Rifle Scopes Leupold Mark 6 3-18x question...

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SnowApe

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Minuteman
Sep 29, 2009
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Stephens City, VA
#1
I recently picked up a Mark 6, 3-18x... love the size and footprint, love the glass, but having some problems with the zero stop and zeroing... I zeroed and then followed the directions unlocking the lock screw on the elevation knob to reset the zero stop... problem is I'm only getting about 14 Mils of travel above zero, and everything I've read says I should have 20? And I've got the zero stop nearly bottomed out below zero so theres no more room below the zero.

By no means am I a rocket scientist, but I'm not sure what I'm missing? Its mounted on a 20MOA rail so I should have plenty of adjustment after moving the zero stop. The only other complaint I have is there seems to be a little mush in the adjustments... I like the pinch and turn design but when locked I still get a little wiggle in my turret.

Can anyone break this down to me romper room style?? I've read a few of the other reviews/threads on the forum and am not sure where I'm going wrong... I contacted Leupold for some feedback, and hope to hear back form them soon, but I thought I'd ask here as well from USERS... Thanks in advance.

Snow-Ape
 
#4
Might be the mounts and could just be the zero on your cartridge.

Someone may want to double check my math. That scope should have just under 27 Mils of travel. If your zero is at the factory zero that would leave 13 (+ish) mils of travel up and down. 20 MOA base adds -5.8 mils. That would technically allow for 19 (ish) mils in travel for elevation up.

But, rarely does a cartridge zero at the factory zero of a rifle scope. Depending on your load and zero distance, you will be up or down a few mils. So, having 14 mils of up elevation isn't too bad depending on those two factors.

What is the load youre shooting and what zero distance did you use?

Trevor B.
 
#5
Thanks for the help... I'm shooting some 175 SMK from Southwest Ammunition... If that's not outside the acceptable range, then OK. I just expected more.

And my mounts are Spuhr 0 MOA mounts at 1.18"

Thanks again.
 
#6
That sounds like its in the range.

May want to run your load through some ballistics calculators. Changing your zero can help a little in getting you a little more travel if its within your acceptable range for a zero. Has less effect on a hunting setup with a kill box than on a target rifle though, so it might not be much.

Trevor B.
 
#9
rifleman700 said:
100 MOA of elevation travel total on the MK 6 which is about right for what you are seeing.
100/3.6 = 27.77
Sounds like your base is not 20 moa. I have the M5B2 and the M5C2 and have no problems.
Click to expand...

I suppose it could be the base... I just went back to my invoice from MHS and I did order the badger 20MOA base, but admittedly didn't check it before mounting... is it marked or is there anything on it that would confirm its a 20MOA base? I'll have to look when I get home tonight.
 
#12
Katahdin said:
The rear of the base will be noticeable taller than the front (Looks like a wedge) when you look at it from the side profile. A 0 moa base will be the same height all the way across the side profile.
Click to expand...

That's what I expected, but to be perfectly honest (and its my bad) my excitement got the best of me when I got rail, SPUHR, and mounts together and I simply put it together torqued to manufacturers specs... I'm at work now but will give it a good look when I get back home... I think I still have the original packaging as well so I'll put an eyeball on that too.

Regarding, the distance, I don't plan on reaching out past 1000yds, and I realize with my ballistic table my dope is U12.2 at 1000yds, so I'm good... I just thought I'd have more travel and want to make sure my scope and set up are gtg.

I'm a military guy now making the leap to long range civilian shooting, with my first precision rifle... I appreciate the help. It was a whole lot easier with a rifle and scope ballistically matched to your rounds! Even at a fixed 10x...

I'll check my base and hope to get something back from Leupold to see if I'm doing something really stupid that I'm overlooking... thanks for all the help guys.
 
#15
SnowApe said:
Yeah, I don't know if I even looked for it... first rail I had mounted myself, and just excited to get everything in from MHS... It'll be the first thing I do when I get home.
Click to expand...

Ok, so I checked the rail and its got the 20MOA can't. I unlocked the zero stop and confirmed, yes, I'm at the bottom... I then walked it all the way to the top... Had about 17Mil of travel bottom to top... and then I walked it back down to zero, locked it, and started walking my windage up and only had the 13.3 mil??

Any of this making sense? Anyone out there with one of these that has had similar or differing experience.... I called Leupold yesterday and while the guy wasn't a ton of help he did provide the same info you guys did... should be 90 MOA/27 Mil of travel... I may have to send it back, but I really want to make sure this isn't my operator error before doing so?
 
#17
rifleman700 said:
The windage is right also. Should be around 13.8 mils. Can you post a pic of your setup? I don't think it is your scope but is an issue with the base and or rings.
Click to expand...

Here you go... A couple of the set up with a close up on the mount and then the scope and rail data...
 

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#24
Update: I got the scope back a week ago... I was never contacted but the turnaround was a little less than 2 weeks. They listed that an LTI was conducted and that nothing was wrong... it looks like it was returned to mechanical zero and it does now appear to have all the vertical travel... I don't know what the deal was, but if I had to guess it was somehow my operator error... unsure. Hope to take it out soon...
 
#25
SnowApe said:
Update: I got the scope back a week ago... I was never contacted but the turnaround was a little less than 2 weeks. They listed that an LTI was conducted and that nothing was wrong... it looks like it was returned to mechanical zero and it does now appear to have all the vertical travel... I don't know what the deal was, but if I had to guess it was somehow my operator error... unsure. Hope to take it out soon...
Click to expand...

As one of the previous posters mentioned, the zero of a rifle will not always be in the center of the scopes possible adjustment range. Barrels are never completely straight and sometimes they are not so perfectly in line with the receiver either. This really shows up on over torqued AR's by the way. I had one rifle that was half way out to the right on the windage screw. I don't have that rifle anymore.

Anyhow, if your zero is significantly left or right in the windage department it will appear as if you have less adjustment range in the scope. I read you tested and found the total vertical travel with your previous attempt but I did not see that you had checked to see if you were in the middle with windage. Admittedly this will be a pain with 5 mils each direction limited knobs. I would suspect that being off to one side with the windage is probably the ticket. If this is the case you could find some windage adjustable rings to get your full travel.
 
#26
SnowApe said:
Update: I got the scope back a week ago... I was never contacted but the turnaround was a little less than 2 weeks. They listed that an LTI was conducted and that nothing was wrong... it looks like it was returned to mechanical zero and it does now appear to have all the vertical travel... I don't know what the deal was, but if I had to guess it was somehow my operator error... unsure. Hope to take it out soon...
Click to expand...

Operator error? Never. Glad to hear turn around was quick. I gotta send mine back. I smashed the turret really good and broke through the zero stop and smashed the pinchers so they're stuck. Now it doesn't work. Scope held zero though and I've shot several matches with it broken and it still tracks perfect. It's an excellent scope.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
#27
You guys that have these do you feel 18x is enough mag for smaller and longer stuff like 1k-1.2k yds. I like the overall size and specs of this optic. I currently have 5-20 razor and rarely do I use it above 15-18x. How dark does this optic get at 18x?
 
#28
Killswitch Engage said:
You guys that have these do you feel 18x is enough mag for smaller and longer stuff like 1k-1.2k yds. I like the overall size and specs of this optic. I currently have 5-20 razor and rarely do I use it above 15-18x. How dark does this optic get at 18x?
Click to expand...

I switched from a razor 5-20 to this scope. Between 20 on the razor and 18 on leup is about the same. I generally shoot on 12-15x for everything though. I've shot out to 1300 with it and I find it easy enough. The only drawback in a competition setting would be identifying something or looking for impacts on paper at 300+. The scope I think is pretty bright, compared to the razor it's on par. I've used the scope on 18x 20min after sundown and can still see brighter through the scope than with my eyes and I could still see vapor trail and impacts at 800+. That's bright enough for me.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
#29
what made you switch from a razor to this optic? i still have the older 5 mil rev turrets and love them for the spacing and heaviness of the click. i have never got to see or touch one of these mark 6's but the size, tube diameter etc are appealing to me.
 
#30
Killswitch Engage said:
what made you switch from a razor to this optic? i still have the older 5 mil rev turrets and love them for the spacing and heaviness of the click. i have never got to see or touch one of these mark 6's but the size, tube diameter etc are appealing to me.
Click to expand...

Weight. And 3x. I moved to a 100% elite tactical carbon manners and I wanted all weight savings I could and wanted 3x for coyote hunts. I've shot a few at 5yards with that, I couldn't ever get the close ones with the razor. The razor turrets are awesome but I wanted lockable and a capped windage. I spun my windage dial a few times at matches taking my rifle out of my pack with the razor. The mk6 turrets are not as crisp as the razor and it bugged me at first but they hold solid and track really well so I got over it. The best feature is the magnification moves as smooth as butter. It's really nice. Even In in 0deg weather. That's a lacking point on the razor I feel

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
#32
Killswitch Engage said:
understood. how about tmr reticle opposed to the ebr-2?
Click to expand...

Similar having an open center, which I love. Not having the tree I thought would be difficult but honestly it's easier to see everything. I hadnt tested it on holdovers till last week and we did holdovers on 6 different targets and distances in a short time frame and I hit everything from 500 up to 700 back to 400 and various in between with 5-7mph wind. If wind was giving you over 1mil it would probably start to get difficult. But normally I always dial and hold wind off the ret and it works really well. Very sharp lines for half and full mils.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
#33
Killswitch Engage said:
You guys that have these do you feel 18x is enough mag for smaller and longer stuff like 1k-1.2k yds. I like the overall size and specs of this optic. I currently have 5-20 razor and rarely do I use it above 15-18x. How dark does this optic get at 18x?
Click to expand...

Honestly haven't shot it out that far yet as I'm just getting it back, but I've shot out to 1.1k with a fixed 10x so I think 18x will be fine, though I'll probably also be more comfortable in the 12-15x range.

Weight was a big consideration for me with this scope... I wanted to be able to hunt with it too if I wanted to and Idaho regs dont' allow you to hunt with a rifle more than 16#'s...
 
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