Shooting the Breeze: Leupold rifle scopes

Published 6:15 am Friday, September 9, 2022

Are Leupold rifle scopes still the benchmark in quality for a working man’s dollar?

Let me begin by saying that I have used and continue to use a variety of different brands of optics. There are many great products out there but, given my choice, nine times out of ten I would prefer a Leupold.

When I was a youngster, nearly every self-respecting hunter that I personally knew had a Leupold rifle scope on top of their favorite venison-getter. If they didn’t, it was because they were saving up to buy one and whatever was mounted in the interim was good enough until they could afford to replace it with a Leupold.

In 1907, Leupold and Voelpel was founded, specializing in the repair of surveying equipment. Fred Leupold and Adam Voelpel, brothers-in-law and business partners, were later joined by J.C. Stevens. It wasn’t until after World War II, when Fred’s son Marcus Leupold went deer hunting and missed his buck, that the Leupold family set its hands to making optics. His scope had fogged up, which was a fairly common occurrence in American rifle scopes of the day, and he swore, “I could make a better scope than this one!”

The Plainsman, a fixed-power rifle scope, became Leupold’s first firearm-related accessory and America’s first truly fog-proof optic. The company’s proprietary nitrogen-sealing process made the Plainsman a hit, and that fundamental and groundbreaking technology is still in use with Leupold products today.

In 1962, Leupold introduced the now world-famous duplex reticle. As opposed to traditional crosshairs, the duplex is a bold reticle that tapers to fine crosshairs at their intersection, which helped greatly with target acquisition in low-light situations. The taper point in the reticle also makes for a dandy holdover point at longer distances.

As business continued to roll in, Leupold expanded both its manufacturing facilities and work force as well as its product line, including offering a custom shop and other optics like binoculars and spotting scopes. In 1985, Leupold began to produce military-grade tactical optics for snipers and special forces in the field as well as armed forces shooting teams here at home. As time went by, additional products were offered such as laser rangefinders and custom scope reticles — including illuminated reticles— in both fixed and variable-power scopes.

Leupold made its reputation catering to hunters and shooters. The aforementioned custom shop, which sadly was recently closed, would add custom features to your Leupold scopes, such as a custom reticle or an M1 dial, for an affordable fee. Routine services and repairs, free. Broke your scope or binoculars beyond repair? Here’s a new one of equal value, free!

Today Leupold is as big as ever. It’s not been an easy road for the company, especially in the competitive contemporary world of optics.

All of my favorite hunting rifles wear Leupold optics of various magnification and vintage. For my money, they are still the best value for the working man’s dollar. If you buy one used, the lifetime guarantee is still honored — that is amazing service! I do wish that they would reopen their custom shop!

I have had excellent fortune in my hunting experience with Leupold scopes, binoculars and rangefinders. They are rugged, simple and hold zero well. The glass is top-notch, especially in lower-light conditions. I will continue to use them as long as they are around!

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