Back to School: Clarity and Enrichment with Leupold Optics

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"Back to school, back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight—I hope I don't get in a fight. Ohhh, back to school. Back to school. Back to school. Well, here goes nothing." - Billy Madison

The machismo epidemic among hunting and shooting circles is very evident. We live in an age where technology and engineering are stellar, allowing high-quality optical products such as the ones being produced by Leupold to be readily available and at our disposal.

Our shortcomings stem from ourselves, our processes, our stagnant knowledge base, and our lack of humility—not our gear.

Thankfully, I was given the chance to humble myself and relearn what I've either forgotten or never knew from the start with regard to optics and consistent shooting at Leupold’s Optics Academy in Madras, Oregon.

Class is in Session

Leupold’s private outdoor range facility and “schoolhouse” are a shooter’s paradise. Adorned with targets of all varieties and silhouettes intentionally placed at locations and distances that constantly intrigue and challenge—it's safe to say their program is dialed. But as with any proper school or academy, it can’t be all recess and no ballistic trig or engineering theory.

Traditionally, I’ve been an MOA or Minute-of-Angle guy, partly because that’s what I started out with as a hunter, and probably because that’s what I'm most familiar with. I secretly was a little apprehensive when I learned that all the range rifles we would be using during the week had Milrad Mark 4HD scopes on them.

The few times I have peered through scopes that had Milrad adjustments and hash marks, there were also an accompanying reticle tree that was too busy for my eyes and, quite honestly, was intimidating for my limited comprehension.

Thankfully, there are reticles like Leupold’s PR3 that get rid of the Christmas tree and simplify the “in-scope” aesthetic for a cleaner and swifter aiming point while still utilizing quarter-mil increments for finite precision.

Enrichment

Colby Ingram, Chief of Range Operations and Director of Leupold’s Optics Academy, hammered home the concept that it doesn’t matter which adjustment system you use, but to know it inside and out to increase your in-the-field efficacy.

Tongue in cheek though, he affirmed with a nod that he thought Milrad was “mo’ betta!”

When I discovered the general baseline for 1 Milrad was 3.6 inches at 100 yards. The math started “mathing” for me quickly as I was able to extrapolate holds and corrections very quickly. The concept of milling targets in the scope surprisingly made sense to this greenhorn and gave me ample reference to size/ratio.

I was amazed to find out that some scopes have over 200 internal parts in them all working in engineered symphony to deliver a clear image and precise adjustments—not just a tube with some glass in it and some little plastic clicky doodads that spin. Simply put, modern scopes are engineering feats.

Things I Didn’t Know Before and Things to Remember

Diopter! I have always known where it was on scopes and fiddled with it until I felt it was good, but never actually knew why or what I was looking to accomplish. (see image above)

The diopter adjustment is essentially setting your eye prescription and must be adjusted to each individual shooter. If this isn’t done and the reticle is not focused, removing parallax will be very difficult, if not impossible.

Common Terms and Definitions

• “Exit Pupil”—calculated by objective lens diameter divided by magnification. (The exit pupil size will change in direct relation to the magnification setting.)
• “Eye Relief”—the distance between the rear of the scope's eyepiece and your eye where you can see a full, crisp picture. Leupold prioritizes eye relief in the manufacturing of their optics.
• “Eye Box”—is defined as the three-dimensional space behind a scope that will allow the shooter an unobstructed view through the optic with no vignetting or “scope shadow.”
• “Parallax”—an effect in riflescopes where point of impact varies slightly due to a change in position of the shooter’s eye behind the scope. For a more detailed glossary of terms from Leupold, click here.

Range Time and Extracurriculars

Any time you get 10+ rifle aficionados together with 10 separate shooting bays and 10 rifles outfitted with high-end Leupold scopes and a seemingly unlimited supply of ammo and targets—you probably will see some Cheshire cat smiles and high-fives.

You will also want your ear protection, as the affirmative splash of newly dimpled metal is drowned out by a muzzle blast percussion medley. Once targets start to get acquired and impacts confirmed, pandora is sorta out of the metaphorical box.

There were 8 Browning rifles in the lot and 2 Winchesters—all shot admirably out to ridiculous distances, which I’d like to say is a testament to how good of shooters we all were—but in reality, had to do with the education we had been exposed to, coupled with the highly consistent Winchester ammo we were sending down-range.

Somehow, I was relegated by my friend Skipper to have .300 Win Mag duty both days (chivalry is not dead), and I was happy to oblige. My shoulder couldn’t care less due to the performance of Browning’s Recoil Hawg Muzzle Brake, even after 200+ rounds in 2 days of shooting.

The highlight for me was taking on Pez’s challenge to the group of hitting the 33% target at 1,300 yards in 5 shots or less (I hit it on my third shot), and kudos or not—it felt pretty good. A close second was watching Ron Spomer sink cornhole bags like Steph Curry swishes a basketball, as it was highly entertaining and impressive.

Leupold’s Optics Academy enhanced my shooting abilities and solidified my confidence in the performance of their products. I made lasting memories, gleaned valuable knowledge, and developed new friendships—I call that a win.

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