Tested in Scotland’s rugged Highlands, the Leupold VX-4HD delivers clear optics, reliable performance, and confidence for big-game hunters in tough conditions.
by Jace Bauserman
The stag’s bellow was closer, but soupy clouds moved in fast, swallowing the Scottish Highlands. Visibility was low, which was a blessing and a curse. The stag’s calls let us know where he was and allowed us to move quickly, but we couldn’t see more than 100 yards. The wind picked up, and the temperature dropped. Monte, my guide, looked at his watch and said, “We need to get a move on. We are way back in here, and it will be dark soon.”
A glance over my shoulder at the steep slope and valley we’d come up let me know we were officially hunting in the clouds. There was no slope or valley; only white. The stag roared again.
Increasing wind speeds kept the cloud bank moving. This meant moments of 200-yard-plus visibility and moments of 50-yard visibility.
After gaining a bit of high ground, we spied the stag. Not wanting to travel unquestioningly, he’d bedded right above a burn. A Scottish burn is different from an American burn. The Scottish term “burn” means a river system cutting through the highlands.
It was perfect. Monte, Nathan Robinson, and I closed the final 150 yards quickly. Soon, I was prone; my X-Bolt 2 Speed set on Magpul’s MOE Bipod. My Leupold VX-4HD 3-12×40 optic strained to gather every ounce of light. One second, I could see horns—the next, nothing. The clouds danced around us, wreaking havoc on our glass and creating tense moments.
I’ve hunted long enough to know that when something is meant to be, it will be. When the cards are stacked against you, it won’t “be,” no matter how bad you want it. Wondering whether the deck was stacked in my favor, I took a deep breath, let it out, and suddenly a window of opportunity materialized.
A New Leupold Optic
I’ve written many articles about the importance of having good optics, from your binos to your rangefinder to scope and spotter; good glass matters. I’d been looking forward to hunting Red deer in Scotland since I found out about the trip a year prior. These deer live in wet, steep, gnarly terrain. Getting to them isn’t easy, and the lack of cover can make getting within 300 yards a chore. These deer live on nutrient-depleted vegetation like heather and grasses. They lack the nutrients needed for horn growth and weight gain. These deer must navigate high-altitude, open moorlands and survive brutal winters. The Red deer of the Scottish Highlands are a different breed, and I couldn’t wait for the challenge.
I could have chosen any Leupold scope: the VX-6HD Gen 2, VX-5HD Gen 2, Mark 5 HD, or Mark 4 HD. I went with the tried-and-true VX-4HD.
Why?
I’d slapped the optic on my 6.8 Western for an elk hunt, and with 10 minutes of legal light remaining, I put two bullets within one inch of each other behind the shoulder of a big, old bull. On that elk hunt, my VX-4HD topped X-Bolt 2 Speed was dropped twice, and once I fell on it hard with the rifle strapped to my backpack. The hunt was in steep, wet, and slick canyon country. We hunted from dawn to dark and were always into elk. There was no time to shoot the gun and make sure it was on. When the time came, the X-Bolt 2/Leupold VX-4HD combo put the bull down from 264 yards.
This was my first experience with the VX-4HD. Until that elk hunt, I’d always opted for a VX-5 or VX-6 model. The VX-4HD proved itself on the range and in the field. I was confident with the under-$1 K scope, and as a hunter, I know that confidence in my equipment is everything, especially heading into a once-in-a-lifetime hunt.
Though under $1K and lacking some of the bells and whistles of pricier Leupold scopes, the VX-4HD proved rock-solid, and knowing shots would be limited to 300 yards, I felt more than comfortable with the 40mm objective and 3-12x magnification range.
Leupold VX-4 HD Features
I preach that one should never compromise glass quality. Though it’s an under-$1K optic, I didn’t have to. The VX-4HD comes with Leupold’s Elite Optical System and High-Definition Performance. For grins, three days before leaving for Scotland, I took a 500-yard range shot six minutes after legal light expired. My reason for doing this: To prove the optics’ clarity, color fidelity, and reticle quality in non-legal hunting light. I dinged the 6-inch steel plate three times. My VX-4HD came with a side battery compartment and illuminated reticle with Motion Sensor Technology. Whenever possible, I take full advantage of Leupold’s eight reticle brightness settings.
Again, confidence matters. With the VX-4HD, I knew that I could, if needed, take my hunt up to the last legal minute of hunting light. I love the sizeable integrated throw lever that makes magnification changes easy, and the fast-focus eyepiece lets you quickly sharpen and customize the scope’s reticle to match your eyesight.
Normally, I’d do my testing, gather my intel, and have Leupold build me a custom CDS-ZL2 Elevation Dial. Not this time. Shortly before my elk hunt, Leupold sent me its all-new BX-6 Range HD 10x42mm rangefinding binos. We will have a full review of these super-sweet rangefinding binos coming soon. For now, know that Leupold fitted these binos with their best-ever optical system. They are clear, provide remarkable edge-to-edge clarity, and gather light like crazy. Best of all, though, they pair with Leupold’s Control app, letting you build multiple ballistic profiles. This is better than having a pre-cut CDS-ZL2 dial. Environmental sensors power the BX-6 Range HD 10×42 rangefinding binos, giving precise elevation, temperature, humidity, and pressure. When ringing steel on the Scotland range, my Leupold app told me to come up 5.1 MOA. I rang steel at 500 yards five times in a row.
Leupold VX-4 HD In The Highlands
As a hunter, I want a hunting scope. The Leupold VX-4HD is a hunting scope. It’s rough. It’s tough. It performs no matter the elements. That’s what I want in a rifle-mounted optic. I want an optic I toss in a scabbard for an elk hunt, lash to a backpack for a high-country mule deer hunt, then toss into a TSA-approved rifle case, fly across the big pond, and dominate any big-game situation on any continent. I get all that and more in the VX-4HD.
Out of nowhere, the clouds thinned, and as if on cue, the ancient stag stood. He was rut-worn. Through the optic, I could make out rib and hip bones, sure signs of a hard rut. Though slightly quartering-to, Monte let me take the shot. I was dead steady, the crosshairs in the Full Reticle centered just behind the point of the shoulder. The trigger pull was clean, and through the optic, I saw the stag’s head go back and butt hit the ground. He was dead instantly.
If you’re looking for a top-end scope built to dominate big-game adventures in any environment and weather condition, look no further than the VX-4HD. The optic delivers durability, clarity, and accuracy in spades, and helps you keep some greenbacks in the bank.
