Just when I thought the trend of short, fast, illuminated rifle scopes was cooling, a new class of excellent low-power variable optics revived my affection for these do-everything scopes. The new models we tested this year that can transition between ARs, turkey shotguns, dangerous-game rifles, and straight-wall carbines.
That’s the sweet spot for this category of optic. The best LPVOs have reticles and magnifications that make them useful for target shooting out to 200 and 300 yards. And on a hunting rifle (or shotgun), these scopes with abundant eye relief and fields of view are excellent mid-range optics for deer, hogs, and even close-range bear and elk. Some are even suited to big-bore rifles for your first – or next – dangerous-game trip to Africa.
The wide range of possibilities for an LPVO caused us to call this the new versatile scope category a couple years back, and the abundant innovation and new use cases for the platform continue to make the argument for this do-it-all scope. This year’s Outdoor Life optics test considered LPVOs with an immense range of reticles, illumination, and other features on this year’s crop of extremely versatile scopes.
Best New LPVOs, Reviews & Recommendations
Editor’s Choice LPVO: Sig Sauer TANGO-MSR Compact 1-6×24
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Pros
- At around $300, a screaming deal
- Includes very good integral aluminum mount
- Ships with lay-flat flip-back lens covers
- Useful inverted horseshoe center aiming point
- Covered by Sig’s no-questions lifetime transferable warranty
Cons
- Second-plane reticle limits utility
- Low-profile turrets are easy to over-adjust
Key Features
-
30mm tube -
11-step reticle illumination -
Second-plane BDC6 reticle -
Windage and elevation references for distant shots -
Threaded throw lever enables magnification changes
With this affordable, capable, versatile, and tough scope, Sig offers a LPVO for shooters who are curious about the platform but who don’t want to spend a ton for a scope they might use only occasionally on an AR.
But along the way to creating an everyman LPVO, Sig makes the case for the wider utility of the platform. This is an excellent scope for a straight-wall cartridge carbine, or an optic for a shoulder-braced AR pistol, or a big-game scope for just about any whitetail rifle. Some testers called this the perfect black bear optic.
The heart of the TANGO-MSR is the illuminated second-plane BDC6 reticle. The illumination fires up an inverted horseshoe that blazes bright in full sunlight and offers a just-visible aiming point in very low-light conditions. Inside the horseshoe is a black 1 MOA aiming dot and descending references for the bullet drop of standard AR projectiles along with windage dots for right-angle winds of 5 and 10 mph.
In other words, it’s a simple, intuitive, and useful reticle that takes good advantage of the geometries of a second-plane reticle. Remember, the BDC subtensions are only valid at the scope’s highest magnification, but even at 6x, the scope is sized right for most shooting situations.
The TANGO-MSR’s name itself indicates its purpose. This is intended as an AR optic, and the one-piece cantilever mount makes mounting on receiver rails a cinch. The scope’s eye relief, between 3.93 and 3.74 inches, makes it a fast snap-shooting optic, and the textured throw lever makes transitions between low and high magnification simple and fast.
Outdoor Life’s optics testers liked the simple reticle.
“The reticle has a lot of references but doesn’t feel too busy because it isn’t full of lines going everywhere,” notes tester Nate Ward. “The capped turrets are simple set-it-and-forget-it. For the price point, this is the best value in the field in my opinion.”
While LPVO purists might maintain that the category requires a first-plane reticle, Sig makes a strong case that this second-plane BDC6 reticle performs well as a red-dot quick-acquisition sight at lower magnifications and as a precision scope at higher magnifications.
The glass is better than you’d expect for the price. The controls are sure and precise. And the added values, from the mount to the lay-flat flip-back lens covers to the full lifetime warranty coverage, makes this a no-brainer for the most complete and priced-right LPVO of the year.
Sig Sauer TANGO-MSR Compact 1-6×24 Specs
- Magnification: 1-6-power
- Objective Lens: 24mm
- Tube Diameter: 30mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 12-4mm
- Twilight Factor: 4.8-12
- Field of View: 124.8-19.6 feet at 100 yards
- Eye Relief: 3.93-3.74 inches
- Reticle Plane: Second
- Reticle Type: 11-step Illuminated BDC
- Turret Click Values: ½ MOA
- Adjustment Per Revolution: 44 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 100 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 100 MOA
- Weight: 18.5 ounces
- Length: 10.4 inches
Great Buy LPVO: Monstrum Beast 1-6×24
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Pros
- At under $200, a very appealing price
- Ships with cantilever unimount
- Versatile illuminated first-plane reticle
- Re-zeroable turrets
- Mounting rings accept accessory rail
- Non-transferable lifetime warranty
Cons
- Significant edge distortion
- Unforgiving eyebox at higher magnifications
- Narrow field of view
Key Features
-
30mm tube -
MOA-based BDC reticle -
Segmented circle/center cross-style reticle -
50 MOA bullet-drop references plus 50 MOA windage marks -
Exposed pull-to-turn turrets -
Turrets tuned to ½ MOA click values -
Throw lever
Thanks to its relationship with Amazon, this budget scope has become a best-seller for the millions of shooters looking for a capable LPVO but who don’t want to spend over $200. Monstrum certainly checks that box, delivering a surprisingly sophisticated scope and throwing in a quality cantilever unimount that’s configured to fit AR rails.
The company even includes a nifty dovetail micro rail that screws into the top scope ring to provide an attachment point for a light or other accessory.
The first-plane reticle is thoughtfully designed to work well as a daylight-bright quick-acquisition sight at lower magnifications, when the entire 300 MOA segmented circle lights up red. But the CM5 tree-style reticle offers 50 MOA of bullet drop references and 50 MOA of windage on either side of its illuminated 10 MOA center-cross aiming point.
All of this for under $200. That crazy amount of value in a very capable package that we’d expect to cost twice this much earns the Monstrum Beast 1-6×24 our Great Buy award in this year’s LPVO field.
We like the tactile pull-to-turn exposed turrets tuned to ½ MOA clicks, and the liberal eye relief of the Beast. It’s a useful optic for just about any AR platform, but we also had fun engaging close-range steel on a 10 mm-braced AR pistol.
“The locking and rezeroable turrets with clear indexing and crisp clicks are solid for this price,” noted tester Nate Ward. “The holdovers are accurate. I was able to hold on targets at 200 yards [with precision .22 LR 40-grain target loads] and hit steel.”
At lower powers, the first-plane reticle references aren’t particularly visible. Shooters can start to pick up both the holdover and windage marks at about 2.5x, and at 4x the entire segmented circle grows in size to nicely frame the field of view. At 6x, the entire tree-style reticle is visible, with 5 MOA hash references for elevation holds and 1 MOA wind dots. The non-illuminated reticle etchings are crisp and black and easy to see against most backgrounds.
We found some shortcuts where Monstrum’s emphasis on budget is most evident. The glass is clear but slightly wavy, and we noticed significant edge distortion at low magnifications. At higher mags, the eyebox is “stingy,” meaning unless you keep your eye directly in line with the optic, the target easily blacks out. And the battery compartment cap is criminally hard to remove.
But we’ll accept all those shortcomings. Most shooters aren’t buying AR scopes for their glass, and as long as you manage the magnification it’s not overly distracting. We do worry about the long-term durability of such a price-point optic, but Monstrum covers its products with a lifetime (non-transferable) warranty. The Beast should provide a good deal of service to shooters before they have to activate the warranty. Until then, this LPVO is an astonishing value.
Monstrum Beast 1-6×24 Specs
- Magnification: 1-6-power
- Objective Lens: 24mm
- Tube Diameter: 30mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 12-4mm
- Twilight Factor: 4.8-12
- Field of View: Undetermined
- Eye Relief: 4.5-4 inches
- Reticle Plane: First
- Reticle Type: CM5 Morpheus MOA reticle
- Illumination: yes
- Turret Click Values: ½ MOA
- Adjustment Per Revolution: 30 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 80 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 80 MOA
- Weight: 17 oz. with outmount
- Length: 11 inches
Trijicon Huron 1-6×24
Buy It From Scheels
Buy It From Amazon
Pros
- Versatile hunting scope
- Simple references in second-plane reticle
- Durable build
- Capped turrets
- Impressive internal adjustment range
Cons
- No illumination
- Limited versatility compared to LPVO peers
Key Features
-
30mm tube -
Turrets tuned to ¼ MOA click values -
Re-zeroable turrets -
Liberal mounting dimensions -
Excellent glass
We’ve come to think of LPVOs as tactical optics, capable of short-range engagement, often in dark conditions and when snap shooting is required, with just enough mid-range precision talents to engage targets out to 200 or so yards.
But there’s another use for these low-power rifle scopes: as hunting optics for short- to mid-range field guns. This durable and honest Trijicon is one of those, at home on a straight-wall cartridge carbine or a turkey shotgun, a slug shotgun or just about any deer or bear rifle.
The scope is built around Trijicon’s Hunter Holds second-plane reticle. It’s a hash-style configuration with three smallish hashes under the center duplex crosshair. It also has two windage hashes to the left and right of the center aiming point. It’s not going to help you walk in shots out past 400 yards, but it’s designed to make fast, distance-adjusted shots with both eyes open in dynamic situations, which could mean running game. In the case of dangerous game, that could mean charging through brush.
Interestingly, for a company that really popularized illuminated reticles, Trijicon’s Huron does not have illumination. We’re not sure it’s required for most hunting situations, but it is an interesting omission for an LPVO that costs over $700.
The Huron does have bright and crisp glass. Its low-profile capped turrets have a handy pull-to-rezero capability, though we found their ¼ MOA clicks are a little too fine, making it easy to over-run a turn. We’d like the turret indexing to be a little bolder and easier to read. We struggled a little to learn the reticle subtensions, but the holdover hashes appear to represent 5, 10, 15 MOA, and if you use the top of the vertical post, 25 MOA, with windage hashes at 5 and 10 MOA, presenting appropriate hold-off for targets in 5 and 10mph crosswinds.
“This is a very good option for most hunting applications,” noted tester Scott Einsmann. “Great glass and smooth adjustments. The scope is good, but it doesn’t fill the traditional LPVO roles, with tactical-style reticles and turrets.”
But if you’re looking for a hard-wearing and elegantly simple scope to pair with a mid-distance rifle, and even swap between various firearms platforms, this Trijicon is a very good choice.
Trijicon Huron 1-6×24 Specs
- Magnification: 1-6-power
- Objective Lens: 24mm
- Tube Diameter: 30mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 12-4mm
- Twilight Factor: 4.8-12
- Field of View: 113.4-18.8 feet at 100 yards
- Eye Relief: 3.9-3.5 inches
- Reticle Plane: Second
- Reticle Type: BDC Hunter Holds
- Turret Click Values: ¼ MOA
- Adjustment Per Revolution: 24 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 100 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 100 MOA
- Weight: 17.8 ounces
- Length: 10.9 inches
Hawke Endurance 30 FD 1-6×24
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Pros
- Simple and versatile center-dot duplex reticle
- Ample mounting dimensions
- 11-step center-dot illumination
- Push-button illumination
- Excellent glass
Cons
- Simple reticle has limited versatility
- At over $600, fairly pricey for features
Key Features
-
30mm tube ½ MOA turret click values -
Re-zeroable turrets -
Huge amount of internal adjustment -
Elegant and low-profile push-button illumination -
Wide field of view and eyebox -
Design enables both-eyes-open aiming
Like the Trijicon Huron, also in this year’s field, Hawke’s simple and durable Endurance 30 FD is a very capable hunting optic that comes up short in the tactical talents we’ve come to expect from the LPVO platform.
The German 4 duplex reticle in the second focal plane with a very sharp fiber-optic center aiming point gives the Hawke plenty of utility as a low-light, wide-angle optic. It’s a good choice for a woodland deer rifle, a turkey or deer-slug shotgun, or a straight-wall cartridge carbine. The Hawke’s velvety controls deserve special mention. They turn with authority but precision, from the fast-focus eyepiece to the tactile turret dials. The push-button illumination, which fires the center point through 11 intensities, is fast, simple, and positive.
We also like the clear glass and the generally good field of view for the configuration. And we like the heart of this scope, the blazingly bright fiber-optic aiming point that gives the Endurance 30 the FD in its name.
“Hawke’s illuminated FireDots are very nice and have a ton of adjustability and work in all conditions and light levels,” notes tester Nate Ward. “But I’m underwhelmed with the reticle and lack of adjustment on the windage and elevation axis other than setting the zero.”
But the rest of the scope is so mannerly and responsive that it’s a little unfair to ding it on what it lacks. The Hawke is light and bright and has a long and lovely 30mm tube that has ample mounting dimensions to fit a wide variety of receivers and rails, and calibers and gauges.
Hawke Endurance 30 FD 1-6×24 Specs
- Magnification: 1-6-power
- Objective Lens: 24mm
- Tube Diameter: 30mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 24-4mm
- Twilight Factor: 4.8-12
- Field of View: 116.3-19.4 feet at 100 yards
- Eye Relief: 4 inches
- Reticle Plane: Second
- Reticle Type: 11-step Illuminated BDC
- Turret Click Values: ½ MOA
- Adjustment Per Revolution: 30 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 280 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 280 MOA
- Weight: 17.1 ounces
- Length: 11.2 inches
Athlon Ares ETR Gen2 UHD 1-10×24
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Pros
- First-plane reticle with close- and mid-range performance
- 6-step illumination
- Dual-purpose ranging reticle
- Big 10-times magnification range
- Reticle available in either MOA or MIL references
- Oversized pull-to-turn exposed elevation turret
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Tight eyebox at higher magnifications
- Reticle is a little busy
- At 30 ounces, it’s a heavy scope
Key Features
-
34mm tube -
Exposed elevation, capped windage dials -
Turrets tuned to ¼ MOA click values -
Bullet drop references tuned to 69-grain 223 Rem/5.56 NATO
This stubby, full-featured LPVO is a great fit for a competition AR-15. The first-plane reticle has a bright illuminated 1.2 MOA center aiming point inside an illuminated segmented circle. At low magnifications, the arrangement lights up like a fast-acquiring red dot. At about 5x, shooters can start to read the etched (and unilluminated) bullet-drop references, and at full 10x, the tree-style reticle shows holdover points out to 700 yards, with a 100-yard zero.
It’s important to note that the reticle’s specific subtensions are tuned to the bullet drop of 68- and 69-grain BTHP rounds from 223 Rem/5.56 NATO rifles, but the spacing will also work with other bullet grain weights and muzzle velocities, though you’ll have to play around with the appropriate zero and prove the specific drop characteristics with your own gun and loads.
Still, it’s nice to see a modernized BDC reticle in the LPVO platform. But the Athlon brings something else to the reticle. Below the 700-yard BDC map, the reticle has a ranging scale that’s based off the dimensions of a standard human-sized torso. Fit the torso inside the 4 bracket, and that man-sized target is inside 400 yards. The ranging scale gives relative distances from 300 out to 700 yards.
It’s similar to the Designated Marksman ranging reticles of more purpose-built scopes, but it adds value to the Ares ETR, though it also makes the reticle fairly busy.
Generally, we liked the controls and handling of the Athlon, though the eyebox gets pretty tight from 8 to 10x. The Chinese-made scope has surprisingly bright and clear glass, and it has a very good zero stop. Along with the textured stud used as a power-changing lever, shooters can riff from low to high power and easily dial their turrets back to their zero.
We played around both with dialing for distance, using the turrets to influence our bullet placement at various distances, along with the scope’s bullet-drop references, holding over and off for wind- and distance-adjusted shooting. Both are adequate, but for my style, I like the fast and close-enough work with the BDC hashes (elevation) and dots (windage). That said, some of the references are confusing – is that a 5 or 10 MOA hash?, and counting hashes for wind holds is slow and tedious.
If MOA references aren’t your thing, Athlon offers this scope with MIL references in a very similarly configured first-plane reticle.
But for a big, serious scope — it’s built on a rugged 34mm tube — the Ares ETR Gen2 UHD is priced about right at just under $900 real-world street price. It’s heavy, and there’s so much going on with both the reticle and their fairly busy turret dials, that it takes some field and range sessions to fully unlock all its capabilities. But once you do, it’s a useful competition scope for engaging targets from super close to way out there.
Athlon Ares ETR Gen2 UHD 1-10×24 Specs
- Magnification: 1-10-power
- Objective Lens: 24mm
- Tube Diameter: 34mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 24-2.4mm
- Twilight Factor: 4.8-15.5
- Field of View: 117.3-11.7 feet at 100 yards
- Eye Relief: 3.7 inches
- Reticle Plane: First
- Reticle Type: ATMR2 IR MOA
- Turret Click Values: ¼ MOA
- Adjustment Per Revolution: 25 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 100 MOA
- `Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 80 MOA
- Weight: 26.9 ounces
- Length: 10 inches
EOTECH Vudu SFP 3-9×32
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Pros
- At only 16 ounces, extremely lightweight
- Most versatile scope in the field
- 10-step red illumination of center aiming cross
- Option for mounting EFLX reflex sight to scope
- Excellent Japanese glass
Cons
- Pronounced fishbowl effect
- Lack of parallax control limits distant use
- Indistinct turret indexing
Key Features
-
30mm tube -
Only 6.78 inches long -
Useful illumination intensity range -
Second-plane HC1 hash-style reticle -
Ships with rail mount -
Capped turrets tuned to ¼ MOA click values -
Integrated base compatible with mini-ACOG mounts
Possibly the most innovative and disruptive optic in this year’s test, EOTECH’s new hand-sized Vudu delivers big-scope performance in such a small package that its image almost defies belief.
The 3-9×32 Vudu is only 6.8 inches long and weighs only a pound but contains a wonderfully illuminated hash-style MOA-based reticle in the second focal plane that serves as a decent close-range fast-acquisition optic but has plenty of medium-range references for engaging targets out to 300 and 400 yards. Not bad for a bantam scope that fits on every AR carbine and serves as a solid rimfire and deer-rifle scope.
The HC1 reticle is anchored by a floating dot (3.6 MOA at 3x and 1.2 MOA at 9x) and a series of descending hashes that provide elevation holds out to 30 MOA and 16 MOA of windage hashes on either side of the aiming point. The center two-thirds of the reticle lights up, from barely visible for low-light shooting to blazing bright for full sun visibility.
The Japanese glass is bright and crisp, and the aggressive fast-focus eyepiece and textured power-changing dial will be familiar to fans of EOTECH’s full-sized Vudu scopes.
The scope ships with an integrated base that’s compatible with any aftermarket mini-ACOG mount. But EOTECH includes an option, for another $370, that includes the company’s very good EFLX Mini Reflex Sight and a ring mount that can be positioned on top of the Vudu or at a 45-degree offset for close or moving targets. Together, the magnified scope and red-dot sight offer an unbeatable package for AR carbine shooters.
For $1,059, the Vudu’s engineering and optical horsepower are spendy, but justifiable given the huge amount of performance and astonishing optical design.
As good as it is, we noticed some fairly significant shortcoming in the wee Vudu. The glass exhibits significant fishbowling, or a dishing effect of the image that’s especially noticeable when panning at lower magnifications. And without a manual parallax control — the scope’s parallax is fixed (we’re unsure of the distance, but probably inside 100 yards) — distant targets are fuzzy. The scope’s size constraints limit adding a side parallax, but without it, it’s difficult to shoot precisely beyond 100 yards, severely limiting its utility.
“With no parallax adjustment the image is blurry at 25 yards above 6x,” notes tester Nate Ward. “If the image was better, and it had adjustable parallax this would be a pretty awesome little scope.”
The capped turrets, tuned to ¼ MOA clicks, move with precision and tactility, and the spring-loaded caps are easy to rezero. But there is virtually no indexing on the dials, meaning it’s hard to know where your zero is. Adding some simple indexing would go a long way to making a smart and versatile scope even more useful.
A number of testers wanted to see the Vudu 3-9×32 in a MIL version. If EOTECH fixes a few simple deficiencies in a Gen2 version, we expect this to be the last scope any AR shooter will need, especially with the addition of the EFLX red-dot sight.
EOTECH Vudu SFP 3-9×32 Specs
- Magnification: 3-9-power
- Objective Lens: 32mm
- Tube Diameter: 30mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 10.7mm to 3.6mm
- Twilight Factor: 9.8-16.9
- Field of View: 38-12.7 feet at 100 yards
- Eye Relief: 3.1-2.5 inches
- Reticle Plane: Second
- Reticle Type: Illuminated HC1
- Illumination: yes, 10-step intensities
- Turret Click Values: ¼ MOA
- Adjustment Per Revolution: 30 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 90 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 60 MOA
- Weight: 16 ounces
- Length: 6.8 inches
Leupold Mark 4HD 1-4.5×24
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Pros
- Second-plane BDC-style reticle
- Push-button illumination module
- Capped turrets
- Versatile short- and medium-range optic
- Durable build
Cons
- Illuminated center aiming point too fine
- Limited tactical attributes
- No turret revolution indicator
Key Features
-
30mm tube -
8-step center-dot illumination -
Second-plane BDC hatches tuned to MOA references -
Immense amount of internal adjustment -
Textured (and rounded) throw lever
Of the trio of LPVO scopes from Leupold in this year’s test, this priced-right, hard-working low-power hunting scope hits the intersection of utility, price, and versatility. It’s not a tactical scope but its second-plane BDC reticle is well-suited for dangerous-game rifles, close to mid-range deer and bear hunting, and AR and pistol-caliber carbines that engage targets from close in out to 400 yards.
With Leupold’s investment this year in tool-less turrets and its exposed ZeroLock turrets in its Gen2 VX-series scopes, the capped non-locking turrets of the Mark 4HD might seem almost throwbacks. But for a hunting scope, we like the added protection of the caps, underneath which the turrets turn with sure precision, and the indexing is clear and simple, though we would like the sort of revolution indicator that’s standard with the ZeroLock CDS and SZL2 turrets of next-generation Leupold scopes in order to keep shooters from getting lost in multiple-dialing aiming solutions.
You might spend a lot of your time behind this scope dialing for distance. That’s because, with 165 MOA of elevation and windage adjustment, the Leupold has the most internal adjustment of any LPVO in this year’s test. The swollen “baby bump” of the scope’s erector system helps create the room required to accommodate the audacious amount of travel inside the 30mm tube.
But you don’t necessarily need to dial this scope. The second-plane FireDot BDC reticle sports five MOA hashes that conform to bullet drops out to 400 yards, with a 100-yard zero, and even farther if you use the top of the vertical stadia as a reference. The 1-4.5×24 Mark 4HD has previously offered this reticle in MIL subtensions.
We’d like to see larger and more visible bullet-drop references, and we’d like to see a clear explanation of the elevation subtensions, but with the scope set on the highest power, we were able to drop 40-grain .22 LR rounds into steel from 25, 100, and 200 yards, and when we strapped the Mark 4HD onto a 6mm Creedmoor, the drops translated into hits out to 500 yards.
We reckoned that, for just under $1,000, the Mark 4HD is priced right and represents a good marriage of target and hunting scope.
Leupold Mark 4HD 1-4.5×24 Specs
- Magnification: 1-4.5-power
- Objective Lens: 24mm
- Tube Diameter: 30mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 24-5.3mm
- Twilight Factor: 4.8-10.4
- Field of View: 118.8-25.2 feet at 100 yards
- Eye Relief: 3.9-3.7 inches
- Reticle Plane: Second
- Reticle Type: Illuminated FireDot BDC
- Illumination: yes, 8 intensity levels
- Turret Click Values: ¼ MOA
- Adjustment Per Revolution: 25 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 165 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 165 MOA
- Manual Focus/Parallax: 150 yards fixed
- Weight: 18 ounces
- Length: 10.5 inches
Leupold VX-6HD Gen2 1-6×24
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Pros
- Very good glass
- Tool-less removable turrets
- Buyers eligible for two free Custom Dials with tool-less SpeedSet technology
- Illuminated center-dot aiming point
- Impressive amount of internal reticle adjustment
- Push-button side illumination module
Cons
- Limited mid-distance utility
- Custom turrets not really necessary on low-power scope
- At nearly $2,000, pricey for an LPVO
Key Features
-
30mm tube -
Parallax set at 150 yards -
8-intensity illumination -
Tool-less SpeedSet turret caps -
Exposed turrets lock in place
Once you get your head around paying $2,000 for an LPVO, it’s appropriate to ask what you get for that money. In the Leupold VX-6HD Gen2, you get excellent glass and mannerly controls, and Leupold’s snazzy new tool-less SZL2 turrets. And you get a durable and elegant little hunting scope.
But you don’t get any of the tactical chops that the category is known for, and you get relatively little versatility compared with its LPVO peers.
We dinged the VX-6HD on our price/value assessment as an optic that’s pretty overpriced for its performance. But its performance isn’t shabby. As a dangerous-game scope, or as a short-range hunting scope, especially in dark and frightful conditions — think blacktail deer hunting in the Pacific Northwest, or bear hunting in Alaska’s temperamental interior —the combination of a simple reticle and excellent illumination make sense.
Those are the very conditions where I want to zero my scope and rifle at 100 yards, screw down my enclosed turret caps, and basically just point and shoot when the opportunity arises. I don’t need a holdover reticle, and I sure don’t need custom exposed turrets.
Here’s where the VX-6HD Gen2 misses the mark a bit. It’s a member of the Gen2 family, along with most other Leupold scopes, that gets the Oregon company’s snazzy new tool-less exposed turrets that come off with the flick of a catch and can be traded out for load-specific custom turrets. That makes a lot of sense for higher-magnification scopes that might be dialed to distant target, but for this close-range scope, the turrets are an unnecessary upcharge. And for dangerous-game situations, exposed turrets are more of a liability than an asset.
Give us capped turrets along with Leupold’s best-in-class glass and excellent center-dot illumination that ramps from barely visible to daylight bright. The duplex reticle frames the center-dot aiming point nicely and promotes fast both-eyes-open shooting.
“My struggle with this scope is its utility,” notes tester Nate Ward. “I see it as a hunting scope, but why not just buy a regular Leupold hunting scope if you intend to use the CDS dials?”
Doing so would save you some serious coin. But if you invest in this elegant, responsive, and durable scope, trade it between guns. It would serve as a very good straight-wall carbine scope, an excellent optic for a big bore dangerous-game rifle, or on any deer rifle for work inside 200 yards. Its fine lines, low mounting profile, and elegant handling would also make this a great companion for a classic rifle.
Leupold VX-6HD Gen2 1-6×24 Specs
- Magnification: 1-6-power
- Objective Lens: 24mm
- Tube Diameter: 30 inch
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 24-4mm
- Twilight Factor: 4.8-12
- Field of View: 120.9-19.2 feet at 100 yards
- Eye Relief: 3.8-3.7 inches
- Reticle Plane: Second
- Reticle Type: Illuminated FireDot duplex
- Illumination: yes, 8 intensities
- Turret Click Values: ¼ MOA
- Adjustment Per Revolution: 20 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 180 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 180 MOA
- Manual Focus/Parallax: Fixed at 150 yards
- Weight: 17.4 ounces
- Length: 11.6 inches
Hawke XB30 Zoom FFP 2-8×36
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Pros
- First first-plane crossbow scope
- Reticle position allows crossbow hunters to use any magnification
- Reticle tuned to specific arrow speeds
- Distance-specific holds to 70 yards Illuminated reticle
Cons
- Very narrow use case
- At over $400, pricey for a niche optic
- Reticle references not visible until 3.5x
Key Features
-
30mm tube -
Green and red illumination -
Arrow drop isn’t dependent on scope magnification -
Parallax fixed at 50 yards -
½ MOA turret controls -
Fast focus eyepiece -
Capped turrets
Because this was the only crossbow-specific scope in this year’s test, it’s hard to compare the Hawke XB30 to its peers. But as an optic that very clearly and successfully addresses and solves a pernicious problem with crossbow scopes, it’s an excellent and welcome offering.
Most of the scopes that ship with production crossbows are the sort of utilitarian optics you’d expect. Most are second-plane scopes with BDC reticles with arrow-drop references out to 70 or even 100 yards, which is pretty much the limit of the effective range of crossbows. But these scopes are velocity-dependent, meaning that their reticle references are only valid at the highest magnification. That limits their utility, especially when you want to make a distant shot using less than maximum scope magnification.
Here’s where the first-focal-plane Hawke shines. The scope’s power doesn’t matter. The reticle references, with velocity-dependent holds from 40-70 yards and additional holds out to 100 yards, are valid regardless of the scope magnification, though it must be noted that they’re not really visible until 3.5x. But deploying the scope is as simple as ranging the target, placing the hold-over mark at the range-adjusted distance, and firing an arrow. The illumination – with 5 red and 5 green intensities – further clarifies the aiming points.
It’s a smart, useful, and deadly system, though it’s important to buy the XB30 that corresponds to the velocity of your crossbow. Hawke sells the scope in three different velocity ranges. Our test sample was at the highest end of the offering, suited for arrow speeds between 385 and 420 fps. We paired the Hawke with our Ravin 29X, which pushes arrows at a touch under 450 fps.
The Hawke’s reticle references are clear and easy to see. The illumination zooms from just-visible in dark conditions to daylight-bright in sunlight. And the scope is distance-focused to 50 yards, meaning you don’t have to fiddle with an external focus control to bring targets into focus at any appropriate hunting range.
Priced at a bit over $400, this is a luxury item, especially considering that most crossbows ship with a provided scope. But trade out your factory model for this custom optic. You’ll shoot better in the wide range of conditions that crossbow hunters encounter, and maximize the deadliness of high-performance crossbows.
Hawke XB30 Zoom FFP 2-8×36
- Magnification: 2-8-power
- Objective Lens: 36mm
- Tube Diameter: 30mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 18-4.5mm
- Twilight Factor: 8.5-16.9
- Field of View: 70.1-16.8 feet at 100 yards
- Eye Relief: 2.8 inches
- Reticle Plane: First
- Reticle Type: Illuminated XB30 Zoom FFP
- Illumination: Yes, 10 intensities (5 red, 5 green)
- Turret Click Values: ½ MOA
- Adjustment Per Revolution: 30 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 120 MOA
- Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 120 MOA
- Manual Focus/Parallax: Fixed at 50 yards
- Weight: 16 ounces
- Length: 9.7 inches
Leupold Mark 5HD 2-10×30
See It
Pros
- Purpose-built for tactical AR carbines
- Three revolution elevation turret
- Locking ZeroLock elevation turret, capped windage dial
- Mil-spec durability
- First-plane tree-style reticle
Cons
- At $2,700, among the priciest scopes in the test
- Fairly narrow use case
- 35mm tube defies standard rings
Key Features
-
30mm tube -
Night vision compatible -
Elevation turret revolution indicator -
New coyote-brown color -
Re-zeroable turrets -
40 yards to infinity parallax setting
Like Hawke’s crossbow scope, there simply weren’t enough peers of Leupold’s excellent Mark 5HD 2-10×30 scope to make relative assessments. But the sample size of one was enough to charm the test team with the astonishing amount of close-in and out-there talents of this military-grade scope.
Indeed, the Mark 5HD descends from the U.S. Special Operations Forces’ designated marksman Special Purpose Mk12 carbine. That’s a platform (chambered in 5.56 NATO in military hands) intended to engage targets at spitting distances but also to place bullets out to 400 yards, and even further when the situation demanded it. It’s a wonderful 3-Gun competition optic, and once you tune the reticle to your load, it’s an adequate PRS competition scope, too.
The mortar-proof build of the Leupold and the fairly specialized use made it a little aberrant for our LPVO test, but mainly because it didn’t have many scopes that could keep up with its abundant close and mid-distance talents. Its first-plane CMR-MIL reticle features an illuminated 1.25 MIL inverted horseshoe and .1 MIL floating dot above 10 MILs of holdover and another 8 MILs of wind holds on either side of that aiming point. It’s a simple yet detailed enough reticle that provides a quick-acquisition sight at low powers but precision aiming at higher magnifications.
With about 48 MILs (165 MOA) of internal adjustment, there’s a lot of room in the 35mm tube to move the reticle, but we wish Leupold would revert to standard 34mm tubes, as finding rings for the super-sized tube is problematic.
We couldn’t really read the reticle references until about 4.5x, and we quibble with the price, which is out of reach for most hunters and recreational shooters. And we wish more of the reticle, beyond the aiming circle and center dot, was illuminated. But those are about the only demerits we can dish out for this otherwise very useful, versatile, and strong-willed scope that’s covered by Leupold’s excellent warranty, consolation for the fleetingly slim odds you somehow break this hard-duty optic.
Leupold Mark 5HD 2-10×30 M5C3 Specs
- Magnification: 2-10-power
- Objective Lens: 30mm
- Tube Diameter: 35mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 15-3.0mm
- Twilight Factor: 7.7-17.3
- Field of View: 52.9-10.5 feet at 100 yards
- Eye Relief: 3.7-3.6 inches
- Reticle Plane: First
- Reticle Type: CMR-MIL
- Illumination: Yes
- Turret Click Values: .1 MIL
- Adjustment Per Revolution: 10.5 MIL
- Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 48 MIL (165 MOA)
- Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 23 MIL (80 MOA)
- Manual Focus/Parallax: 40 yards to infinity
- Weight: 24 ounces
- Length: 11.5 inches
How We Tested the Best LPVO Scopes
Just as our test has evolved to evaluate rifle scopes on a different basis than we judge spotting scopes and binoculars because their job as projectile-placement instruments is categorically different from image magnifying and clarifying optics, we test LPVOs differently than precision scopes.
We gave slightly less emphasis to turret feedback, for instance, than reticle illumination. And we rewarded reticle versatility of an LPVO slightly more than we do optical quality, the idea being that these aren’t observational instruments so much as bullet-placement devices.
Just as with our other Optics Test categories, we put all submissions through the same criteria. First, we measure optical resolution, using the diminishing black-and-white lines of a 1951 Air Force Resolution Target to score the optical performance of each submission. We also measure the low-light performance of each LPVO scope by mounting them to tripods and focusing them as a group at 200 yards at a black-and-white resolution target at twilight, all in order to measure the brightness of the glass. As we discussed, neither resolution nor low-light performance are deal-breakers for this category, but both criteria provide valuable insights into the optical performance of the scope.
Then we take each submission to the shooting range. We put each LPVO through the same regimen of accuracy testing on bullseye targets, tracking, and return-to-zero assessment on a 10-minute grid, but we spent relatively more time on shooting drills to assess their combination of instinctive aiming, precision, and versatility. These included rapid target transition drills from standing, seated, and prone positions, followed by a big-bore instinctive shooting drill in which we walked a target course of steel plates positioned anywhere from 20 to 70 yards, and when a referee blew a whistle, the shooter had to find and hit a target within 5 seconds.
We break our 10-point scoring into four general categories:
- Optical performance (15 percent of total grade)
- Aiming system (a whopping 60 percent of total grade)
- Design (15 percent)
- Value (10 percent)
The average of these categories is the basis of our grades, detailed below.
Optical performance includes the resolution and low-light tests plus the more subjective assessments of image quality and brightness. Aiming-system performance assesses interior (reticle design, visibility, and utility as well as illumination) and exterior aiming system (turret positivity and indexing, parallax adjustment, zero stop), precision, and shootability. Design considers the exterior finish, interior blacking, mounting dimensions, and durability.
And then our price/value score rates how much scope — along with warranty and amenities such as rings, extra turrets, and lens covers — you get for your money. The LPVO that gets the highest overall score wins our editor’s choice award for the best in the category; the optic with the highest price/value score wins our Great Buy recognition, and we give other awards based on specific attributes.
How We Grade LPVO Riflescopes
Our 100-point evaluation adds up to a total numeric score, but we translate those to grades for each submission. Our optical performance grade combines the scores from resolution, low-light, and image quality. Our aiming system performance grade aggregates the interior/exterior aiming system, precision, and shootability scores. The design grade considers construction, innovation, versatility, and durability. And then the price/value grade is our good-deal grade.
To earn an “excellent grade,” the average of that category must be 9 or higher, which is extremely hard to achieve. “very good” is an average score of 7 to 9. A “good” grade is 5 to 7. Our “fair” grade is 3 to 5, and “poor” is anything under 3.
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