In addition to the power of reasoning and innate intelligence, humans were able to dominate this planet through their better view of the environment, and putting this advantage to the hilt has been achieved by many in the contemporary era through Leupold scopes. These products are manufactured by the American company Leupold & Stevens Inc. which has been manufacturing precision optical instruments for 100 years. The company's products over these years have established their mark in sports shooting, wildlife and general observation, and law enforcement and military applications.

In fact, it was in World War II when Leupold scopes established themselves as dependable and high quality instruments. During the war, the company supplied rifle scopes for the US Army and worked with the American Navy for optics used aboard its war vessels. It is from these endeavors that Leupold developed the techniques in waterproofing and durable construction found in its products today.

Sports hunters will be pleased to know that Leupold scopes for hunting were developed as a result of one of the company founders' interest in the sport. This company co-founder, Markus Leupold, it has been told, was out hunting one day and missed a deer shot when his scope fogged up. This incident egged him and the company on to develop a more dependable and high-performance optics not only for shooting but for other applications as well.

Today, in addition to civilian use, Leupold scopes are part of standard issue equipment for the US Army, the Navy SEALS, the Secret Service, the Marine Corps and the US Navy. Superior optical quality, absolute ruggedness and waterproof integrity are the qualities which have made the Leupold product an endearing piece of equipment to their users.

Consumers are offered a wide array of choices for a variety of uses. Leupold has scopes coming in yet several models for shooting and hunting, such as rifle scopes and spotting scopes. For general observation use, there are many models for binoculars and rangefinders, as well as especially designed modular flashlights.

All Leupold products carry a lifetime guaranty to deliver bright and crystal clear image resolutions within their designed ranges, in addition to their rugged dependability and absolute waterproofing. To make the most out of the Leupold scopes, an appropriate type of product should be chosen based on the specific application and the users' individual make-up.

For instance, choice of a pair of binoculars, full size or compact models, would be influenced if a person is wearing eyeglasses. The location of the observation, what is to be observed (e.g. game, birds or butterflies) and for what purpose (hunting, camping, hiking or nature observation) are also factors to consider. Some Leopold scopes would be more suitable, for example, as a tool in viewing stadium sporting events and performances, while other products are best for theatrical audiences.

Age and size of the individual, particularly the hands, are also important considerations. People with some vision problems would also have specific Leopold scopes that would suit them best. True to its vision of giving consumers a square deal, the Leupold company has put all these considerations together in a chart available at its website that should prove most helpful in determining what is the best Leupold scopes from which various individuals can make their appropriate choice.

Established in 1907 as Leupold & Voelpel (later to be named Leupold & Stevens in 1942), the company had its beginnings as a humble one-man shop that served to repair survey equipment. As time marched on, Leupold & Stevens had ventured deeper into the world of optics, standing to become the world-leaders with their patented innovations in the realm of Leupold scopes. Leopold & Stevens has since then set the current standards for excellence in optics with their focus on durability, reliability and accuracy.

* Durability
Hunting and tactical operations ensure a serious amount of wear and tear on equipment. Scopes are no exception. They are usually thought of as fragile pieces of equipment that will shatter with even the slightest amount of force applied to them.

Leupold, though, knows that their scopes are not supposed to be delicate pieces of hardware. Constant research and innovations have given Leupold scopes an unbeatable degree of toughness and durability that can be found in no other type of scope. From trekking in bone-chilling winters to waiting it out in swelteringly humid summers, you can expect Leupold scopes will hold up to the most challenging of environments and the most brutal of conditions.

* Reliability
As time passes, equipment wears down, scope sights get hazy, the glass gets scratched, and the components start to rust and break down.

Though this is inevitable in anything and everything in the world, Leupold ensures that its scopes will not so easily lose their touch over time. You can be sure that any Leupold scopes you may use will be durable enough to stand the test of time, and will reliably carry out its functions long enough to last a lifetime.

* Accuracy
A scope is nothing if it cannot do its job, accurately guiding a marksman's shot to make sure it connects. Leupold knows this, and makes sure that their scopes do the job perfectly and seamlessly.

Taking everything into account, from wind age to elevation positions to low-light conditions, is something that requires a great deal of technological expertise to do. With innovations like the now-classic Duplex reticule providing an accurate crosshair setup and the more recent Leupold Index Matched Lens System that allows for better and clearer target definition, Leupold sets the standards for accuracy for firearm scopes around the world.

* A Dedication to Quality
Ultra high-quality scopes are what made Leupold renowned in the business for more than a century, and is the foundation of everything that made Leupold legendary in the optics business. It is this dedication to quality that makes Leupold scopes so durable, reliable and accurate.

Powered by constant innovations in the science of optics, Leupold has been consistently providing the most dependable of scopes through the years. Durability, reliability and accuracy have become the trademarks of Leupold scopes, and service everything that a rifle could need. These range from Leupold hunting scopes making sure that a hunter's long-range rifle connects, to the Leupold Mark 4 scopes designed specifically for a SWAT-officer's submachine gun.

Anyone who has fired a gun has thought of improving his or her accuracy. Rifle users are particularly interested in this, as their goal is to take down the target with a single shot - for reasons of stealth and mission success. Essential to this goal is the rifle scope, exemplified by the fine Leupold rifle scopes. But, what has led to the development of such a devices?

Man has long ago realized that hunting is most dangerous when one must get close to a beast. Ancient man faced the risks of being savaged by the very creatures he was hunting. Traps were invented, to kill or disable a creature without the hunter exposing himself to the danger. Traps, however, were time-consuming and not always practicable so man thought of using ranged weapons. Ranged weapons evolved from rocks, to spears, to bows and arrows. The introduction of gunpowder to the Western world led to a revolution in ranged weaponry - leading to today's huge array of projectile weapons.

Guns are perhaps the most prolific of all modern weapons. A gun is generally described as a weapon that sends a projectile using air pressure channeled through a tubular construct (called a barrel). Small arms are weapons that can be used by one person - including handguns, shotguns, rifles, and submachine guns. Of particular interest are rifles.

Rifles are long guns designed to be fired from the shoulder. They have twisting grooves cut into the interior of the rifle barrel, which impart spin on the bullet. This spin dramatically improves range and accuracy, making rifles the most effective long-range weapons among the small arms. Rifles were originally designed as sharpshooter weapons - weapons used by elite marksmen called snipers to take down tactically-important targets. Its use evolved with the times, and while rifles remain the weapon of choice for snipers, rifles are also commonly used as hunting weapons, and also in marksmanship competitions.

Rifles have incredible range, exceeding the effective range of all other small arms. While most small arms are designed for use in short range, rifles were designed for the long ranges. In fact, a rifle marksman may not even be able to see his target clearly or at all. The problem arises: "How does a rifle user aim at his target when the target is too far away?"

Enter the world of Leupold scopes. A rifle scope is an optical tool attached to a rifle that magnifies images. The magnified image allows the user to aim better, increasing his accuracy and therefore his chances to succeed. In respect to its mechanism of magnifying far objects to improve accuracy, rifle scopes are also called telescopic sights. Of course, the rifle then becomes proportionately better with the quality of the scope.

Leupold scopes are considered of excellent quality. They are used by highly-exacting organizations like the United States Army, and United States Secret Service. Leupold rifle scopes are also the popular choice within the United States Navy, especially among the US Navy SEALS and Marine Corps. Leupold optics has received acclaim for their ruggedness, waterproof integrity, and unsurpassed optical quality. Their dedication to the quality of their products ensures that each purchase of their products is one that you will never regret. If your success is determined by how far you can reach, then with the help of Leupold rifle scopes, your reach can be very far indeed.

When you are out hunting, you would need a strong, reliable scope to make that perfect shot. Leupold has been in the business for more than a hundred years, and they make sure that their Leupold hunting scopes are of the highest-quality materials and technological specifications:

o Water-proof
The occasional drizzle or pool of water can severely destroy the efficiency of other, lower-quality hunting scopes. Water will damage the electronic components, corrode the metal parts or even seep into the scope, totally distorting the accuracy of the scope.

Leupold scopes are designed to be water-proof, and you can rest easy knowing that your scope will be able to withstand any water that may come your way. However, you may want to check your rifle if it is water-proof as well. Even the most water-resistant scope would not help you if your gun gets watered out.

o Fog-proof
Humidity is something that cannot be avoided in a tough environment. Whether the environment is a scorching barren desert, a thick forest in spring or freezing winter plains, humidity will always manage to creep up and totally ruin your sights just when you need them the most

Leupold hunting scopes use locked-in nitrogen within the scopes to control the humidity inside and outside the lens, ensuring that you will always have a clean shot at your target. Fog will not be a problem as you lock in to make the shot

o Low-light Sighting
There are game-animals that are nocturnal by nature, like mature bucks that rarely move about during the day. These animals use the cover of darkness to move about and forage for food, hoping that it will be enough to protect them from most of their predators.

Whether it is a heavily forested area, a dusk or dawn hunt, or even an all-night wait, rifles equipped with Leupold mark 4 scopes will certainly fit your needs. With illuminated reticules and other low-light adjustments in the Leupold mark 4 scope, you can make sure that you can get the perfect shot in such low-light settings without having to worry about losing accuracy in the dark.

o Ruggedness
The wild is not a forgiving place for delicate pieces of hardware. That goes for hunting scopes as well: they must be tough, durable and resistant to the jolts, bumps and scratches that trekking through the wild may bring.

Leupold scopes are built specifically to withstand such conditions. The durability and dependability of both the lens casing and the lens themselves will ensure that no amount of jolting will affect the scope's reliability. After all, a hunting scope cannot be a hunting scope if it cannot ride through a few knocks and bumps.

Hunting scopes need to be reliable and dependable right when you need them the most. They need to be water-proof, fog-proof, usable in low-light settings, and tough enough to withstand that wear-and-tear of the wild. Leupold hunting scopes will meet these strict standards, and will ensure that you will make the best possible shot that you can, even under the toughest conditions.

Guns and rifles are made for different purposes, from submachine guns for close-quarter and tactical operations, to .50 caliber rifles for extended range sniper operations. These differences make distance settings a necessity. An extended-range rifle cannot take a target with only 3 x magnifications, while a submachine gun will not be able to practically use a rifle scope designed for targets more than 500 meters away. For this purpose, the Leupold Mark 4 Scopes come in different models to match the purpose that you need them for:

Mark 4 CQ/T Riflescopes
For such close-quarters combat using light arms, like submachine guns, you would need a versatile scope that facilitates two-eyed target acquisition while giving you the option to zoom in for targets that are a little ways off from where you are.

Leupold Mark 4 scopes are not just limited to rifles: they are also capable of fitting into firearms designed for close-quarter combat. The Mark 4 scopes designed for such weaponry gives room for the tight, precise freedom of movement required for reflexive targeting, while giving some capability to zoom in on a target for more aimed shots.

Mark 4 MR/T Riflescopes
This is the category of scopes that fits the requirements needed for more high powered, often-times automatic rifles: light and compact enough for reflexive shooting, but powerful enough to make full use of the range and stopping power of such rifles.

Leupold mark 4 scopes designed for medium-range firearms fill in this mid-line category. With targets ranging from 50 meters away to as far as 700 meters away, you can depend on Leupold scopes to provide the reliability and accuracy needed for the more versatile functions of medium-range firearms.

Mark 4 LR/T Riflescopes
When sitting in a blind and setting your sights on the hunt, or selecting a target in excess of 700 meters away, you would need a powerfully accurate scope to match the needs of a long-range firearm.

With the durability and ruggedness of the Leupold Mark 4 scopes, you can depend on their sustained accuracy and reliability even in the harshest of conditions. This makes it perfect for hunters who are out in the wild, watching and waiting for the right moment to tag a wild buck.

Mark 4 ER/T Riflescopes
With today's high-powered rifles, it is now possible to pick off a target more than a mile away. However, such a dramatic rise in distance can only be practically used if there is a scope that allows for the shot to land. Thus, the need for extended range scopes to build on the accuracy of long range scopes.

Running up anywhere from 20x to 25x magnification, Leupold Mark 4 scopes designed for extended-range targets will allow you to clearly and easily identify the targets, while making room for a considerable amount of wind age and elevation adjustments. Perfect for taking out game or targets at extremely long range.

Hunting and tactical operations require specialized scopes to fit the bill, and Leupold Mark 4 scopes give you exactly what you need: lightweight, durable, reliable and accurate scopes. No matter what your riflescope needs are, Leupold will surely be there to satisfy.