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Opinions on the Leupold VX-3

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supertool73 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2016 at 14:31
There is a video by Leupold and IIRC they claim in that video that all Gold ring optical devices are completely designed, machined, and assembled in the USA with exception of glass.  Which they get from multiple sources all over the world. 

I don't have time to watch it right now to verify, but here it is. 


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OTGmac Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2016 at 15:57
Wow - That's a great a video of the tour.  Honestly, I'm a little surprised they made it public.  Maybe that video is from several years ago, because when I was there just a few months ago they were a lot tighter on security, where I could go, no photos, etc.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peddler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2016 at 16:23
OTGmac, you can believe everything that Ilya stated. I don't believe there is much that he doesn't know about optics.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2016 at 17:43
Originally posted by nomosquib nomosquib wrote:

"Vortex has long ago started doing their own desigsn on quite a few models, first mechanical, then optical."

"All of the riflescopes are assembled in the US, but the components for them are sourced all over the place, mostly China, Korea and Japan."

"Trijicon that you mention adds the reticle in the US, but everything else is done in Japan"

"VX-3i is basically the same thing as VX-3, but with simpler (and cheaper) surface finish, so the price is lower."

How could one person possibly know all this insider info?  Did you work at all those places or is this just hearsay? 

Neither.  I've been around the sport optics world for a bit and nothing that I said in that post is exactly secret.

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2016 at 17:54
Originally posted by supertool73 supertool73 wrote:

There is a video by Leupold and IIRC they claim in that video that all Gold ring optical devices are completely designed, machined, and assembled in the USA with exception of glass.  Which they get from multiple sources all over the world. 

I don't have time to watch it right now to verify, but here it is. 



That is a nice video.

All tubes are machined in Oregon at their factory, to the best of my knowledge.  With internal mechanical parts, it seems to vary.  That is why quite a few of them say "Assembled in the US".  The higher end the scope is, the more of the internals are made in the US.

Just to be clear: none of what I said is a criticism of Leupold products.  Ten years ago, they were sitting on their laurels and getting overtaken by competition.  Now, they are a lot more aggressive with their designs, which I like.

I am just about done reviewing the D-EVO and that things is just cool and probably the most innovative approach I have seen in this market in a while.  There are a couple of things I would change, which I will privately feedback to Leupold, but I really like the approach.

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Urimaginaryfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2016 at 18:58
If you can live with quarter moa adjustment and either have Leupold Custom or Kenton Industries custom engrave a knob matched to the caliber and bullet you use.  http://kentonindustries.com/custom-turrets/leupold-tactical  If you go  this route and its .308 I may very well have a Kenton engraved  knob .308  168gr AMAX  that fits it. PM me and Let me know if you need the engraved knob  for this covered style of 1/4 moa leupold.  As for the VX3 scopes I have had some and like them for some reason I have always liked leupold scopes but I think the Zeiss scopes are better and would sure look at samplelist.com there are often some great deals.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2016 at 21:00
I've never understood fanboy mentality. If a thing is good, it'S good; if a thing sucks, it sucks. Does it matter much whose name is on the thing.
Rhetorical question.

Edited by Rancid Coolaid - November/03/2016 at 08:49
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Whitefire Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/17/2016 at 22:32
Originally posted by koshkin koshkin wrote:

Whitefire, it is a reasonable opinion, but seems to be based on either outdated or poorly researched information (don't securities brokers research stuff?Big Grin).

I am not neither an optics technician, not a securities broker.  These days am mostly a marketing executive, with occasional forays back into engineering as required.  That gives me a pretty good idea when I see some marketing BS propagated, and I am afraid a lot of you are saying is a consequence of some clever marketing.

Vortex has long ago started doing their own desigsn on quite a few models, first mechanical, then optical.  First, they were made overseas to their design spec.  Now, their AMG scope is made in the US and even sourced entirely in the US.

Some other products, like the new Razor HD spotter have components sourced overseas, but final assembly is done in the US where they can really make sure everything is aligned to their spec. How many fo their products will be built here or assembled here going forward I havn't the foggiest idea.  However, since they made the investment into the facilities and the equipment, I suspect they will be looking to do more in the US.

As far as the HST 2.5-10x44 scope goes, I would not base too much on it.  It is the single worst scope they have made in their Viper line (and that is exactly what I told Vortex when they sent it to me; the review is on my website).  Aside from all that, using a HST scope to form an opinion about a Razor is kinda like looking at Leupold Rifleman and based on that assuming that the Mark 8 is garbage.

As far as Leupold products being made in the US, that is only partially correct.  All of the riflescopes are assembled in the US, but the components for them are sourced all over the place, mostly China, Korea and Japan.  Binoculars are mostly made in China, Spotters are a mix, but all the lower end stuff is made in China.

Trijicon that you mention adds the reticle in the US, but everything else is done in Japan, except for the TARS scope, which is US made and the spotter made my Meopta in teh Czech Republis (I need to doublecheck on some of the newer stuff).

I have looked at a lot of Vortex and Leupold products and with both companies, I like some of them quite a bit and others not at all.

With Leupold, I really like a lot of their newer products and some of the things I see from their engineering department are clever and decidedly innovative.  I can say pretty much the same thign about Vortex' engineering.  Leupold's marketing, largely, leaves me unimpressed.  Vortex' marketing efforts seem produce less BS or at least less obvious BS.

With Leupold, I like VX-R, VX-6, Mark 6 and 8, D-EVO and the red dots.  VX-3 and VX-3i are perfectly decent scopes, but the competition seems to have their number for the most part.  Leupodl seems to ahve recognized it with the VX-3, so VX-3i is basically the same thing as VX-3, but with simpler (and cheaper) surface finish, so the price is lower.  While I like the fact that the price is cheaper, I am surprised they have  not yet introduced anything that occupies the spot between VX-3 and VX-6.  If your big introduction is the same old thing for less money... your are letting marketing people control the product people.  Trust me, that is not a good thing.   

With Vortex, I really like all of the Razor products.  Viper/HST/PST scopes kinda go by model.  2.5-10x32 and 6-24x50 are quite good.  4-16x50 is decent.  2.5-10x44 is the runt of the litter.  Generally, these are a bit long in the tooth and I expect that Vortex will do something about next year.  Diamondback scopes are excellent for the money.  Crossfire and Strike Eagle leave me cold.  Golden Eagle that I am looking at right now is surprisingly good and better than I expected.

ILya


Reseach?  I did research in my  younger days when I had no choice, but now... now, I pay to have my research completed (money wasted after Trump upset Hillary, money I don't mind losing). I have a philosophy about those who say they enjoy doing research -- they're lying.

How much research did I do before posting my thoughts (I did not claim them to be facts)? None. An opinion only from, apparently, outdated information. I also misquoted the model  Vortex I have, it is a PST, not an HST, so I am all over the board. It's mounted on a DD MK 12 - an incredible firearm with a mediocre optic, though the reticle is impressive. 

This to say, I appreciate your critique, it is taken instructively and constructively even if you intended otherwise.  That's why I frequent the board, I am never disappointed.        
Wf      

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/17/2016 at 22:41
Whitefire, my sense of humor get ahead of me and does not always come through well with written word.  I assure you that the criticism was meant to be constructive.  In the market place as large and as diverse as riflescopes, a little research is often necessary.  I've been at it for a while now, but some times it seems that I blink and a bunch of things change.

PST and HST are more or less the same scope with some reticle and turret differences.  Internally, they are identical.

The Mk12 is a very nice gun, indeed.

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/18/2016 at 09:26
Originally posted by OTGmac OTGmac wrote:



Anyway, all I wanted to say is that there is no shortage of chest pumping rah rah rah in the form of "MADE IN THE USA".  I saw it everywhere I looked.  On the walls, on the shirts, on the hats, on the product.  The thing is, I did this one little trick where you bring your US Passport.  If you do that, they take you all over the damn place.  Which, I must say, don't get lost.  You'll never find your way out of that place.  It's massive, and confusing.  But, my point, is - I didn't see anything that looked like it was sourced over seas.  I mean, there was probably something there that was.  But, what I saw was thousands and thousands of anodized parts and seriously... like a hundred machines making them.  These were huge machines, and I don't think I can say what brand, but... I've never seen milling and turning technology like what they had.  And EVERYTHING was running!  There was hundreds of employees running machines and running around.  In a long, round about way, I'm just having a hard time swallowing the comment that implies Leupold would invest all that money in people and machinery, only to import components in from over seas.

Just like any company, you can find flaws, and plenty of haters - but I think you're just going to look foolish if you accuse a company like that of importing in the components that build those products.


Leupold machines their main tubes, erector assembly parts, mechanical parts -- stuff made of metal -- of their scopes, and does final assembly and testing in Oregon. They don't make lenses, however. They import everything made of glass from Asian suppliers. So while a good portion of their scopes is made in the USA, they aren't 100% US-made. This is not a secret, nor is it a knock against Leupold; it's just a sound business decision. Most optics companies don't make and grind their own glass because buying lenses from the proven experts at manufacturing, grinding, polishing, and coating glass usually makes more sense from a cost, safety and environmental, floorspace, and capital equipment standpoint than attempting to do it all in-house.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/18/2016 at 10:58
Originally posted by koshkin koshkin wrote:

Originally posted by supertool73 supertool73 wrote:

There is a video by Leupold and IIRC they claim in that video that all Gold ring optical devices are completely designed, machined, and assembled in the USA with exception of glass.  Which they get from multiple sources all over the world. 

I don't have time to watch it right now to verify, but here it is. 



That is a nice video.

All tubes are machined in Oregon at their factory, to the best of my knowledge.  With internal mechanical parts, it seems to vary.  That is why quite a few of them say "Assembled in the US".  The higher end the scope is, the more of the internals are made in the US.

Just to be clear: none of what I said is a criticism of Leupold products.  Ten years ago, they were sitting on their laurels and getting overtaken by competition.  Now, they are a lot more aggressive with their designs, which I like.

I am just about done reviewing the D-EVO and that things is just cool and probably the most innovative approach I have seen in this market in a while.  There are a couple of things I would change, which I will privately feedback to Leupold, but I really like the approach.

ILya

I agree on the D-EVO.  Interested to see your review, Ilya.  Dang, I may like Leupold again...
 


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Urimaginaryfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/18/2016 at 19:43
 Samplelist http://www.samplelist.com/Riflescopes-C3391.aspx#Zeiss is worth a look. Great Deals


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