LEUPOLD VX-6HD 4-24X52 vs MARK 5HD 5-25X56??

[fwafwow]

The initial thread is locked so that it doesn’t get cluttered, there is always another thread specifically to ask questions. Please point out what I haven’t addressed, and I will gladly do so. Also, contact @Ryan Avery and set up a range and shoot your rifle, your Mark 5, and your ammo and show that it holds zero. If you do, I’ll pay for your expenses. If it doesn’t hold, you stop spreading things that are demonstrably untrue about what is being done and has been done.

I've seen you ask the question in bold and make the following offer. Has anyone ever answered the question or taken you up on the offer?

 

[Formidilosus]

I've seen you ask the question in bold and make the following offer. Has anyone ever answered the question or taken you up on the offer?

Of course not. They know the most likely outcome, they just want to spread BS.

 

[deltadukman]

I recently had a VX-6hd fail to track properly or return to zero. Less than 2 weeks out from a big hunt. I called Leupold and explained the situation and guy acted like it still "could be you". I explained my testing, what it did, etc. Guy was very condescending. They shipped it back with the erectors replaced. Less than 200 rounds through it and the gun wasn't bashed around that hard either. I experienced the same issue everyone else did. Zero'ed at 100. Walked out to 700. Started missing. Dialed back down and put two in the same hole 2" high 2" right at 100.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Of course not. They know the most likely outcome, they just want to spread BS.

It's a good offer.

 

[Balderdash]

Of course not. They know the most likely outcome, they just want to spread BS.

The testing protocol is out there. Anyone can follow it to test their own equipment anytime.

I'm not surprised when people are sceptical of the results if their pet optic doesn't do too well; however, I am surprised that so many people will take to the interwebs in an effort to discredit the work that's been done in this area without first putting their pet optics through the same or a similar process. At least have a little substantive data to back up a contrary claim. Instead, arguments against the results seem to follow a similar path that start with something to the effect that "it always works for how I use it", and end with, "it's foolish to drop test a glass instrument, anyway".

For my part, I mostly hunt large blocks of public land in wolf country. I love hunting big country, but shots at quality animals aren't always frequent, so I like to make sure that I mitigate any hazards I can in an effort to make the most out of any opportunities that come my way. To this end, I don't mind giving my rifle rig a few drops to make sure the entire set up is up to what might be part of the rigors of hunting.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

There are a lot of hills worth dying on…leupolds isn’t one of them. You can probably go back and look at some of my old posts defending Leupold like I owned the company…here I am, eating crow having swapped out all my Leupy’s for NF and Trij.

I still think the glass in the VX6HD is better than my NX8s, but if you can’t hit what you see what does it matter.

 

[Balderdash]

There are a lot of hills worth dying on…leupolds isn’t one of them. You can probably go back and look at some of my old posts defending Leupold like I owned the company…here I am, eating crow having swapped out all my Leupy’s for NF and Trij.

I still think the glass in the VX6HD is better than my NX8s, but if you can’t hit what you see what does it matter.

Was a sad day for me when a VX 5 was giving me grief. Prior to, I had really liked that scope.

 

[SDHNTR]

There are a lot of hills worth dying on…leupolds isn’t one of them. You can probably go back and look at some of my old posts defending Leupold like I owned the company…here I am, eating crow having swapped out all my Leupy’s for NF and Trij.

That used to be me with Swarovski. Man I used to love that Z6. What a great hunting scope, on paper! Incredible glass and 20 ounces. I definitely miss that glass, and I’d love those 10 ounces back, but the damn thing has to work! Textbook example of scope manufacturers selling glass and specs instead of selling quality mechanics and what matters. Looking back, I am now almost embarrassed for how ardently I advocated for that POS!

 

[Remington92]

Never been around a Mark5 but I had a Vx6d 4-24 TMOA that was junk out of the box. Granted Leupold did make it right but they replaced damn near everything but the main scope body tube. Ended up selling it because the eyebox was unusably tight for me at 24x so I ended up using it more like spotting scope them dialing down to 10-14x for shots. For a long time I was like a battered wife with leupold and kept coming back even though I think I'm up to 5 scopes for warranty repair (they did fix all of them no questions) but I've started mixing other breeds into the herd and been happy so far.

Side note but more on Leupold reliability, was sighting in rifles this year with a buddy and his vx3 4.5-14 was 1.5ft off at 100yds after sitting all winter. He drew a special elk tag last year and said he had to rezero his rifle 4x last season!!! Said every time he'd slipped and fallen with it it would get knocked way off. In his mind though that was normal and no rifle would hold up to that. (He's 6'4" probably 320lb)

 

[Dkathman5]

There is plenty of info here and elsewhere on leupold scopes losing zero. Personally, I have only experienced it in VX-series scopes, but so far I'm 2 for 2 at them consistently failing to hold zero with relatively light use. No more chasing a zero for me, I moved on. I have friends with Mk5hd scopes that love them for PRS and have found them reliable, but those rifles are babied compared to my hunting rifle, so I have no first-hand experience with the durability of those.

Regardless of brand, if you havent used a bunch of FFP scopes with higher magnification before, I would want to use the one I'm considering before buying it to see how the reticle works for me at low power where most of my hunting shots are taken. I know you said you wanted more precision at 600-900 yards, but I assume that this means that you still want good useability at 75 yards or 200 yards, etc. Some people arent as finicky about this, but it's a must-have for me and I have not found many ffp reticles that I would buy for hunting.
Also, if you are planning to get a reticle with hashmarks to facilitate spotting shots, ranging, for wind holds or for holdovers, I would highly recommend a FFP scope if you are going with a top-end magnification more than about 10x, in order so you dont HAVE to be at max power to use the reticle effectively.

Thanks for the insight. Yes I am wanting a FFP and also want good feasibility of the scope for closer distances as well. leaning much more towards the Mark 5HD, though the reports of it not holding zero are a bit concerning. I did read through the drop tests that are mentioned above on both of these scopes.

 

[Choupique]

It really burns my ass that I ever started reading this website and found out that people have bad luck with leupolds shifting zero or tracking unreliable. I bought my first scope for dialing about a year ago, a mark 3 HD mil dot. So far so good, but now I'm pretty much convinced I've GOT to get rid of it and get a NF or SWFA if I'm going to continue dialing on rifles that kick hard.

Ignorance was blissful. Now I'm scared to crank on the damn thing.

 

[OdinIII]

It really burns my ass that I ever started reading this website and found out that people have bad luck with leupolds shifting zero or tracking unreliable. I bought my first scope for dialing about a year ago, a mark 3 HD mil dot. So far so good, but now I'm pretty much convinced I've GOT to get rid of it and get a NF or SWFA if I'm going to continue dialing on rifles that kick hard.

Ignorance was blissful. Now I'm scared to crank on the damn thing.

Use it and be happy until you can do something else.

If the zero changes or it doesn’t dial correctly then you already know what to look for and should catch it the first time with little drama. If the rifle and mount is solid then it’s probably the scope.

 

[wannajeep]

I've had my vx6 on a .300 win for 3 years now, I've killed bears, elk and deer and hiked all over idaho, utah and Colorado and the scope has been flawless. My entire family uses them with the same results. My .02 cents.

 

[mtblackdog]

My VX 6 has been flawless. Ive heard all the not hold zero problem rumors. Mine has been horse packed , truck bounced, ect. ect. and is still dead zeroed.

 

[Whaledriver]

Ran a vx5 the last 3 years. Snow, rain, fog mud and oakbrush have not killed it yet. Took a nasty fall a few years back and it never lost zero. I even used the dials on it and it tracks and holds zero. I must have
got lucky with a fluke. I will head out and buy a lotto ticket tomorrow.

 

[Chaseboost]

There is plenty of info here and elsewhere on leupold scopes losing zero. Personally, I have only experienced it in VX-series scopes, but so far I'm 2 for 2 at them consistently failing to hold zero with relatively light use. No more chasing a zero for me, I moved on. I have friends with Mk5hd scopes that love them for PRS and have found them reliable, but those rifles are babied compared to my hunting rifle, so I have no first-hand experience with the durability of those.

Regardless of brand, if you havent used a bunch of FFP scopes with higher magnification before, I would want to use the one I'm considering before buying it to see how the reticle works for me at low power where most of my hunting shots are taken. I know you said you wanted more precision at 600-900 yards, but I assume that this means that you still want good useability at 75 yards or 200 yards, etc. Some people arent as finicky about this, but it's a must-have for me and I have not found many ffp reticles that I would buy for hunting.
Also, if you are planning to get a reticle with hashmarks to facilitate spotting shots, ranging, for wind holds or for holdovers, I would highly recommend a FFP scope if you are going with a top-end magnification more than about 10x, in order so you dont HAVE to be at max power to use the reticle effectively.

I've experienced this with a VX3 I put on a Browning BAR MK III in 30-06. I set this up to be a dependable mid range, 400+ (nothing too extreme) hunting rifle. Four boxes of ammunition later (different brands, bullet size) I am struggling to get 1' groups at 100m and found my self making adjustments that chased the shot group around on paper. Something that should be complete with one box (boresight, baseline the scope at 200m) then turn her loose and let the BAR eat.
My opinion: Vortex's (from this point forward will be referred to as hot garbage) are trash and since hot garbage came on the market it took business away from Leupold. My anecdotal feeling is that Leupold may have changed something (who knows what, when, and where) to compete at a price point with hot garbage.
Also, I know the foam cut out is nasty. It was hastily made the night before I flew out to Afrika years ago and haven't replaced it.

 

[Slsnpsy]

Ive used both the VX-6HD 4-24X52 CDS-TZL3 and the MARK 5HD 5-25X56 M5C3. Ive never had a problem with either but that doesnt say much since I baby my scopes

 

[EasilyExcited]

Just more fuel for the fires. I bought a mk5 5-25 when they first came out. And it was garbage out of the box. After probably 50 33 nosler rounds and trying everything. I sent it in and they replaced the erector system.. one day it was dead nuts the next day it was 6" high and left. The next day it was low and right. Completely all over the place

 

[sgowda]

What did you end up with ?