Bill Gabbard
Anytime there is a discussion of high-quality riflescopes, the name Leupold is going to come up. Leupold’s latest version of their top-of-the-line VX®-6HD hunting scope, the GEN 2, is another example of why it is going to stay that way! Leupold wins lots of hunters over with their superior light gathering capabilities, durability, and lifetime warranty. I used a VX®-6HD a few years ago on a 6.8 Western project and felt like it was pretty well the ultimate in hunting scopes. When I saw that Leupold had come out with a GEN 2 version, my first thought was, “How could they improve that”. My second thought was “How can I get my hands on one.” Knowing I had an article in the works using a Mossy Oak Browning AB3 in 243, I proceeded to convince Leupold’s Shawn Skipper to send a Gen 2 version to use on the AB3 and see firsthand the improvements they had made. Shawn sent me a VX®-6HD Gen 2 in 3X18X44 CDS-SZL2, featuring the Side Focus, Illuminated FIREDOT™ Duplex Crosshair. The 6X18X44 features Leupold’s 6:1 Zoom Ratio and a 30mm tube allowing for excellent light transmission along with a fairly compact size. It was a perfect fit for the Browning AB3.
Features of the Gen 2 VX-6HD
The Gen 2 features all the things we have come to expect from Leupold, Professional-Grade Optical System, Guard Ion Lens Coating, High-Definition Performance. These three insure Unmatched light transmission, and reduced glare, with maintenance free lenses that insure a crisp and clear image all the way to the edge of the field of view. The Precision Side Focus is one of the easiest to adjust that I have ever used for parallax free shooting. Our local range has ranges from 50 to 200 yards and the side focus was quick and easy to “clear-up” at all ranges. The Firedot® Duplex® Illuminated Reticle brings a couple of “Extras” with it in addition to the easily adjustable small, illuminated center dot. One of these is an Electronic Reticle Level, which will flash if the scope isn’t level, which can be extremely useful in making long range shots. A small amount of cant in the way you are holding the rifle can result in a miss at longer ranges. It can also be used in the mounting process. A feature that can come in handy is what Leupold refers to as MST™, or motion Sensitive Technology. MST™ can greatly extend the battery life by deactivating the illuminated reticle after five minutes of inactivity, yet it automatically reactivates with any movement of the rifle. Even without the Firedot® the Duplex reticle is one of the quickest and easiest to use reticles on the market. One of the major changes is the SpeedSet™ Dial. This ends the need to keep up with the small Allen wrench that was used on earlier models when setting zero or changing custom dials. A set of Leupold’s CDS® dials is available to match your ballistics once you have settled on your ammo. A small bonus that can make a substantial difference is Leupold’s Alumina® Flip Back™ lens covers. I am normally not a huge fan of lens covers because some designs can be cumbersome to use, easily lost and can cost precious seconds at the wrong time. These thread into the scope to prevent loss, provide a positive seal, and open completely out of the way at the slightest touch.
Mounting the Scope
I mounted the VX®-6HD on Browning’s AB3 in 243 Winchester using Leupold Backcountry Ringmounts. These are quickly becoming my favorite scope mounts. I have used virtually every type of mounting system made and I love the Backcountry Ringmounts. They allow you to mount the scope close to the receiver and eliminate the potential of movement between the base and the rings, not to mention they look great. Some folks prefer the rail or Weaver style base and rings because they move their scope from one rifle to another. Once I get the right scope and rifle combination put together, I rarely move them around, so I prefer this solid trouble free, easy to mount system.
Range Testing
After a quick bore-sighting job I headed to the range. The tracking on this scope is nothing short of phenomenal, a total of three shots had the little 243 in the black at 100 yards. While working with the 243 I used bullet weights ranging from 58 to 100 grains at 50, 100 and 200 yards. The new Speedset Dial™ was not only easy to use but returned my point of impact to center without fail throughout the test. I tried the scope on a bright sunny day with no glare and found the edge-to-edge clarity to be as good as I have ever used. The only thing left to try was the dawn and dusk capabilities. I waited for a cloudy evening and lined up a few other scopes for comparison. Nothing in my trial outdid the Gen 2 in the dawn and dusk test. You will need to be aware of the legal hunting hours, because if you hunt as early or late as the Gen 2 allows you will most likely be hunting illegally.
Leupold may very well have built the ultimate hunting scope with the VX®-6HD Gen 2. The 3-18x44 has plenty of magnification range for all types of hunting, is incredibly easy to use, and has excellent tracking along with the optical clarity and light gathering capabilities to make the magnification useful. I really don’t know how they will ever top this!
