Mark AR, c Nick Leghorn

The debate rages on throughout the Internet about which optic is the best for your 3-gun rifle. Some say Swarovski, but I disagree. Others say Trijicon, and I tend to agree. But what if you don’t have $800 to spend on a scope? And what if you want something that will do a little better at long distance targets? Well then, Leupold has just the ticket . . .

Caveat: Leupold is now one of my sponsors. However, this review was written before that happened and the conclusions were reached independently. All I was waiting for was confirmation of some of the features, which I have now received. Nevertheless, I’m throwing that out there for you to contemplate. On with the review.

I was riding back from the Crimson Trace press junket in Arizona with Tim O’Connor from Leupold at the wheel. Somehow during the discussion I disclosed my affinity for first focal plane scopes, with their fidelity of measurement at every magnification and how I thought they were the bee’s knees. Tim disagreed. And not necessarily because the second focal plane reticle allows the shooter to have a greater range of measurement, but mainly because they were cheaper and just as useful. I told him to prove it, and about a week later a Mark AR MOD 1 scope showed up on my doorstep.

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The first thing you notice after you slap it on your gun is that it’s light. In fact, it weighs almost half as much as the Trijicon 1-4x scope and significantly less than the 3-9x scope I usually use. In 3-gun competitions (as well as military and LEO applications), weight is everything. The lighter you can make your guns, the faster and harder you’ll be able to run them.

As far as the controls are concerned, at first glance everything feels right. The clicks of the turrets are crisp and accurate, and while the magnification adjustment ring might seem a little stiff it nonetheless rotates freely and smoothly.

Speaking of the adjustment knob, while it works fine when just farting around at the range, it’s a little tough to adjust mid-stage. Just like every other scope, actually. So if you’re planning on using it in competition, either set it before the buzzer or grab a cat’s tail adapter.

So, the usual bits work just fine. Great. But there are two features that really set this scope apart from the others: the reticle and the elevation adjustment knob.

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One of the reasons I really like the Trijicon over the Swarovski was that the Trijicon was simple. There wasn’t a whole lot  of stuff cluttering up the scope, let alone stuff that no one quite knew what it was. I mean, hold markings are great, as long as someone tells you what distance they’re used for. But while the Leupold reticle is indeed more cluttered than the Trijicon (with its single green triangle), it’s cluttered in a useful way.

The markings on the scope reticle, at full magnification, are 2.5 Mils for every mark (5 mils for every larger mark). Which makes that giant circle 10 Mils in diameter, or 5 Mils from the center. When doing longer range shooting, having a Mil based reticle is a huge help. If you know your holds, then you just need to adjust the reticle and let the rounds fly.

Also, if you don’t know the range to the target, a Mil reticle can help you figure out the distance to a target of a known height. I’ve had a couple competitions where the stage didn’t tell you how far away a given target was (~400 yards for one) and so you had to guess. But if I had a Mil reticle, I could have figured it out and hit the target without needing to walk the shots in.

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And while the reticle is slightly cluttered, Leupold have designed the scope with an illuminated center dot. With the dot fired up, it’s really easy to pick up the target and quickly make your shots. Basically, combined with the low base magnification it turns the scope into a red dot. The power is adjusted through pressing a button on the side of the scope on top of the battery compartment, and it lets you know when you’re at the maximum as well as the minimum illumination by blinking a whole lot. As far as I can tell though the dot never really turns off completely, but after a couple months of testing I have yet to need a new battery. The scope takes the standard pancake style watch batteries you can get at your local HEB, so simply pop a new one in before a big competition and you’re set.

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The other feature I really liked was the ballistic turrets. Zeroed for 100 yards, the turrets have markings for standard 55 grain 5.56 ammunition to tell you approximately where you should rotate them to compensate for the drop at different distances.

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Because the turret here is marked with a specific bullet weight AND velocity (THANK YOU LEUPOLD!) we know exactly what kind of ammunition it is compatible with, and we can adjust based on our own loads. BTW, the load described on the turrets is roughly equivalent to the standard XM193 loads available as XM193F, XM193BK and XM193I among others (I’ve only confirmed the velocities on these sets). It’s a hell of a lot more convenient than any of the other ballistic compensating thingers I’ve tested on scopes recently, where they don’t tell you anything about what ammo it’s tuned for (Swarovski, I’m looking at you…). Also, while I haven’t found any yet, I get the feeling that they might start producing replacement turrets for other loads so you can swap for the correct one.

So, that’s all fine and dandy on paper at least. The scope has some nice features, and as far as I could tell in my living room everything worked great. But the real test was how well it did on the range. And for that, I took it to my happy place — a 1,000 yard range out near Liberty Hill, Texas.

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After zeroing the scope at a 100 yard paper target, I took it over to the long range section. At 250 yards, I cranked on the indicated dope and hit the target with boring repetitiveness. For 500 I twisted a little more and rang that steel as well. 750 was off the chart for the turret, but with a little help from my dope chart I was ringing that steel as well. In other words, I can confirm that the range markings on the turrets correspond to the drop at different distances in practice as well as theory. It’s perfectly calibrated and 100% works.

While this may seem like a perfect and glowing review, I do have one gripe. Specifically, that the minimum magnification is 1.5x and not a “true” 1x. It might not seem like a lot, but that extra magnification on the low end means that the scope isn’t functionally identical to a red dot sight. There’s a hair of magnification which can throw you off when you’re transitioning between very close targets. So, I think I’ll be keeping my offset iron sights on my gun for now.

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Overall, what we have here is something that is cheaper AND more useful than Trijicon’s similar Accupoint offering. It’s also lighter, smaller, and generally more attractive looking. Plus it’s not filled with radioactive gubbins, so you won’t need a hazmat team when it comes time to recharge your scope’s illumination system. So if you’re looking for a new scope for the start of 3-gun season and you don’t have $swarovski to spend, go for Leupold’s Mark AR MOD 1.

Specifications: Leupold Mark AR MOD 1 1.5-4x20mm SPR

Scope size: 1 inch
Price: $500

Ratings (out of five)

Ease of Use * * * * *
Zero it at 100 yards and it does all the work for you. Opening the battery compartment is a breeze, and adjusting the turrets is a snap.

Utility * * * * *
Um, yeah. Just about perfect.

Overall * * * * 1/2
If you don’t mind the 1.5x base magnification, this scope might be perfect. Cheap, accurate, and reliable as all get-out. For me, it’s just annoying enough to knock off a 1/2 star. But overall, something that I don’t plan on ever sending back to Leupold.

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48 COMMENTS

  1. How are you going to slot this into the new gear review searcher you’re working on with a half-star review?

    • Here is the dope from Leupold technical support on the battery life for the Leupold Mark AR Mod 1.5-4x20mm:

      Setting at 1 or low is 500 hours @ 70° continuous running Setting at 4 is 72 hours @ 70° continuous running Setting at high is 24 hours @ 70° continuous running

      The scope has an auto off function that will turn it off after approx. 5 min. It will come back on automatically if moved or picked up.

      I personally would like to see a spare battery compartment. This scope is quite an eye-opener. First shoot an iron sight AR; then with Mark AR. The Mark AR is much faster and far more accurate. I consider a lighted dot a “must-have” as the iron sights are virtually unusable in low light.

  2. I personally use a Leatherwood/Hi-Lux CMR. This scope had all of the wonderful things as the Leupold and other scopes, combined. Also at a much cheaper price. Though the scope may be a little “cluttered” on the recticle, I love that it has marks for BDC from 100-900 meters, though it is calibrated for a 62gr(which I prefer). You also have the MIL measurements. The lighted recticle is nice and works well in even the lowest of light conditions. The zoom is a true 1x making it useful for a red dot style sight as well.
    http://swfa.com/Leatherwood-1-4×24-CMR-Tactical-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P45852.aspx

    • They’re coming out with a new version this year that’s supposed to be even better. I’m a little disappointed with their pricing on the 7.62×39 CMR scopes, though; they’re asking a ton of money for them, to the extent that it makes more sense to just go with Russian optics instead.

      • Nick I mean what size are the targets you are shooting at…..like 8 inch round, 2/3 IPSC, full size IPSC?

        Or I am just stupid and dont know what you mean by 1.5Mil for 250 etc???

        • A learning experience, my friend!

          1 Mil is 1 meter at 1,000 meters. So…

          1.5 Mil at 250 is about 30 centimeters

          1 Mil at 500 is 50 centimeters

          And .5 Mil at 1,000 is 50 centimeters.

          All square-ish targets.

  4. I have two questions:

    1) What is the eye relief for this scope?
    2) Does that mount swivel away to the side?, otherwise I do not see how you can use the iron sights with the scope without removing it each time

    • Many 3-gunners have the offset sights that you see on Nick’s rifle above. You rotate the rifle counterclockwise to 45 or 90 degrees off vertical to bring the offset iron sights into view.

      Seems to work great with a low-recoil AR running 5.56 ammo, but I’m not at all sure I’d try doing this on an AR-10 in 7.62.

    • Dunno about #1, but for #2, Nick uses off-set iron sights, ones that are set 45° angle off from vertical, so to use the sights he just rotates his rifle to the side a bit and then back to his primary optic.

  5. I’ve had my eye on this scope, thanks for the review. I don’t suppose the additional recoil of a 6.8 SPC would bother it much?

    • Leupold makes very solid scopes. They’re some of my favorite products in the firearms industry and one of my favorite companies to deal with. Solid products that meet the majority of requirements of most shooters (whether they realize it or not) at a reasonable price.

      And if there ever is a problem, they have a no-BS warranty. Got a problem with a Leupold product? Send it in. They’ll fix or replace at their option. Last I knew, that applied for the life of the product. Bought a rifle with a Leupold scope on it from some other shooter? Or you just buy a second hand Leupold scope? You’re covered.

      BTW, the recoil of the 6.8 is child’s play as recoil goes. Want to see recoil that will mess up the guts of a scope? Betcha aren’t prepared for what I’m about to tell you.

      A piston air rifle.

      You were expecting me to cite some African big-5 shoulder cannon, right?

      The two-direction recoil impulse (back, then forward) from piston airguns can rattle the insides loose of many scopes that survive large-bore rifles.

    • +THIS

      I’m saving up for an M1A, which is, of course, in 7.62×51/.308 Winchester. Already decided to get a Bassett scope mount for it. As I personally like this scope and it’s not overly complex (I freely confess to being a scope noob) this is looking like a potentially very good option. Come on Leupold….how about a 1.5-6x version set up for 7.62mm 147gr FMJ?

      Tom

    • Their scope is still set for a 55gr. 5.56×45 you can put all the turrets in world it will still be a glorified AK-47 buy 6.8 don’t waste money on a AK bullet in a AR platform,300 blackout is junk read the ballistics and if your so worried about turning you scope on and off buy the time you’ve bought 3 or 4 cheaper scopes you could of bought that ACOG. Leupold have great optics, I personally have a ACOG, ACCUPOINT, and know 3 Leupolds. They are all great the Acog should stay as bright as new for 17 years.

  9. Maybe I missed it but did you mention Leupold’s lifetime warranty? Besides the innovation and great quality to cost ratio, the warranty and customer service makes Leupold a bargain.

  10. All the Leupold scopes that I have tried invariably have a fatal flaw. The Eye relief moves a lot as the magnification is changed, much more so than the competetitors. Is this still the case wiyh this scope?

  11. I like the optics on this gun. What sights are you using and how are they mounted? Are they dedicated off angle, or standard folding sights with an off angle mount?

  12. how is this scope with both eyes open shooting and for CQB. debating on this or eotech. i like this because it is more versatile and cheaper but my rifle is setup for more CQB so if i cant shoot both eyes open, it would useless to me for the most part

  14. NOTE: Scope and mounts are available at a significant discount from the list prices at Cabela’s. Scope $399, mount $119.

  15. Just bought this scope at Cabelas, without firedot. They have a special right now, with Mark 2 mounts included 350.00. You can send to Leupold custom shop for a custom turret for any round they have specs for. Mark

  16. You noted that this isn’t a true 1-4, and that’s why Leipold labeled it a 1.5. It’s hard to believe that 50% magnification would make any difference.

    • It’s the difference between being able to run “both eyes open” at a true 1x and having parallax issues if you try to do it at 1.5. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a 1.5.

  17. I’ve had this scope for about a year now and love it. Its been mounted on my 20″ AR. I have it sitting in an American defence recon qd mount and I have an mgm switch view throw lever cat tail. I recently got a Nikon 4-16×41 m223 and replaced the Leopold. I was this king about mounting the Leopold on my Sig716 and I contacted leupold to make sure it would handle the recoil and if I could send it in to have it recalibrated for 7.62. The quickly replied and said that this scope was tested to withstand 5000 shots on a .375 h&h mag so 7.62 would not be an issue. Also they said they could custom make me new BC turrets for 7.62. All I have to do is call their. Custom shop and tell them what load and the ballistics of the round I’m going to use and it would only be $60. They said it was not required for me to send my scope to them, that the new turrets would come with installation instructions(which I liked not having to send my scope in). Now I just have to find out which load I like best

  18. I found it strange that you stated, “as far as I can tell, though the dot never turns off completely…” Unless they have changed the operation of the scope since you wrote this review, the dot DOES turn off completely. Read the manual. You need to hold the button for at least 5 seconds. When you push the button once, it will come back on at the same brightness as you last had when you turned it off. Don’t lead your readers astray. I am a retired Marine Colonel with 5 AR-15s and numerous other firearms. Two sport this scope because it is the best compromise between a red dot and a high power scope for a 5.56/.223. Also, the 1.5 minimum is NOT an issue. Eye relief is also more generous at this power setting (more like 3.5-4.8).

  19. Nick,

    Maybe you can help point me in the general direction. I’m searching for a scope that I can use for Silhouette shooting that will work on a CZ 452 Ultra Lux. Something that has an illuminated reticle, and with a spring loaded instant zero-reset turret. Will be shooting out to about 110 yards. My eyesight is not the best theses days, and I’m hoping i can find something that someone is using that would work good for my application. Thanks! for your time.

    MSgt USAF Retired

  20. Anyone have experience with this scope/mount combo on a rifle with a standard front site post? Wondering where the front site would line up in the scope. Would like to replace my red dot with one of these and I currently have my red dot set up for a lower 1/3 cowitness. I know the post would disappear above 3x but concerned that below that the post would block the scope’s usage?
    Thanks

    • You don’t notice the front site post even with co-witness. Does the front site block your view without a scope?

  22. Why is this scope 1.5x and not 1x? Why is this scope much much better than just about anything else?
    Answer: LOW WEIGHT. There simply is no illuminated 1-4x scope closer to that magic 8oz weight. Almost ANY thing else is DOUBLE at a full pound or 16oz. Add a riser and your once light weight AR15 is now your new BRICK.
    Leuplod does make a sweet liitle true 1-4x but it is NOT illuminated nore have all the other useful features.

    I will endure that extra .5 magnification for all the low weight benefits (and more) that this scope provides. Not cheap by any means. But there is NO other scope in this class that I can find. I mean WEIGHT class. Add the Aero Precision ultra lightweight (2.98ounces!!) riser in One Inch and we have a clear winner in the Battle of the Bulge and other too “porky” options for our Ar15’s.
    http://www.primaryarms.com/aero-precision-ultralight-extended-1-scope-mount-ap210400

    • You’re absolutely on the mark! And once again, Leupold drops the ball. This neat scope is discontinued. As is it’s subsequent replacement, the VX-Freedom MOA Ring Firedot. Nothing out there now for ARs except scopes that are too heavy (Vortex) plus overpriced (everything else).

      • I never even “discovered” this scope till last month (December 2020) I stopped by a pawn shop and saw one with an IMS AR cantilever mount for $289 in the case. I inspected it and assumed that it might be a Chinese forgery, and I would go home and research it. After finding out that it was dicsontinued, I went back to the pawn shop the next day and it was gone. I was obsessed and tried to find one and bought the 115388 with the duplex reticle instead. It just didn’t do it. It wasn’t a suitable reflex sight at all. a few weeks later I found a new 115387 with SPR firedot for $450, and it is the cat’s meow. Does everything I want.
        My buddy texted me that he thought that I spent too much. I was about to return with “I’d buy another” Ten minutes later, I found a second hand one with an aero mount for $289. That’s what obsesession will do to you. The scope will find you

  23. I get the bottom hash marks are .1 mils per mark on bottom up to 6 for a full revolution, but what is the top row of numbers from 1 to 6.5?

    • The large numbers are yardage settings for the BDC (Bullet Drop Compensation) dial. 1=100 yard zero. 2=200 yards BDC, 2.5=250 yards BDC , 3=300 yards BDC, and so on out to 650 yards. When using the stated ammo 55gr 223 Remington at 3100 fps muzzle velocity

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