Used Leupold scopes or worthwhile alternatives?

As above, the Bushnell 3200 series and 4200 series represent very good value, and are a quality scope with a lifelong warranty. And, I'm not aware of anyone trying to make forgeries, unlike what has happened to Leupold.
 
Are there any tricks to buying a used scope on the exchange? I’ve seen some pictures trough the scope or into either end but how good a representation is that?

I’m pretty rural so driving to see in person ruins a good deal.
 
I can not recall getting an unusable scope on EE - often ask seller why he is getting rid of it, or if he has actually used it? Guys with decent feedback score seem to be pretty reliable, but there will always be the first one! Main reason I chose to go mostly with Leupold - even if something wrong inside, the people at Korth in Okotoks will fix it up at no charge - possible shipping cost, perhaps - do not know - have never had to do so. Ask for pictures of the externals - cracks, chips, scratches in lens are no-go for me, regardless of brand. Ring marks in body, dents, scratches in finish, etc. - should be reflected in the price? About only issue I have experienced is with an older Weaver - a 60 (?) 60 B (?) - was a Post type reticle - the tip that is supposed to protrude above the cross wire was very rounded - my wild-assed-guess is that this scope had seen fogging - moisture inside, and the metal cross hair had started to corrode? If you do not know what a Weaver Post reticle is supposed to look like, it might look "normal".
 
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You do not mention if you mount and sight your own scopes - many people do not do so? Most often, I mount bases and bottom of rings - very light touch with lapping bar to ensure the base saddles are sitting straight with each other - no point proceeding if they are not - in extreme "one of" cases end up either filing or shimming underside of the bases to get the tops of the bases in a plane, roughly level with the bore centre (bolt body). I use a Weaver scope mounting kit - aligning rods, lapping bar, inch-pound torque wrench. Blue loctite on scope base mounting screws; de-grease but dry on the ring screws and cross bolt clamp. I centre the scope optically by holding small mirror against the objective lens - you will see two cross hairs through eye piece - one is real cross hair, other is reflection. Turn turret adjustments to get the two cross hairs exactly on top of each other - scope is now optically centered. Quick glimpses at sky or clouds - adjust ocular as needed to get the cross hair very sharply focused when looking quickly - do not want to stare at it - your eyeball will adjust and try to make it look focused. Set rifle in cradle or padded vice - set scope onto the bottom halves - set top halves and start all screws. Depending on distance that you have - wiggle rifle a bit to get the centreline of bore as close as you can see to some mark - say 15 or 20 feet away - further is better if you can. Look through scope - gives you an indication whether mounts and barrel are pointed in roughly same direction or not. Set distance to eye-piece for your reach, your eye relief - want a full view - no dark edges, as you mount rifle to your shoulder. Set cross hairs plumb - for bolt action I use centre of the bolt - slide back to be directly under the scope - your eye should be able to get very very close to get the vertical cross hair aligned to the centre of the bolt. Snug down the mounting screws - evenly - want to have equal space between top and bottom halves, on left and right side. I do not think there are any scope rings designed to be closed up tight when holding a scope - all I have used end up with a small gap between top and bottom halves. I finish by torquing to maker's spec with the inch-pound torque wrench. As I have found, turning tighter does not make ring hold better - the fit and alignment do the job - want to have that done correctly, then spec'd torque works just fine.
 
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Older scopes - unused for a while - "stiff" or not moving reticles. Scope usually has turret on top and on right side - these contain screws that push the inner tube to align the cross hair. When backing out these screws, are relying on a bias spring - often just one flat spring located about 7:30 looking from the rear. So turning in, usually always moves the reticle - pushing that inner tube against the spring; turning out may not - if spring or gimbals are "sticky" or grungy from sitting for years. Had read some years ago to try to "sight in" when turning in on the turret - so, if need to back out two clicks - turn out 10 or 15 clicks, then turn in 8 or 13 clicks. In my experience, problems often show up trying to back out one or two clicks - why used to see guys "tapping" on turrets after adjustment - was trying to get a "jarring" vibration inside to get the spring to push that inner tube into place.

Scopes that I have dis-assembled (never, ever did get one put back together!!) have an inner tube that carries the cross hair, inside the main body of the scope. Better scope will have better made "guts". Just weighed a Weaver K2.5 60 B - 8. 5 ounces; a K2.5-1 Micro-trac - 11. 4 ounces. Better springs, better gimbals, better inner tube, better turrets - all add weight. I think many NightForce scope are up into 20 ounces or so - made from "good stuff".

So, imagine a smaller tube inside a bigger tube. You will have full value up and down, if you start in centre (left to right). And vice versa - full value left to right, if starting near centre (up and down). So if bases misaligned - have used up most horizontal adjustment (left/right), you will have much less up/down adjustment available. Why it is a good thing to have the mount holes straight and the top of bases in a plane - both in reference to barrel bore line - maximum adjustment then available within the scope. Many receivers drilled and tapped without a barrel - system "assumes" that barrel then screws in straight into the receiver, and that bore is in the exact middle of the barrel - both assumptions are often not correct - examples here of both not doing that...
 
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Go Leupold. If you have a problem they will fix it free of charge or in a lot of cases they send you a new scope as a replacement. How can you go wrong?
 
sask3500 said:
Are there any tricks to buying a used scope on the exchange? I’ve seen some pictures trough the scope or into either end but how good a representation is that?

I’m pretty rural so driving to see in person ruins a good deal.
Click to expand...

Make sure you are dealing with an individual on the exchange that has multiple positive feedbacks as this is a good indication that you can trust them. Ask for additional pictures of the scope if needed and most sellers have no problem providing those to you.
If your buying a used Leupold check the serial # with Leupold to confirm that it is authentic and not a knock-off counterfeit, they are around and pop up on the EE occasionally.
Give the buyer a phone call and have a quick conversation about what he knows about the scope your buying and its history. If you do all the above due-diligence you shouldn't have any problems or surprises when your scope arrives.
 
kc34 said:
Make sure you are dealing with an individual on the exchange that has multiple positive feedbacks as this is a good indication that you can trust them. Ask for additional pictures of the scope if needed and most sellers have no problem providing those to you.
If your buying a used Leupold check the serial # with Leupold to confirm that it is authentic and not a knock-off counterfeit, they are around and pop up on the EE occasionally.
Give the buyer a phone call and have a quick conversation about what he knows about the scope your buying and its history. If you do all the above due-diligence you shouldn't have any problems or surprises when your scope arrives.
Click to expand...

I just read the counterfeit Leupold thread, I’ll have to keep that in mind.
 
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