Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leupold LR Duplex Reticle

Ad in the classifieds got me thinking about swapping the reticle in one of my M8 6x42's. What are you finding as far as pitfalls, etc? In particular it'd be for a 308 Montana with 130TTSX, 155 Scenars, and 178 ELDX, for conversation.

Are you zeroing your furthest dot and working back or what? Might just M1 and done.


Thoughts/experiences?

I have a 6x42 FX3 with the LRD reticle on my 7mm RM. The dots roughly correspond to the drop of a 160 gr. Factory load.

I zero at 200, and the dots are +/- 1-2" out to 500 yards with no other work.

I have also built a handload tailored to those dots exactly.

Anyway, it's simple, easy to use, superb in design.

That's one way. The other is to run the ballistics on your load/s vs the drops in the reticle.

On my 6x47 Lapua I run a 200 zero and the confirmed drops are on at 310, 420, and 530.

Not as difficult as some seem to make it.

I'm thinking on a fixed 6x it'd be much easier than a variable. Love M1's, but thought I'd try something different for a change.

The LR Duplex Reticle is the most worthless and unnecessary reticle I have ever used.


The 300 yard shot, the dot is worthless. Using a regular duplex reticle, sight in with a 250 yard zero and aim point of hair out to 300(+)

The 400 yard shot dot is unnecessary, just lay the horizontal cross hair of a duplex reticle scope on any deer or elks back.
That bullet will drop right into the kill zone every time.

The 500 yard shot, just use the bottom point of the duplex
which is basically what the bottom "dot" does anyway.

For me, all the extra clutter in the scope was nothing but baggage I didn't need.

I also found the Leupold dotz to be to large for what I want to do at longer distances.

LR Dots, unlike what SU35 said, are exactly as SU35 described his use of a regular duplex reticle. They are a combination of fixed points of reference and nothing more. Know your drops and you're good to go. This is exactly how my dad taught me to use a duplex reticle decades ago.

To answer the OP, when using such dot/ballistic plex type reticles, I start in and work out establishing my nearest value 100 or 200 first. As for pitfalls the only one I can think of, once again referencing SU35's post above, some people feel that anything more than a crosshair is busy, confusing, or complex. I've never had that problem; but, it clearly exists for some.

It lacks wind holds, which makes it of even less value to me.

My only issue with the LRD compared to other Ballistic plex's is I prefer lines to dots.

Other than that, I feel naked using a scope without a few hash marks.

"Training wheels" for the uninitiated.

I like them. I had a 6X42 with the M1 on top along with the LRD. My thinking was that I would use the dial more than the dots and just use the dots for "quick" stuff.. The MSM lined up so well zeroed at 300 with a 160 AB at 3200 that everything else lined up perfect, or at least elk hunting perfect. Hardly ever touched the dial.

Hunted with a fella last fall with the same LRD in a 6X36 and he'd made sure his reticle worked the same for his MSM at his max ranges. Long story shorted, I Laser'ed the bull at 365, he put the first dot low on the bulls front leg, flopped over pretty quick. It isn't for everyone but for the hunter that uses a rifle for that 500-600 yard max shooting it is pretty slick and super simple.

Interesting stuff. LR is 500 for me and just playing at that. I don't wanna
shoot past 12" of 10mph drift. If that makes sense.

I've currently got 3 scopes with the LRD. Love it, including on the 308 Win. Have used them since they first came out.

My typical 165 gr. 308 win Load is something around 2.5" high at 100, crosshairs on at 225, first dot at 300, 2nd at 400, top of post at 500.

Best way is to start at 300 yards, and work backwards and forwards with actual range shooting.

The LRD is amongst THE dumbest schit to come down the Pike and yet another Reupold Goat Fhuqk...you'd haveta go CDS to trump it's STUPIDITY.

The LRD is an archaeic arrangement of nonsensical smears on a windshield,that are not lineal,nor intuitive and totally less rhyme/reason. The LESS one "knows" or "shoots",the "better" it is. Hint.

HILARIOUS that STUPID Fhuqkers are flogging on distant paper,to corroborate that which stares them in the face and though it is absolutely schitty by design,is as simplistic to "figure out" as getting water outta the fhuqking tap.

Firstly,the assigned "values" are moot. All one needs to do,is set up 100yd paper,measure the subtention and apply same to any bullet,at any fhuqking speed and quit trying to get "cute" with IMAGINING that it do,sumptin' that it cain't(by literal design).

With a Three Oh Not-So Great and Killing,I'd simply net a 200yd zero at crosshair intersection. From there,I'd take the given projectile and it's speed and then simply extrapolate it's Physics,to the LRD Dumbfhuqktitude static. No thang.

You will KNOW exactly where POA/POI intersections align,before the first poke beyond 100yd paper and can cut to the fhuqking chase,with quantified subtension. These STUPID Fhuqkers trying to "outsmart" a LRD reticle,are 100% absolutely fhuqking HILARIOUS,because you know they are doing their "BEST"! Laffin'!

Save yourself the frustration of a Goat Fhuqk,simply acquire sumptin' good and apply a lineal scale that aligns with the erector and goodness oozes by default. If you don't/want need the Utility of the entire windshield,BFD...it ain't gonna hurt production or wither on the vine,that you are punching Tags above it's max latitude. Hint.

The 6x MQ absolutely destroys ALL things Reupold,in regards to POA/POI correlations. Tougher too. Hint.

The LRD is akin to buying a tree limb offa Ebay with a coupla notches in it and using it as a tape measure to build a house. Though in fairness,the LRD really is fhuqking more stupid than that. Hint.

No thang to sight in a 6x MQ with but a single shot and from there,if you know the aerform/velocity,you can do bidness in another zipcode on the 2nd poke. Rulers is handy.(grin) Hint.

I can only hand schit to folks on a silver fhuqking platter,but do NOT think I don't enjoy the schit outta it,when they piss up ropes.

Toldjaso.

Hint.

Laffin'!









(Addendum)

'slayer,it sure as fhuqk ain't a feelin',but is 100% FACT. Never been tough to cypher who shoots and who don't...but one of them groups is quick to confuse one with the other. Hint.

A Fixed power static reticles is an exceptional approach for unwavering constants,but reticle "matter" more than a smidge. So do boolits. Hint.

Funnier than fhuqk to me,that none of The Paper Hat Brigade can figure out,how to figure schit out and that poignant profundity,is a right proper Dichotomy. Hint.

Simply measure the fhuqking reticle's subtension at 100yds,apply them KNOWED values to a given boolit,at a given speed and rest assured that Physics is gonna connect them dots(literally). The LRD's undoing is in the relative sizing and subtention. It's like Fredrica,Savage99,Brad and The Counter Jockey combined their "knowledge" and went for the throat. LAFFIN'!

Though oh how I enjoy these STUPID Fhuqkers doing their best.

Hint.

Tell us how you really feel, Boxer.

Great to read some of you boys value the simplicity of fixed 6 x 42s. I have a couple Schmidt Bender fixed 6 x 42 with A7 reticle that work sweet for ranging. Can not afford SBs any more so Leupold is workable option and if you are so inclined to use the dots they will install to your specs in their 6 x 42s reasonable in custom shop.

I can't shake the M8 habit.

Let me interpret for my little buddy Boxer. He means well. Read through it all a couple of times and he pretty much agrees with what every body else said. He, like many who have responded, feel there is a better way. Really, for any newbie reading this, that is what he said.

Funny, I've killed out to 550 yards with the LRD, no problem. Some people have trouble with simplicity, hence long self-aggrandizing posts.

I've had a few LRD Leupy scopes, and still have a couple. They're not real precise though, and the subtension of the dots are fixed in place. You'd have to zero for a particular distance and either get lucky with the dots's subtension at desired distances (I'm too stupid to work with anything but nice, round numbers like 300 or 350, not 380 or the like and have to aim slightly higher or lower depending, especially when my heart is pumping and dealing with a moving animal) or tailor your load to the extent you can.

I found that even with a 200 yd zero and a .600ish B/C bullet at 2800 or so FPS, the two dots would only get you to about 325 and 400 yards...anything past that you had to guess where on the vertical crosshair between the bottom dot and the point where the crosshair thickens, which is imprecise at best. I don't see how folks reliably make 500+ yard shots with the LRD with any normal rifle/bullet loads.


It is nice to have zero worries about a scopes tracking reliability though...

I zero the bottom dot at 400 yards and work back to 100.

Very simple and works great for a 400-450 yard max hunting rifle.

You really don't even notice the dots until you go to use them.


Long range sniper shooting....no, bad choice.

Uber simple hunting scope...yes, works great.