Leupold Mark 4 options/opinions??

[tat2]

Hello all,

I am interested in getting a Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10 scope for a 300win mag rifle.
I am interested in opinions of M1 vs. M3 turrets. TMR vs Mildot reticle.
And ILL. vs. Non-ILL reticles. Any first hand experince would be appeciated.

Thanks,

T

[tat2]

Nobody here has one of these scopes?

I know there are better more expensive scopes, but $1200 is my limit.
Anyone use a TMR reticle? It may pull double duty for rockchucks/squirrels
on a 18" Noveske SPR upper too. So is the TMR more a "fine" crosshair design?

T

[jmaxiom]

I would like some more information/review on the Mark 4 as well, as I'm weighing it against a combination of a RDS/HWS and magnifier.

[CLHC]

Maybe in here?

http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?...ld+Mark+3.5-10

[JSGlock34]

I would like some more information/review on the Mark 4 as well, as I'm weighing it against a combination of a RDS/HWS and magnifier.

Which Mark 4 are we talking about here? The Mark 4 line is extensive and covers a range of capabilities.

I suppose the Leupold Mark 4 CQ/T or MR/T 1.5-5X might fill the same role as a RDS/3X mag combination, but the other optics in the Mark 4 line (MR/T 2.5-8, LR/T 3.5-10) are really designed for medium to long range precision applications. With the exception of the CQ/T and MR/T 1.5-5X, the rest of the Mark 4 line is usually found on precision rifles. The SR-25 found in the link above and the new M110 SASS uses the 3.5-10 LR/T, the USMC SAM-R and earlier SEAL Recon rifles used the MR/T.

Personally I find the FOV of the CQ/T too narrow to compete with a true red dot like an Aimpoint or EOTech.

I use a Leupold MR/T 2.5-8X on my Noveske Recon. So far I'm pleased; the optic is well built, the glass is clear and the combination is very accurate. I've owned the 1.5-5X MR/T; it was a good optic but I found I either wanted a true 1X for close up or more magnification than 5X for longer range work.

One thing to note, look carefully at the specifications on the Leupold optics. The 1.5-5X is actually closer to a 1.5-4.5X, the 2.5-8X is actually closer to 3X at the bottom end and 9X at the top end, while the 3.5-10X isn't a true 10X, topping out at about 9.5X. For me, the LR/T added too much weight and length over the MR/T for just an additional .8X at maximum magnification.

In my mind, Trijicon's TR24, the NF 1-4 and the S&B Short Dot are more in line with the capabilities of a red dot/magnifier combination.

[andy t]

I own two Mark IV. They are great scopes for the money. You should be able to find a used MK IV 3.5-10 for between 700-800.
The type of turrets/reticles depends what you want to use the scope / rifle for.
Personally I prefer M1 turrets as they offer more adjustability. You get 1/4" IPUA for both elevation and windage.
M3 turrets are designed to make scope adjustments much faster in combat situations, hence the issue Leupolds have them. However, you loose a lot in terms of fine tuning since M3 is 1 MOA in elevation and .5 MOA in windage.
Both mil-dot and TMR reticle allow for distance estimation, however, I would go with TMR since it has a finer scale, allowing for more precise range estimation - assuming you will ever get to do that.
I have no personal experience with ILLUM reticles. Since most of my long range shooting is done at ranges during day light, I have non-ILLUM reticles on all scopes. ILLUM reticles are useful if you are shooting at twilight or dusk/dawn or even if the target background is dark and you are having difficulty finding the reticle.

[tat2]

I own two Mark IV. They are great scopes for the money. You should be able to find a used MK IV 3.5-10 for between 700-800.
The type of turrets/reticles depends what you want to use the scope / rifle for.
Personally I prefer M1 turrets as they offer more adjustability. You get 1/4" IPUA for both elevation and windage.
M3 turrets are designed to make scope adjustments much faster in combat situations, hence the issue Leupolds have them. However, you loose a lot in terms of fine tuning since M3 is 1 MOA in elevation and .5 MOA in windage.
Both mil-dot and TMR reticle allow for distance estimation, however, I would go with TMR since it has a finer scale, allowing for more precise range estimation - assuming you will ever get to do that.
I have no personal experience with ILLUM reticles. Since most of my long range shooting is done at ranges during day light, I have non-ILLUM reticles on all scopes. ILLUM reticles are useful if you are shooting at twilight or dusk/dawn or even if the target background is dark and you are having difficulty finding the reticle.

Hey thanks for the input. I thought the same thing. I am leaning toward the
M1 turrets and the fine TMR reticle. But what about the BDC capabilities of the
M3 turrets. We will be shooting at time out to 1000 yards. Is more than 10 power needed? Maybe 4.5 x 14??

Thanks

T