VX6HD 1-6x24 vs Trijicon Credo 1-8x28

[BCC72]

Thoughts on Leupold VX6HD 1-6x24 SFP vs Trijicon 1-8x28 FFP for hunting in timber and clear cuts (Montana). Will be on a 338RPM Backcountry 2.0 Ti 18" barrel.
Have already tested the gun with 3-15x44 VX5HD for grouping and chronographing.
I have a second 338RPM with 3-18x50 Zeiss V6.
Has anyone here hunted with the 1-8x28 Trijicon? How did you like the reticle in the field?
It could also go on a 375H&H or 340wby.
Thanks in advance.

 

[comfisherman]

Boy. This is a subject near and dear to my heart in the quest for the perfect hunting scope.

It will ramble a bit and for that I apologize.

My hunting is also dense timber or brush with big cuts my animals are either bow distance or past 300 yards. Not much in between. Have tried most the lpvo scopes and more than a few of the mpvo.

1-8 nighforce is red dot fast on low power but the reticle isn't my favorite at the range especially at longer range, dot is rather large and makes precise aiming less than stellar. Afield it doesn't seem as bad, but range time load work it gets swapped out. Eye position and tunneling is workable above 6x but this could have been a 1-7 and wouldn't hurt my feelings.

My trijicon sample was the first iteration landed just under 27 oz, the reticle was some thick cross hairs, it was a decent layout but was perceptibly heavy on my light rifle and was swapped out for a burris xtr 2 1-8 that was a few oz lighter and didn't get fidgety till a little over 7x. Both were around 1k and out before the nx8. Now having had all three and I'd skip the trijicon and burris and have the nighforce for few hundred dollars more and only 17 oz. Yes its center dot is kinda thick but it's only a slight optical compromise over the chunkier brethren.

The vx 6 I have is the fire dot spr with the inverted 3/4 donut. It's an sfp scope and lands under a pound. Its not an apple to orange comparison, but being sfp it's not a perfect direct comparison either. Reticle is easy to pick up and it's less finicky across the full zoom range, I no longer shoot at range with it as it's now relegated to late spring early fall duty on my oft carried rimfire. At current leupold vx-6hd prices I'm not sure I'd even consider it, while I'd like a finer dot in the donught on the nf, for the slightly higher price of the nx8.... I'd go for it over the leupold. Leupold has continued to get more and more proud of its stuff without a commensurate increase in performance.

One thing that's worth mentioning. My first foray into a lpvo was a mid August hunt, lots of light then in these northern latitudes. About the first week of October the short coming of a 20 or 24 objective starts to be more and more of an issue. By early November even a modest 40x really seems to pop compared to a much higher tier 1x lpvo. If you're not likely to hunt a lot of dusk and dawn wit the setup they are awesome, but the criticism of dark image at low light is valid. So much so my mid Oct to March hunts get some form of mpvo, I'd love to se the 2-12 athlon type package be picked up by a nf level mfg.... just so long as they don't pull a leupold mark 5....

 

[BCC72]

I truly appreciate your in-depth reply.
I have owned the VX6HD (firedot duplex) for a couple of years and used it on various rifles. Primary use has been for coyotes on the property out of a tree stand and a few hog trips when I travel for work in FL from home in Montana.
I owned the Credo 1-8x28 for a short time and put it on a 450 Bushmaster for hogs and Deer. Weight was an issue. Not huge but noticeable. I traded it to a friend for something I can't even remember...
I have a VX5HD 3-15x44 sitting around that he would like and I was considering getting the Credo back as it could work well on one of my 338RPM's.
I have the Backcountry 2.0 with a Zeiss V6 3-18x50. Weight of total setup on that comes in at 7.04 pounds before ammo.
This and my 280ai with NF NX8 4-32x50 are my primary hunt at home in MT and travel guns.
The Credo 1-8x28 with rail and rings (rail necessary of course with the 34's) will come in at nearly the exact same weight, 7.035 pounds before ammo on the Ti version I have (5.0Lbs as compared to the 5.4Lb standard version). Weight won't be a factor.
That reticle on the Credo.... I wasn't sure on it before with it getting so big at max magnification. I shouldn't need max as it's primarily going to be a 1x- 5x setup but figuring 8x would be nice to have if its usable.
Reservation on the VX6HD I mounted on it is purely durability.
Reservation on the Credo is reticle.
Agree with you on the low light 100% hence the 28 might be an advantage.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the Mk5HD. I was going to mount one on my 6.5-300wby Ti. Currently wears a Steiner 3-24x50 which is beautiful glass but not a fan of the reticle. I got the Tremor3 Mk5HD to try on it. Thought it could be a good quick Antelope and LR coyote rig.

 

[comfisherman]

If I were only needing essentially a 1-5 I'd probably be trending towards the vortex 1-6 razor gen2e. While my 1-6 has also been reliable there is a lurking concer my light weight 375 beats its to death.

Im leary of vortex from using that warranty just a smidgen to much on a viper, but from the sounds of things the 1-6e is near bomb proof and would split the weight between the two. Just ordered one on a sale a few weeks ago so haven't put it through the ringer. It would get you down to 30mm rings a simple sfp for 3 gun and pretty durable reputation. Might be worth a consideration. Having had a nx8 Xtr2 and the gen one 1-8 trijicon, they all suffer from eyebox sensitivity and darkening above 6.8-7x ish. Still usable and obviously the market has accepted it, but the 1-6 segment seems to skirt this.

I like the mark 5 HD line. The 2-10 just bummed me out. Love My lr scopes, but also really appreciate the diverse capacity a 2-12/10 has. Have really wanted a mpvo that utilizes 2x on the low end(what we all though was fast before 1x came out) with a bigger light gathering objective. It would also be nice to have real trajectory turrets and a capped windage because let's be frank windage is our most subjective variable. A ffp reticle that's donut of death on low power and a consistent tree as the zoom increases would help for speed wind holds. For lazy reasons leupold kept the 35mm tube but instead of using a 42 or 40mm objective they went 32... so it's a massive tubed side focus 2-10 that's almost as heavy as a 3-18. Never mind the jump from 24 to 32 while not trivial is a far cry from lenses they make in other lines. Had they engineered a decent 30mm or even 34mm turret and added parallax to the vx5 2-10 I'd of been stoked. But alas leupold pulled another leupold.

Aside from that the 3.6-18 and 5-25 are pretty solid rigs, I'd say leupolds best work in 10 years.

 

[BCC72]

I too have been dubious on the 8x category.
The Predator 8 Steiner relieved this a little, as did the NX8.
Those clear cuts and steep scree slops by home in MT are the only thing that leans me towards the Trijicon with the durability. However, based on your recommendation, maybe I should go the NX8 again and not base the scope on ease of acquirement.
I'm guessing that eye box is pushing the 3" mark.
I just turned 50, changed from RH to LH (hence Wby new line, as caliber options in LH are limited) with my new F-class setup. Changed some calibers but still load develop.
I'm a little Leary too on Leupold having used the warranty a bit in the last few years.
Turning 50 this year, my plan is to knock out my harder hunts in the next 10 years. Texas Aoudad, Alaska Dall, Caribou etc. Coues Deer etc.
Elk, Mule Deer, Antelope and Whitetail are available as resident without much issue.
Still would love to hear your opinion on the Mk5HD.
Have you tried March scopes?

 

[comfisherman]

Home for mothers day and was over visiting at a friend's house, he whipped out a 2-10 mark 5 from his closet. He has a 3.6-18 that he loves and had ordered this for a sfar in 6.5 creed that's being built. It was the non illum tmr version.

Honestly I don't get it, the idea is absolutely where I'd like scopes to be but somehow it's all wrong. The tmr doesn't do great in this power range, although truth be told it's not my favorite reticle in any scope so my bias shows in that regard. The 35mm tube makes senses from a manufacturing standpoint as it borrows from its larger power mark 5 brethren, just can't help but think it's not needed and adds weight in this category. It also makes it a royal pita for rings, 34mm on a mpvo or better yet 30mm makes more sense. The concept of mpvo meaning internal adjustment is less critical.

The head scratcher is the 30mm objective, why they opted for 30mm I'll never know. Usually leupold hates doing new stuff unless it's oddball tube diameter so was expecting 33, 40 or 42 as those are leupold standards they could have used. My truck gun is a Vx-5hd 2-10×42 and at alaska dusk (10pm in early may is still mostly light out but was as late as tested) the 42 was perceptible lighter although it could be the sfp vs ffp as much as the 42 vs 30.. still and odd choice.

Tldr... reticles don't seem well suited, 35mm main tube is an odd choice, the 30mm objective seems like it should have been a 40 or 42, and it's actually rather chunky for filling the mpvo space.

The thing that bothers me most is stacking it up against a 2-12x Athlon ffp scope he has on a b mag truck gun. It's nearly the same weight, perceptably brighter with a far superior reticle for game use 30mm main body, illuminated without a 500$ upcharge and 2x more top end. Granted the glass is a bit clearer but not 5x the cost, heck it's not double better. If the Athlon wasn't ccp it would win hands down no questions asked.

The leupold just makes me wish leupold did better...

 

[Hammerdown]

I might not have the scope in hand that you have in mind. I do have a Leupold VX-3 1.5-5, I have been known to run this on my 338-RUM. It depends on the type of country I would be hunting. I have used this in S/E Alaska, bear hunting and British Columbia, hunting bear as well. I also, run that scope on my gas gun. It keeps on working.
Take care

 

[ridgewalker]

Can't compare for you, but can only write of my VX-6 and VX-6HD 1-6x experience which has all been positive. They have lived on my MRC 375 H&H for over 7 years. Been to Africa 4 trips. Worked well and reliably from 15 yards at night on caracal to 350+- yards on blesbuck as well as under 30 on Cape Buffalo. They have been in QR mounts so I have a backup. Easily fired over 1,000 rounds without a hick-up. Only switched out to test the aim point before each trip and always returned to "0".
Best of luck in your pursuit of perfection!

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Among my 12 or 13 Leupold scopes, I have a 1.5X to 5X VX3 on a 30mm Tube, with a lighted cross hair. It was a Christmas gift about 8 years ago, but just mounted a few months ago. Its on my 20 inch barreled 30-06 Pa. woods rifle, Mannlicher Stock . Its very bright and clear and sharp, however the lighted cross hair blocks a most of the 1 inch bulls eye. Even if the cross hair is not lighted . Its makes load development a bit more difficult when you really cannot see you aiming point. I think I may need to find different targets with a larger center bull , or a 1.50 inch peel and stick orange dots. When hunting to my left ,a 30 yard shot in to hardwoods is possible, or , to the right a 170 yard shot across open cut fields is also a max range possibility ! Good solid durable scope, on steel Leupold mounts, on a steel 98 action. Very Old school.

 

[BCC72]

Thanks everyone for the replies.
I went ahead and bought a March Shorty 1-10x24 dual focal plane scope for the 338RPM. Threw the 1-6x24 on my 375H&H and the Credo will find a home soon enough on something I have.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Wow !! a March 1 to 10. I did not know about that one. Sounds like you are all set. Best of luck Buddy

 

[BCC72]

Wow !! a March 1 to 10. I did not know about that one. Sounds like you are all set. Best of luck Buddy

It's a cool little Scope both first and second focal plane reticles and side parallax adjustment.

 

[bmart2622]

Not the exact scopes, but Ive got a VX5 3-15 and a Credo HX 2.5-15 and the Trijicon is better in every way, its not even close

 

[comfisherman]

It's a cool little Scope both first and second focal plane reticles and side parallax adjustment.

Is it the shorty? Or the longer tube?

How easy is it to get behind in the 8-10 range.