The wholly subalpine restraint that lies within the Paganini probably keeps the property from saying how much the suggestions coming from Turin have influenced, better still directed, certain choices of the authoritative American optical house. The fact is that in recent years and in certain series of novelties gradually proposed, an eye is increasingly aware of the needs of hunters, especially mountain hunters and those dedicated in particular to crepuscular ungulates. The performance of Leupold riflescopes is entrusted to high-level lenses and, in particular, to decidedly reliable mechanics where the clicks or shots correspond to precise displacements of the point hit by the bullet. At one time he had to argue a little about the not excellent brightness and the accommodation of the eye to be performed with meticulous attention for a not so favorable egress pupil.
He has come a long way and if there is one thing that does not escape the manufacturers of States it is precisely the expectation of customers: the expansion of sales on this side of the Atlantic has shown how certain details must have the right answer, even if each solution has its own prerogatives and its followers, with advantages and disadvantages. It is enough not to cultivate absolutist ideas and provide customers with what they expect, naturally in the specific technical field of the company. This panegyric to underline how some Leupold lines now have a decidedly European imprint, indeed we would say Italian and how, after the wave of innovation of a few years ago linked to the discovery of HD lenses and the brightness factor, they are considered as preeminent not this or that element, but a sum of factors that ultimately contribute to making usable, bad term, but under which every facet of the yield of a telescope and the ease with which it is obtained is included.
Let's go specifically
Within the company, the VX5 series belongs to the fearful and intriguing intermediate range: fearful from a business point of view because from this classification the customer expects a very affordable price without conceding almost anything to the technical performance of the optics that it has to be ... Leupold and nothing less. Here are some limitations, which then on closer inspection do not reveal themselves, such as the magnification factor here set at 5x: certainly someone will be able to play the 8x factor for example, but frankly in many years we have never heard of it. lack. Indeed the one proposed in this specimen is already amply sufficient to hunt from marmot to chamois, from wild boar to deer race at dusk with the whole range of environmental situations and therefore of light that can be proposed. The choice then reveals a restraint of weight that only after a few hours of walking is appreciated in all its validity and also optically marks some points in its favor with respect to the exasperations mentioned. In short, the measure of things is still the best you can choose to range in many directions and enjoy all the opportunities.
As did
We leave the images to document the aesthetics characterized by the golden ring on the lens bell and note the one-piece body in aeronautical aluminum alloy from which the bases for the three turrets are obtained. Let us dwell on the amplitude of the calibration values, valid in both adjustments, given first of all by the 30 mm tube which is accessed with the ¼ MOA adjustments: the elevation benefits from the ballistic turret Custom Dial System ZL2, updated version of the previous one, now adopting the so-called system Zero locks . Tiny Allen screws (use a special key) allow you to position the indication at its zero point, then, once everything is blocked, you will operate in elevation by pressing the spring button that unlocks the rotation; turning the drum backwards you will return to the starting point where the elastic button will snap and block everything again. In this way you are guaranteed to return to zero and to start again from there only when you press the junction again. A short mnemonic calculation on the firing line by Carlo, who knows the trajectory of his reload in depth, allowed a quick update between 100 and 200 meters. La Casa and Paganini offer a free customized turret with the data of its own cartridge in place of the standard turret: an unbridled luxury for those who remain faithful to a single cartridge.
There are many acronyms that bloom like flowers in spring to impress in the memory of the customers the various specifications to which the functionality of the optics owes its being: frankly we prefer to write that the surface of the lenses undergoes a specific treatment beforehand, scratches, dirt and humidity, the fogging is canceled by the introduction of argon and krypton into the tube while the optical essence, that is the transmission of light that represents its main job, enjoys the stratified coatings through which the useful and well-directed rays transit while intercepting each other making them harmless those of reflection that would affect the sharpness of the images. The concept is explained here in a somewhat rustic way, but it is what we managed to memorize when, years ago, the first appearances of HD lenses had prompted us to consult Beppe, a dear friend of our shooting range and a leading technical element of the Astronomical Observatory of Pino Torinese.
After the brawl on the brightness values engaged years ago by the major manufacturers, in particular in Europe, it has been verified that, once the amount of light of a 56 mm lens is established, it is ultimately the extractive capacity of the lenses that makes the difference in those situations. where the wild are masters: placing themselves in a camouflage background with their cloak, and Leupold certainly possesses that quality. Given the two reticle adjustment turrets which, we forgot to emphasize, is of the fine type suitable for good shot patterns in the shooting range as well as for any hunting situation, let's move on to the third one, the one placed to the left of the tube, equipped with two functions: one today seems decisive and it concerns the illumination of the reticle, the other is really important and combines the focusing of the target and the adjustment of the parallax, certainly functional especially when using the 15x and shooting at long distance. We leave the lighting to those with good eyes: ours gets irritated with that point light making an image frayed and annoying.
Contrary to the Leupold optics protected for life by the warranty for defects or malfunctions, our equipment is certainly a bit poor if not really expired: on the other hand, no one has guaranteed us perfect functionality over time. At the end of the observation, the rubberized ring with the grip relief for setting the magnifications and the shockproof ring (the eyebrow is safe) with which the diopters of the eyepiece are adjusted according to one's eyesight still stand out. Having said that we can say that with this telescope we find ourselves magnificently thanks also to small, but decisive elements such as the large egress pupil and the extended focal distance which, when hunting, with postures that are not always perfect, often prove to be fatal, allowing or not allowing the shot. To conclude, we highlight how the use of this perspective has seen us engaged in two days totally different from each other, full sun and clear sky against total coverage (8/8) leaden sky and showers of rain: in every situation the acquisition of the the target, the reticle and the tappet did not raise any problems whatsoever and the eye did not tire despite firing many series of shots.