Leupold VX5 HD 3-15x44 Tracking Test

alf

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S. W. Wisconsin
I've been wanting to put one of my guns on a diet, so I unscrewed the varmint barrel and sent it out for fluting, then pulled the Nightforce NXS off, and replaced it with a new Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 CDS-ZL2 with the FireDot Duplex.

Nice scope. Weighed in at 19.6 ounces w/o the battery installed. The reticle, I'd call a wide duplex. Subtension, if I remember right, is .200" on 15 power, which, from what I understand, is as small as they can go with a lighted reticle. Clicks are fairly crisp and audible. Almost two revolutions of the turret are available on these, 20 MOA on the first spin, 18 MOA on the 2nd before it stops.

With all the horror stories of Leupolds not tracking, I decided I needed check this one out myself. Since the barrel was off for fluting, I mounted it on a fairly accurate 6 Dasher long range plinker/PD rifle, using Seekins rings and Picatinny rail, and off to the local quarry to test. It wasn't the best day, pretty breezy, and no way to tuck in and avoid the swirling conditions in the "bowl".

I had made a target 42" tall, and marked off the vertical line in 5 MOA increments. I leveled the line with my 6 1/2' level, then set up at exactly 100 yards, and got a reasonably close zero on a separate target. Last two 3 shot groups were 1/4", so I gave the scope one click up & one over, and moved to the test target.

For an aiming point, I used a lid off a milk jug & circled it with a Sharpie. It was about the right size to quarter with the duplex. 1st shot on the aiming point, then dial in 5 MOA for each successive shot, topping off at 35 MOA. Then I dialed back down to zero and shot a 2nd shot on the aiming point, which cut the 1st shot in half.

I then went down to the target and marked those 1st shots with the Sharpie, to tell them from the 2nd test shots. For that, I dialed in 5 MOA, shot, then dialed back to zero. Then dialed 10 MOA in, shot, then dialed back to zero, doing this back and forth to 35 MOA, then back 35 MOA for a final shot on the aiming point. Those three shots measure .275".

Looks like the a little deviation at 25,30, & 35 MOA, but those are consistently only a half inch high, or two clicks. 25 MOA is 950 yards for the gun it's going on. Cold weather, it'll probably right on.......ha ha.

Proves I can mount a scope w/o a bunch of gadgets too..........

gcTji62.jpg
 
Are those actual moa (1.047) or are they inches? On your target? Either way seems like solid repeatability!
 
I've read the vx6 and 5 are different design than the lower lines and don't have the same problems. Is this correct in anyone's experience?
 
I'd be curious to see what your results would be with your Nightforce NXS. Keep in mind that if at 25MOA its 1/2 inch off (1/2 MOA) so about 5" off at the 950yds that you say the rifle would shoot with that much elevation. Having said that, nice solid shooting on your part.
 
I've been wanting to put one of my guns on a diet, so I unscrewed the varmint barrel and sent it out for fluting, then pulled the Nightforce NXS off, and replaced it with a new Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 CDS-ZL2 with the FireDot Duplex.

Nice scope. Weighed in at 19.6 ounces w/o the battery installed. The reticle, I'd call a wide duplex. Subtension, if I remember right, is .200" on 15 power, which, from what I understand, is as small as they can go with a lighted reticle. Clicks are fairly crisp and audible. Almost two revolutions of the turret are available on these, 20 MOA on the first spin, 18 MOA on the 2nd before it stops.

With all the horror stories of Leupolds not tracking, I decided I needed check this one out myself. Since the barrel was off for fluting, I mounted it on a fairly accurate 6 Dasher long range plinker/PD rifle, using Seekins rings and Picatinny rail, and off to the local quarry to test. It wasn't the best day, pretty breezy, and no way to tuck in and avoid the swirling conditions in the "bowl".

I had made a target 42" tall, and marked off the vertical line in 5 MOA increments. I leveled the line with my 6 1/2' level, then set up at exactly 100 yards, and got a reasonably close zero on a separate target. Last two 3 shot groups were 1/4", so I gave the scope one click up & one over, and moved to the test target.

For an aiming point, I used a lid off a milk jug & circled it with a Sharpie. It was about the right size to quarter with the duplex. 1st shot on the aiming point, then dial in 5 MOA for each successive shot, topping off at 35 MOA. Then I dialed back down to zero and shot a 2nd shot on the aiming point, which cut the 1st shot in half.

I then went down to the target and marked those 1st shots with the Sharpie, to tell them from the 2nd test shots. For that, I dialed in 5 MOA, shot, then dialed back to zero. Then dialed 10 MOA in, shot, then dialed back to zero, doing this back and forth to 35 MOA, then back 35 MOA for a final shot on the aiming point. Those three shots measure .275".

Looks like the a little deviation at 25,30, & 35 MOA, but those are consistently only a half inch high, or two clicks. 25 MOA is 950 yards for the gun it's going on. Cold weather, it'll probably right on.......ha ha.

Proves I can mount a scope w/o a bunch of gadgets too..........

gcTji62.jpg
16 shots and all would be in the circle if you'd drawn it 8 times...
 
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I'd be curious to see what your results would be with your Nightforce NXS. Keep in mind that if at 25MOA its 1/2 inch off (1/2 MOA) so about 5" off at the 950yds that you say the rifle would shoot with that much elevation. Having said that, nice solid shooting on your part.
I could do that test if I wanted, as I've mounted the NXS back on the Dasher. I've shot it enough at 1K+ to know that it's close enough to not worry over.

My other thoughts on the scope.....
Some say this scope is still a failure due to the 1/2 MOA off at 25,30, & 35 MOA. I don't, and I won't worry about it. The scope is now mounted on a custom 22-204 shooting 80 VLD's at 3025, strictly for a part time truck/LR coyote gun. 20 MOA gets me to 875 yards, so most likely will not get shot much beyond that. If the chance arises, I'll just dial two clicks less than the drops chart says and let 'er rip.

Not sure why this confuses so many.......
 
I've been wanting to put one of my guns on a diet, so I unscrewed the varmint barrel and sent it out for fluting, then pulled the Nightforce NXS off, and replaced it with a new Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 CDS-ZL2 with the FireDot Duplex.

Nice scope. Weighed in at 19.6 ounces w/o the battery installed. The reticle, I'd call a wide duplex. Subtension, if I remember right, is .200" on 15 power, which, from what I understand, is as small as they can go with a lighted reticle. Clicks are fairly crisp and audible. Almost two revolutions of the turret are available on these, 20 MOA on the first spin, 18 MOA on the 2nd before it stops.

With all the horror stories of Leupolds not tracking, I decided I needed check this one out myself. Since the barrel was off for fluting, I mounted it on a fairly accurate 6 Dasher long range plinker/PD rifle, using Seekins rings and Picatinny rail, and off to the local quarry to test. It wasn't the best day, pretty breezy, and no way to tuck in and avoid the swirling conditions in the "bowl".

I had made a target 42" tall, and marked off the vertical line in 5 MOA increments. I leveled the line with my 6 1/2' level, then set up at exactly 100 yards, and got a reasonably close zero on a separate target. Last two 3 shot groups were 1/4", so I gave the scope one click up & one over, and moved to the test target.

For an aiming point, I used a lid off a milk jug & circled it with a Sharpie. It was about the right size to quarter with the duplex. 1st shot on the aiming point, then dial in 5 MOA for each successive shot, topping off at 35 MOA. Then I dialed back down to zero and shot a 2nd shot on the aiming point, which cut the 1st shot in half.

I then went down to the target and marked those 1st shots with the Sharpie, to tell them from the 2nd test shots. For that, I dialed in 5 MOA, shot, then dialed back to zero. Then dialed 10 MOA in, shot, then dialed back to zero, doing this back and forth to 35 MOA, then back 35 MOA for a final shot on the aiming point. Those three shots measure .275".

Looks like the a little deviation at 25,30, & 35 MOA, but those are consistently only a half inch high, or two clicks. 25 MOA is 950 yards for the gun it's going on. Cold weather, it'll probably right on.......ha ha.

Proves I can mount a scope w/o a bunch of gadgets too..........

gcTji62.jpg
Looks good.
 
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