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Page AR-15 » Optics, Mounts, and Sights
AR Sponsor: bravocompany
Posted: 11/15/2015 6:48:40 AM EDT
I know some people are interested in this scope so I wrote a review of it for a website my friends and I started. In the article I also talk about my experience shooting at 843 yards on a full-sized torso target with it. I thought some of you might find it interesting and/or useful.



It's the Leupold Mk6 1-6x with the CMR-W 5.56 reticle which I found to work well with longer distance targets. The elevation holds weren't off by too much and the wind holds were almost dead on with the rifle/ammo combo I was using. It's a factory 16" lightweight barreled Daniel Defense upper on a home-built lower. The ammo I used was  75gr Hornady BTHP handloads that shot well out of my 20" RRA NM stainless barrel.

The full review is at: http://gunpositive.com/leupold-mk6-1-6x-cmr-w-5-56-a-review-and-some-shooting-at-long-distance/

and if anybody enjoys it please like us on our Facebook: http://facebook.com/gunpositive

Thanks!



Link Posted: 11/15/2015 11:02:04 AM EDT
[#1]
Damn good read, I just picked up one of these on 11/12, just waiting on delivery. I was going to get the Vortex and I still might but the deal I got I couldn't turn it down, I bought the scope for cheaper than I could get a Vortex for. Can you compare this one to the Vortex.
Link Posted: 11/15/2015 6:31:13 PM EDT
[#2]
Thanks! I'm glad you found the article helpful.

I had a Vortex G2 Razor 1-6x before the Mk6 but I never owned both simultaneously so I couldn't do a side-by-side comparison so these impressions I had were from memory.

The Vortex is 1/2 pound heavier. That might not sound like much but on an AR-15 carbine it was huge to me. It made the rifle I had the Vortex on be more fatiguing to shoot for long strings of offhand shooting. The Mk6 made the rifle feel much handier. The Vortex also had a much stiffer magnification ring. You really need a metal throw lever to change magnification levels quickly and that adds another $60. On the Mk6, because the ring isn't as stiff, I just use a $3.50 Breakaway nylon coaster I bought on EBay. I read people saying they sent the scope back to Vortex to have the ring loosened but I never got around to doing that.

Another key difference is that the Vortex is SFP whereas the Mk6 is FFP. This might make a difference if you want to have to search for a field of targets at intermediate distances (250+ yards) like in 3-Gun. With the Mk6 you can turn the magnification level down to 4x and have a little easier time locating the targets whereas with the Vortex you need to keep it at 6x to have the holdovers be accurate.

I think the glass is really nice on the Mk6. I remember looking through the Mk6 after I had the Vortex and thinking the glass was a quite a bit better but again, I never did a side-by-side so that was just the impression I had.

That being said, I think if most of your shooting is going to be up-close at 1x and you don't mind the weight the Vortex might be better. The thick reticle draws attention to your eye and I personally like the dot on the Vortex better than the small donut on the Mk6. A key advantage the Vortex has is the wider FOV, which I think is very important for shooting at close range. The view through the Vortex at 1x is pretty impressive. But I feel the Mk6 is way better for longer distance shooting than the Vortex. A lot of people want a simpler reticle at 1x because they'd like less clutter getting in the way. With a FFP scope this clutter will more or less disappear because the reticle shrinks so much. With a SFP scope the reticle won't disappear so manufacturers generally aim to make reticles simpler (there are some exceptions of course). This prevents SFP scopes from generally having more elaborate reticles that help with long distance shooting.

It's all about tradeoffs and I think if you want competent short-distance performance with really good long-distance performance the Mk6 is the way to go. The Vortex is still fine for longer distance shooting but not nearly as good imho. If you're mostly shooting up-close and don't mind the weight I think the Vortex is the way to go. Either way, they're both great scopes.

Link Posted: 11/15/2015 6:40:01 PM EDT
[#3]
Thanks again for the detailed response .
Link Posted: 11/16/2015 11:11:57 AM EDT
[#4]
I thought the weight for 34mm mounts made them close to the same weight? Did you mind the flicker of the illumination on the mk6.
Link Posted: 11/16/2015 1:26:26 PM EDT
[#5]
I can't imagine the weight of the mounts would be much different to be honest. There would probably be a bigger weight difference between different brands/types. On the Larue SPR mount mostly everything is the same except the rings themselves and they only need to be bigger to accommodate an extra 4mm of tube diameter. The difference in weight between the Vortex and the Mk6 is more than the entire weight of the SPR mount.

The flickering issue doesn't bother me very much. At 1x as long as you have a decent cheekweld it will still be illuminated. At 6x it'll flicker much more but at that magnification you'll probably be using the holdover anyways.
Link Posted: 11/16/2015 9:24:33 PM EDT
[#6]
Mine will be here tomorrow, I can't wait to mount it up.
Link Posted: 11/16/2015 11:13:21 PM EDT
[#7]
The Leupold Mk6 1-6x was on my short list of scopes.  But after all of the talk about flickering illumination & some reticles not being day time bright, I decided to pass (for now).



Link Posted: 11/17/2015 1:56:48 AM EDT
[#8]
Awesome TATBME! I hope you enjoy it. Please post back with your impressions especially the illumination issue since that still seems to be decisive.

Yeah Sniper3142, that was my hesitation about getting one as well. It seemed like a lot of people were talking about how bad the illumination was but there weren't a ton of first hand reviews. The YouTube of BJ Norris at SMM3G and my friend who had recently gotten a Mk6 as well both convinced me it wasn't going to be as much of a problem as everyone made it out to be. I'm glad I ended up getting one because I really like the scope.
Link Posted: 11/17/2015 8:51:12 AM EDT
[#9]
I heard about the flickering issue and decided to give this scope a shot anyways. So glad I did, it is awesome and everything I hoped it would be. The flickering is not an issue for me when on 1 power, I turn it on to the brightest setting needed and run it like a red dot. It is bright, usable as a red dot in the noon sun. The flickering issue comes into play if you do not attain a proper (or close to it) cheek weld. I have run it in a few matches and used it all over the place and have never noticed this to be an issue. Maybe if you were trying to make an Annie Oakley shot on the shoulder with a mirror you might have some problems. I know my scope is one of the newer ones with the adjusted illuminator, so I am unsure of the older ones. My only complaint is I wish this scope went to 8 or 10 power lol.

Buy it and love it!

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Link Posted: 11/19/2015 2:34:22 PM EDT
[#10]
Got her all mounted up, can't wait to shoot it and sight it in.

Link Posted: 11/19/2015 2:57:37 PM EDT
[#11]
Awesome! Nice looking gun. Are you having any problems with the flickering/illumination at 1x outside? Please keep us posted how you like it.
Link Posted: 11/20/2015 1:32:51 AM EDT
[#12]
Haven't had any problems playing with it for a couple days, like I mentioned I haven't shot it yet, and due to my scheduling I won't be able to for at least a month. I just couldn't pass up the deal I got, I got the scope and mount for $1200 shipped.
Link Posted: 11/20/2015 1:54:48 AM EDT
[#13]
I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in here as well. Here is my gun:





The flickering doesn't bother me. It is more pronounced at 6x than at 1x. At 6x, it doesn't matter as much because you're not using the illumination for a red dot. Rather, you're using the reticle (in my case a TMR-D).

At 1x I can't really get it to flicker. It may dim ever so slightly if your head position shifts, but it doesn't die off. It only happens when you're pretty much leaving the eye box. As an added bonus, the marking for 5.56 in meters just about the mil markings line up almost perfectly with my gun. I didn't even know those were there when I bought it online. I have to say, I love the optic. no regrets
Link Posted: 11/20/2015 2:43:01 AM EDT
[#14]
Nice looking stick , I really can't wait to hit the range with my rifle.
Link Posted: 11/20/2015 3:02:33 AM EDT
[#15]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Nice looking stick , I really can't wait to hit the range with my rifle.
View Quote


Thanks. I'm really digging yours too. It's my only AR-15. It's an SR-15 with the 14.5" barrel and a pinned MAMS. I was really surprised how close the turrets were with 55gr Wolf Gold. What reticle did you go with?
Link Posted: 11/20/2015 11:12:08 AM EDT
[#16]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


Thanks. I'm really digging yours too. It's my only AR-15. It's an SR-15 with the 14.5" barrel and a pinned MAMS. I was really surprised how close the turrets were with 55gr Wolf Gold. What reticle did you go with?
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Nice looking stick , I really can't wait to hit the range with my rifle.


Thanks. I'm really digging yours too. It's my only AR-15. It's an SR-15 with the 14.5" barrel and a pinned MAMS. I was really surprised how close the turrets were with 55gr Wolf Gold. What reticle did you go with?

CMR-W, I've built every AR that I own and I could have bought a KAC with what I have in this one. 14.5" Micro MOA barrel with pinned Griffin Armament M4SD flash comp I have 2 Griffin cans in NFA jail right now M4SD and M4SDK.
Link Posted: 11/20/2015 5:17:43 PM EDT
[#17]
I have the Mk6 1x6 TMR on my REPR 16" .308 w/badger mounts.  It's perfect, close or far away, it works well for me...
Link Posted: 11/21/2015 12:29:20 PM EDT
[#18]
Really having trouble deciding between the MK6, Kahles K16i, or Accupoint 1-6.
Link Posted: 11/21/2015 1:49:55 PM EDT
[#19]
Wow ! This really gets me in the mood to get a Mk 6 for the Noveske 18" stainless upper I have sitting in the corner.
Link Posted: 11/22/2015 5:38:44 PM EDT
[#20]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

CMR-W, I've built every AR that I own and I could have bought a KAC with what I have in this one. 14.5" Micro MOA barrel with pinned Griffin Armament M4SD flash comp I have 2 Griffin cans in NFA jail right now M4SD and M4SDK.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Nice looking stick , I really can't wait to hit the range with my rifle.


Thanks. I'm really digging yours too. It's my only AR-15. It's an SR-15 with the 14.5" barrel and a pinned MAMS. I was really surprised how close the turrets were with 55gr Wolf Gold. What reticle did you go with?

CMR-W, I've built every AR that I own and I could have bought a KAC with what I have in this one. 14.5" Micro MOA barrel with pinned Griffin Armament M4SD flash comp I have 2 Griffin cans in NFA jail right now M4SD and M4SDK.



When you get a chance to shoot it, let us know how the CMR-W reticle lines up with your load! I had the hardest time picking between the CMR-W and the TMR-D. Curious to see how closely it lines up with the 14.5" barrel. Did you get the 7.62 or the 5.56 reticle? I head the 7.62 CMR-W matches pretty closely with k262 out of a 14.5" barrel
Link Posted: 11/22/2015 5:43:10 PM EDT
[#21]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:



When you get a chance to shoot it, let us know how the CMR-W reticle lines up with your load! I had the hardest time picking between the CMR-W and the TMR-D. Curious to see how closely it lines up with the 14.5" barrel. Did you get the 7.62 or the 5.56 reticle? I head the 7.62 CMR-W matches pretty closely with k262 out of a 14.5" barrel
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Nice looking stick , I really can't wait to hit the range with my rifle.


Thanks. I'm really digging yours too. It's my only AR-15. It's an SR-15 with the 14.5" barrel and a pinned MAMS. I was really surprised how close the turrets were with 55gr Wolf Gold. What reticle did you go with?

CMR-W, I've built every AR that I own and I could have bought a KAC with what I have in this one. 14.5" Micro MOA barrel with pinned Griffin Armament M4SD flash comp I have 2 Griffin cans in NFA jail right now M4SD and M4SDK.



When you get a chance to shoot it, let us know how the CMR-W reticle lines up with your load! I had the hardest time picking between the CMR-W and the TMR-D. Curious to see how closely it lines up with the 14.5" barrel. Did you get the 7.62 or the 5.56 reticle? I head the 7.62 CMR-W matches pretty closely with k262 out of a 14.5" barrel

I've heard that about the 7.62 reticle also, I have the 5.56 reticle, but at $1200 total shipped I couldn't be picky .
Link Posted: 11/23/2015 2:56:27 AM EDT
[#22]
Wow, you got a really good price on your Mk6! $1200 is a steal IMO.

I think the Mk6 would be great on a stainless barreled Noveske if you wanted an all-purpose rifle. Or were you thinking of your rifle as more of a SPR?
Link Posted: 11/23/2015 11:37:33 AM EDT
[#23]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Wow, you got a really good price on your Mk6! $1200 is a steal IMO.

I think the Mk6 would be great on a stainless barreled Noveske if you wanted an all-purpose rifle. Or were you thinking of your rifle as more of a SPR?
View Quote

More of a mini reece, it'll stay on the upper pictured until I decide I can do better. The micro moa barrel is a sub moa barrel and until I find somewhere that I can shoot at distance more often I can't justify going longer.
ETA: That $1200 price came with the ADM mount as well, that's why I jumped on it. Going to sight it in now.
Link Posted: 11/23/2015 3:45:21 PM EDT
[#24]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

More of a mini reece, it'll stay on the upper pictured until I decide I can do better. The micro moa barrel is a sub moa barrel and until I find somewhere that I can shoot at distance more often I can't justify going longer.
ETA: That $1200 price came with the ADM mount as well, that's why I jumped on it. Going to sight it in now.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Wow, you got a really good price on your Mk6! $1200 is a steal IMO.

I think the Mk6 would be great on a stainless barreled Noveske if you wanted an all-purpose rifle. Or were you thinking of your rifle as more of a SPR?

More of a mini reece, it'll stay on the upper pictured until I decide I can do better. The micro moa barrel is a sub moa barrel and until I find somewhere that I can shoot at distance more often I can't justify going longer.
ETA: That $1200 price came with the ADM mount as well, that's why I jumped on it. Going to sight it in now.



Let us know how you like it! I got mine for $1580 with a $500 gift card because it was a "demo" model but seemed like new to me. I think you got the better deal on it, because even factoring the gift card, mine definitely cost more than $1200 with mount. It was a lot of money for me, but now I'm really glad I got it.

PS don't tighten the set screws for the zero stop too tight. Ask me how I know..
Link Posted: 11/24/2015 11:20:04 AM EDT
[#25]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:



Let us know how you like it! I got mine for $1580 with a $500 gift card because it was a "demo" model but seemed like new to me. I think you got the better deal on it, because even factoring the gift card, mine definitely cost more than $1200 with mount. It was a lot of money for me, but now I'm really glad I got it.

PS don't tighten the set screws for the zero stop too tight. Ask me how I know..
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Wow, you got a really good price on your Mk6! $1200 is a steal IMO.

I think the Mk6 would be great on a stainless barreled Noveske if you wanted an all-purpose rifle. Or were you thinking of your rifle as more of a SPR?

More of a mini reece, it'll stay on the upper pictured until I decide I can do better. The micro moa barrel is a sub moa barrel and until I find somewhere that I can shoot at distance more often I can't justify going longer.
ETA: That $1200 price came with the ADM mount as well, that's why I jumped on it. Going to sight it in now.



Let us know how you like it! I got mine for $1580 with a $500 gift card because it was a "demo" model but seemed like new to me. I think you got the better deal on it, because even factoring the gift card, mine definitely cost more than $1200 with mount. It was a lot of money for me, but now I'm really glad I got it.

PS don't tighten the set screws for the zero stop too tight. Ask me how I know..

OK got it sighted in and wow the glass is crystal clear, I didn't get a chance to run any drills, but I saw what other people were talking about with the red dot flickering. I'll wait for a day that we run some drills with it before I give it a verdict. I just didn't have time, I was also testing some Form 1 cans so that was way more fun than a new scope.

ETA: I also got my scope from a demo sale at (reactive gun works), I just went there looking at Glock barrels and happened to see the scope. Well after seeing the scope the Glock barrels will have to wait .
Link Posted: 11/24/2015 1:01:27 PM EDT
[#26]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

OK got it sighted in and wow the glass is crystal clear, I didn't get a chance to run any drills, but I saw what other people were talking about with the red dot flickering. I'll wait for a day that we run some drills with it before I give it a verdict. I just didn't have time, I was also testing some Form 1 cans so that was way more fun than a new scope.

ETA: I also got my scope from a demo sale at (reactive gun works), I just went there looking at Glock barrels and happened to see the scope. Well after seeing the scope the Glock barrels will have to wait .
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Wow, you got a really good price on your Mk6! $1200 is a steal IMO.

I think the Mk6 would be great on a stainless barreled Noveske if you wanted an all-purpose rifle. Or were you thinking of your rifle as more of a SPR?

More of a mini reece, it'll stay on the upper pictured until I decide I can do better. The micro moa barrel is a sub moa barrel and until I find somewhere that I can shoot at distance more often I can't justify going longer.
ETA: That $1200 price came with the ADM mount as well, that's why I jumped on it. Going to sight it in now.



Let us know how you like it! I got mine for $1580 with a $500 gift card because it was a "demo" model but seemed like new to me. I think you got the better deal on it, because even factoring the gift card, mine definitely cost more than $1200 with mount. It was a lot of money for me, but now I'm really glad I got it.

PS don't tighten the set screws for the zero stop too tight. Ask me how I know..

OK got it sighted in and wow the glass is crystal clear, I didn't get a chance to run any drills, but I saw what other people were talking about with the red dot flickering. I'll wait for a day that we run some drills with it before I give it a verdict. I just didn't have time, I was also testing some Form 1 cans so that was way more fun than a new scope.

ETA: I also got my scope from a demo sale at (reactive gun works), I just went there looking at Glock barrels and happened to see the scope. Well after seeing the scope the Glock barrels will have to wait .


Does your serial number end in a Y? If I remember correctly, those that end in a Y are the newest revision. Also, I find the flickering doesn't really happen at 1x. It happens with me at 6x though. I use that to determine if I have good head position to try to eliminate any parallax issues
Link Posted: 11/24/2015 5:34:45 PM EDT
[#27]
My S/N ends with AA, I was just playing with my head position to see the flickering.
Link Posted: 11/24/2015 5:40:09 PM EDT
[#28]
I called Leupold about the serial number thing.  They said its BS.  All of the MK6 scopes will do this because of how the illumination works.

I had the TMR reticle, Id think Id like the CMR better.  :shrug
Link Posted: 11/24/2015 7:33:18 PM EDT
[#29]
In my opinion the "flickering" is a non issue, less noticable at 1x and by the time you actually notice it you're head is already moving out of the eyebox of the scope anyway.

Mk6 is a solid scope, I only put the more expensive K16i (and its cousin the Z6i) ahead of it, great scope, King in its price range as it SMOKES the VCOG IMO.
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