Leupold Chinese spotters????

[millerkiller77]

Did you know select Leupold spotters are made in China? I was always under the impression they only sold US made products. Apparently only gold rings are US made, does anyone here have a definitive answer on that?
I purchased a SX-4 PRO GUIDE HD 20-60×85
and was shocked to see a made in china sticker on the base. I also purchased two VX-6HD riflescopes last month, now I need to go check those also.
Interesting.

 

[FI460]

They've been outsourcing most of their binos/ spotters for quite a while. Most of their riflescopes are still made here though.

 

[p_ham]

All of their rifle scopes are still US made.

 

[MThuntr]

You're going to be really mad when you find out that those Leopold gold ring spotters are only assembled in the US

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Hardly anything is made in the US and that's why we were so crippled and over charged for stuff during covid and even still today...

 

[schmalts]

Where do you think the glass elements come from on all the "made in USA" optics? Mostly China.

 

[millerkiller77]

Where do you think the glass elements come from on all the "made in USA" optics? Mostly China.

I'm ok with limited or specialized individual components being outsourced. But Leupold has been beating the
"made in USA" drum pretty hard, I wasn't expecting made in china on any of their products.

 

[millerkiller77]

You're going to be really mad when you find out that those Leopold gold ring spotters are only assembled in the US

Nah, I'm going to start using wrapping paper tubes and coke bottle bottoms from here on out.

 

[Nick87]

Nah, I'm going to start using wrapping paper tubes and coke bottle bottoms from here on out.

Where do you think the bottles and paper tubes are made?

 

[millerkiller77]

Where do you think the bottles and paper rubes are made?

Mexico. It's bad, but it ain't china. Site rules prohibit me from elaborating on my thoughts about mexico.

Or china

 

[homers]

From Leupold's website:

WHERE DOES LEUPOLD GET ITS GLASS?​

At this time, there are no American manufacturers that can supply enough high-quality glass to support our optics production. Our lens systems are designed at Leupold by American optical engineers in our state-of-the-art optics labs. The glass is then procured from vendors around the world who must meet stringent quality standards. Incoming parts are carefully inspected in our testing facility before they are accepted into the build process.

 

[Jbotto]

I'm ok with limited or specialized individual components being outsourced. But Leupold has been beating the
"made in USA" drum pretty hard, I wasn't expecting made in china on any of their products.

I’m still mad at them from when I bought a Leupold hat with a bright American flag on the front. Hat made in Bangladesh. Missed the market on that one…..

 

[SFC B]

Yeah, I have been giving people insight to this for quite some time. NONE of the Leupold products are "made" in America and only some of them are assembled in the US. It doesn't make them bad products. Many of the Asian products, especially the Japanese products, are great quality. What it is DOES mean is that folks (at least to me) should not be happy with Leupold's marketing. I can tell you that they are pressing us HARD to put up big "made in USA" displays. Our optics manager won't do that . If you want completely American made optics that are somewhat consumer available, anything from Vortex that is in their AMG line......but there are only a couple of those. Another good option for rifle scopes are the
Z3 and Z5 line from Swarovski.......Austrian glass and components assembled in the US

 

[devon deer]

Why the surprise?
Have you checked the Sitka Gear label?
What about Goretex, where do you think that is made?
The list goes on.
Having said that they do make some good products, Carbon Fibre as an example, it's just that we all rely too much on materials made in the Far East.
What grinded with me was Covid originated in China, every single lateral flow test was made in China, they should have been provided FOC!

 

[schmalts]

If you want completely American made optics that are somewhat consumer available, anything from Vortex that is in their AMG line......but there are only a couple of those.

I highly doubt they are pressing blanks, grinding, polishing and coating the glass in them. Any proof they they claim the glass elements are made in the USA?

 

[SFC B]

I highly doubt they are pressing blanks, grinding, polishing and coating the glass in them. Any proof they they claim the glass elements are made in the USA?

Direct information from the Vortex reps as well as the marking on the scopes themselves. The only thing not made in the US Wisconsin facility is the reticle that is made in Germany.

 

[WildWill]

I think the point is leupold is being less then honest with there marketing and are misrepresenting the facts. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people knock vortex for being Chinese crap and then turn around and use leupold as a poster child for American exceptionalism. When in reality they probably get their glass from some of the same vendors and use as much Chinese labor as other companies . Leupold should focus on making quality products not misrepresenting the facts that will get the company further in the long run. I once bought Leupold optics exclusively not because they were or weren't made in America but because they had quality products at the right price point. This October I bought a spotting scope at the sportsman's Warehouse in rock springs Wyoming. Took a leupold and vortex that were in the same price range out into the parking lot to test them the vortex was noticeably clearer. Guess which one I bought? I now have a vortex rangefinder because I was unhappy with the performance of my previous one a leupold.

 

[schmalts]

Direct information from the Vortex reps as well as the marking on the scopes themselves. The only thing not made in the US Wisconsin facility is the reticle that is made in Germany.

View attachment 253250View attachment 253250

Is there a quote from Vortex themselves that they actually make the glass in the USA? I think they would be bragging on their website if they actually made the glass. A quick google search comes up with this from a 3rd [party site : "Vortex Razor HD AMG – Currently the Vortex Razor HD AMG is the top tier of the Vortex scope offerings. It’s an FFP scope built on a 30mm tube in a 6-24X50 configuration. The HD AMG is designed to offer the best long-range shooting, hunting, and tactical scope option in the Vortex line. Unlike the rest of the Razor scope series, the HD AMG models are manufactured in the U.S. Supposedly, the lenses are built in Japan, and then the scope is assembled by Vortex in the US"
I just got off the phone with a Vortex rep. Asked if they made the AMG glass. he said "well we don't make the glass, we get it from a USA supplier" So I guess that leaves a lot of open ended questions. Is the USA supplier pressing the blanks, grinding, polishing and coating? Maybe. Is the raw material made here? Maybe. It is sad that in the last 30 years all the old glass lens manufacturing places outsourced. Even back in the day Bushnell was doing their own grinding and polishing at the Bausch and Lomb plant

 

[rjthehunter]

China has us by the nuts. There's likely at least a piece or two in every scope that isn't "made in the USA". You guys are splitting hairs...

People sell Leupold in every discussion with the "made in the USA". So that isn't true. When it comes down to it, if I drop or break my scope/binos/spotter, I want it to be covered. It's like insurance... I've never needed to send anything in for warranty work, but it's good peace of mind that you don't get with Sworo, Leupold, or Zeiss.

 

[Jwill]

I was similarly bummed when I realized my Mystery Ranch pack wasn't made in the USA.