Leupold Mark 4 Scope

Guns Magazine, April, 2001

The adage, "the lighter the better" applies to scopes, as well as rifle triggers. We have long been advocates of putting the best optic on a working rifle, the better to gather light, resolve detail, and render sharp, clear images. Hunting is best at dawn and dusk -- low light -- and those are the hours that a good scope shines.

We are not going to mince words here -- across the board, everything considered model for model, Leupold & Stevens is the finest scope manufacturer in the world. The Germans produce some pretty good glass, but they don't hold up to Leupold when you factor in price.

When it came time to outfit a Remington 700P, we went straight to Leupold's Mark 4 tactical scope. The Mark 4 is a 30mm tube of solid 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum, tough as a framing hammer, with a special side-focus knob and precise quarter-minute clicks for windage and elevation. We tested a l0x Mark 4, but there is also a 16x version.

The reason for the 30mm tube is not just to allow those precise Leupold lenses to transmit brilliant, undistorted light to your eye, it is also to permit the target-style knobs to have plenty of room to move within the turrets. The reticle of choice is the Mil-Dot, which features a conventional Leopold Duplex thick-thin crosshair, but with the addition of small "dots" to estimate distance and allow for wind drift.

The Mark 4 has a 40mm objective lens. Needless to say, the Mark 4 is fogproof and waterproof. If the Leupold name means anything, it means rugged. The Mark 4 is the pinnacle of Leupold's line; the suggested retail price is $1,600.