I have a 3-18x44 with the L-4w reticle which is a really good reticle in my opinion and more SFP hunting scopes should have this type of reticle with a similar magnification range. You would be cranked up to max mag when shooting at distance where wind calls are needed, so the reticle subtending correctly at those ranges is what you need without a FFP reticle getting too large or too small when wound up or down. I think x18 is spot on for most .22CF use at distance.
The dimensions are good, weight is fine, elevation turret is good and the mechanics are spot on. I recall taking a Muntjac at 290yds with my .222rem and i hit it perfectly to the inch. Same experience on paper when testing the mechanics. Also very robust and solid build quality wise.
It is close to the perfect .22CF scope to be honest.
BUT, I agree that optically it is not as good as I thought it might be. Other scopes I use are S&B Polar T96, March Compact and Delta Titanium HD's. Obviously the Polar and March are better in terms of clarity, contrast, colour and the Polar dicks on everything for brightness but the Delta, in my opinion, is better optically than the Leica in all respects. That is not necessarily a slant on the Leica as the Delta is a super super clear scope and I don't think people realise quite how good those scopes are in terms of brightness, last light and resolution. I will say that the Delta does not track anywhere near as well though. The Leica is perfect mechanically. On a par with the March and that is saying something.
It is so close to the perfect scope. It is not focus fussy but the diopter always feels like I cannot quite get the reticle 100% crisp. We are talking minute amounts of me being fussy here and I am used to very good glass but I just feel it should be a touch better. And the edge to edge clarity is not quite there compared to the really good stuff. I certainly do not expect a last light monster from it but it is certainly good enough without being amazing.
I recall saying similar a while back and some other owners were a little defensive and claimed their Amplus scopes were top tier. It is not top tier glass. It is definitely decent and I have never felt that it has held my hunting back in any way. In fact I have made some amazing shots with it on muntjac, squirrels and corvids.
I know it is not cheap but it is also not super expensive. It is in that range price wise where you probably feel entitled to get something a touch stronger optically speaking. If it were an obvious mid range scope, say around £800, you would be over the moon with it. I kind of see it as an honest £900 scope with a coupla hundred quid extra bunged on top for the Leica name and another coupla hundred quid for the solid, reliable, repeatable nature of the build and mechanics.
I was really hoping it would be a genuine cheaper competitor to my March Compact 2.5-25x42 which I have had for years. The Leica is maybe marginally better at last light but the reality is that the March is basically better at everything else. But it should be when you consider how much it was god knows how many years ago.
The question is, what is there out there that can genuinely compete with it in that price range? The Vortex on paper might seem a contender but genuinely it is not built as well and the reticle is not as good for me. I also dislike the way Vortex just replace stuff when it breaks. I know they don't value their build quality and it speaks volumes that it is more financially prudent for them to give new optics out rather than fix something. Even Delta repaired a scope for me when I had an issue with it. Sightron and Vortex have both refused to fix stuff and just dished out new scopes instead. I don't like that personally. It says much about their QC and manufacturing quality and how cheaply they must make their stuff for it to be more economincally viable to give out brand new optics.
It is a tough one but really there is no perfect scope out there. All of them have some drawbacks. I could moan about at least 3 things on the Polar T96 despite it being an amazing scope.
This picture was taken around the 400yd mark using my phone camera. I know phone cameras don't exactly punch out great shots when trying to hold them steady behind an ocular but I have always felt the image just lacks the pop and clarity of some proper top tier scopes. Basically 1300 odd quid doesn't buy you really top end stuff. It buys you decent stuff but the Leica Amplus series of scopes are not Zeiss HT/Polar T96 optics for mid range money. It is basically entry level fare from Leica.
Screenshot_20240216-205942 by
Cottis, on Flickr
) Bushnell elite 6500 is head and shoulders above the Leica.
