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Thread: The Leupold FX-II Ultralight 2.5x20mm and the Defensive Carbine

  1. #1
    Supporting Business NH Shooter's Avatar
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    The Leupold FX-II Ultralight 2.5x20mm and the Defensive Carbine

    I've been posting about this scope for a while, here is the most recent thread where I cover some basics about the scope, and why I'm now using it after trying many different optics over the years. I will not rehash that info in this thread, but I would suggest reading my original post to fully understand how I ended up with this scope. For those of you intrigued by this rather offbeat optic selection, I hope you find the forthcoming information useful.

    The purpose of this thread is to share my honest assessment of this scope in its role as an optic for a civilian defensive rifle. It's obviously a somewhat unique selection for an AR, as it is most commonly used on lever actions, hard-kicking dangerous game rifles, slug guns, etc.




    Before I start sharing my observations and experience with the scope, I feel I need to define what I consider a "civilian defensive rifle." While there is plenty of expert advice on what optics work best in a combat role, whether it's door-kicking or engaging the enemy from mountain tops, I find that the advice dosen't always translate well to civilian needs. The standard equipment advice is to equip one's rifle with a RDS and a white light, then get plenty of training. Certainly excellent advice, but due to it coming from those whose primary experience is with RDS and LPVO, I think it may leave some other viable sighting options unexplored.

    From my POV, the defensive rifle for the civilian would be deployed under the very same set of legal constraints as an EDC pistol. All of the same standards for the justifiable use of deadly force would apply. If you think on that for a moment in the context of current events, a clear picture of how and under what circumstances the rifle might be used should emerge.

    Why not a RDS?

    No doubt a red dot sight is an excellent choice for the civilian defensive carbine. In combination with a WML, it covers those needs very well. But one rarely-considered downside of the RDS is that due to zero magnification, it does nothing to help with identifying a threat, or confirming that what you're seeing through it is a threat at all (again, think about this in the context of current events). While the top brands offer a very clear view, none of them do anything to enhance the view. To get any enhancement at all, one needs to use at least some magnification.

    The other well-known issue is for those who suffer from astigmatism, the dot is not well defined. While this is not an issue at extreme close range, it becomes so as range increases depending on how bad one's astigmatism is. For me, I don't do any better from a precision standpoint with a RDS that I do with irons.

    Then of course there's the battery thing and how bright should I set dot.

    Why not a LPVO?

    This is the one I still struggle with. The top models with illuminated reticles offer the same advantages of a RDS with the ability to dial-up the magnification to get a much enhanced view of the threat. I have many times (and to this day) been tempted to click the Buy Now link on models that I know would serve my purposes extremely well...but have yet to pull the trigger. It's not a money issue (though I don't have unlimited discretionary income either), but I always come back to what I like so much about the FX-II Ultralight 2.5x20mm and my unwillingness to give it up...

    The Leupold FX-II Ultralight 2.5x20mm

    You can read the specs through the link above but this is what has me hooked on this scope;

    • Light weight. At 6.5 ounces, I do not believe there is a lighter tube-style scope on the market. The typical LPVO will add three quarters of a pound or more of weight to my rifle in the least desirable location - above the bore axis.
    • Compact size. At only 8-inches long, a 1-inch body and only 1.4-inches in diameter at the ocular, it's downright tiny compared to the typical LPVO.
    • Long eye relief. At a constant 4.9 inches, the scope mounts more forward than others leaving the charging handle completely in the open.
    • Forgiving eye box. Lots of latitude fore and aft, more than enough side-to-side. With the stock properly indexed to my shoulder, I can rapidly bring the rifle up from low-ready have alignment with the optic. It is NOT fussy at all in this regard.
    • Good optical quality. Though not quite as good as something like a Vortex Razor, it's not shabby either with the simple fixed-power design working very much in its favor. The edges are a bit soft, but the view of what I'm looking at is sharp, clear and bright. Most importantly, it enhances my view of the threat far better than any RDS could do.
    • Excellent build quality. It's a Leupold, and the volumes of user reviews online confirm this is a quality product with very high user satisfaction.
    • Simple point-and-shoot. As @rob_s is so fond of saying, there's no fiddle-fucking around with magnification settings, dot/reticle illumination levels, etc. Just shoulder and shoot, nothing else to think about other than the task at hand.

    So the cart gets filled with the latest & greatest tactical optic that I think would be a step up, only to realize I might be better off spending the not-insignificant amount of money on something else.

    More installments to come covering my observations on actual use of the scope.


  2. #2
    Abducted by Aliens Borderland's Avatar
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    I had an FX 4x20 on a carbine for awhile. It worked great but I realized it was more than I needed. Because I mostly shoot 100-200 I felt a RDS might be more appropriate. I'm currently evaluating this with a Vortex Venom. The jury is still out and I may put the scope back on it but it's working out better then I thought it might. Hitting 12" plates at 200 isn't a problem.

    I'm fairly new to the world of RDS. This is the first one I've had on a rifle, having nothing but ghost rings or scopes before this it was a bold move for me. I can fully understand now why the military has so gone over to dots on carbines. For a novice shooter I think there's an advantage. I love good quality glass though and always will.

    Looking forward to some more evaluations.
    Last edited by Borderland; 09-27-2020 at 11:19 AM.
    In the P-F basket of deplorables.

  3. #3
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    NH Shooter, what mount are you using there? I admit, I've been considering throwing my 2.5x Leupold onto my Colt 6920 after reading some of your posts about using this optic. Right now it's on a CZ527FS in .223, and I have an Aimpoint PRO on the Colt. But I like the clarity and target resolution of a compact scope, especially as I have a slight astigmatism.

    I've used the Colt/PRO combo a fair amount out to 200 yards on my range. We used to have a 12-14" plate at 200 yards and it was no trick to hit it offhand with this combo. It wasn't difficult to hit the same plate with my 18.5" Marlin 336 with Williams receiver sights either. l should also mention I used to shoot NRA Highpower, had a Master-classification and could shoot a 95-96 score offhand most days.

    Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Site Supporter HeavyDuty's Avatar
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    This makes a lot of sense to me. Does Leupold still offer reticle changes? This with holdovers would really appeal.
    Ken

    BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
    revchuck38: ...”mo' ammo is mo' betta' unless you're swimming or on fire.”

  5. #5
    Supporting Business NH Shooter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Borderland View Post
    I had an FX 4x20 on a carbine for awhile. It worked great but I realized it was more than I needed.
    The actual magnification of the 2.5x20 is 2.2x.

    While I often yearn for more magnification for greater precision and longer range effectiveness, the I find the 2.2x magnification a good compromise for a fixed power: it works well for two-eyes-open close-quarter engagements yet provides an overwhelming edge over a RDS at distance in terms of target resolution and PID. If my eyesight was perfect, the RDS would no doubt be a more viable solution for me.

    FWIW, though I wear corrective lenses for distance, I do not use them for shooting. I find I can adjust the ocular of a scope to render the reticle ("aiming point") perfectly sharp and the magnification renders the target sharp. None of that happens for me with a RDS, with or without glasses.

  6. #6
    Supporting Business NH Shooter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HeavyDuty View Post
    This makes a lot of sense to me. Does Leupold still offer reticle changes? This with holdovers would really appeal.
    They did, but evidently their custom shop is closed - supposedly for improvement. I do hope it reopens as they also had the finger-click adjustment option for the 2.5x20mm.

    Give me the 2.5x20mm with a FireDot Duplex and their Custom Dial System to dial-in hold overs - it would a few ounces heavier, but IMO perfect.

    When we hit the range you'll need to give mine a try.

  7. #7
    Site Supporter HeavyDuty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NH Shooter View Post
    They did, but evidently their custom shop is closed - supposedly for improvement. I do hope it reopens as they also had the finger-click adjustment option for the 2.5x20mm.

    Give me the 2.5x20mm with a FireDot Duplex and their Custom Dial System to dial-in hold overs - it would a few ounces heavier, but IMO perfect.

    When we hit the range you'll need to give mine a try.
    Looking forward to it!
    Ken

    BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
    revchuck38: ...”mo' ammo is mo' betta' unless you're swimming or on fire.”

  8. #8
    Supporting Business NH Shooter's Avatar
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    The alternatives that tempt me...

    I thought I'd share this too - the scopes I've recently seriously considered.

    This one was in the cart and I was in the check-out process;

    https://www.eurooptic.com/Trijicon-C...-Riflesco.aspx

    This one still tempts the hell out of me. I love the reticle, it has the features I want, will fit my existing DD mount (which I really like). It's not outlandishly expensive, has a decent FOV on low power and it's "only" 10.5 ounces heavier than the 2.5x20.

    This next one may seem like another "WTF?" non-traditional choice, but the glass is highly rated as clear, sharp and having tremendous light gathering capability. It's fixed power (which I like) and could be pretty interesting if paired with a Delta Point Pro in an offset mount. With the removal of the current MI offset BUIS (3.4 ounces), the total weight gain would be limited to just under eight ounces and would make ringing that distant steel (and viewing the night time riots in the ambiance of burning buildings) a lot more fun;

    https://www.eurooptic.com/66815-Leup...lex-66815.aspx

    If this scope was available with the Custom Dial System, the deal would have already been done.

    Moving up the ladder to even more capable optics bring a pretty substantial weight (and cost) penalty, but these would be on the short list too;

    https://www.eurooptic.com/Leupold-VX...lescope-1.aspx

    https://www.eurooptic.com/Trijicon-C...escope-29.aspx

    Though I lust for sexy glass, along with the larger size and heavier weight the cost-to-benefit ratio of above two truly eludes me. For a total investment of $420 for my current setup ($570 including the offset BUIS), it's a value proposition that's going to be hard to beat.

  9. #9
    Abducted by Aliens Borderland's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HeavyDuty View Post
    This makes a lot of sense to me. Does Leupold still offer reticle changes? This with holdovers would really appeal.
    Reticles are important. I don't have a mil dot scope because I don't need one but that's a pretty fast way to go farther down range without cranking on knobs. I've considered putting one on my CZ-455 to go out to 200. I just guesstimate the hold over now because the dial probably wouldn't get me there.
    In the P-F basket of deplorables.

  10. #10
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    How do you find the view through the scope and visibility of the reticle in low light?


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    Any legal information I may post is general information, and is not legal advice. Such information may or may not apply to your specific situation. I am not your attorney unless an attorney-client relationship is separately and privately established.

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