Leopold has taken a page from the tactical arena to offer their latest line of optics for the “self-sufficient hunter looking to push themselves and their gear towards bigger challenges and greater hunts.” Bold words, but is the new VX-5HD series up to the last?

In a word, yes.

In line with the naming of the other various VX lines of optics, the new VX-5 series of optics features 5x magnification over the base power. As Leupold touts, this puts it squarely between the VX-3i and VX-6HD lines of optics. The new VX-5HD series is launching with three optics, a 1-5x, a 2-10x, and a 3-15x optic, which covers a wide swath of magnifications used by hunters with perhaps only a 4-20x needed to completely round out the line.

The VX-5HD series includes the Twilight Max(R) Light Management System and “high definition performance.” Notably new is the CDS-ZL2 series which offers a locking dial, calibrated to the shooters exact rifle (the shooter does have to provide load and performance data). The system gives two full revolutions of the 1/4 MOA dial to reach out to long-distance targets.

Formal optics at launch, all using 30mm tubes:

• 1-5x24mm ($909 – $1169)
• 2-10x42mm ($909)
• 3-15x56mm ($1169 – $1429)

Various reticles are available, model dependent.

• Duplex®
• FireDot® 4
• Wind-Plex®
• Boone and Crockett® Big Game
• Impact-29 MOA.

For more information, check out Leupold’s VX-5HD section of their website.