Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leupold German #4 ?

What happened with Leupold ditching the German #4 reticle? They only show one #4 reticle on their reticle page that is not offered on any of their current scopes. Meanwhile they list 53 different reticles with various dots. hash marks and grids for range estimation. I understand that the illuminated reticles help in low light conditions. However, stuff happens, batteries go dead, etc. Why not offer a reticle that is recognized for good low light performance without illumination? What am I missing?

I don’t get it either. 4A is my favorite reticle by far.

I just saw Trijicon has the #4 reticle in their Huron model. For $400 and change and made in Japan it might not be a bad option.

Watch the eye relief for some of those Trijicon models.

The trijicon #4 in their accupoint is amazing!

too simple words as to why....

Marketing Dept.

I have a 3-9x50 Leupold euro model came with 30 mm main tube and a #4 It was made a few years back but an excellent low light scope. Wish I had bought a couple of more back in the day

Leupold had a nice German #4. I have one in a VX-3 1.5-5x20 that I took to Africa. Too bad they are discontinuing them, but that's probably because they weren't selling well.

Yes, my favorite as well, especially with a very small lit dot in the center.

I still have two #4's in use. A VX-3 CDS 2.5-8x36 and a 1.5-5x20. Sold a VX-6 1-6 last year to pay bills thinking I would buy back a VX-6HD 1-6 (171553) when I was able. However, now that they have been discontinued, the market has dried up. Only thing comparable that interests me is the Swarovski Z6i 1-6 #4. Excellent glass. However, not sure I want to sell a kidney to fund it. Continuing to hold hope that Leupold will re-open their Custom Shop to do retrofits.

That's impressive

I am also keeping my eye on the custom shop. hoping it comes back

Just an FYI, the #4 reticle that Swaro includes in their Z6i line is very different than the #4 reticle they use in their Z3 line.

Z3:





Z6i (not a 1-6x model but the same Z6i reticle regardless):

Z6 version looks useless.

It's very fine. Too fine for twilight hunting without the illuminated dot. The illumination is very good though. Pinpoint dot with very wide range of brightness and you can go very dim on the low end.

First, thank you for the comparison. Second, disappointed with the wide gap and narrow subtention of the thick bars on the Z6. Both of the web pages below (Camera Land and Euro Optics) show much thicker thick sections, and much smaller gap... IIRC, the Leupold VX-6 1-6 scope that I had, had the thinner thick sections like the Z6. I was hoping that either the VX-6HD 1-6 (171553) and or the Z6i would have the thicker, closer bars.

Again, thank you for posting up the pics.

https://cameralandny.com/shop/brand...0133-40dc-00163e9110c0?variation=1247911

https://www.eurooptic.com/swarovski-z6i-1-6x24-4-i-matte-black-69138-new.aspx

This is interesting to me because I have z6 in 1-6x24, z6i in 1-6x24, an z6i EE in 1-6x24.

My z6i #4 illuminated ones are like the top picture which is labeled z3. This includes the EE version.
My non-illuminated ones are more like the bottom picture. But, are thicker posts and thicker center pieces.

I do know, per Swarovski that mine are 2nd generation reticles.
The 1st generation were certainly thinner. As I experienced on two different demo purchased of 1.7-10x42’s with Plex reticles. I returned both of them. Those reticles were far from useful in low light. There is also a 4a reticle which has a wider opening and thinner posts and aiming point, if I recall correctly.

I just looked through a non-illuminated and illuminated, what I stated above is what I see.