckily, no one was hurt! Lessons were learned, and unaware of where the bullet went, the hunt continued! Several hours later after quite a few critters were dispatched the father noticed a bullet hole clean through his scope! There was no noticeable change in performance, and in fact when the scope arrived back at Nightforce Australia, we confirmed through both forward impact and tracking test that the scope still performed like new. #nightforce #ruggedreliablerepeatable #bulletproof”

Maybe folks like to shoot holes in Nightforce scopes just because they can?

​

 

[CZDiesel]

You have to understand the circumstances. How hard are you on your gear? Tough environments is one thing, getting bounced around having turrets spun up and down for repeatability is something else.

The first 12 field matches I personally shot, atleast one went down every match (have seen as many as three in one match). The game some of play, we are trying to hit 1/2 MOA targets at distances past 1k yards.

If one of your scope/rifle combo's hold 1-2 moa are you fine with that? I'm sure a good many here are okay with that. Some of us are not, if a match barrel of mine cannot hold 3/8" @100 yards (I know when I'm holding it back and when the rifle is holding me back). The barrel gets replaced. Depending on the round that can be between 1k-2k rounds (6mm-7mm) 308win and 223 live longer generally speaking 2-4X.

My family and I have used Leupold very hard in the mountains and canyons of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah on hard Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Couse Deer, Ibex, and Oryx hunts. They’ve never been intentionally abused but have been bounced and banged around, taken hard hits, been on the backs of Mules and Horses, and in and out of trucks, Jeeps, and ATVs!
None of us have ever has had one lose zero! On top of that the US military has used them in the toughest environments on the planet for 40yrs and continue to use them! They have no complaints. The US Army uses the Leupold MK5 as their standard Sniper Rifle scope…
Is that hard enough use?

 

[Inline6]

My family and I have used Leupold very hard in the mountains and canyons of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah on hard Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Couse Deer, Ibex, and Oryx hunts. They’ve never been intentionally abused but have been bounced and banged around, taken hard hits, been on the backs of Mules and Horses, and in and out of trucks, Jeeps, and ATVs!
None of us have ever has had one lose zero! On top of that the US military has used them in the toughest environments on the planet for 40yrs and continue to use them! They have no complaints. The US Army uses the Leupold MK5 as their standard Sniper Rifle scope…
Is that hard enough use?

They have complaints, as well as a lot of instructors. You might not hear them speak if you are not in those circles.

I think their new line is doing better, I'm still not willing to trust them.

 

[CZDiesel]

They have complaints, as well as a lot of instructors. You might not hear them speak if you are not in those circles.

I think their new line is doing better, I'm still not willing to trust them.brother has retired from the 82nd, one nephew is in the 101st, another is in the 4ID, and yet another just retired Army SF…

I was in the Navy, my brother recently retired from the 82nd, one nephew just retired Army SF, another is in the 101st, and yet another is in the 4ID…
We all use Leupold so I guess I’m a little plugged in lol
It’s OK, no worries! Some guys like blondes, some brunettes