LEICA FORTIS 6 2-12X50i
KOOS BARNARD
The Cononavirus has spoiled a lot of things but I managed to put two scope brands through their paces on the shooting range just a day before the lockdown came into effect. One of these was the superb Leica Fortis 6 2-12x50i.
Leica rangefinders, binoculars and binocular/rangefinders (the Geovids) are very popular in South Africa but the riflescopes a little less so, which I think is a pity because Leica’s riflescopes are world-class products.
ALL ITS FUNCTIONS
The Fortis 6 is robustly built, has a 30mm tube and, unlike some other scope brands, has no plastic parts or materials. Our test model is fitted with Leica’s L-4A reticule (in the second focal plane) which has a thin crosshair at the centre with a dot that can illuminate. The colour of the illumination is orange and there are nine brightness settings. To switch the illumination off you have to turn the dial all the way back to the zero mark.
However, it also has an auto “switch off/on by position”. The illumination will automatically switch off when the scope is lifted up or lowered to an angle of ±75º or when tilted sideways more than 40º. It will also switch off after three minutes of no activity/movement. So, you can switch on the illumination, carry the rifle over your shoulder and whenever you level the rifle the illumination will come on again immediately. I have
tested those functions and they performed as advertised.
The illumination dial/switch is located on the left-hand side of the tube where the turrets are (where you will normally find the parallax dial ring). With the magnification set at 10x, the dot size covers 1.5cm at 100m. A single CR2032 battery powers the illumination.
This model is set parallax-free at 100m, its eye relief is 90mm, the eyepiece is of the quickfocus type and the scope weighs 700g. Field of view is 20.4m at 2x magnification and 3.5m at 12x. Leica’s claim in terms of light transmission is 92% and I must agree that this scope’s clarity is extremely good. It provides a very sharp image and contrast. But that is what Leica products are known for – top-class optics!
A GREAT HUNTING SCOPE
The 2-12x50i has normal, lowprofile turrets which are more suitable for hunting applications and the adjustments are fairly coarse – one click moves the point of impact 1cm. This Leica is definitely a hunting scope – most target shooters prefer finer adjustments.
It has two features that I like – you can lock the elevation turret at any setting, and the turret can be fitted with Leica’s bullet drop compensator (BDC) ring or, as Leica calls it, the “direct dial ring”. Models without the BDC-turret are also available at selected dealers.
Here’s how it works: The top part or cap of the elevation ring is removable and the standard dial ring with normal index marks can be replaced with anyone of 12 rings that all mimic certain trajectories out to 500m (the rings have more index marks for ranges beyond 500m but you must work those out through practical range tests). Leica supplies the rings and you simply choose one that is suitable for your calibre/load. The »
» ring’s adjustments might not match your bullet/load’s trajectory exactly, so range tests are necessary. Use this link to get the rings’ adjustment values: ballistictool.leica-camera.com
FITTED TO MY .308
I had some cartridges for my .308 Win loaded with 125gr Nosler BT bullets that leave the muzzle at 2 905fps. Zeroed at 100m this bullet drops about 11cm at 200m, 24.5cm at 250 and 42cm at 300m. So I chose the EU5-ring (for metres, rings marked US are for yards). For a 100m zero this ring predicts a drop of 11cm at 200m, 24cm at 250 and 42.6cm at 300m. Unfortunately, I could not test it out to 500m because the only range available to me before lockdown was a 300m shooting range. By the way, the Leica’s adjustments were accurate and repeatable.
Out to 300m the EU5-ring proved to be very accurate for my CZ .308 Win. On that day my rifle printed about 1.5cm low at all distances when using the Leica BDC-ring. A slight adjustment was necessary to bring the point of impact spot on. Remember, do not simply accept what any ballistic calculator tells you – practical shooting tests are always necessary.
ADJUSTING THE SCOPE
OK, but how do you adjust the scope and fit the BDC-ring? First of all, you sight the scope in, say at 100m, by using the normal turret as it comes from the factory. Then you loosen the two grub screws in the turret cap (see photo) and lift it off the turret assembly. Now remove the factory-fitted ring and insert the BDC-ring of your choice. There is only one way to fit it into the cap. Just make sure that the naught or zero mark coincides with the zero mark on the lower half or lock-ring of the turret (see photo).
After replacing the cap, tighten the grub screws and simply adjust the turret as needed for the distance you want to shoot at. The 20 is the 200m zero, 30 for 300, 35 for 350m, etc. Remember that you can use the lock-ring to prevent accidental adjustment of the elevation turret. A standard screw-on cap covers the windage turret and prevents accidental adjustments.
This Leica 2-12x50i really impressed me and I am very happy to recommend it. In addition to this model, there is also a 2.5-15x56i for those who want to stretch distances a bit and also shoot in bad lighting conditions. It has the same features as the 2-12x but also comes with a parallax adjustment dial (from 50m to infinity).
The Leica 2-12x50i retails for R38 000 while the 2.5-15x56i costs R2 000 more. The price includes the BDC-rings which normally retail for R2 200.
For more information visit your favourite dealer.