Leupold Ultimate Slam 3-9x40mm Rifle Scope Review

Scopes designed specifically for muzzleloaders and shotguns are nothing new to the market, and most every manufacturer now offers their own version with unique features they hope will prove to be the best solution out there.This year Leupold has brought a new offering for this segment to the table in their Ultimate Slam Series, and today we will be looking at the 3-9x40mm variant.

The Ultimate Slam Series from Leupold is based around their VX-2 line of rifle scopes, and like most muzzleloader/shotgun scopes it’s outfitted with a ballistic-style reticle with multiple aiming points. Leupold calls their particular system the SA.B.R (Sabot Ballistics Reticle), which is comprised of a circled duplex-style crosshair and two additional subtensions for aim points. This allows for having a fixed aim point for 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 yards respectively (see reticle image).

What set’s Leupold’s Ultimate Slam scopes apart from the rest is that besides the reticle having been calibrated for the trajectory to be relatively close to that offered by typical 250 grain saboted bullets. They have also calibrated the magnification ring so there is no guess work in knowing what magnification setting will yield the correct spacing for your particular load.

To accomplish this, Leupold has replaced some of the commonly found numbers on the magnification ring with symbols representative of a typical muzzleloader or shotgun slug load. Muzzleloaders are represented by two dots for 2-pellet/100 grain loads (effectively 6x magnification), or three dots for 3-pellet/150 grain loads (effectively 9x magnification). Twelve-gauge shotguns are represented by a shotshell icon (effectively 8x magnification) which is calibrated for a 350gr saboted slug propelled at 1950fps. For 20-gauge slug hunters, Leupold recommends using the two dot setting for the 2-pellet/100 grain muzzleloader loads.

Aside from the new S.A.B.R. system you won’t find many differences between the new Ultimate Slam and Leupold’s long trusted VX-I line of scopes. The lenses share the same coatings; the objective bell, ocular bell and one-inch main tube share the same overall dimensions as the standard VX-I 3-9x40mm scopes, and I would venture to say the internal adjustment system would be the same as that found in the VX-I as well.

Like most Leupold scopes, the Ultimate Slam comes packaged with a detailed owner’s manual, a supplemental Ballistic Aiming System manual, a warranty card and a black neoprene scope cover featuring Leupolds’ logo.

For evaluation I started by first comparing the Ultimate Slam’s resolution to that of similarly priced scopes from other manufacturers. This included a Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40mm, a Leupold VX-II 3-9x40mm, and a Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40mm. Resolution was tested at a distance of 15 yards at the each scopes lowest magnification setting.

In terms of resolution, the Ultimate Slam was right in the ballpark with these other scopes, matching the Bushnell 3200 and being surpassed by both the Leupold VX-II and the Vortex Diamondback.

In the field the results were pretty much the same with the Ultimate Slam and the Vortex running neck and neck, each having a slight edge under select conditions and slight inefficiencies under others. The Bushnell 3200 wasn’t far behind, but comparatively it just didn’t quite offer the same level of detail as the others.

Offering 65 total minutes of both windage and elevation, the Ultimate Slam provides more than enough adjustment to get dialed in on most any firearm. Eye relief is very generous at 4.2 to 3.7 inches, and FOV at 100 yards ranges from 13.1 to 31.9 feet depending on the power setting.

Tracking with the Ultimate Slam was spot-on, and returned to the initial point-of-impact (POI) during the 10-minute box test. The windage and elevations adjustments are the standard low-profile design with knurled finger-adjustable knobs. An audible click and textile detents both help to ensure you don’t accidentally miscount during adjustments.

At the range I found the dot spacing of the S.A.B.R. reticle wasn’t spot-on for my Savage 10ML-II’s preferred load of a 250gr Hornady SST and 44 grains of IMR SR4759 (2,357fps avg.). Fortunately, because the reticle is on the second focal plane one can easily adjust the magnification ring to bring the aiming point and point-of-impact into alignment.

That in effect is the downside of calibrated ballistic-style reticles such as the S.A.B.R. and those offered by other manufacturers. While the dot or line spacing may be dead-on for one specific load, it’s not going to be spot on for others. As such, you will need to spend some time at the range with your preferred hunting load to find out where you need to set the magnification dial to match your load, or to determine how high or low your bullets print at the prescribed distances when set at the recommended magnification and log it into memory.

Overall I was pleased with Leupold’s new Ultimate Slam shotgun/muzzleloader scope. It offers Leupold’s typical first-class finish and quality construction, and the included literature outlining the use of special features is top notch. However, you will pay a $40 premium for the S.A.B.R. ballistic reticle, but if you’re serious about hunting and frequently find yourself with shot opportunities beyond 100 yards, that $40 will be well spent.


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