I recently tested the Leupold VX-R Patrol riflescope, which was designed for fast target acquisition and enough flexibility to give the officer a scope that will work for most patrol applications.

I get to test a lot of law enforcement optics. Most of them are high quality. They have to be, considering the abuse for which they are designed. Most of them don't really stand out.The Leupold VX-R Patrol does.

The VX-R Patrol is a 30mm main tube low magnification scope that uses Leupolds twin bias erector system and 1/4 MOA click adjustments for accuracy. This a pretty fine adjustment for a carbine, which often gets 1/2 MOA adjustments. Interested in Sights and Scopes? The VX-R Patrol is a 30mm main tube low magnification scope that uses Leupolds twin bias erector system and 1/4 MOA click adjustments for accuracy. 

Two Versions

The VX-R Patrol comes in two versions, a 1.25-4x20 FireDot Special Purpose Reticle and the 3-9x40 with a FireDot TMR (Tactical Milling Reticle). I picked the 1.25-4x20 SPR because the magnification and field of view is appropriate for a large percentage of patrol applications. For example, an officer could turn the power to its lowest setting and use it during a close-quarters entry. Crank it up to 4x and the AR-15 VX-R combination allows some standoff distance between the officer and a barricaded subject.

The reticle is a crosshair with a center circle setup with mil ticks and thicker posts outside the center of the image. This kind of reticle allows for quick target acquisition because the image is simple while giving the shooter a reliable sighting standard at longer distances. I understand that this product can be ordered with the CM-R² reticle also, but I would pick the SPR here.

The most profound feature of the scope is the FireDot center illumination. This is an advanced fiber optic feature that puts a bright red dot in the center of the crosshairs. It worked in daylight and twilight. There wasn't any bleed over on the image and the crispness of the reticle never wavered, even when making focusing or power adjustments.

This isn't as simple as it looks. Many other manufacturers have optics that use an illuminated aiming point. Cheaper ones are obviously inferior when one cranks up the power. There is usually a discernible halo or a distortion in the shape of the dot. The Leupold VX-R Patrol reticle had edge-to-edge usability on the reticle.

The FireDot uses a CR 2032 cell inside a protrusion that looks like a third turret on the left side. One presses the silent switch in the center to turn it on and adjust the illumination. After the initial adjustment, it goes into standby when the scope is still for a while. When it is moved, it returns to the user's setting. There is no lag time in the motion detection so if I didn't tell you, you wouldn't know, except it would seem that the scope got a lot of life from one cell.

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