Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Opinions on a heavy duplex

I have decided on a Leupold VX3 to replace my Nikon on my Remington 7600 carbine. Being that it is a woods gun for whitetail and black bear, I am contemplating getting the heavy duplex, but have no experience with one. Any thoughts? How much accuracy out to 200 yards will I lose on paper? Thanks

It's not a target reticle it's a hunting reticle
If you are hunting timber and low light,dawn dusk situations
I like a heavy reticle...why worry about a paper plate any how?

I like the HD at 300 and under for hunting. The power of the scope you're using it in should be considered if you're worried about losing accuracy on targets at longer ranges. The lower the power, the thicker the reticle will appear. Matching a heavier/marked target to the reticle can help get the same hold each time at the range.

The older I get, the more I like heavy duplex.

Great on a hunting rifle like you are describing.

I got that one in 1.75-6. Like the heavy one especially on bear with black on black. My shooting is rarely past 200 yds often less.

The same accuracy is there with a thick reticle. You just need to use the right target.

My son and I use these targets.
http://thompsontarget.com/scope-3-19x25-alignment-targets/


Remington 660 350 mag at 100 yards with a 4x Leupold and the post & duplex reticle (the center wires are the same thickness as a heavy duplex.

That's the model I am considering

The HD is my favorite Leupold reticle for game hunting scopes, got 10 of them; 7 2-7x33, 2 6x42, and 1 3-9x40. Can't imagine a hunting situation where you would ever lose the HD until before or after legal shooting hours. The interior intersecting cross-hairs are fine enough for hunting anything coyote size or larger within a quarter-mile.

I have Denver Redfield 2-7x32s that Ironsight, Inc., rebuilt and installed a very heavy German #1 reticle on my Remington 760 and Winchester 100 tight cover rifles. That reticle is too heavy/thick for any sort of fine work, but it is very quick to the eye and onto the target. The 760 in 270 is the backup to my CLR in 270 and since it might, emphasis on "might", be used for shots over 100+/- yards, I am waffling over pulling the Redfield and installed a 2-7x33 with the HD reticle.

It's impossible to lose accuracy because of a duplex change.

Use a bigger target

This. I like the HD in the Leupold 6x42: it is faster to acquire and stands out better in low light, to my eyes at least. I don't ask much more out of a big game hunting scope.

Beats me why Leupold doesn't offer the HD as a standard reticle in matte finished hunting scopes like the VX2 3-9x40 and the VX3 2.5-8x36 and 3.5-10x40. You have to go Custom Shop to get one.

I will disagree with the consensus so far.

I have a Leup VX III in 1.5x5, with Heavy Duplex on a Model 7 .350, and can't say I prefer it over a standard duplex.

In my opinion it covers too much of the target beyond 100 yards. For hunting, especially under 100 yards it is no problem, and does hold some advantages in low light.

But to me the small advantage it has is outweighed by being harder to use with exactitude at longer ranges, and even at the bench at 100 yards.

I paid extra for the Heavy duplex, but wish I had the standard reticle, as I do on other Leupys on other rifles.

To me the advantage in low light is speculative, it may be an advantage at some point, maybe not...depending on how a hunt goes.

The disadvantage at the range is concrete, it WILL come into play... you will shoot the rifle at the range, and it is harder (at least for me) to shoot it than with a finer reticle. Can this be overcome, probably...but is ammo cheap these days........

Just my opinion.

I strongly agree with cv540's above post. I love the cpc for load testing for accuracy.

I have the heavy duplex in the 1.75x6 on a .375 H&H. As others have said it's not a scope for targets. For a hunting scope the heavier reticle doesn't give up enough precision to matter. It's marginally better than the standard duplex in low light, but it's not nearly as nice as a decent #4 or the post & duplex, neither of which leupold offers outside the custom shop in that scope.

Given that the OP is equipping a 7600 carbine for woods hunting, it seems a heavy duplex would be a pretty good choice.

I've used a VX-III 1.75-6x32 with heavy duplex on an accurate 308 to do some testing. The thin parts of the reticle were one MOA thick. It was no big deal to shoot sub-MOA five shot groups to 300 yards. The trick was to get or make a target that fit the distance/magnification/reticle combination.

I like a heavy duplex and prefer a German #4 or 4A even more. Easier on old eyes and better for early and late light situations. Also good for quick shots.

Do you have Leupold VX-1 Shotgun scopes that come with the Heavy Duplex? Or VX-2`S YOU HAD TO SEND IN FOR A RET CHANGE?

They (Leupold) also offered the VX-II as a shotgun scope with HD. Which I have some of.

Thanks

I have shotgun scopes in Vari-X IIc, Rifleman, and VX-I configurations. Plus I have the two older 6x42s, a VX-II, and two VX2s that I sent in. Frankly, I am not a sophisticated optics guy and being in my late 50's, my eyesight is on the decline when compared to others who are sensitive to the smallest of optical nuances. IOW, despite the age and lens coating standards range, they are all more alike than they are different to me, all good and if the newer VX2s are significantly better, the degree of "better" is pretty much lost on me.

BTW, I don't know about you, but for shooting game, a reticle that subtends 1" at 100 yards isn't likely to handicap my field shooting performance, 'cause I'm either shooting quickly for fear of losing the shot opportunity or I have plenty of time to make the shot, there don't seem to be many "in between" situations.