Leupold??

I have a Leupold Mark 4 4.5-14X50 with Illuminated TMR and have been looking at the VX6 with CDS. Is it worth it to get the VX6 with CDS or is there any real advantage of one over the other?
I haven't had the chance to look at the VX6 to compare the glass.
I do like the new wind hold reticle with Zero Lock.

Forgot to mention it will be going on a 6.5 creed from Horizon.

TMR on the Mark 4, what reticle is in the VX6?

Is the Mark 4 quarter MOA turrets?

What turrets are on the VX6?

Yes the Mark 4 is quarter MOA
The VX6 is the CDS style turret with the wind hold reticle. Quarter MOA

What does that mean?

cds is a bdc turret.

Correct it's a custom knob for BDC
http://www.leupold.com/resources/custom-dial-system/

If you aren't going to shoot past 400 then cds is fine.

Look at the thread I just bumped about custom turrets.

Why limit a 1400 yard rifle to 400 yards?

The weight difference between the mk 4 and vx6 is different.

I have a cds on my 6.5 and I have been satisfied. You will need to know your calculations and your "one" bullet.
My is on my hunting gun and I have tried it to the max 600 yards on the dial and it worked. If you go with other turrets you can mark your marks and have close to the same thing.

Is there any difference in glass on the two?

Vx3 and VX6 are the same glass im told.

Between the VX6 and MK4 to me the VX6 is clearer. When talking to a rep pointing out the difference he gave me the silent treatment like I was on to something. So I never got the square answer if the VX6 glass was better, only the MK 4 was built better and had better internals etc.

To me glass is better on the vx6 inside of a store. I own a VX3 and it will get me into plenty of illegal shooting times and I can see good. VX 3/6 glass is better than a Vortex PST to me.

I'm gonna have to build an official optic clarity testing section on my range.

I am hoping to come take your course when I get my build finished.
Do you like the Mark 4?

The glass is very clear, I had a student out with one a few weeks ago. But! I hate the fact that they are Mil retocle, MOA turret. You get your windage in Mils since 99% of the time you hold wind and dial elevation. So what has to happen is input BC, MV, bullet diameter and weight, the calculator gives you all the data you need, Mils and MOA. Shoot the range, and if you see miss or impact low or high (in Mils) you have to convert to MOA so that you can fix the elevation problem on the turret which speaks in MOA.

I illustrate it like this; you're cutting in base board in your livingroom. You measure four walls with a tape measure in inches, you set that tape measure down and walk outside to the miter saw and pick up a tape measure in centimeters. You have to do a conversion to make the measurements equal each other. Why not use the same unit of measurement for both? So if you see a correction needed in Mils, reach up and correct it on the turret in Mils. Then once you get DOPE all the way down the range, recording as you go, you can go back into the calculator and true up the DOPE to match what the calculator gives you for future corrections. Very important if you plan to shoot something farther than you have before, and very important so that you can lean on the calculator for the various environmental changes that will effect bullet flight. It WILL NOT fly the same today as it will in the summer weather, and/ or at various elevations from sea level.

That leads me to the problem I have with second focal plane. In that summer weather I mentioned, it is advantagous to be able to dial down the magnification and a Mil still be a Mil. The higher the ambiant temp, the worse the mirage is, the more you want to dial down elevation. If you have FFP then your wind holds (in Mils) are still correct.

So no, I am not a big fan of the Mark 4. Nor am I a fan, at all, of the BDC type turrets or reticles. The corrections are not set in stone and you need to be able to adjust as needed.

The Mark 4 scopes do come in FFP and Mil/Mil configurations, but sounds like the student had one of the "less expensive" variations...

I'm not sure why everybody is down on the CDS. It comes as a 1/4 MOA dial from the factory. It's only a custom dial if you order a custom knob for it. I've left mine 1/4 MOA and have had no issues using it. The "custom" in CDS is a gimmick in my opinion. If your someone who is going to take the time to learn your drops on a certain gun with a certain load then your likely not going to need a dial to tell you what to do.

That depends on the ranges you will be shooting at. 300-400yds max, yeah, you probably don't need to dial as long as your reticle is up to the task. You get out to 500+ yards, you will likely want to dial in your elevation...

I'll dial every distance if I have time to.

I really don't need a BDC or CDS at up to 400 (it helps, but I did without for decades and could do without again). I can see the use for that CDS for distances beyond 400, but I have slowly come around to Fireman's opinion that if you want to be truly precise out past 400 (or out past 300), the turrets have their uses. Coyote hunting out past 400 will be done henceforth with a turreted scope.

Some guys just left, after doing some pistol and rifle shooting this morning - before the rains came. On the rifles, they banged away with my old 220 Swift (Douglas barrel, tuned and bedded), which wears a 6.5-20x50 Leupold (SFP) with 30mm tube and TMR reticle. Then they shot the Tikka 260 with the Brux barrel and the Vortex Viper 4-16x50 PST FFP. The guy from Wyoming was stacking bullets one on top of another with both rifles. He pronounced his love for the TMR reticle over the Mil reticle in the Vortex. I agree. If I was to buy another turreted scope, I'd probably (and that's just probably, since I haven't used them all) be inclined to get a turreted Leupold Mil/Mil FFP with the illuminated TMR. I don't know what it would cost me, but I think that would be just about right. But that's what I think and not what I KNOW.

I wasn't suggesting you wouldn't dial. I was saying you will likely use your dope chart or memorize it to dial the correct elevation.

TMR, and Vortex's Mil reticle are all Mil based. Same as the old Mil dot, Mil football, SS Mil Quad, Razor, S & B, NF, and the list goes on. All using the same Trig function of Miliradian.

1 vertical = 1000 horizontal

Good info

My VX3 CDS didn't track correctly out of the box or after Leupold repaired it. I know that isn't the norm but it makes it kind of hard to have faith in the CDS system. Regardless of brand, I am pretty skeptical of a $500 scope returning to zero every single time.

Just how bad was it? Just curious.