Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2 1-6x24: Low-Power Superstar

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It was a problem. The terrain was thick, and I spent more time on all fours fighting through dense vegetation than I did on my feet. The 5-25x50 scope was lengthy, cumbersome, and heavy.

The moment of truth was there and gone. The feral hog, a gagger of a boar, was bedded 11 yards away. I threw down, confident my magnification dial was set to 5 power. It wasn't. Somewhere amidst the quagmire of brush and briars I'd eked through, my magnification dial turned to 15. The wheel was sloppy; a stiff breeze could have moved it. I couldn't find the boar, and when I did, he scrambled away at warp speed.

The high-power craze is upon us, and I get it. Most hunts require 12-power magnification at a minimum. However, there are those hunts where low-power optics rule. From straight-wall whitetail hunts to tailing a fine pack of hounds in pursuit of mountain lions and bears, low-power optics have a definitive purpose.

I know many hunters, remarkable old-school elk killers, who prefer to slink through the dark timber, looking to pluck a bull from its bed. These hunters demand a low-power optic. As for me, the aforementioned hog hunt would have ended with hams in the crockpot if my scope's max magnification was 6x. Enter Leupold's VX-6HD Gen 2 1-6x24 CDS-SZL2 Illum. FireDot Duplex.

Leupold's 1-6x24: The Perfect Black Bear Optic

"That's the perfect bear setup," said my buddy and guide at Table Mountain Outfitters, Keedin Denny. "The rifle is short, and the optic is low-power and compact. You'll be able to run with the dogs toting that thing."

Leupold's 1-6x24, sporting the bells and whistles of the new VX-6HD Gen 2 scope lineup, is ideal for close encounters.

I love the CDS-SZL2 SpeedSet dial on the windage and elevation turrets. As a fan of Leupold's CDS system, my one complaint was always the trio of finicky Allen-head screws that held the turrets on. Those screws are gone. With the SpeedSet Dial, depress the silver button and push the lever up. That's it. The button also locks back down if you seat the turret completely. Always make sure the turret is seated and your ZeroLock is locked. Your windage and elevation turrets should only move if you depress either ZeroLock button and rotate either dial.

The scope measures 11 inches long and weighs a mere 17.4 ounces, making it a low-profile beauty that maximizes rifle maneuverability. I appreciate the addition of Leupold's flip-back and lock-back magnetic optic covers. Whether you're facing inclement weather or want to keep twigs, leaves, and debris off your high-quality glass, these covers shield Leupold's Professional-Grade Optical System.

Reticle

I love the second focal plane FireDot Duplex Illum. Reticle. Heavy lines taper to thin lines, and battery-powered illumination, compliments of a fiber-optic-powered red dot, is available in eight settings. When hunting in low-light conditions or heavy, dense timber (more to come on this), FireDot Technology is the center of the scope's crosshairs, so you're never guessing. Target acquisition is immediate, which makes this reticle type ideal for a broad range of shooting applications.

My bear was a runner and a fighter. After a massive box strike, we cut the dogs loose at 9 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., the dogs slowed the bear. He wouldn't tree or fully bay, but he did slow enough that Keedin and I thought we could creep close.

The bear was in a hellhole—straight down a 1,000-foot vertical descent littered with loose dirt, shale rock, and foot-catching roots. Every dog wears a Garmin Alpha TT 25 Dog Collar, so we always know where each dog is. When we started the descent, the dogs were nearly a mile away.

With my magazine removed and the rifle clear, we bombed down the hill. Time was of the essence. Eventually, the bear would catch his breath and be on the move again. In this terrain of perpendicular faces that rise and fall sharply, keeping pace with dogs running a bear isn't possible.

Hot Pursuit

When we hit the bottom, we navigated along a densely vegetated creek for 200 yards. Not only did my rifle/optic combo carry well in go-mode, but slipping through the jungle-like creek, I noticed it wasn't hanging up. I appreciate that the 1-6x24 tube doesn't swell at the end like larger optics. Larger optics feature a bell that houses the objective lens. The larger the objective lens, the bigger the scope's bell. Leupold's VX-6HD Gen 2 1-6x24 has a 24mm objective lens, which doesn't require a bell shape in the scope. With only the main 30mm tube pointing forward, this scope rarely hangs up on anything.

We were getting close. I could hear the hounds over the flowing water. Quickly, I chambered a round and used the scope's included throw-lever to set my magnification to 2x. Then, I threw down, located a rock, and depressed the illumination button on the scope's left side. Toggling through the scope's eight illumination settings, I found the desired FireDot.

The FireDot is a game changer in the dark timber. It also stands out amazingly against a furry black hide. The FireDot quickly brings your eye to the center of the reticle and gives you an exact aiming point.

Target acquisition was quick. The bear was only 30 yards, swatting at dogs with his butt against a big pine. I settled my crosshairs. "Dogs are clear," Keedin said.

A Little Western

Still, I had no shot. Then, the boar turned his gaze to me for a fleeting second. We locked eyes in the scope. With pressure on the trigger, he turned and ran.

Once again, I got to test the scope's weight and maneuverability. Using my Garmin Instinct 2 Solar watch, I tracked our elevation gain out of the seemingly bottomless pit. Twenty minutes and 1,200 feet of immediate elevation gain later, we'd reached the truck.

We were losing dog power. Keedin's best dog, Cash, and a few others continued, but most puppies and younger dogs had dropped from the race. It was 2:00 p.m. Keedin's legs were shot, and mine were in no better shape. We'd been in on the bear twice but couldn't get a shot.

Then, the radio crackled. It was Casey, a local houndsman and an outstanding hunter. I'd hunted with Casey before. He's an awesome dude and has some great dogs. Luckily, Casey picked up some of Keedin's dogs on his tracking screen, got to them, and dumped his hounds in on the race.

Fresh Legs

Just like that, we were back in the game. Our legs seemed to have new life. It's funny what an adrenaline surge and positivity can do.

By 3:00 p.m., Keedin and I were stalking in. This was our third attempt. The bear was wise. It knew we were after it, and on our last effort, the bear broke and ran at only a slight glimpse of us.

Dialing to 6-power magnification, expecting the shot to be longer in the more open terrain, we inched forward a step at a time.

I about fell over when I saw Cash lunge at the tree. They'd done it. The bear Keedin and I thought would never tree was 20 feet up a monstrous pine. The barrage of barks and howls was music to our ears, and Keedin joined in the fun. He loved on each dog, pounded the tree, and yelled, "We got him, we got him, we got him."

Logistics

The problem: We needed leashes, lots of them. There were a lot of dogs, and it's not safe to shoot a bear and have it fall from a tree with dogs, not on leashes. A wounded bear is no joke.

Casey was on his way, so I found the flattest spot I could, got my back against a big pine, and spent 15 minutes looking through Leupold's Professional-Grade Optical System at the bear.

I mentioned the terrain was more open, but where the bear was treed was deep and dark. This optical system gathers every ounce of available light and transmits it to the reticle. High-definition lenses maximize color and image resolution at all magnification levels. I used the throw lever to zoom in and out on the bear—from 1x to 6x—and the clarity and definition were remarkable.

I brought the rifle to my knee with the dogs on leashes and acquired the bear in the reticle. Set at 2x, I made a minor diopter adjustment, settled the FireDot on the bear's chest, and pulled through the trigger.

Performance

I realize the shot wasn't far, but I hit the tuft of hair I was aiming at. The 180-grain Winchester Silver Series Plated Soft Point hit the bear center chest and exited out the top of his back. There was no moan or growl, only a lifeless black blob falling from a tree.

I'd toted the rifle up and down hellish terrain. I'd dropped it twice—once in muddy water—thank God for Leupold's Guard-ion lens coating. I had the flip-back lens covers back, exposing the lenses. In a hurry, I used my shirttail to wipe both lenses down. That's all it took. Guard-ion lens coating is engineered to shed water, dirt, and fingerprints. Naturally, the tough-as-nails VX-6HD Gen 2 1-6x24 CDS-SZL2 Illum. FireDot Duplex held its zero. Days later, back home in Colorado, I sent a round from 200 yards on the range and caught the top of a 1 in. x 1 in. bullseye.

If you need a top-end low-power optic, Leupold's VX-6HD Gen 2 1-6x24 will meet and exceed your expectations.

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