Leupold Core Insider

When it comes to hunting gear, it's essential to have the right equipment at the right time. Knowing what to pack and when takes years of trial and error. Special guest, Randy Newberg, joins the podcast alongside Leupold's Lucas Burt and Riza Lesser to share his trail-tested recommendations on the best hunting gear, packing properly, and what he never leaves home without.

Subjects Discussed: Randy's five essentials; creating a kill kit; food rationing and cook systems; the importance of multiple headlamps; and more.

Binoculars are one of the most useful and widespread of all optical products. If you spend enough time outdoors, you know they can quickly become your trusty sidekick. But how do you go about choosing the right pair? Why is one more expensive than another? And do you need a spotting scope, too? Lucas, Scott and Mike sit down with Observation Product Line Manager, Zach Bird, to answer these questions, unveil a new optic coming this Fall, and more.

Subjects Discussed: Leupold's first binoculars; enhancing the optical design; the soup to nuts debate; proper glassing techniques; tips for cleaning your optics; and more.

Laser rangefinder technology has come a long way in the last decade. Whereas early models would be lucky to read objects at a couple of hundred yards, enhancements in today's products have allowed them to instantly reach distant horizons thousands of yards away. How is this possible? Scott, Nic, and Shawn sit down with technology product line manager, Eric Overstreet, to discuss how a rangefinder works, new products, the evolution in technology, and debunk some common myths.

Subjects Discussed: Leupold's first rangefinder; pulse rates; soft v.s. reflective targets; understanding TBR/w; battling the elements; choosing the right product; and more.

Leupold's legendary gold ring riflescopes are built for a lifetime of performance at the highest level, plain and simple. Why? Because the world's most relentless hunters and shooters demand their riflescopes work, every time. That's why, for generations, every Leupold riflescope has been designed, machined, and assembled in the United States by our 700+ American employees. Shawn Skipper and Scott Rousseau sit down with gold ring product line managers, Vici Peters and Tom Moyle, to discuss the evolution of our gold ring riflescopes, new innovations, and choosing the right optic for the right job.

Subjects Discussed: Inventing the duplex reticle; how a riflescope works; narrowing down your choices; using our custom dial system; achieving low-light clarity; taking care of your optics; and more.

The mounting system is one of the most important elements of your shooting setup. Often overlooked, proper rings and bases are vital to getting and staying on target, round after round. Scott Rousseau and Nic Kytlica sit down with Product Line Manager, Pete Moe, to discuss our entire American-made mount products including the brand new aluminum Backcountry series, IMS mounts, and more.

Subjects Discussed: Pete's history at Leupold; designing mounts for every firearm; aluminum v.s. steel; insane machine tolerances; using the mount finder; to lap or not; proper torque specs; and making a proper BLT.

There's more to shooting than just pulling the trigger. An invisible mountain of physical and mental preparation, skill, and discipline goes into performing well at a Precision Rifle Competition. We sat down with 2018 NRL Champion Shooter, Jon Pynch, to talk all about his success and what it takes to perform at a high-level during competition and in the field.

Subjects Discussed: NRL v.s PRS; shooting 20,000 rounds in a year; ammunition of choice; burning barrels; the design of the Mark 5HD; becoming a better marksman; choosing the right equipment; and more.

Wild turkey hunting is the fastest growing form of hunting in the U.S. today. In Oregon, turkey hunting has grown more than ten-fold since a statewide spring season opened in 1987. So in today's hard-hunted turkey woods, you need to know what you're doing. Leupold's Michael Wunnicke sits down with avid turkey hunter and guide Beau Brooks and first-time turkey hunters Amanda Caldwell and Connor Gabbott to talk about their successes and failures in the backwoods of Oregon.

Subjects Discussed: Proper calling techniques; set-up tactics; putting birds to bed; logging miles; and more.

Long range shooting is all the craze, but do you actually need a custom shooting system to ring steel at 1500+ yards? In fact, no. Coming to you live from the FTW Ranch in Texas, Leupold's Shawn Skipper and John Snodgrass talk optics, rifles, and bullets with Hornady's Neal Emery and Professional Shooter Doug Koenig. Subjects discussed: Getting started in long range; Hornady's ballistic prodigy; choosing the right setup; wind factors; the match experience; and more.

It's that time of year when many hunters are poring over big game statistics and summary reports, trying to figure out what controlled hunts to apply for. Lucky for you, there's a resource to make your life easier here in Oregon. After local software engineer Ron Wold didn't draw a tag he was sure he would, he created the Oregon Tag Draw Percentages website to help hunters like you figure out your chances. Subjects discussed: Understanding the preference point process; knowing your odds; out-of-state & guide quotas; common application mistakes; and more.

Answering over 100 calls a day, the Leupold Technical Service team helps customers tackle product questions, give recommendations and address warranty requests. Scott and Lucas sat down with Dane and Michael to address some of the most common questions the Tech Service team receive and give further insight into choosing the right optic for your situation. Subjects discussed: When to call in; choosing an optic for your new rifle; zeroing your rifle; lapping rings; watching for counterfeit scopes; lifetime guarantees; and more.