• Leupold VX-R 1.25-4x20mm Review

    For 2011 Leupold announced an all new line of rifle scopes dubbed the VX-R. What separates this line apart from the rest of Leupold’s hunting scopes is the fact that it features an all new proprietary FireDot illuminated reticle system. While illuminated reticles are nothing new, Leupold has upped the ante with its innovative and highly functional control system.

    Where most illuminated scopes on the market have a large rheostat dial on the ocular bell, Leupold’s VX-R series of scopes locate the control function of the illuminated reticle into the main body by placing it where one would normally find a side-focus parallax knob. If that wasn’t unique enough, the VX-R uses a push-button control switch rather than a rheostat dial to turn the illumination on/off and adjust the intensity of the illumination. Press and release the button to turn the unit on and it will illuminate the reticle to the intensity it was set to the last time you used it. With the unit on, tapping the button repeated will run the intensity up and then back down through its range of eight intensity levels.

    To ensure you don’t get lost in the range of illumination intensity Leupold had the foresight to program the illuminated dot to flash five times when the highest and lowest intensities are reached. Additionally, the programming also includes a means to reverse direction without having to first go all the way up or down the scale. This is accomplished by holding in the button for two seconds. To turn the unit off, press and hold the button for at least three seconds.

    But wait, there’s more!

    One of the biggest complaints I have with illuminated reticles is that without fail the battery is always dead when you need it the most. Leupold thought of this as well and included an Motion Sensing Technology (MST) system to help prolong battery life. The system basically works off of a motion sensor built into the scope. After sitting dormant for five minutes time the system will turn off the illumination and be in standby mode. As soon as the rifle/scope is moved even slightly the illumination will immediately reactivate. Brilliant! Leupold also thought to include a low battery warning system which will flash the illuminated dot ten times to let you know you will soon need to replace the CR2032 lithium battery.

    Leupold also has special elevation and/or windage caps available that are designed to hold a spare battery for quick changes in the field (not included with the VX-R series, but available through Leupold by calling 1-800-LEUPOLD). These are two-piece caps, and the part numbers are as follows:

    #67557 Cap Bottom $4.19/ea.
    #67555 Cap Top $4.19/ea.
    *Note: Both parts are needed for one turret. If you want to carry two spare batteries, you will need to order two of each.

    The new VX-R series also offers several different FireDot reticles to choose from as well as a good selection of magnification ranges. For reticles there is the FireDot Duplex , the FireDot 4 (Metric), the FireDot Circle, the FireDot Ballistic, and the FireDot Pig Plex. Models with magnification ranging from 1.25-4x20mm to 4-12x50mm should cover most hunting situations adequately. Select models are also offered with Leupold’s Custom Dial System (CDS) which allow the owner to upgrade the elevation dial with a custom engraved one that is specifically calibrated for their load’s ballistics at a cost of $59.95.

    For this particular review I received the 1.25-4x20mm HOG model from the VX-R series. I specifically requested this model to mount atop my favorite squirrel rifle as I was looking for something small and compact that still offered an illuminated reticle for those early morning and late evening hunts where it’s easy to lose ones crosshair in the shadows. The standard 1.25-4x20mm model would have suited those needs just fine, but I really liked that the HOG reticle also included two holdover points on the lower vertical portion of the crosshair. These will come in very handy as I also enjoy shooting at distances well beyond 50 yards with my 22 rimfires when at the range.

    As you can see from the specification table on the right, the VX-R HOG it features a 30mm main tube, a one-turn rapid focus eye piece, finger adjustable windage and elevation dials, an Index Matched lens system with lead-free glass lenses, the FireDot Pig Plex reticle, is fully waterproof, and comes with Leupold’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.

    With an overall length of just 9.5 inches it is very compact, so unless you’re running a rail-type base you won’t be mounting this on a long action, and short actions may even prove to need a rail in some instances. The ocular bell is the same size as all Leupold scopes made since 2003, so depending on our base height you may or may not be able to get away with low rings.

    The FireDot Pig Plex reticle (shown to the left) is essentially a modified German #4 reticle with a circle encompassing the center intersect and hold-off/over hashes for both windage and elevation. The thicker portion of the posts can be used for range estimation (see owners’ manual), though in this day and age I find it easier to just use a dedicated range finder and eliminate any guesswork.

    Optically the VX-R leaves little to be desired. The 30mm main tube and multi-coated lenses offer surprisingly good light gathering ability given the small 20mm objective size. The sight window is clear and crisp all the way out to the blackened edges (to help reduce unwanted glare and diffusion), and the extended focus eyepiece makes getting the reticle nice and crisp a breeze.

    Mechanically the VX-R has yet to show any faults. The magnification ring has just enough resistance to not feel sloppy, but isn’t overly stiff. The finger-adjustable windage and elevation dials provide a nice audible click and have provided reliable and repeatable adjustments. The push-button illumination system has worked flawlessly and is very easy to manipulate with the middle finger of my off-hand while in the shooting position.

    One feature of the illuminated dot that really stands out and I greatly appreciate is that it is smaller than most illuminated dots offered in other scopes. According to Pat Mundy at Leupold it is a 2.5 MOA dot at low magnification (1.25x) and a 1 MOA dot at the highest magnification (4x). It does grow in size as you increase the intensity (brightness) setting, but even at the highest setting it’s still a good bit smaller than the typical 3 to 4 MOA dot size you’ll find in most other illuminated reticles. Hitting a smaller target precisely (the head of a squirrel in this case) with the larger dots can be a challenge so this is a huge plus in my book.

    Overall I am very pleased with the VX-R, and while I know my application of this particular model is well removed from what it was designed for, I have no doubt that it would work equally well atop a dangerous game rifle or a slug gun as it has on my squirrel rifle. If you’re in the market for a compact, low magnification hunting scope with an illuminated reticle, the VX-R 1.25-4x20mm is definitely a model you should consider.

    Leupold VX-R 1.25-4x20mm HOG mounted atop the author's CZ 452 Lux What appears to be a side-focus knob is actually the battery housing.   The center of the housing also serves as the on/off and level adjustment button for the illuminated reticle. Butler Creek #2A front and #13 rear caps are a perfect fit and much cheaper than the flip-up caps offered by Leupold.


    Contact Information
    Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
    14400 NW Greenbrier Parkway
    Beaverton, OR 97006-5790
    www.Leupold.com