Leopold Mark 8

A

ADIDAS69

New member
Can anyone tell if the Leupold Mark 8s are in some way actually worth their $4500.00 price tag? It seems ridiculous but was thinking there might be a good reason I just didn't know about.
 
Well, I will try and help you out as I was looking at one too for my spr. I don't know if it is worth the $4500 price tag, but I can explain why it costs more than other scopes. Generally a FFP scope will increase price over a SFP. In addition a true 1x zoom is difficult and expensive to achieve. Mix that with the higher the zoom the more expensive. You basically have the highest zoom scope coming from a true 1x zoom. In addition it is also in the FFP. Put all that together and you have what people would prefer in a 1x-? Scope for mils. Why it is $4500, I dont know. Other scope makers make the same thing for slightly less. Not cheap but not on the high end of most scopes. A pretty amazing package to be sure, but that is a lot of money for a scope. Even though it has most everything people want. I can't wait to see 1-10x or 1-12x scopes in the same.
 
I've never messed with the MK8 but the MK4 was disappointing. Mainly the turrets, very mushy feeling, not tactile in the least. I want to be able to reach up and twist the turret and count the clicks. The MK4 didn't click and you could barely feel the detent as it moved. I went with a Vortex Viper PST instead, it was a little cheaper, clarity is on par with the MK4, but the turrets were leaps and bounds better, they have a zero stop as well which is nice.

Edit to add:

If I'm going to spend several grand on a scope, it will likely be a Hensoldt, but that's a big IF...
 
holy freeking balls!

is hendsoldt related to zeiss? precision_shooter, do you have an opinion on kahles? Also i couldn't find a home page for hensoldt.
 
That's the one I would get, but in black. I believe Hensoldt is owned by Zeiss now, and euro optic is pretty much the only place that I can find that sells them. They are pricey, but the best long-range scope on the market bar none!

Khales are good scopes, so are Schmit & Bender, U.S. Optics, and Nightforce.
 
What are you planning to put this on? 1-8x and 3.5-26x serve very different roles.

Edit: Not to dissuade you on a scope you want to get, but the purpose of each scope is very different. One is a midrange to cqb scope while the other has a very high top end magnification. The low end isn't bad but it's not a clearing rooms type set up.
 
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There really is no scope out there that will give you the best of both worlds.

For a SPR, you have to decide what role it's going to fill. Designated Marksman, CQB, etc...

For CQB with the ability to also shoot accurately at moderate ranges I personally would probably look at the below scopes:

Leupold VX-6, 1-6x24
http://swfa.com/Leupold-1-6x24-VX-6-30mm-Riflescope-P49440.aspx
Vortex Razor HD Gen II, 1-6x24
http://swfa.com/Vortex-1-6x24-Razor-HD-Gen-II-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P67733.aspx
Trijicon Accupoint, 1-6x24
http://swfa.com/Trijicon-1-6x24-AccuPoint-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P82961.aspx
SWFA SS HD, 1-6x24
http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-HD-1-6x24-Tactical-30mm-Riflescope-P53845.aspx

There are probably a few others in there as well. You lose 2x on the high end from the MK8, but if you can't hit it with 6x magnification, chances are you have the wrong scope for the task at hand...

For designated marksman/sniper/long range, in no particular order:

Hensoldt
US Optics
Steiner
Schmidt & Bender
Vortex: Razor HD Gen II, Razor HD, Viper PST
SWFA SS HD
Kahles
Nightforce - I can't give any feedback on them.
Swarovski X5i, though only come in MOA
Tangent Theta - I have not had time to research completely, but look very promising.

I'm sure there are others that will be suggested, but for me, that would be MY list of scopes to look at for a SPR.
 
I wanted to skim this just to see. And I wanted to address some comments.

Leupold being the highest zoom coming from a true 1x. This is incorrect the March Tactical 1-8 FFP is actually .97-8x. It is actually and currently the only true 1-8 scope.

Also I noticed no one mentioned the available adjustment. March has 200 MOA or 56 MIL. Double of some of the others mentioned.

Field of view is 35.2M(115.5 feet) at 100M.

Weight, 19.75 Oz. Which is less than others mentioned here that are 1-6. In fact it is 3/4 of the weight of some of the ones mentioned here.

Also take in to consideration parallax adjustment. The March is the only one I know of that goes down to 2M on parallax. I use one on my 3 Gun setup, and I have tested this, the parallax can be adjusted from 2M to Inf. No one else comes remotely close.
 
Wow, that is an impressive scope. I would have to agree that that looks like the most appealing 1-8x scope. I think I am still leaning towards the US Optic MR-10 1.8-10x scope. I think I want the high end a little more. If marches 1x-10x was ffp and clicks in mils, I'd be all over that. Will still have to think over this one though.
 
In FFP it is 1 - 8 and in SFP it is 1 - 10. I have shot with both, and they are a dream to use. 1 - 10 FFP would be an engineering feat, not yet done.
 
March is my personal preference. It is my go to scope now. When you go from an ok scope to a great scope, you kind of notice the difference. But when you go from a really great scope, to an ok scope, you realize just how much of a difference it makes. Your optics are a very important part of shooting, and getting the best optic you can, makes a lot of difference.

Try one out, and you will see. I have used a lot of different scopes, and in my personal shooting. I am really impressed, and happy with the performance of my March scopes.
 
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