Test: Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56 and 7-35x56 riflescopes for PRS long range shooting

The two riflescopes resemble each other like two peas in a pod, exude solidity and look classy with their deep, matte black surface finish. The easy-grip turrets are flat, with the windage adjustment turret protected by a cap. The cap is not needed when shooting, as this turret is also water-proof. The adjustments work perfectly. The turret detents click clearly. You can see, hear and feel that. At 399 mm long, the scopes are not really compact. Especially not if you mount the 71.5-mm long lens shade. However, this is not critical for the primary target group. Like the flip-back protective covers, the lens shade is part of the standard accessories. We find the 35-mm diameter of the main tube remarkable. There is obviously a technical reason for using this tube diameter. There is no need to worry that there are no mounts for the Mark 5HD scopes. Leupold itself offers them, but they are also available from other manufacturers such as Spuhr. However, the main tube diameter has nothing to do with the light transmission, even if many believe it does. Despite their almost identical appearance, the riflescopes differ not only in terms of magnification range, but also in terms of weight. According to the manufacturer, the scope with 35x maximum magnification weighs 936 grams, a full 86 grams more than the 850-gram scope with 25x maximum magnification. According to our own measurements, however, the 35x only weighs 894 grams and the 25x only 830 grams, so the difference in weight is only 64 grams. In general, these are lightweights for riflescopes of this stature and performance class. In addition, as we can see from the technical specs, the elevation adjustment range of the Mark 5HD 7-35x56 is less wide. Twins yes, but not identical.

Service & sport: application areas of the Leupold Mark 5HD series

The Mark 5HD series consists of no less than 34 models. Although the 3.6-18x44 appears to be the best-selling in the USA, there are 12 different 5-25x56 and 10 different 7-35x56 riflescopes. All but one of the models in these magnification ranges have the reticles mounted in the first focal plane. The scopes are also available with and without illuminated reticles and in MOA or MIL versions. We opted for the more recent PR2 MIL reticle, specially developed for PRS shooting sports. The Leupold Mark 5 HD long range riflescopes in 5-25x56 and 3.6-18x44 have not only been used by the US military and police forces since 2018, but also by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The large Mark 5HD with the patented MIL-Grid reticle is also the daylight scope selected by US SOCOM for the MK22 Mod 0 (aka Barrett MRAD) multi-caliber sniper rifle in .308 Winchester, .300 Norma Magnum and .338 Norma Magnum as part of the 2020 PSR (Precision Sniper Rifle) program. The shooters operate under time pressure in PRS long range courses with changing positions and multiple steel target types. In addition to a high resolution, sufficient reticle adjustment and suitable parallax compensation, the optics also require a generous "eye box". The photos of the shooting targets (see below) show that the Leupold Mark 5HD riflescopes are on a par with the competition in terms of image sharpness and contrast and even outperform some competitors. However, as mentioned above, a very good optical resolution is not enough. A riflescope that has to be competitive for dynamic competitions at short to long ranges should excel in several areas.

Eye box & field of view: Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56 and 7-35x56

A large eye box enables fast target acquisition. It should be clear that the differences in the exit pupil diameter at the same magnification are limited due to the laws of optics. There are slight differences in the distance from the observer's eye to the eyepiece lens (eye relief) between different manufacturers/makes. Leupold has obviously gone the extra mile with these Mark 5HD riflescopes. It is remarkable that both the Mark 5HD 5-25x56 and the 7-35x56 have almost the same maximum eye relief: at least 91 mm. But both riflescopes also offer impressive values in terms of eye relief tolerance: 10 and 8 mm tolerance are truly outstanding at these magnifications. Another important factor is the field of view: with a small field of view, time is lost when searching for the target medium. For this reason, PRS competition shooters often choose a medium magnification so that they can immediately acquire and aim at the target. We checked the field of view in practice at 100 meters and found that it is generally slightly larger than in the manufacturer's technical specifications. The Leupold optics are satisfactory in the field of view at high magnifications. However, what is more relevant in practice is that the Mark 5HD scopes can also be used at lower magnifications without any loss due to their outstanding image quality/sharpness. You then have an excellent target image, a very generous eye box and a field of view of 3.28 metres at 11x magnification (5-25x56) or 2.43 meters at 15x magnification (7-35x56).

Reticle, adjustment range and adjustment: what do the Leupold riflescopes for the PRS sport have to offer?

Because changing ranges in the courses under time pressure are part of the challenge in the PRS, the shooters do not always react to the respective target distance with click adjustments on the elevation turret, but with the line markings/hold marks in the reticle. The reticle is used to correct and also estimate the distance. This is why the reticle must be mounted in the first focal plane, because when mounted in the second focal plane, the reticle is not magnified during zooming and therefore the dimensions of the reticle markings are only correct at one magnification. Because there is always a diversity of wishes, Leupold offers a dozen reticles for the 5-25x56: CCH for service, hunting and competition, but also reticles with MOA or MIL measurements, Horus, illuminated, non-illuminated. Those who can choose are spoilt for choice. In our view, the choice of reticle is a question of need and taste. The hunter who wants to aim at the sow with the riflescope in the late twilight needs an illuminated dot so that he/she can at least recognise the aiming point. The long range sports shooter wants a MIL-Dot reticle or similar so that he/she can adjust the markings to the distance or crosswind without necessarily having to use the adjustment mechanisms on the turrets.

The Mark 5HD reticles are mostly arranged in the first focal plane and provided with markings for point of impact corrections. We worked with the PR2-MIL reticle co-developed by top US shooters such as Doug Koenig. The reticle fulfils all the requirements of the dynamic PRS long range sport. The 0.25 MIL or 2.5 cm/100 m graduations take a little getting used to. 0.25 MIL is half the 0.5 MIL graduations of the new MIL dot reticle and slightly more than the 0.2 MIL graduations seen on some competitors. Above the 0.05 MIL diameter centre dot (5 mm/100 m), the vertical line provides a correction of 2 MIL. This is enough to select a breakpoint if, for example, you are shooting at 300 metres and also need to hit targets at close range. We liked the fact that the vertical line was not raised any higher; this ensures a calm aiming image. The free space around the central aiming point also offers an open area of 0.5 MIL diagonally, which benefits target recognition and concentration. The horizontal line has up to 10 MIL line markings on the left and right. The vertical line runs downwards. Cross lines (Christmas tree) enable side correction, which is helpful in mastering one of the most difficult tasks when shooting, the deviation due to the crosswind. When correcting the point of impact using reticles, it naturally helps that heavy match rifles equipped with muzzle brakes or silencers are often used in low-recoil calibers such as 6mm Dasher or 6mm GT. This allows you to observe the bullet impact through the optics and make lightning-fast corrections with the reticle markings if you miss. You are your own "spotter", so to speak.

Adjustment range of the Leupold 5HD long range riflescopes

The elevation adjustment range is always an issue with long range riflescopes. Normally, an overall adjustment of 30 MIL is enough. Theoretically, there is then 15 MIL for elevation correction and if a mount/rail with a pre-tilt of 20 MOA (≈5.8 MIL) is mounted, you get a good 20 MIL correction, 200 clicks (cm/100 m)! These are usually never needed; and that's a good thing, because optically the riflescope performs best when looking as straight as possible through the lens system. If the reticle is set to extreme heights, the maximum optical performance of the riflescope is impaired. According to Leupold's technical data, the Mark 5HD in 5-25x56 offers an adjustment range of 34.9 MIL (349 cm/100 m). In fact, it is 44.1 MIL. This is a gigantic range that will never be fully utilised, especially in combination with a mount with a 20 MOA tilt.With an elevation adjustment of 31.8 MIL, the Mark 5HD in 7-35x56 also achieves more than the 29 MIL promised in the manufacturer's technical specs. The windage adjustment range we measured was 21.6 MIL for the 5-25 scope and 16 MIL for the 7-35 one, which in turn exceeds the manufacturer's specifications of 17.5 MIL and 14.5 MIL.

Elevation turret of the two Leupold MK 5HDs in detail

The elevation turret with adjustable, locked zero position has much more to offer. If the unlock button is pressed, you can still turn down 5 clicks, 0.5 MIL, but no more. If it is unlocked, then logically it can also be turned up. One full rotation of the turret corresponds to 105 clicks (10.5 MIL). When this value is reached, the unlocking button in the turret disappears, signalling that the second rotation is active. The 10.5 MIL setting is followed by 11 MIL, the start of the second series of numbers being engraved on the turret in the second row. If the dial is turned further up, the third row is reached at 21 MIL. This is clearly signalled by a pin protruding from the turret lid. A great system, the turret remains flat and does not rise in height due to the turns of rotation. Each position is easy to check. Zeroing is also simple: after insertion, loosen two grub screws, turn to "zero", the release button moves out, gently tighten the grub screws, done. To zero the windage turret, three screws are loosened, zeroed and then tightened with feeling.

A look at the parallax compensation of the Leupold Mark 5HDs for long range shooting

Parallax compensation is necessary for riflescopes with a relatively high magnification (>12x). A side-mounted parallax adjustment (side focus) or a similar design that can be operated quickly in the firing position is essential for a PRS riflescope. The rotating disc of these Mark 5HD riflescopes is adjustable from 50 yards (46 m) and has markings for 100, 200, 400, 600, 800 yards and infinity. In our judgement, these distances worked quite well. If you wish, you can loosen and adjust the rotating disc. The distance can be roughly set using the numbers. This is usually followed by fine-tuning by observing the target and optimising the focus with the parallax compensation.

We found that the resolution, contrast and colour fidelity of both scopes are on a par. When both are assessed at 25x magnification, no difference can be seen. The field of view of the Mark 5HD 7-35x56, which is 1.02 metres at 35x magnification, is also just as large at 25x magnification as the field of view of the smaller Mark 5HD at maximum magnification. The eye box of the Mark 5HD 5-25x56 is even slightly better than that of the 7-35x56. In terms of magnification, the 7-35x56 wins again. Because the smaller Mark 5HD has significantly more reticle adjustment range than the 7-35x56, in our opinion it deserves just one point more in the overall ranking.

Leupold MK 5HD riflescopes technical specification and prices

Our test conclusion: what the Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56 and 7-35x56 riflescopes can offer

Whether using the reticle markings or the click adjustment on the turrets, or a combination of both, the Leupold Mark 5HD riflescopes tested here stand their ground. With very good optical performance, a convincing, practical reticle and typical Leupold reliability, they are ideally equipped for PRS/long range. Although the field of view is only satisfactory, the generously dimensioned eye box, which is more important in the PRS sector, easily makes up for this. A selected magnification below the maximum effectively enlarges the field of view, whereby the eye relief tolerance changes only slightly. Thanks to the high quality of the optics and mechanics, the two Mark 5HD riflescopes are, in our opinion, excellent value for money.

Further information can also be found on the Leupold website.