Leupold has for decades now been one of the
premier optics companies in the United States, serving sportsmen
and law enforcement/military needs for quality binoculars,
scopes, mounts, and rangefinders. Leupold’s
Tactical division markets some very high quality, heavy-duty
riflescopes, and their Tactical Division’s influence is
apparent in the new line of VX-R riflescopes that are marketed
to hunters. The VX-R scopes are built on heavy-duty 30mm tubes,
which offer a wider range of windage and elevation adjustment
when compared to a standard one-inch main tube. The use of
Leupold’s Fire-Dot reticle adds greatly to the versatility of
the VX-R line. Many times I have been in the woods at dawn or
dusk, when there was plenty of light to see an animal through
the scope, but not enough light to see the crosshair reticle.
The VX-R scopes with the Fire-Dot have an illuminated dot right
in the center. The intensity of the dot is adjustable to suit
various conditions, from a level that is barely visible to a
very bright red dot for quick use in the field, even at high
noon. Unlike a traditional red dot optic, the VX-R scopes still
utilize one of a few available reticles, for use when the dot is
not needed, or for backup in the case of a dead battery. To
prevent draining the battery when the operator forgets to turn
the unit off, the VX-R Fire-Dot automatically turns itself on
and off, using proprietary motion-sensing technology. You never
have to remember to turn the unit off, nor to turn it on.
Leupold has several models of VX-R scopes
available, but the one shown here is likely the most versatile
scope in the entire Leupold line; the VX-R Hog. With hundreds of
different Leupold scope models and variations available, that
statement took a lot of thought, but I can back it up. The VX-R
Hog is, like other VX-R scopes, built on that military-grade
30mm main tube. The Pig Plex reticle is very bold, being very
easy for the eye to pick up quickly, but fine enough in the
center for precision use. The power of the VX-R Hog is
adjustable from one and one-quarter power up to four power. Set
at its lowest power setting, the Hog is easily used with both
eyes wide open, for use in dense woods. This makes it equally
well-suited for use as a tactical scope for close-quarters
fighting, inside a building or on city streets, and the lighted
Fire-Dot that makes this Hog scope so useful in the woods, also
makes it an excellent choice for close-quarters battle in a dark
building or at night. The same features that make this scope
ideal for hunting running hogs in the deep woods also make it
ideal for close range fighting, and cranking the power
adjustment up to four gives plenty of magnification for
longer-range shots in the hunting field. For many years, a fixed
four power scope was the mainstay of American hunters. Today,
most hunters buy too much magnification in their hunting scopes,
and that is a mistake. While many of my hunting rifles wear a
three-to-nine variable, I always keep the scope set on three
power in the field, as it is quicker to get on target, but still
offers plenty of precision for shots out to a couple of hundred
yards, and farther. The four power setting on the VX-R Hog is
plenty of power for hunting any big game animal, anywhere in the
world. The same features that make this VX-R Hog scope ideal for
hunting in the North American woods also makes this an ideal
scope for hunting large, dangerous game on the African
continent. The variable power works perfectly in the thick
brush, as well as for plains game at extended range.
The unique Pig Plex reticle of the VX-R Hog
uses three heavy posts for the bottom vertical and the outward
portions of the horizontal crosshairs. These are heavy and bold
enough that Leupold has plenty of room to place the words “Pig”
and “Plex” within the horizontal crosshair. These heavy
posts naturally and quickly guide the eye to the center, where
Leupold uses a circle-dot, with two additional aiming points
below the circle, giving the shooter a total of six aiming
points, using the edges of the circle, the center dot, the lower
cross wires, and the top of the bottom post. In addition, on the
thin portion of the horizontal crosshair, there are two hash
marks to help with the correct lead on a running animal.
When this VX-R Hog scope arrived, I
immediately knew that it was the ideal scope for my 50
Beowulf AR-15. I call that rifle “Thumper”, as it is
ideal for hunting hogs, bear, and other heavy game at close to
moderate range, and those 400 grain bullets soundly thump game
with authority. I have never had to shoot anything twice with
that rifle. The cartridge is very efficient in a AR-15 carbine,
and functions perfectly with no special magazines. I use
standard twenty-round Vietnam war era magazines, which hold
seven of the fat fifty-caliber cartridges. To mount the Hog
scope atop the Beowulf’s flattop Picatinny rail, I used the
new Leupold Mark 4 Integral Mounting Systems scope mount. This
mount is an ideal choice for use with AR rifles, as it sets the
scope forward, offering plenty of eye relief, which is
important, and also places the scope at the correct height for
easy, precise use. The lower ring halves are integral with the
base, and the base attaches very securely using hex nuts on a
one quarter inch bolt. The nuts are tightened using a standard
half-inch wrench, and removing the mount and replacing
repeatedly made no change to the scope’s adjustment, remaining
on target without any correction at all.
The VX-R Hog uses Leupold’s Indexed Matched
Lens optics system for exceptional optical clarity. The exterior
surfaces of the objective and ocular lenses are coated with
Leupold’s DiamondCoat for scratch resistance. The scope is
fog-proofed and water-proofed with both Argon and Krypton
gasses, for an absolute seal without sacrificing optical
clarity.
One of the best features of this new VX-R Hog
riflescope is its price. I was surprised when I looked up the
price online, expecting this scope to be in the thousand-dollar
price range. This VX-R Hog retails for half of that, which puts
it several hundred dollars below the price of the Mark 4 MR/T
illuminated reticle scope, and fills the intended use just as
well, and the Pig Plex reticle seems a bit more versatile to me.
The Leupold VX-R Hog is a rugged, reliable,
extremely versatile scope for use in the woods, the field, or on
duty. It is compact and easy to use, and extremely quick to get
on target. Like other Leupold Golden Ring scopes, the VX-R Hog
is guaranteed forever, backed by Leupold’s Golden Ring Full
Lifetime Guarantee, and it is built in the USA. I highly
recommend it.
Check our the extensive line of Leupold
optics and scope mounts online at www.leupold.com.
Jeff Quinn
