Rifle Scopes Leupold Mark 6 3-18x40mm, 34mm Tube, w/ TMR Pics and Review..

mhuff

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Minuteman
Aug 5, 2012
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Maryville, TN
I finally had a chance to take some cell pics of my reticle for anyone who's interested. I will try to review the scope and include it in this thread. If anyone has any questions reguarding the scope just pm me or drop a reply.

First Impressions:

First impressions of this scope are that its beefy and well made. Clicks are positive and audible. First quirk i have is that the turrets seem to move even with the squeeze turrets not depressed. Meaning it moves .05 tenths left and right just grabbing the turret and not touching the release buttons. My box test that will eventually be done should let me know whether it has any affect on POI or not. "Just cheap feeling I guess." The elevation turret has a detent spaced at 5 mils. 10 mil turrets are great considering I have 20 mils total elevation after zeroing my rifle "20 MOA base." The windage turret has a 5 mil stop in both the left and right adjustment after zeroing with a protective screw-on cap protecting it. The Butler Creek caps fit tight and function as they should.

Unboxing Pics:

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Reticle:

First off let me say i LOVE my TMR reticle. It's simple and easy to use with holdovers galore. The center of the reticle is hollow giving you the option to dial in the adjustment and make a shot without any lines obstructing your target. To the left and right of center are thin crosshairs that are 4 mils with .5 mil hash marks in between each 1 mil hash. Between the 4th and 5th mil hashes lies a .2 mil scale for target measurement. Next is a thicker crosshair line between 5 and 10 mils with no .5 mils hashes. At 10 mils the crosshair is at its thickest and extends in 2.5 mil increments until you reach a 30 mil hash and then the crosshair is solid until the end of the scopes field of view. Since the scope is first focal your power setting will determine how much holdover you can maintain if you decide to do so.

Reticle Pics:

The cell phone camera used by no way grasps the glass quality in this scope. The pictures are at each power setting.

3x

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6x

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9x

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12x

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18x

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Here's a picture of a barn at 410 yds.

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Re-setting the ZERO STOP and Windage:

Since the install on my rifle i have cranked the turrets like a madman and it has returned to zero every time. I will do a box test the next chance i have and post those pictures also. Finding out how to reset the zero stop took a little work but eventually after calling Leupy and searching Google i finally figured it out......

To reset the zero stop you have to first zero the rifle. If you have to zero "below" your stop you must loosen the allen screw and dial elevation "UP" to a detent and re-tighten the set screw to give you more elevation "DOWN". Repeat until you can get a zero. Now to set your ZS after zeroing you need to figure out where you want your stop to be at "1 mil below or dead on". To set it 1 mil low you must have your POI 1 mil low at your given zeroing distance. The ZS gives you 20 mils of total elevation after resetting or 19 mils if you have set it 1 mil below. After zeroing you must then loosen the set screw and dial elevation "DOWN" until you hit the ZS. Once the stop is reached you can re-tighten the turret and check your "zero". The windage turret is simple being you loosen the set screw and slide the dial to "zero". No rocket science or voodoo majic is needed to adjust this turret thank GOD!

I have put about 100 rounds through my .308 since the install and the scope is holding zero despite all the cranking "playing" I've been doing with it.

Rifle Pics Scope Mounted:

Badger 20 MOA base, Seekins .97 High Rings

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Clearance:

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Thanks for the great review! That looks like a great scope, especially for a mid-range precision rifle. I had a MK4 with the TMR; it might be my favorite reticle I've used. If you don't mind me asking, what the street price for one of those? If the current market ever calms down, I plan on buying some type of AR10 and mounting one of those on top.
 
I can't give you the price I paid on here but, give Scott at Liberty Optics a ring when you get one. Map pricing is 2100.00 I think but you can pick it up for less. Versus the MK4s I have looked through, the glass in the Mk6 is way better. I haven't seen any CA through this scope and for my eyes the contrast is amazing. From 12x to 18x the scope gets darker image wise but from 9x to 12x I have no trouble seeing at night. An illuminated reticle is not that big of a deal to me considering I will be punching paper and shooting F/TR. I live in Tn so there is some haze in the air due to moisture but I have no problems seeing clear images at over 1 mile. My rifle is a .308 so I will only be shooting 600 to 800 yds most of the time. I would have no problems shooting over that if I mounted the scope on a larger caliber "300 wsm, 338 lapua." Depending on the magnification setting you are on depends on how far the parallax will adjust down. At 3x to 6x you can get clear images down to as little as 20 yds. From 6x through 12x you can get down to 40 yds and 12x to 18x down to 50 yds. Leopold has gotten a bad rap over the past years and with this scope I see no "Paying for the Name" argument. I had a chance to test the "sloppy" turret issue and there is no POI change due to the movement. The clicks are positive and the turret locks where intended. This scope can do "Mid and Long" ranges with ease and money was "very well spent".
 
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Thanks for the show 'n tell. I looked at these at SHOT and was impressed with the compact dimensions and general robustness of its design. I will agree with you that the turrets aren't the greatest design, in fact I think the pinch and turn operation was poorly executed. Nice scope otherwise.
 
I think the pinch-n-turn turrets have their place. There has to be a little play due to the design I guess. It's all up to the shooter and what he wants. I wanted a locking turret without having to lift and depress every time I had to make adjustments. I also never wanted my correction to move after I released it also. I have practiced in my living room with my wife calling various ranges and corrections. After practice and learning the way the turrets work I am able to dial corrections almost error free. Like anything practice makes a world of difference.
 
What kind of rifle do you have there? I have the same scope on my SCAR 17 and love it. Everyone who has looked through it are amazed by the image quality and reticle.
 
I have the TMR version also. The turrets do take some getting used to. I don't think they necessarily feel sloppy. You really don't feel a detent at all. It almost just guides as you turn it. They are pretty audible though. The glass is excellent and the size to power range is awesome. Overall I really like it so far.
 
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I agree with almost everything said in this review. I have one in TMR as well. It does start to get slightly darker when you approach max magnification. The glass quality and especially eyepiece is signifncantly better than my MK4s however it still is half a step away from my Premier 5-25x56. Not comparing brightness of course due to the smaller objective lens, but it does display slightly more CA and a bit less resolution. Also keep in mind due to the large magnification range from 3.5-18x, at the lowest power when you move your head around while the scope is stationary, you can see more of a fish bowl type distortion than a scope with a smaller ratio such as the MK4's 4.5-14x. A few times the elevation turret was able to continue turning when I had released the locking buttons. I learned this can happen if you release the pinch buttons too slowly or not at the same time. I'm also just a range guy, so no life or death situation if the turret gets bumped and shifts accidentally. Mhuff's minimum focal distances are pretty much spot on. Overall this scope is a winner. The complaints I've named are minor and naturally some compromises are made for any scope, especially one with this much mag, great glass, reasonable price, in such a small size.
 
I have looked through Mark 4s, NF NXS, and a Razor HD. To my eyes the Mk6 glass has better resolution than all listed. I found that everyone has their own preference when it comes to glass and this scope suits me perfectly. You do need a proper cheek weld to maintain a perfect sight picture at max power but with my chassis i have that adjustability. For "me" it has great color contrast, resolution, and no CA that i can see. Lke I stated in my first post the photos do not show the clarity that the scope offers. I see no distortion from edge to edge and I do not notice any "fish bowl effect" as stated. Like I said this is only "my" opinion on "my" Optic. I do feel that Leupy realized they needed to do something about the competition gap and they answered it with this lineup. I had the money to purchase whatever scope I wanted from an SWFA to S&B 3-20 PMII. I chose the scope due to what I need in a scope, warranty, and saving some money for other things! Depending on what budget you have for Optics, this is a solid purchase for a 2k dollar range scope. Here are some pictures that were hard to find so I took them also.

Haven't found many shots of the windage turret w/ the cap off so here's one:

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Little parallax shot:

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Elevation shot with the 2nd Rev indicator up:

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Thanks for sharing mhuff! I recently purchased that scope and your instructions on how to zero once the turret is bottomed out, is much more clear then the owner's manual, thanks!
 
I had the same problem. I couldn't find a "Turrets for Dummies" manual anywhere! LOL. I wanted to do a review that would hopefully help someone out and I accomplished it. Awesome.
 
Cool! After beating myself up with reading and re-reading the manual and looking at that scope up-and-down, I called Leupold and Larue (I have it on one of their mounts) and still couldn't figure it out. On top of that, just to make sure I wasn't overlooking something, I asked two of my buddies to take a closer look, we still couldn't figure it out. Awesome job on the review and thanks again for sharing!
 
I took a couple more pics of the reticle i would like to share..

Zoom at about 16.5x. Gives you the option to hold up to 10 mils with decent magnification:

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A better shot showing 20 mils on the reticle. Zoom at about 8.5x. Until I bought the scope I had no idea the reticle would be laid out this way. There is also a 30 mil hash but man it's really hard to see unless it's perfect light and zoomed out. Who in the hell would ever need a 30 mil holdover:

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There is a generous amount of eye relief for the scope and depending on your base will depend on rings. With my Badger 20 MOA base I am going to have to take some material off the front to aesthetically make it look better, but I could have went with .92 rings and still had ample room. A 44mm objective will fit about any rings you want from what I have read. Where the rifle is setup now it feels comfortable in all positions for "me". I'm going to my brothers house in a week out in MO. We are installing a Badger FTE and I plan on using his Bridgeport to mill the excess from the front of my base. After I do that I will have all the clearance in the world. Read the sticky about measuring for bases. There are factors in every build but I don't think there are any issues with a 44mm objective.
 
So I had a little time today to shoot a little box test review on the scope. I shot a total of 27 rounds during my outing this afternoon and I am pleased with the results. I have numbered the shots by the number fired. Pardon the backwoods drawing on the target. What's a REDNECK to do? All shots were done at a bench with a bi-pod front rest and rear bag.

Ready to shoot:

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At bench:

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After measurements:

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2" dot at the bottom is a 5-shot and the 1" at the top is a 10-shot.

All shot together averaged 3.54. Max spread was .435" Considering a Factory 700 SPS Tac. the problem is mostly the gun not the scope. It does shoot under 1/2 MOA with handloads.

My point of aim was the #1 target at the bottom. When I travel to MO I will do a test to 10 mils and give a report on that.
 
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Great review, looking at picking up a mark 6 once the Leupold site comes back up on promotive. Been waiting patiently for the TMR release and some reviewers. With the weight, elevation adjustment, and features I think this scope is the one to get.
 
I haven't a clue how long the wait is. I ordered mine from Scott @ Liberty Optics when he posted a couple for sale a while back. I had mine in less than 4 days, I was just lucky I guess. Which reticle did you choose?
 
I haven't a clue how long the wait is. I ordered mine from Scott @ Liberty Optics when he posted a couple for sale a while back. I had mine in less than 4 days, I was just lucky I guess. Which reticle did you choose?

I decided to go with the TMR since it is more flexible and easier to learn on according to most here. I am new to long range stuff and hope this will be a good scope to start with. I may consider a Khalis 6-24 later, but I think this might meet my requirements to around 1km if my skill gets there. I figure I can use it on a Remington 700 if I do get one of those with little change. No idea when to expect mine, my Mark 6 1-6x took about 6-8 months if I recall. Hopefully this one will be much quicker now that they are making them at a decent clip.
 
The TMR reticle is a really nice reticle that's not busy at all given any of the Horus stuff. When I originally started looking at scopes I wanted the TMR but at that time I was looking at Mark 4's. Then I looked at Bushnell and the Gen1 HDMR. I liked the glass, but the H59 reticle was just like I had heard "too busy". You need to find someone to show you the scopes and see the reticles first hand to see the difference for yourself. I had never looked through a Mark 6 before I purchased mine, but I had seen both reticles though.
 
How is the twilight performance?

I think it performs like it should. At dusk it really allows you to see everything you would ever need to see. After nightfall you can see the crosshairs but it takes some time to sight-in on target. I have found most of the clarity at night below 12x. The crosshair is very thin on 3x so you can see it but only if there is light reflecting off of the target. For a rifle with a flashlight attachment, there would never be an issue with this scope. I don't hunt or anything at night so I wasn't thinking about how much I could see at night and had no need for an illuminated reticle.