TESTED: Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2 3-18×44

If you desire a lightweight hunting rifle but don’t want to give up tactical features, Leupold’s VX-6HD Gen 2 line is a great option. Previously we’ve shown Leupold’s VX-5HD – let’s see what’s new!

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About the Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2 3-18×44

Leupold’s VX-6HD Gen 2 line features a number of SKUs with six different magnification ranges.

We have the SFP 3-18×44 with FireDot Duplex illuminated reticle. This reticle features thick lines with a red illuminated center dot and no holdovers.

No matter what magnification you use, the reticle will always appear the same.

From Leupold:

Whether scaling rugged peaks or chasing elk at last light, the VX-6HD Gen 2 riflescope ensures total dominance. Its Professional-Grade Optical System delivers unmatched clarity and brightness, while competition-grade adjustments and an integrated throw lever provide high-performance precision. The innovative SpeedSet dial eliminates the need for tools when zeroing or changing custom dials. No detail is overlooked—this is the ultimate hunting scope.

This series features Leupold’s Professional-Grade Optical System (HD) with Guard-Ion Lens coating and is waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof. SpeedSet dials make it easy to zero turrets without tools.

Both windage and elevation turrets include ZeroLock to prevent the turrets from being bumped accidentally. This is a significant advantage when navigating through brush and varied terrain.

The illuminated reticle is ideal for low-light shooting and will flash when not level on certain models to discourage cant and aid in initial mounting.

Leupold publishes an abundance of specifications: here are the highlights:

Weight: 22.1 oz
Click Value: ¼ MOA
Elevation Adjustment Range: 85 MOA (25 MIL)
Windage Adjustment Range: 85 MOA (25 MIL)
Eye Relief Low Mag: 1.2”
Eye Relief High Mag: 3.7”
Illumination Settings: 8

What’s in the Box

The scope comes with an integrated throw lever and Alumina flipback lens covers that can be locked in place.

Also included is a special tool for the battery compartment, battery, and printed materials.

About the Rifle

At the request of our audience, I built a lightweight hunting rifle chambered in .280 AI. The .280 AI provides much of the performance of a cartridge like 7mm PRC or 7mm Remington Magnum, but with a standard .308 bolt face.

This build featured a WOOX Supperleggera stock, Carbon Six barrel, Pristine long action, Hawkins Precision DBM/Hunter Mag, Area 419 hellfire muzzle brake, and Bix’n Andy Dakota trigger.

This rifle yielded ½ inch groups at 100 yards, but the scope we had initially used was a bit much.

Higher magnification was fine for bench shooting, but this rifle really needed a lighter optic with a smaller magnification range.

Live Fire Testing

I mounted the VX-6HD Gen 2 in Leupold’s 30mm Backcountry Cross-Slot Medium Rings, ensuring proper eye relief. (I still have flexibility to move the scope both fore and aft with the long action Picatinny rail.)

After zeroing the optic at 100 yards, I focused on engaging targets in a variety of hunting scenarios.

I fired offhand at 120 yards, utilizing D-M Targets’ steel rockchucks. These roughly approximate the size of deer vitals.

I also shot a 200 yard rockchuck off of a tree branch. Considering what other shots I may have in the field, I also took shots off my backpack at 200 yards.

My furthest shots were 335 yards prone off of a bipod.

The Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2 3-18×44 was a great addition to my .280 AI build – exactly what I would want to use in the field.

Ultimate Reloader Optics Test Rig

The Ultimate Reloader Optics Test Rig, designed and built in house, measures actual optics performance using precision 100 yard targets (MIL, MOA) and camera positioning to sub -0.0005”.

It tests tracking, zoom, parallax, and distortion. Though we do not currently have a way to capture optics image quality in a meaningful way, the glass on this scope is exceptionally clear.

To test tracking, we took the scope up, down, left and right 9 MOA, noting where we landed on the target. Tracking was near perfect.

For parallax, we started with the center of the scope scope and camera collinear. With the parallax set to the testing range (100 yards), we moved the scope left and right 0.050” to simulate varying head position. We saw no shift!

To test image distortion, we took one frame from the video and aligned it with a rectangle to see if there is any pincushion effect. All lines were parallel, indicating zero distortion.

The reticle was also in perfect alignment, confirmed after leveling the target, camera, and scope with a precision level.

Conclusion

Leupold is known for their high-quality glass and lifetime guarantee and this scope is no exception. Perhaps my favorite feature is the ZeroLock on both the elevation and windage turrets.

The VX-6HD Gen 2 3-18×44 has an MSRP of approximately $2200. This is significant investment and a scope most would work up to, not necessarily start with. That said, it is feature-rich with excellent optical clarity and you must consider what each shot is worth to you. If you spent $30,000 on an Alaskan hunt for example, this scope is likely a small investment to have the utmost confidence in your zero and gear. I do not currently have another scope in my collection I would choose for lightweight hunting over this one.