Leupold custom shop ?

[hoodrat]

So here is the deal. I have been struggleing for two weeks now mulling through forums adn manufacturers sites. Looking for glass to go with a Long range 5.56 AR set up.

I have fainaly sucomed to the big boy on the block and decided to go with a Leupold Mark 4 2.5-8x36 MR/T M2. The night force was close but between the two I believe I will get better customer service if it is needed from Leupold.

I'm going to the range to pick the cartridge that I will be running in this gun and want to use the custom shop to make some custom turrets.

I have very little knowledge in this area. Irons have sufficed fro a long time but know I want to take a couple courses and stretch my legs a little in a different direction.

What kinds of things should I look to get from the custom shop besides turrets? I'm not looking for anything cosmetic just relating to putting rounds on target as quick and efficiently as possible.

[Stringer]

Custom reticle is neato

But if I was you, I would build the rifle, develop a load, and get as accurate DOPE as I could. Then, with that data, send the scope to Leupold for a custom reticle and/or turrets. Without that data beforehand, I think it's a waste of money.

[hoodrat]

I have the rifle although I am thinking about swapping barrels. I'm going to the range in the morning to run some cartridges I bought from SSA. 70 TSX, and 77seiraOTM both with 5.56 pressures on lake city brass. A buddy is going to lend me a scope of his to test the rounds. if the gun likes either of them I will chrono and build my info from there.

when you say custom reticle your talking BDC and wind HO for my paticular round

[Stringer]

Yeah, IMO it's the most helpful "custom" feature to put on a rifle where it's not ideal to be spinning the turrets all the time. It would be cool to have the holdover points readily available with no adjustments and no calculation. I've used ballistic reticles before, and conceptually they are neat, but they didn't match the rifle or load, so they aren't really useful in they way they were intended. But in your case, once you have your load developed, then you could actually get a reticle that fits, and use it how it is intended.

I don't have personal experience shooting with custom marked turrets, but they seem like a PITA to actually use.

[hoodrat]

Custom turrets may be a PITA im not sure either. I agree a custom reticle may be the best route.

shot a sub moa group this morning with the ssa 77gr sierra OTMs. so nice. used a fixed power 4x scope.

I think I have the round now for the calcs

[rksimple]

If anything, you will get much better customer service from Nightforce. They will fix the problem the first time instead of having leupold send you back the scope with a letter sayaing its just fine and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Or that the canted reticle is within their "standard" of quality (tolerances). Between loopy and NF, the NF is the clear winner. You're FAR less likely to ever have to use the warranty with NF.

[Black Majik]

Nightforce will now create a BDC reticle based on your dope you send them.

I would go with NF if I had to choose.

[hoodrat]

HMMM... I hear mixed reviews on both. I will have to dig a little deeper if thats the case. the NF is a 2 to 10 which would be uber sweet. I will continue to research this

thanks for the feedback

[Stringer]

Yeah, if you aren't truly sold on Leupold, don't buy one. NF is not without warts, but Leupold tactical scopes are generally an overpriced disaster nowadays. I own one of each, and neither is my favorite scope. But, for your needs, I'd go NF also.

[hoodrat]

All manufacturers are going to have issues I just dont want to spend more if I do have issues, I hear NF will charge for every thing and leopold will just take care of it.