Wrote a review on my Mk5s... I, no shit, sold my other optics and went full retard.
This is a cut and paste from a word doc I wrote. Judge away, Primus lol...
They’re baaaaack!!!
Leupold has created a monster! The new Mark 5HD series of tactical rifle scopes is, dare I say, the most feature-filled, best bang-for-your-buck tactical optic out there. It features 5X+ magnification in First Focal Plane (FFP) with two initial offerings- a 3.6-18 x 44 and a 5-25x56, both with a 35mm maintube.
5-25x56- It boasts 35 mils of elevation. The weight is pretty light- just 30oz and 15.7” long
3.6-18x44- 29 mils of elevation, 26oz and a very compact 12.1” in length
The above is a snapshot of the features that are also the differences between the two. Everything else is virtually the same.
Please read below for my personal thoughts on this fine optic:
Optics/Glass: Clarity is superior. Top tier. Period. Ask any scope snob and those who REALLY know what they’re talking about will tell you that while glass is certainly important, the coatings are equally so. Leupold’s HD coatings are truly a noticeable improvement over that of the Mark 4 and even the 6 and 8!!! You’ll most likely see the difference when you use one. I’ve owned a Vortex Razor an AMG, two Steiner MX5Is to name a few premier optics I can objectively compare these to. Its right there, folks!!! Seriously! I spoke with some Leupold folks to help me make a choice between my last 5-25 Mk5 and the Mk8 3.5-25. I was told the coatings on the Mk5 make the glass brighter. Sold!
Eyebox/Eye Relief/Optical Lens etc.: Generous, forgiving. Adjustment is a simple twist. Exit pupil and eye relief is GTG.
Parallax: Side adjustment. It works as expected. It appears to actually be adjustable… There’s a set screw on the dial.
Illumination: Optional… And I opted out. Pointless for all but true tactical/operational use IMHO.
Reticle (s): I own two 3.6-18s with TMRs, and one 5-25 with the CCH reticle. Reticles are a very personal thing I think.
TMR- I like the TMR for a clean yet usable milling option. I prefer the open center of my two 3.6-18s… be advised however, that if you choose an illuminated version, the center will not be open.
CCH- this is a homerun for Leupold. It was designed with feedback from professional shooters, for professional shooters. It is a “Christmas-tree” design of sorts for holding over if/when the situation calls for it, and it also has chevrons on the lateral stadia, indication holds for moving targets! Very cool and very usable.
To reiterate, all reticles/scopes in the Leupold Mk 5 Line are in the FFP
Turrets: I love the turrets. I had some apprehension before I decided to make my order. My experience with the M1, M5 and CDS (gen 1) turrets has been that they track well but have a somewhat mushy, inaudible quality to them. By contrast, my experiences with most of the German and many other flagship scopes has been crisp, audible and tactile. John, A Leupold employee by week, military sniper by weekend assured me that I would be pleased. He didn’t disappoint.
The Mk5 turrets are crisp, audible and very tactile.
The turrets lock at zero in the same way that the Leupold gen II CDS turrets do, but unlike those, these will go half a mil below zero to allow some flexibility if one has their gun sighted in at, say, 200 or 100 and a close shot calls for a sub mil adjustment.
As previously stated, the elevation is 30+ mils of travel, requiring multiple revolutions. Leupold’s turret indicates the second rev to the user via the button imploding into the dial. Upon entering the third revolution, an indicator button pops up on the top of the turret, much like many other scopes out there.
Tracking is perfect. Noting else to say here.
Built-in/Removable Magnification Throw Lever: Robust, knurled knob installed from the factory allows the user to change magnification settings on-the-fly very easily. Also comes with a setscrew to fill the gap, should the user choose to uninstall it.
Additional Thoughts/Comments: The 35mm maintube was chosen because of light-gathering and elevation/travel I suspect. Regardless, it creates a bit of a limitation on mounting options. IOR Valdada and Vortex had used/still use 35mm maintubes on some of their optics, so stuff is out there… but not to the same degree as 34mm and 30mm options. Leupold offers a few decent mounting options, as does Spuhr (this is my preference), MPA, Vortex, IOR Valdada to name a few. I’m certain more options will become available in the near future.
While Illumination is an option, it is only an option… Not standard, not a problem. I’ve used illumination less than I used 4WD in my first pickup… And it’s there for the same reason- just in case. Only in the case of illumination, it is most likely dead when you turn it on anyways. I can hear the naysayers now. Whatever. Keep changing your transfer case fluid and your CR2032 batteries. Just in case.
Price: MSRP is around 2.3K and up for the non-illuminated versions. I’ve seen street prices around 1700.
Side-by-side Comparisons:
VS: Vortex AMG 6-24X (USA Made)
The AMG really is a terrific scope all around. The 6-24X vs 5-25X isn’t a huge difference, however the price puts Leupold ahead.
VS: Vortex Razor Gen II 4.5-27X (made in Japan)
Undiscernible difference in clarity and brightness. Both track well. I prefer the Leupold turrets. The Vortex’ pull-up turret can be tough. On the other hand, it can be nice to lock in a setting too.
VS: Nightforce NXS 5.5-22X (Made in USA)
Mk 5 beats it hands-down in terms of magnification range, glass clarity and brightness. NXS is SFP so Leupold wins there. Nightforce is legendary for tracking so no knocks there, but tactile and audible turret edge still goes to the Mk 5.
VS: Steiner T-line 5-25X (USA and German Made) I love Steiner. The T series compares to the Mk5 in terms of cost and is assembled in Colorado. Glass clarity, coatings, tracking (T-series had a major tracking problem upon initial release. They’ve since rectified the issues), size and weight all but illumination go to the Leupold Mk 5.
VS: Steiner MX5I 5-25X (German Made)
Clarity and brightness are superlative with both. One might be better than the other, but I’m a mere mortal; I can’t tell the difference. Tracking is dead on with both. Size and weight are smaller and lighter (hence better) with the Leupold.
Note: Even if I wanted to, I would have been unable to test the Illumination with the Steiner, because, wait for it….
Battery was dead.
VS: Leupold Mk 4 fixed 10X, Mk4 fixed 16X, Mk 3.5-10X FFP (All USA Made)
Mk five is hands down better in everything.
Closing Remarks:
I shot one of my Mk 5 scopes in a PRS match in June… It had been my first PRS match in many years. There was a Leupold rep there from Houston who got pictures of my rig with the scope on top. He didn’t just take my picture, however. I was surprised to see at least five or six others using the new Mk 5s. Hopefully we see more in the future months and matches as Leupold gains new followers.
