New Leupold Mark 5HD MOA Riflescopes: Review

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09 Jul

Riflescopes are constantly being modified and improved to provide hunters and shooters with enhanced experience on field or competition platform. To keep the game interesting, Leupold has introduced new Leupold Mark 5HD models in 2019. They come with MOA turret adjustments and reticles.

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What’s New?

Leupold Mark 5HD riflescope line was launched in 2018 mainly to meet the needs of precision, for long-range shooters. It redefines accuracy, precision, and optical performance coupled with rugged reliability.

The new MOA-specific Mark 5HD models are designed especially for the minute of angle competitive shooters. They are available in the very same magnifications and objective lens sizes (5-25×56 and 3.6-18×44) but with MOA-based adjustments and reticles. The MOA reticles are really special that come in FFP (First Focal Plane) setting.

The MOA Mark 5HD models are available with three different reticle options:

1. Impact 60

Impact-60-MOA-reticle

Impact 60 reticle is a proprietary design of Leupold that incorporates MOA measurement system that has a grid-style pattern. On the horizontal and vertical posts, there are 2 MOA spaced hash marks. Wind hold dots are also 2 MOA apart from each other. 1 MOA is equal to 1 inch at 100 yards approximately. For helping the shooters with quick reference points, every fourth line has been numbered. The vertical grid is extended to 60 MOA. Shooters will find the initial and follow up shots to be straightforward as this Impact 60 reticle comes with a large number of well-defined aiming points.

Available with

2. PR1-MOA (Non-Illuminated)

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This non-illuminated MOA-based reticle is best suited for elite shooters and hunters. PR1-MOA reticle comes with a large number of aiming points that are especially helpful in making long range and extreme long-range shots. While in each direction of the reticle, 40 MOA of measurement can be found, the increments are in 1 MOA. PR1-MOA is a simple crosshair reticle that doesn’t involve the complex designs found in many others.

Available with:

3. PR1-MOA (Illuminated)

pr-1_moa_illum_15x

PR1-MOA (Illuminated) reticle is the same as the PR1-MOA (Non-Illuminated) reticle except for the fact that the former comes with illuminated center portion. This illuminated section is meant for enhanced low-light performance.

“PR” in PR1-MOA reticles stand for Precision Rifle.

Available with:

Leupold Mark 5HD Scopes: How is it Class Apart?

  • While designing these models, Leupold & Stevens, Inc. has done away with the unnecessary extras without adversely affecting the quality and features. This has ensured that the Leupold Mark 5HD riflescopes are up to 20 oz lighter than other riflescopes in their class. While the Mark 5HD 5-25×56 variant weighs just 30 oz, the Mark 5HD 3.6-18×44 variant weighs 26 ounces.
  • Leupold Mark 5HD scopes deliver superior edge-to-edge clarity and extreme low-light performance, thanks to high-quality optics and Twilight Max HD Light Management System.
  • These scopes come with 35mm main tube, providing long-range shooters with increased elevation adjustment travel.
  • Leupold has also incorporated the Mark 5HD riflescopes with high-speed power selector ring with an optional low-profile throw lever, providing additional leverage.
  • The most significant feature is the M1C3 ZeroLock adjustments that provide precise and repeatable tracking with an accurate return to zero. M1C3 elevation turrets help shooters to make adjustments quickly. They simply have to make 3 turns to adjust 100 MOA elevation in Mark 5HD 3.6-18×44 models and 120 MOA elevation in Mark 5HD 5-25×56 models. This allows the Leupold Mark 5HD model to max out the performance of even the latest long-range rifles and ammunition.
  • To ensure that the shooters don’t get lost during the elevation travel, Leupold has included visual and tactile revolution indicators. In fact, the inclusion of the auto-lock feature at zero does away with the risk of moving the turret inadvertently. In fact, to avoid any kind of unwanted windage adjustment, the concerned turret has been capped.
  • The zero indicator mark is now relocated to the main tube of the riflescope, ensuring that you don’t have to move your head of the rifle’s stock.

All these aspects along with dead-on precision have fetched the Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25X 56 mm Riflescope with 2019 Golden Bullseye Award from NRA’s Shooting Illustrated magazine editors.

New Leupold Mark 5HD Scopes: Taking a Closer Look

Leupold Mark 5HD scopes, at the time of launch in 2018, were available with MRAD-graduated reticles including TMR, Tremor 3, H-59, and CCH.

The 2018 models of
Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18×44 Scopes

The 2018 models of
Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25×56 Scopes

The new MOA-based PR1-MOA reticle in Mark 5HD scopes is a simple crosshair reticle. It doesn’t have the complexity of “Christmas Tree” like formation within the reticle design, just like the ones found in many advanced reticles. When using Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25×56 Scopes, PR1-MOA reticle retains extreme precision at:

  • The lowest 5x magnification setting (where the graduations are present all the way out to 100 MOA) and
  • The highest 25x setting (with 25 MOA in single-minute hash marks)

This reticle comes with the perfect combination of clutter-free view as well as adequate precision. It makes the Mark 5HD 5-25×56 riflescope best for both precision rifle competitors as well as long-range hunters.

PR1-MOA reticle in the Mark 5HD comes with an FFP construction. Many long-range, precision shooters prefer this because the reticle size adjusts with respect to the target size as the magnification is cranked up or down.

First-Focal-Plane

This helps the shooter to calculate windage and drop effectively. In fact, they can also range the target with an FFP setting. All these functions and the associated calculations can be done much better with an FFP scope than an SFP (Second Focal Plane) scope.

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Leupold has given the new Mark 5HD scopes a rugged built so that it can survive and perform well even in the harshest hunting and competitive shooting conditions. The main body tube is built from 6061-T6 Aircraft Quality Aluminum for a strong body. DiamondCoat2 (an ion-assist lens coating) is applied on the external lens surface so that the shooter gets enhanced light transmission as well as resistance from any kind of abrasion.

One of the common problems faced by hunters and competitive shooters is that the elevation and windage adjustments change due to accidental/unintended bumps, which are quite common in rough conditions. That’s why Leupold Mark 5HD riflescopes are incorporated with M1C3 ZeroLock Adjustment on the elevation dial and screw-on exterior cover on the windage dial.

When the Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25×56 Scope is mounted on a Bergara B14 rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge and tested on the field (with less than ideal conditions), it lived up to the expectations. Even when the crosswinds were blowing at around 15-25 mph and the light was significantly low during dusk, the performance was good. Spotting the target even at twilight was easy. After incorporating the ballistics, both tracking and hitting the target with precision at poor light conditions was a cake walk.

Conclusion

Overall, the Leupold Mark 5HD Riflescopes are impressive. It is a lightweight scope but at the same time is tough and precise. That’s why it is best suited for the serious long-range hunters and precision shooters.

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