New Irons Inbound

[NH Shooter]

So I just installed this mount and scope, and it seems perfect for my needs. A few initial observations;

• Scope and mount combined weigh 12.2 ounces
• The clarity of the Leupold scope is excellent
• Adjustable eyepiece allows for super-sharp reticle focus
• Easy two-eyes-open use
• The generous eye relief and forgiving eye box allow fast target acquisition
• View through scope is more than sharp enough for defensive use down to arm's length range
• In total dark, use of a WML renders the reticle sharp and easy to use
• Due to low covered turrets and no protruding nuts or levers on the mount, the entire rig is really slick and snag-free

A couple of photos of the new glass set up. The more time I spend looking through this scope, the more I'm liking it. As mentioned previously, the view is sharp and clear (as is the reticle thanks to the adjustable eyepiece). Throwing the rifle up to the shoulder with both eyes open, this optic is also very forgiving with eye relief (listed at 4.9 inches) compared to scopes I've used in the past. This allowed me to set the stock LOP to where I like it (nose near charging handle) and still center the scope turrets in the mount. Another observation is that the ocular blocks very little of the view with nothing else (like turrets or rings) visible.

I'm liking the DD scope mount too - it's nicely sculptured and very streamlined with nothing protruding. The "Rock 'n Lock" mounting means that other than the rings, the mount is a monolithic piece. As a rudimentary check, I bored-sighted the scope and as far as I can see there will be no major windage adjustment required (the scope has 140 MOA of adjustment).

We've just got our first winter storm of the season last night and there's probably a foot of snow on the ground at the range, but I'll be making the trek there this weekend to get it sighted in.

[NH Shooter]

Well, I'm pretty damned pleased!

The sighting-in took place on the covered 100-yard range, starting at 50 yards. Nothing unusual sighting it in and by the third group-of-three, it was within a few clicks of the final adjustments made at 100 yards.

It appears the fine crosshairs subtend about or just under 1.5 MOA at the scope's 2.2x magnification. This actually allowed for as much precision as I was able to achieve with the VR-X Patrol set at 4x. After establishing a 100-yard zero, I fired a few groups from the bench. First, my go-to load which has always shot well with this upper, group measures just under 1-1/4" which is consistent with what I achieved with the VR-X Patrol;





Next up was five rounds with Black Hills 5.56 77 OTM. Though not the most precise through this upper, it is nonetheless a pretty hot load. I was able to achieve a group of 1.5 MOA, consistent with using the VR-X - and with a POI very close to the 75 Gold Dot load;





Finally, for grins-and-giggles I loaded up five rounds of Federal XM193. Yup, this is typically what I see with this load: the majority drill the center but a round or two always fly off into the Hinterland. The good news is the POI remains consistent (other than the flyers) regardless of load;





50-yard Steel

Getting off the bags to standing unsupported, I set up my 8-inch round steel plate at 50 yards. I spent some reps just bringing the rifle up to my line-of-sight to see how easy it is to acquire the target. With a wide and clear view through the scope (and with a forgiving eye box) getting hits was easy. Maybe it's the Fudd in me, but I find the duplex reticle pulls my eye to the center and on to the target.

In terms of optical quality, there is some softness at the edges of the FOV. It's not readily apparent and I have to look for it, in normal use I simply don't see it. Otherwise it's clear and sharp - both the reticle and the target.

Maybe the Fudd in me again, but I really appreciate covered turrets on an AR. Make the adjustment, cover and forget 'em. This is why I was so pleased to see that the loads I use don't need any major adjustment going from one to the other.

Finally, even though this set up only weighs 12 ounces and cost under $400, there's nothing cheap or flimsy about it. The scope is renown for its durability on hard-kicking dangerous game rifles, and the DD mount is certainly robust. Though this set up is bare-bones in terms of features, I don't see it leaving much on the table in terms of quality and durability. The reputation for quality of both Leupold and Daniel Defense are evident in these products.

One final photo, taken as I was leaving the range;