I have never had one minutes trouble with any of the Elite series of scopes I have owned. I also live Leupold very much. I own a couple of Leupold VX3 scopes and they are even better (by a small margin) than the Elites. The VX1 is not the same as the VX3 scope.
A place on Little River in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, is the lowest elevation of the state, rising to only 298 feet above sea level.
Owner description: Located in Death Valley, this small salt pond is more than 280 feet below sea level, making it the lowest point in North America. Look up and see the make on teh cliff behind the parking area that represents sea level and you will get a good handle on how low you really are.