Leupold VX-6HD MultiGun Rifle Scope 30mm Tube 1-6x 24mm CDS-ZL2 Illuminated Matte for $999.99.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018307899?pid=851313

There are at least a couple recent Leupold 1x6 threads going on so I thought I’d start another to see if I can get an opinion on this deal from Midway and specifically whether or not it’s a good buy?

I’ll use it to shoot paper and steel out 500 yards, mostly 7-300 yards due to my range setup. I’m an old fart so I'm not running and gunning or 3 gun competition. I currently have an Eotech, a 1.25 x4 Patrol, a Burris RT6, and a Viper PST II 1x6, and compete against my wife and myself, we just enjoy target shooting with MSR’s.  We really like the $599 Viper, except for the weight.

Pro’s and Con’s, and can I do better with something else for the money?  

I never had the HD variant but I did have a regular VX6 with the Firedot BDC reticle. The illumination isn't daylight bright on the CMR2 reticles but you get the horseshoe so maybe it balances out. Decent BDC reticle on the CMR2. Most of all incredibly lightweight for a 1-6x scope. If you shop for a lighter weight mount (I like my DD 30mm at 5.5oz) then being in a 1-6x realm for only about 20 oz is a pretty good trade off. The illumination on those scopes is push button and goes from lowest to highest than blinks a few times and starts over at the bottom when you push the button again. This is one of the more annoying quirks of the optic. Compared to a Razor my experience on the non HD was the FOV wasn't quite as great on the 1x, glass was a little worse than the Razor (though the HD might be a little clearer), not quite as bright illumination (again Firedot BDC reticle). I think it's a fair deal but again not daylight bright on that reticle so if that's a deal killer for you then oh well.

I ordered this VX6-HD 1-6 and also have:
VX6 1-6 (previous non-hd) Firedot Green CMR reticle
PST II 1-6 not mounted

This VX-6HD model has some pros-

super light, auto off preserves battery
useable reticle even when power is off
fast target ranging holds
comes with caps and throw lever - complete weight 16.5oz (verified on my scale)
auto level indicator

cons: this circle dot CMR2 reticle is not nuclear bright. Aim against the sky or objects of similar lightness during the daytime and it washes out. However the black reticle elements are enough for aiming.
but who shoots at the sky or light objects like that? The dot stands out on anything darker than the bright noon sky

reticle is not mil dot so ranging is not as flexible
some fisheye at 1X, slightly more noticeable than the PST II
center dot not super fine at further than 600m targets but adequate for hunting

PST II Cons:
super heavy 22.7 oz - no battery, no lever or caps
reticle without power, hard to see at 1X (VMR2 Mil)

add throw lever, caps and I'll bet it weighs at least 24oz - nearly 1/2lbs heavier
definitely noticeable when hanging from the end of each arm which one I'd prefer to hold for long periods of time

Another possible option to consider.  I don't have one, but I've heard/read good things about this one and it lists at 17.3 oz. Delta Stryker 1-6X24 $720 but seems to be in short supply.  DLO has spoken highly of it.

I'd think about that one as well.

The Trijicon Credo HX LED Dot (make sure to get the HX LED Dot models specifically if you want brilliant illumination, the segmented circle ones are not really daylight bright) 1-6 can also be found for fairly low prices every now and then and may be worth considering. The green model might actually be preferable to the red since it gets about 3x the battery life.

I ordered this as well. I haven’t owned a million LPVOs like some people here, so I can only compare it to what I have used.

The previous review of pros and cons pretty much covers it. It’s light. Comes with throw lever and scope caps (amazing ones). Illumination isn’t nuclear bright. Glass is EXTREMELY clear.

So, to compare it to what I currently own:

Compared to the Vortex Razor 1-6E - it’s noticeably lighter. Surprisingly lighter. Combined with a mount, it’s about the same weight as just the Razor. Glass is slightly better. Zero chromatic aberration, high resolution, and about the same amount of fish-eye. Edge clarity definitely goes to Leupold. The Vortex is noticeably blurry at the edges. The Leupold is as crisp at the edges as it is at the center. With the ocular scope cap removed, the ocular ring “disappears” *almost* as well as the Razor. It’s about 90-95% as good. But Razor wins. Illumination is not as bright. Not close. But the CMR reticle is large and black (heh) enough that you really don’t need it. The center dot on the Razor is so small that it *needs* the illumination. Not so with the CMR. In broad daylight against a dark background, the illumination is visible. Definitely not against a lighter background, but the contrast of the black etched reticle is almost as noticeable as the bright red dot on the Vortex. Illumination on the Razor is a dial, which I prefer. The power ring is 1000x easier to turn than the Razor, and that’s before you install the throw lever. The turrets are great. Very crisp and locking. Better than the Vortex and I don’t have to remove the caps just to zero. I’ve used the CDS on other scopes and it’s incredibly accurate. Considering this is on a 12.5” 6.8SPC, I will be chronographing my primary load and getting a custom CDS just for giggles.

Compared to the Leupold Mk6 1-6, fish eye is way worse. The VX-6HD and Razor both lose horribly to the Mk6. The Mk6 is the flattest view at 1x of any LPVO I’ve ever looked through. Illumination is not anywhere close to being as bright. The Mk6 is even brighter than the Razor, but the Razor easily wins with illumination in that it’s not sensitive to the position of your eye like the Mk6 is. As mentioned earlier, the illumination settings of the VX-6HD is push button where the Mk6 is a dial. I prefer the dial. The VX-6HD is about an ounce lighter than the Mk6, but it’s totally unnoticeable compared to the difference of the Razor. They both have similar CMR reticles, but the Mk6 is obviously FFP. I haven’t tested the VX reticle at the range since it’s on a 6.8 SPC, but the Mk6 in both 5.56 and 7.62 reticles are close enough to bang steel out to 600 yards, which is the longest range I have access to. You won’t be making headshots with these reticles, but it’ll allow you to hit a man sized target. I haven’t tested this one, but would assume it’s similarly accurate.

Overall, I think it’s worth $1000. When compared to the Razor, theres really not enough solid wins or losses to say one is significantly better than the other, or that one is a significantly better deal considering their similar prices. I think they’re both worth $1000, but not really the typical street price of $1300-1400. Leupold has better glass and edge to edge clarity, is significantly lighter, has better turrets, better reticle. Vortex has better illumination, FOV, and honestly better looks. For the price point, there’s no real clear winner unless you value a certain aspect greatly over others. Some people refuse to shoot anything that’s not “nuclear” bright. I’ve found that it really makes no practical difference in my splits or transitions in normal shooting light. Illumination definitely helps in certain situations, like dimly lit areas, but a decently sized black reticle works just fine for me in the noon daylight. In fact, I never turn on my illumination of my Mk6’s during the day, even while doing drills that require transitioning to different targets.

If you’re on the fence, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. It’s not the BEST option out there, but it’s pretty dang good.

These probably would have been the class leader in the segment if Leupold had figured out the illumination.

But they blew it.

.45 Seventy, did you ever have an opportunity to try a Burris RT-6 and if so how does the illumination of it compare to the 6HD?

This optic is, and has been available with a daylight bright firedot. I think they even discontinued the non daylight bright CMR, leading to this sale.

I absolutely hate push button illumination though.

the push button is not terrible on the HD model since it has auto off and shake awake

vs the others if you forget to turn off the battery you are screwed

Not first hand but people seem to give them good reviews for the market segment.

I believe they are also daylight bright, but not 100%.

The original VX6 had those features too. Not very useful IMO in a scope with a non daylight bright reticle. However a Firedot with that auto on and off tech i could see it being useful.

IIRC they discontinued their green firedot BDC reticle which IMO was daylight bright for Alaskan summers maybe not for AZ or CA. They do have their daylight bright firedot in a duplex reticle. (Sucks man) i believe they discontinued all others.

Thanks guys.

I've got a 1.25 x 4 Patrol, brightness is more than adequate, and I agree the push button sucks and I think the crosshairs are too thick. However it does have great glass, is extremely lightweight, not to mention the instant on technology which for me I'd like to have on every optic that might be used for home defense. It's currently sitting in a box and I'm having a hard time thinking of parting with it.

I'm currently using an Eotech on that LW carbine which is great for under 50 yards, but for me it's usability rapidly diminishes for almost 70 year old eyes beyond that distance. I really struggle with the EoTech verses the Patrol for short range, being cross-eyed dominate the 1.25 low end Patrol does mess with me, but for over 50 yards the Patrol really shines.

The VX-6HD will be replacing a Burris RT-6 currently sitting on a LaRue Predator ultimate upper. I'm hoping that the CMR-2 reticle is a bit brighter then the Burris RT-6, even though I don't need daylight bright, it would be nice but it's not a deal breaker. The CMR-2 has been around for awhile, I could be wrong but I thought I read somewhere that Leupold runs small batches for Midway for their special sales and I'm hoping maybe they've brightened it up a bit? We'll see, I ordered one and it should be here by the end of the week.

The Credo has a lot going for it and was tempting, I've never tried Trijicon glass but I'd like to. Midway had several in stock, IIRC it wasn't a lightweight though around 18.5 ounces which is still decent for the current 1x6 market especially if daylight bright had been more important for me. IIRC the .223 bullet drop reticle looked pretty good to.

The new Delta Stryker sounds good, but I didn't find any in stock and it's a new outfit without a lot of info, Japan and Poland may be a great combo for optics in the future.  

I do like the Vortex PST Gen II 1x6 which is currently on a heavy, stainless 16" which I use for a target shooting and load development carbine, for $599 it has a lot going for it but neither it nor either of the latest two iterations of it appeal to me for a LW carbine. I agree with not being able to wrap my head around Leopold's thinking in regards to reticles and brightness, I wish they could get their act together in this regard, if they could I think they could dominate a significant slice of the LPVO market in the $500-999 range.  

My criteria is lightweight, good glass, warranty, made or assembled in USA helps a lot these days, motion sensor technology, usable turrets and reticle, SFP, price, I paid $1059 with shipping and tax which is significantly more than I would have liked to pay. But when I was showing it to my wife over some good Scotch the other night for Valentines she offered to put it on her credit card...so what could I do?

I figured a thank you is good for my first post (long time lurker and shooter but joined only recently).

So, thank you for posting this deal. I waffled over the weekend and this thread helped my decision. Purchased and on the way.

I do not hunt or compete, but hit the range quite a bit and train with classes regularly. I have Leupold's cheap(er) Mark AR 1.5-4 as well as their 3-9 on different rifles but run classes (mostly cqb to 50 yds) with a red dot + mag. I am hoping to run this in future classes and can't wait to see the difference over my Mark ARs.

Kevin

It's probably 1-2 oz of the weight savings.

Drive me crazy that they did this. WTF, Leupold, you think no one who wants fiber optic illumination also wants to hold over? Feels like there's no one left over there that wants to deal with non-hunting applications seriously anymore.