Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 review

[rfurman24]

Over the next few months I will be testing a Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44. Please ask questions here. I will try to update as I gather data.


The video is up. Click HERE to the official thread.

 

[6.5sandoz]

Been waiting on this review for a while. Look forward to it. Not a lot of mounting options yet for 35mm. I went with seekins precision for one rifle and near manufacturing alphahunter for my ridgeline 6.5 prc. Scope seems to be a happy medium between heavy enough to have great features but as light as you can get. Are you running the illuminated version or non. Also curious if you have spent any time behind one with gunwerks reticle and if you would prefer that version or standard.

 

[rfurman24]

Been waiting on this review for a while. Look forward to it. Not a lot of mounting options yet for 35mm. I went with seekins precision for one rifle and near manufacturing alphahunter for my ridgeline 6.5 prc. Scope seems to be a happy medium between heavy enough to have great features but as light as you can get. Are you running the illuminated version or non. Also curious if you have spent any time behind one with gunwerks reticle and if you would prefer that version or standard.

Mine is non illuminated. I have spent quite a bit of time behind this same scope with the GW reticle on the CLymr I tested. I think I will prefer the plain MOA but it is far too early to say that for sure. While testing the Clymr I did not really take the time to test the scope per se because I was focused on testing the three sheep rifles themselves. These are the rings I went with.

35mm V-Tac Light Tactical HD 7075 alloy Picatinny rings - Low

35mm V-Tac Light Tactical HD 7075 alloy Picatinny rings - Low

www.valdada.com

 

[6.5sandoz]

I am curious about your elevation travel. I have a 20 moa defiance deviant integral rail and i have 71.5 moa of travel left with a 100 yard zero on a 28 nos. Seems like i have a little more than advertised travel but not sure of that.

 

[rfurman24]

It is possible but unless you actually checked stop to stop I would not assume that. You may have used a little up the lower end while zeroing the scope. I have not spent, and most likely will not spend, a bunch of time dissecting the internal workings of the turret but at a quick glance it appears as if it would be somewhat difficult to count stop to stop with the Leopold zero stop set up. I will try to remember to count elevation left after I zero it.

 

[whatnext]

I am curious about your elevation travel. I have a 20 moa defiance deviant integral rail and i have 71.5 moa of travel left with a 100 yard zero on a 28 nos. Seems like i have a little more than advertised travel but not sure of that.

Isn’t that exactly what you should have? With 100 MOA and centered you’d have 50 minutes of up plus your 20 minutes of biased rail.

 

[6.5sandoz]

Isn’t that exactly what you should have? With 100 MOA and centered you’d have 50 minutes of up plus your 20 minutes of biased rail.

Its close but it seems like a few minute extra. Not a big deal anyway. Ryan is right you would have to run it from top to bottom to know for sure but it is difficult with the style of zero stop that it has.

 

[Broz]

Its close but it seems like a few minute extra. Not a big deal anyway. Ryan is right you would have to run it from top to bottom to know for sure but it is difficult with the style of zero stop that it has.

I know a lot of NF scopes have more than advertised when the windage is centered. They rate them with some windage cranked in because as you dial windage away from center, available elevation decreases.

 

[85zero17]

ANY UPDATES ON THE GENERAL OVERVIEW...COMPARISONS EXT?

 

[rfurman24]

ANY UPDATES ON THE GENERAL OVERVIEW...COMPARISONS EXT?

I have been very busy trying to get other reviews out. I do like the scope overall but have not done any serious tracking and if I was forced to pick a 18-20x scope today I would keep my NF. I will try to see if I can get some tracking testing in next week but hunting season is here for me so I can't promise anything.

 

[zr600]

Ok what night force would you be keeping over the mark5 and why?

 

[rfurman24]

Ok what night force would you be keeping over the mark5 and why?

My statement above was about 18x-20x scopes so it would be the 20x NX8. For me personally I find the 4-32x much more useful.

 

[zr600]

So if you were needing a scope for a hinting rifle/shooting steel you would prefer the nx8 4-32 over either of the mark5s and the 2-20 nx8? How would you compare the nx8 glass to the mark5?

 

[rfurman24]

So if you were needing a scope for a hinting rifle/shooting steel you would prefer the nx8 4-32 over either of the mark5s and the 2-20 nx8? How would you compare the nx8 glass to the mark5?

I personally would prefer the 4-32x in any situation I would personally find myself in other than coyote hunting. Even then I don't know how useful 2.5x is. I have not looked at the glass side by side to see a difference. I can tell you from shooting them as one normally would neither sticks out. I personally would never by a scope because "it has better glass". I will be doing a side by side before the review is filmed.

 

[Rich]

I personally would prefer the 4-32x in any situation I would personally find myself in other than coyote hunting. Even then I don't know how useful 2.5x is. I have not looked at the glass side by side to see a difference. I can tell you from shooting them as one normally would neither sticks out. I personally would never by a scope because "it has better glass". I will be doing a side by side before the review is filmed.

This review still ongoing?

 

[rfurman24]

This review still ongoing?

I am editing right now.

Crazy how time flies. I got lost in hunting season. Sorry about the delay.

 

[Rich]

I am editing right now.

Crazy how time flies. I got lost in hunting season. Sorry about the delay.

No worries. Good to hear. Thanks again

 

[rfurman24]

Edited the original post to provide a link to the official thread.