Leupold & Stevens of Beaverton, Oregon
makes some of the best riflescopes in the world. Their high-line
scopes compare favorably with scopes costing much more, but they
also make some very affordable riflescopes for those of us who
are not as flush with funds as the fellows who sit around the
hunting lodge in tweed jackets with suede patches upon the
elbows, puffing upon a Meerschaum pipe and recounting the
exploits of their fifth African safari. Nothing at all wrong
with excessive wealth, its just that most of us worry more about
making the mortgage payment on time than about getting another
coat of varnish on the schooner before yachting season begins.
The subject of this piece, the Mark AR riflescope, falls into
the affordable category, and is a dandy choice for mounting atop
an AR-15, AR-180, Mini-14, or any other 5.56mm or .223 rifle.
Leupold’s extensive line of tactical riflescopes is full of
good choices that are rugged and reliable, and would serve very
well on an AR, but this new Mark AR is built specifically for
the semi-auto and bolt action 5.56mm rifle.
The Mark AR has fully multicoated lenses
using Leupold’s own Multicoat 4 lens coating system for
increased brightness, contrast, and clarity in all lighting
conditions. I don’t have scientific equipment to measure the
amount of light that travels through various lenses, but I have
two pretty good eyeballs, and they tell me that this scope has
good optical quality. The cheapest scope hanging on the wall at
the local discount store looks pretty clear on a good day, but
in low light or hazy conditions, that is where the quality of a
really good scope is apparent, and peering through the Mark AR,
the image is bright and clear, all the way to the edge. The Mark
AR is built on a one-inch tube, has half minute-of-angle click
adjustments., and has 56 minutes of adjustment in both
directions. The elevation turret has markings graduated to match
the trajectory of a 55 grain bullet, out past 700 yards. The
user sights the rifle in at 100 yards, and then just turns the
dial to match the distance to the target. Very simple. If you
prefer a different bullet weight, Leupold will build a dial to
match whatever load you choose, for a very reasonable cost. The
Mark AR is available with a choice of either a Duplex or Mil-dot
reticle. The 3 to 9 power Mark AR shown here has a 40mm
objective lens, is just under twelve and one-half inches long,
and weighs three-quarters of a pound. It has a matte black
finish on the one-piece aluminum tube. There is plenty of eye
relief, around four inches, allowing the scope to work well on
any AR-15 or similar rifle.
For testing of the Mark AR riflescope, I
mounted it atop my Bushmaster
Varminter using a one-piece ArmaLite mount. I used both
commercial Winchester USA brand 55 grain full metal jacket ammo,
and also some military surplus 55 grain ammunition. The bullet
drop dial on the Mark AR is set up specifically for a 55 grain
bullet traveling at 3100 feet-per-second (fps) muzzle velocity.
The USA ammo averaged 3124 fps, and the surplus averaged exactly
3100 fps, so I was set to pop. Having no long range shooting
facility available, I had to resort to the JBM ballistic program
to prove or disprove the accuracy of the bullet drop dial.
Firing at 100 yards and typing in the ballistic coefficients and
atmospheric conditions, the dial proved to be amazingly accurate
with the ammo tested, measuring the difference in the impact and
aiming points on the target. Even using some 62 grain bullets at
a slightly slower speed, the dial was pretty close out to the
300 yard range, where it was to the point where another
bullet-specific dial from the Leupold Custom Shop would be
needed. However, back to the 55 grain bullets for which this
dial was calibrated, it proved to be accurate, and performed as
advertised, out past the 400 yard mark, according to my range
tests and the ballistic program. Enough shooting off the bench
and playing with the computer, it was time to take the rifle to
the field, along with the new Leupold
RX-1000 rangefinder that I reviewed here a few weeks ago. I
knew it would pay off not sending that rangefinder back after
the review was completed. Targets of opportunity, like rocks and
stumps, were easy pickings with the combination of the rifle,
scope, and rangefinder. The USA ammo is not the most accurate
load that I have for this rifle, but I am not the most accurate
shooter either, so it was sufficient for the task at hand, and
would have proven just as good on live targets as it would have
on the rocks and such. Finding the distance with the RX-1000,
then dialing in the Mark AR, all I had to do was lightly press
on that wonderful Varminter trigger, and the bullet went where
it was supposed to. Quality equipment really makes my shooting
look good. I will most likely order a dial from the custom shop
to suit my favorite .223 handload, just as soon as I figure out
what it is. Barnes has discontinued making my favorite bullet,
the 50 grain VLC, so I will have to pick another. With this new
scope, I might select a longer, heavier bullet for better
long-range accuracy, unless I run across a supply of those VLC
bullets somewhere.
Anyway, early in this piece I mentioned the
affordability of this Mark AR scope. They have just hit the
market, but are selling for just under 300 bucks as of the date
of this writing, which is a very reasonable price for a scope of
this quality, specifically built for an AR, and wearing the
Leupold nameplate. Sold under the Leupold Tactical series
banner, this Mark AR is just as well suited for hunting
applications, whether on a full-blown custom AR-15 or a
plain-Jane bolt action. It is a scope upon which you can depend
to give a lifetime of service, and is backed by Leupold’s
excellent forever warranty. The Leupold Mark AR is a great idea,
especially considering the extreme popularity of AR rifles
today. This scope makes it easier for me to shoot more
accurately at long range, and offers a lot of Leupold quality at
an affordable price. It is built from quality components, and
built in the USA. I highly recommend it.
Check out the Mark AR and other Leupold
products online at www.leupold.com.
Dang, they make good stuff!
Jeff
Quinn
UPDATE!
In addition to the 3 to 9 power Mark AR
reviewed here, Leupold has now added a 4 to 12 and a 6 to 18 to
the Mark AR lineup. I recently received the 6 to 18, and it is
everything that the 3 to 9 is, and more. Not just more
magnification, but this 6 to 18 (shown below) also has an
adjustable objective lens and a mil-dot reticle, making the
scope more useful as a rangefinder and better suited for long
range targets. It is the perfect compliment to the wonderful
accuracy of my Bushmaster
Varminter rifle. Like the 3 to 9 version, this one is set up
with an elevation turret to match the ballistics of the 55 grain
.223 bullet, but other dials are available from Leupold to match
various .223 caliber bullet weights.
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