Anyone running Leopold VX-R or VX-2 on their AR???

**FLICK** · January 15th, 2017, 11:42 AM

I usually shoot my AR's from around 25-50 yards at the local PGC Scotia range. All is and was well with the Aimpoint PRO or PA micro dots. Hits were easy and fast and both red dots have been utterly reliable. I recently have been able to shoot a a local private club which has a nice 0-100 range and steel at 100, 200, and 300 yards. Hits with the red dots beyond 100 are tough with my shitty eyes and (sometimes) foggy glasses. A 1-4 seems like a win; I was also thinking if my glasses were damaged and I only had a 1x red dot, I'd be screwed....

The 1-4x through 1-6x market is huge. I've settled on the Leopold VX_2 1-4x, which has no illumination or crazy ranging reticle. Simple and light. Around $350 with the scope and mount. OR... The VX-R with the firedot duplex reticle or firedot 4 reticle. Both of those will be around the $540 range with mount but have an illuminated 1.5 MOA dot in the center of the reticle. Less then a pound and simple reticles, even with the firedot...

The VX-2.

http://shop.opticsplanet.com/leupold...FUpWDQod4dEMJA

The VX-R firedot family.

http://www.opticsplanet.com/leupold-...fle-scope.html

My questions are....

Anyone using these on an AR? Like them? Glass quality? Is the illuminated dot (on the VX-R) worth the extra $$?

Anything else in the sub $500 you've USED and can comment on? I can't stand a busy reticle so stuff like the Strike Eagle, Burris MTAC and the like are pretty much out.....

Pics of your set up would be much appreciated......

**DucatiRon** · January 15th, 2017, 12:19 PM

I don't see why it wouldn't work. I have a 24" bull barrel AR set up as a bench gun. Its wearing a 4-14x Leuy VX-3 with a bullet drop crosshair. I shoot steel all the way out to 600yrd with it. Crosshairs are set up for zero at 100 and steps all the way to 400. After that its Kentucky windage.

Now that's not a sub-$500 dollar scope but the setup is close enough to be the same.

**imashooter2** · January 15th, 2017, 12:24 PM

After debating optics for more than just a little bit, I went with the 1.25-4 VX-R Patrol. The dot, "close enough" circle and ranging features let me pretend to be tacticool, while it still works as a basic scope for paper punching, which is realistically what I do.

The scope is reasonably fast on 1.25X. Way more sensitive to cheek weld than a red dot, but not unreasonable. The motion activated dot is great for low light. I keep it set so that it isn't remarkably bright in full sun, where I mostly use the scope retical, but if I pick up the rifle in dim or dark conditions, the dot makes aiming practical where the retical couldn't be seen.

Glass is on par with Leupold's VXII series. Maybe a bit cloudy around the edges on 4X.

Bottom line, I'm completely satisfied with the compromise.

IMG_0067.JPG

**FLICK** · January 15th, 2017, 01:40 PM

Thanks to you both for the comments....

imashooter2, thoughts on the Leupold mount? I'm a fan of the Warne Skel mounts, but opticsplanet.com has it bundled with almost every Leupold scope.......

**imashooter2** · January 15th, 2017, 04:03 PM

It is a fine solid mount with the right height and offset. I own it because it came "free" with the scope as a package from Cabela's. If I was buying retail, I probably would have gotten the Rock River Hi Rise Cantilever mount for ~$40 less.

**arjohnson** · January 15th, 2017, 05:19 PM

I ran a VX-R with firedot circle reticle for a while, it was a nice optic. I sold it and went with a SWFA 1-4, which worked better for me and it's even cheaper.

**Palerider** · January 16th, 2017, 08:50 AM

Vortex Viper PST 1-4x. It has a smallish illuminated reticle. It provides a light up 1 MOA dot in the center with an illuminated circle around it. Not really busy as compared to some of the others with BDC.

Vortex is discontinuing this scope and only making 1-6. The old model MOA scope, with capped turrets, is on sale at SWFA.com for $389.

I really like mine, and everyone who's shot it has as well. One friend went and bought one right after shooting mine. We ditched red dots for the magnification for the reasons you note.

**FLICK** · January 20th, 2017, 02:38 PM

I decided on a Leupold Mark AR duplex. No illuminated reticle, simple crosshair, mil turret caps, about $325 from Amazon for both the optic and mount. The Aero mount is great, so far. Easy to mount and level. Very light. I'd say the scope and mount weigh as much as the Aimpoint PRO its replacing, mostly because of the heavy mount included with the PRO.

Out of the box, it's typical Leupold quality. The (mil) turrets have a solid click, easy to adjust the 1.5-4 power, glass is great at this price point, very very minimal distortion in the edges at 4x. For my eyes, the simple retical is perfect. Now I have to educate myself on the mil system. Used to MOA or dial and dope.