What I've said is that there are better, more reliable options than Leupold Variables for any distance work. I've also repeatedly stated that fixed power Mark 4's are great scopes, suffering only from mismatched reticles/adjustments. For true lightweight rifles the 6x42mm Leupold is a solid choice, again suffering from mismatched reticles/turrets.
Could you please elaborate on the FX3 6x42? I'm assuming your testing has shown repeatable tracking and zero retention (could you comment on that), but I'm curious as to what you mean by "mismatched reticles/turrets." By "mismatched turrets" do you mean the MOA adjustments are not accurate? I have an FX3 6x42 in the safe with an M1 turret that I'm planning to test for an upcoming hunt.
The background is this. I'm getting ready for a hunt next season that I need a lightweight rifle for, with a dependable scope for possibly long-ish shots that I'll need to dial for. It's a backpack sheep hunt in AK and I'll be paying a guide (not cheap), so it's not something I'll be doing again any time soon.
I have the rifle in-hand, a NULA .260 that shoots half MOA at 300 meters. I've tried two popular Leupold VX3 variables, a 2.5x8 and a 3.5X10, both with turrets. Neither tracks accurately as far as the MOA adjustments required as predicted by a couple of different ballistics programs. Which I could live with by making up my own range cards if they were repeatable and returned to zero but they're not and they don't. Last time I had the 2.5x8 out I zeroed it, shot it at different ranges out to 700, and it was 1 1/2 inches high when I returned to 100. The 3.5x10 seems to be tracking better (not done testing yet) but there's still the problem of the inaccurate MOA adjustments--if I change to a different altitude, my custom range card that works here will be out the window, and I won't be able to plug the new altitude into a program and get new drops.
For all of you Leupold guys, I am not interested in a pissing match and I understand that my scopes represent a sample of one. So this question is not directed to you.
So with that background could you please elaborate on the 6x42 as far as accuracy of adjustments and repeatability, and what the mismatched turrets/reticle will mean in practical terms?
Thanks.
