Leupold MK6 on-going "review"

[JGifford]

Some additional thoughts today after taking this scope out to 600y on B/C steel...

First of all, while annoying, the donut wasn't actually a too big a hinderance at distance. As I mentioned before, with a smaller target, it will start to cause some issues (at least for me), but with the B/C steel, I could still comfortably bracket the target in the donut and shoot precisely and consistently. I also ran from 300y out to 600 using holds while zeroed at 300y and it was very comfortable, however, it was a little harder to "find my place" on the reticle when I needed to hold somewhere in between the center and the 5 mil mark since there aren't any numbers in between. At 500, I needed 2.6 mils and it was easy to lose my place for a second to make sure I was still under the 2 mil mark. Capable? Absolutely, just a tad slower than a reticle with some more numbers on it.

My other main take away is how sloppy the turret is. When you slip the turrets back to zero, it snaps into place due to the push-release button, but there's play when it's in the detent. I tried to center the "0" on the mark, but even after tightening it up, it's not perfect, so it can be hard to tell if 1.6 mils is really 1.6 or 1.4. Also, the turrets are mushy. I was jumping back and forth between my NF 2.5-10 and the MK6 and when I'd go back to the NF, the turrets were super-positive. The MK6, not so much.

All that said, the image is still very clear. I could spot hits at 400. With the mirage today, I couldn't really see impact points past that, but the targets at 500 and 600 were still very clear and the overall impact "splash" was viewable out to 500. I needed help at 600, but that could have also been the target (this was a MGM versus Red Stitch on the others, I believe).

If the turret was better, this would be a no brainer, but with the turret, I'm eager to see what may come of this mythical NF scope...and if it's awesome, the MK6 may help fund that purchase. For now, I'll continue to run the MK 6 in a SPR short course next month and see how it does. I know the rifle it's on is up to the challenge without braking a sweat.

I can't wait for mine to arrive. Went with the leupold mount.

[gatordev]

I took the MK6 out to 600y yesterday to re-verify my rifle after a zero issue a couple of months ago. DOPE continued to be on and it was a quick run from 400y to 600y with no significant issues. Targets were 50% and very visible. There was a little wind starting to pop up, so holding the edge of the target was still doable. I was never able to run this optic in the local SPR match in December (it was canceled) and it looks like I'll be on travel for the next one, unfortunately. But overall, at least at distance, it's still holding it's own.

[JGifford]

I continue to also enjoy my MK6. It's going on an sr25, now though, but was killer on my Hodge Mod 2.

[gatordev]

Forgot about this thread...

Unfortunately, I didn't write down the times in my rifle log, but a few weeks ago I worked some drills with the MK6 versus using the T-1 that's off-set with it. The targets were at 25y and 50-ish yards and it was a combo of barricade and standing unsupported. Across the board, the timer showed the off-set T-1 was faster than the MK6. I want to say it was probably somewhere around .15s faster. I would find that with the unforgiving eye-box, it was easy to come into the scope and be slightly off and have to take that extra .1s to get the shot off.

This isn't anything new that I haven't complained about already, but it was educational to do the comparison on the same rifle with the same course of fire. All that said, I'm still keeping the MK6 on the gun until UWone coughs up that NF 1-8.

[JGifford]

Forgot about this thread...

Unfortunately, I didn't write down the times in my rifle log, but a few weeks ago I worked some drills with the MK6 versus using the T-1 that's off-set with it. The targets were at 25y and 50-ish yards and it was a combo of barricade and standing unsupported. Across the board, the timer showed the off-set T-1 was faster than the MK6. I want to say it was probably somewhere around .15s faster. I would find that with the unforgiving eye-box, it was easy to come into the scope and be slightly off and have to take that extra .1s to get the shot off.

This isn't anything new that I haven't complained about already, but it was educational to do the comparison on the same rifle with the same course of fire. All that said, I'm still keeping the MK6 on the gun until UWone coughs up that NF 1-8.

Do you mean the T1 was faster than the MK6 on 1x, or faster than trying to engage at 2-6x or adjust down to 1x before engaging?

Same boat I'm in. The NF has been out for roughly 2 years, if you're the right guy...which as cool as I pretend to be with my Hodge MOD 2 and closed tine warcomp and tons of M855A1 all that jazz, I am not.


Why I am keeping the mK6:

-17oz
-EXTREMELY tough
-Optical quality is good, and I note no CA
-1X is as close to 1x as I have seen except the K16i, which also had less pincushion distortion, but the "non homogeneous" reticle of the K16i was slower for me. I like ONE DOT. I also hate Eotechs.
-The turrets are awesome. Very low profile, zerostop, ballistic dials are cheap and readily available for any load you give Leupold the specs for.
-The reticle can be used to hold, dial and hold, or whatever.
-On 1x without a battery, it's still usable, if not ideal.
-Total footprint with Aadland caps is very small for the functionality you are getting.
-It was a gift from a good friend, and I never sell gifts of that magnitude, even without all of the other above points. As far as I am concerned, this MK6 is an NFA item, regarding my ownership trend of it.


What would make it better?


-Firedot illumination
-H27D reticle
-24mm objective
-integrated throw-lever like 1-8 Trijicon or VCOG or K16i. I am NOT a fan of the MK8 solution.

[gatordev]

Do you mean the T1 was faster than the MK6 on 1x, or faster than trying to engage at 2-6x or adjust down to 1x before engaging?

I meant T1 vs MK6 already set on 1x.

[JGifford]

I will say, the MK6 is kindof "busy" at 100 yards, but I can still shoot groups with it. Ignore the bottom hole with a slash across it, this target was from a previous outing.


DDM4, 16.1" CHF/CL/GOV barrel, 75gr GDSP .223, MK6 in Geissele .308 mount. 10 shots @ 100 yards from the bench off a sand-bag.

1.102" CTC is not shabby for a 6x scope and a 5500+ round chrome-lined .gov barrel considering this ammo did roughly the same from a custom rig with a massive telescope on it and all:
http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum...=75gr+gold+dot


Daniel Defense should pay me for these posts pimping their awesome barrels, rofl!

[JGifford]

Well, my MK6 is going back to Leupold. Crap on the reticle. Shows up badly when illuminated, lower right quadrant. Not showing up in this picture is the "snow storm" of lesser reflections around that one dot, which, before you ask, is not just internal reflection, as looking at a white-wall, I see a black speck there with the illumination "off".

OP, does your MK6 have any such mess going on?

[gatordev]

Nope. Not that I've seen.

Ran this scope on my Mini-Recce a couple of weeks ago at a SPR match. It's still not a perfect scope, but was able to hit a 10" plate off a roof top at 400y without major issues (once I found the sweet spot to steady the rifle).

[JGifford]

Nope. Not that I've seen.

Ran this scope on my Mini-Recce a couple of weeks ago at a SPR match. It's still not a perfect scope, but was able to hit a 10" plate off a roof top at 400y without major issues (once I found the sweet spot to steady the rifle).

What would you consider instead of the MK6?

[SINNER]

What's going on with Leupold and all these issues? That's 4 MK6's in the past few months I've seen have issues or flat out fail.

A good friend just dumped his MK8 for the reticle illumination failing for a second time so it does not appear to be limited to just the MK6's either.

[Slippers]

I'm sure it's in this thread or the one on m4c, but what's wrong with the Kahles 1-6? Was it the reticle? Honest question, since I am shopping right now.

The NF 1-8 ATACR is amazing. I will attempt to own one for every single rifle in my possession. Yes, I've had skin-to-skin contact with it.

[Default.mp3]

The NF 1-8 ATACR is amazing. I will attempt to own one for every single rifle in my possession. Yes, I've had skin-to-skin contact with it.

Is that the fabled NF 1-8x that they've been working on for awhile now?

[JGifford]

I'm sure it's in this thread or the one on m4c, but what's wrong with the Kahles 1-6? Was it the reticle? Honest question, since I am shopping right now.

The NF 1-8 ATACR is amazing. I will attempt to own one for every single rifle in my possession. Yes, I've had skin-to-skin contact with it.

You've handled it...

...but you want to buy something else.

Sounds like you think "Grab a snickers..."?

[Slippers]

You've handled it...

...but you want to buy something else.

Sounds like you think "Grab a snickers..."?

I want something else for now. The NF is a long ways off. Good glass is almost like buying machine guns. Holds its value. Easy to sell down the road.