Leatherwood CMR 1-4x24 30mm scope

Tactical Gear Optics & Mounts
1

Article originally found at: urbantacticalgearreview.com
Freshly released from Leatherwood, the CMR (Close Medium Range) promises to be the best value 1-4x optic on the market.

purchased from: SWFA (ordered on saturday, had it on wensday)

Recently I started putting together a new 16 inch AR-15. I was torn between mounting a 3-9x scope with an offset micro dot pairing; or to find a 1-4x optic that would function well as a close range optic. In the sub $500 price range there aren’t many scopes that include an illuminated reticle, mil-dots and low profile turrets, with quality glass. While doing my research on the topic I ran across this newly released optic from Leatherwood / Hi-Lux optics. It is the CMR which is an acronym for Close Medium Range. And guess what, It has all the features one could ever want.

A Few technical specs:
Weight (oz):16.5
Length (in):10.2
Eye Relief (in):3
Field of View @ 100yds (ft):94.8 - 26.2
Exit Pupil (mm):11.1 - 6
MOA:1/2
Lens Coating: Diamond TuFF14
Warranty: Limited Lifetime

We’ll start with the standard packaging contents. The CMR comes with the Optic, Two batteries, an allen wrench for adjusting the ZRO-LOK (as discussed later), a cleaning cloth and two slip on caps.

The CMR features three low profile turrets. The rear most turret is for turning on the illumination and adjusting it’s brightness. There are 11 brightness settings, including a NV (night vision) setting. It also holds the Battery. The battery cap is mounted relatively flush with the top of the turret, so when you unscrew it be careful not to turn on the illumination. Same with replacing it. Not the contact points in the below picture. The battery should be installed so that the writing is face up.

The Next turret is on the top of the optic and almost in a straight line from the illumination turret. This would be the elevation turret. Note the two allen screws. We’re about to get to those.



The Final Turret is located just to the right of the elevation turret, on the side of the optic. This is the windage turret. Again, note the allen screws. Almost to those.


Now. About those allen screws I’ve had you note. These are part of the ZRO-LOK turret system. This is a quick and easy return to zero system. Basically Before you zero your weapon you would loosen these allen screws, zero the elevation, and then tighten them back down, zero the windage, and then tighten those down. This system will ensure that you can adjust the scope for whatever shooting conditions and that when you return the adjustment ring to zero, your back to your inital zero. To quote from the manual “With this ZRO-LOK turret locking system, you can never lose your scope zero.”

The Final external option is a fast focus adjuster. This is used to bring your weapon into focus quickly for varying depths. It is located at the user end of the scope.

So enough of the outside. Let’s move into what REALLY matters. The Reticle. Unlike some sub-$500 scopes the reticle is laser etched into the glass. This means that there are no cross hairs free floating that can be broken. Everything is etched, including the cross hairs, horseshoe center dot, and the mil dots. All are visible with the illumination turned off. The first picture below is a stock picture from the manufacturer’s website. The other two are my own.</p>



By now your probably trying to figure out what you want to mount this optic in. We used the American Defense Mounts (ADM) AD-SCOUT. With 30mm rings this mount is spec’ed out to have a 1.5 inch lift from the reciever. Using this scope/mount combination will clear a Magpul MBUS rear sight… by a hair. For whatever reason the first picture shows that the optic is bent. It’s not. It’s an optical illusion.



One final gratuitous porn shot.

Now that the initial write up is done, it’s time to field test it.

2

These are some of the day light shots. we were trying to compare it to a aimpoint t1 but alas the t1 pics just wouldn’t come out.
illumination off

Illumination at setting 2

illumination at setting 6

3

Looks very interesting I may have to pick one up. How much was the ADM mount and where did you get it from?

Thanks
9’s

4

Outstanding write up! Thanks!
Im wondering how fast the reticule is for acquiring a target on a sunny day. Feedback would be awesome.:slight_smile:

5

The low end i’ve found for those mounts is $150 at Midway or E-bay.

How tolerant is the scope of head posistion/cheek weld at 1x? I know the exit pupil is on the lower end. How easy is it to get a good…well shootable sight picture?

I’m probably going to order one in the next day or two.

6

First impression is that it came from the same factory as my DSM-1; same (IDENTICAL) battery cap, similar fit & finish… glass quality seems right on par for what I spent on it. I didn’t notice any haloing or discoloration. The glass seemed clearer than my DSM-1.

I initially thought the reticle was hard to pick up, but after mounting it to my duty rifle and handling it for a while, I concluded that this was a “training issue”. My aging eyes liked the green flat tire better than the red donut & dot in low light.

Granted, this scope probably has more features than an average beat cop might need on most days, but I’m digging it.

7

I just got my CMR from Midway this last Thursday. I ordered it with a Magpul BAD lever and an American Defense Scout 30mm extended mount with the dual levers.

The mount came covered in oil…took a while to clean it up. Why an alum mount needs to be shipped packed in oil is beyond me…

I wish the reticle was brighter and a bit less scope shadow would be nice. These are minor concerns though.

That being said, this is my first 1-4x, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. So it’s kind of hard for me to say what has too much scope shadow etc…I wanted to get a good feel for variable power scopes on the AR-15 platform before dropping 2k on a Short Dot or even more for a CQBSS.

The glass is very clear and surprisingly sharp. Not quite a TA31F, but for 20% of the price it’s a gem.

There are quite a few 1-8x scopes on the horizon; so I figured if the CMR bites it, I’ll be upgrading.

The CMR delivered more than what I expected. I wanted something with a drop reticle, and calibrated in MILS so I could practice ranging, open turrents etc…The CMR fit the bill perfect. IMO, this scope could easily be more expensive.

The only downfall is the PRC thing. But, I would imagine most things this day and age if they aren’t made in China they have componets that are…such is life. Shit, the concrete anchors I just bought from Lowes are made in China.

If the warranty holds up, that will be good enough for me. Hopefully I’ll never need it.

Shooting test is to follow as soon as I can get to the range.

Eye relief is perfect with that mount…

8

Awesome! thanks for the great review.

9

thank you for the great review.

made in where?

10

PRC = Peoples Republic of China.

Something else I just remembered. I don’t like how the illumination only effects the horseshoe and the dot. None of the BDC and range estimation elements are lit.

Now, I can see why this would be bad. In low light, too much illumination will wash out the target. But, I would rather have a greater range of adjustment to compensate for that and be able to range in low light. Granted, I don’t see myself shooting farther than 100 yards in low light where I can’t really see the reticle, but for ranging, when you need the contrast as in mixed lighting wooded ares etc, it would be nice.

The Vortex Viper PST, which I was going back and forth on buying, illuminates the whole reticle. Granted it is twice as much at $500 as the CMR is at $250. To me, the extra $250 is a lot of .223 to get some trigger time with. And of course the Viper PST isn’t out yet…but whatever…

I keep reading about how you can’t buy skill, but you do need to buy ammo to practice with. :wink:

The other feature I like about the PST better, on paper, is the exit pupil. It’s about twice as high was the CMR, about 28 to 12. Now I don’t know how much of a practical difference this makes with regards to scope shadow, ease of posistion etc. Most of the high end scopes, Leupold, S&B etc, have specs closer to the CMR…for what it’s worth.

A note about the daylight visible illumination…I think people are looking for the end all be all optic. Bright red dot plus magnification and low weight. Wouldn’t that be nice? Variable power scopes are closer to scopes (duh) than red dots. Don’t expect it to work like a red dot. Can it function close to the RDS? Sure…is it a direct replacement for one? No. Some of the stuff on the horizon, in particular, the Leupold CBQSS, look very nice. All of this nice comes at over $3000.

The CMR is a great scope to get your feet wet in the variable scope market. I don’t want to call it an entry level scope, to do so seems to cheapen it.

All this said, it is a lot of scope for $250. I see this bumping out the Millet as the go to budget scope.

11

When I originally wrote this I sent a link to both swfa (who i got it from) and leatherwood’s customer service line. Within 45 minutes of that email I had a response from leatherwood. I’ve spoken to one of their people too. So the PRC thing, well, it doesn’t worry me a bit. I trust that should I ever have a technical issue with this scope, they’ll back it up. That lifetime warranty sounds really nice. hope i never have to use it.

12

I keep looking at your reticle pics and yours looks more even than mind in regards to illumination. I seem to have a darker area at about the 1 o’clock posistion.

I tried to take a pic of it, but I’m only working with an iPhone here.

I hate to send it in for something so trivial, but I may throw a line to Leatherwood and see what bites.

13

My girlfriend told me the reticle reminded her of a boob. I decided that i’m okay with it…

Added a pic of it mounted…

I did send an email to Leatherwood about the illumination. I was told the reticle will not be perfectly even, as the illumination is done by coating the illuminated section of the reticle. They told me I could send it in and if deemed defective, they would replace it.

To me it’s not worth the trouble at all. Most probably wouldn’t even notice it.

I was at a local gunstore and I got to look through a Millet DMS. From the brief hands on time I had with it, I like how the Millet reticle is brighter. They both wash out in the sun though. The exit pupil is more forgiving with the DMS, so your head posistion doesn’t have to be as perfect. The bold lines of the DMS makes tracking the reticle very easy and its quick(er) to pick up.

Overall though, IMO the CMR has a better reticle for precision shooting. If you are looking for very fast shots, the DMS may be for you. If you are looking for a 1-4x for longer range stuff, the CMR may be a better choice as the CMR reticle allows you to range in MILS and has built in bullet drop.

Glass to me was about the same, very clear. Not Trijicon clear, but for mid-range glass they are very good. Both scopes are a great value. I didn’t get to compare them side by side. A lot of users are saying they like the CMR glass better. The DMS does seem to be slightly cloudy. I would give the CMR a slight edge on glass. I was pretty impressed the first time I used it.

14

I bought one and got it in. Looks like a good scope. Glass is clear and I really like the zero lock. I will be putting it on an MK12 MOD1 (Clone) build and trying it in about a week. A long time ago in the 1st Ranger Batt we used the Leatherwood scopes on the M21 and they were great scopes. Thats the main reason I tried the CMR. At 400 meters at’s really clear. I will laser site it in to night. If it’s as good as what we used back then it’s a great deal:D

15

I am debating on buying this scope. How well does it hold a zero? How is the durability? I don’t want to be worried about the scope malfunctioning in adverse weather conditions.

Thank you for any info.

Michael

16

I can’t answer that yet, but trust me:D I most certainly will put it through a torture test that congress would put me on trial for. I plan on shooting it the h%ll out of it and then putting under water for 24 hrs 1 ft with it turned on. I’m going to put it in the frig and then take it outside and see if and condesation gets inside of it. I might bump it a little, but I’m not going to damage the scope. It’s under warranty.

17

Can’t wait to hear the results from that! I want to get a scope for my stg 556 and I think this might be the one. When do you plan on doing the torture test? That will most definitely decide whether I get it or not! I love the sights just am concerned with durability.

Many thanks,

Michael

18

I have an ART II scope made by Leatherwood in the 80’s for my M21 clone. Great scopes! I will be getting a couple of these.

19

From a recent range trip. 25 Yards, 3 rounds, no bipod or rifle rest. About the best I could do from a half ass improvised shooting posistion in a indor shooting stall.

The scope did good.

I wish it had lockable turrents. I like exposed turrents, but in my next scope I would want lockable turrents.

The clicks are a little mushy, but it works. The only thing I have to compare it to is a TR24. There just seems to be a little slop before the click.

I don’t like how the return to zero works. Sometimes when tightening the screws its easy to turn it a click or two.

I used the red goop that came with my ADM mount on the mount screws, and 120 rounds later they were all loose to the point of barely being tight.

I cleaned them and re-applied blue locktite and I’ll make another trip and see how she holds zero. I also want to check about POI shift between 1 and 4 power.

I also got to look through a Trijicon TR24. It’s a very clear scope, more so than the CMR, but it is $500 more.

The reticle is what really sold me on the CMR. If Trijicon came out with something similar in the TR24 series they would own.

20

Ok I went to the range today. It was a little rainy and overcast and OH very humid. I shot using a grip pod and tried resting the stock on a 4x4. Didn’t work very well. My good ammo did not come in so I used some PPU 75gr (Not the best ammo, but not the worse either). Next time I will be useing Blackhills 77 gr Match King. I zeroed the scope in at 100 yds and after that I shot 200 rds of the 75 gr ammo. That’s not counting the 62 gr. M855 I shot (about 100 rds) With the 75 gr bullet weight I turned to the number 3 on top turrent and it was dead on at 200 yds it came to 3 numbers per 100 yds. as far as windage that depends on the conditions at the time your are shooting. Once I tightened the zero lock down it did not come loose and when I put it back to the number 0 it fired perfect at 100 yards

I could see 8in. gongs that were at 560 yds. I fired only 200 rds through it today. The 62gr. M855 POI was close to the 75 gr but groups avg. 3.5-4 at 200 yards. Here’s a pic of a target at 100 yards with the 75 gr… The group avg. is an inch and could have been a lot better if I could have stablized the rifle better. This was a last min shoot and I left alot of my stuff at the house. The scope did shoot as well at 300 yard as it did at 100yds though I had a little larger targets I could not see bright center of the small targets very well at 200 and 300 yds. It’s a keeper so far.

Bottom line scope could shoot better than me today:rolleyes:

Top rifle Colt with Douglas 18in 1/7 barrel free float larue rail, Chip McCormick national match trigger and Hi Lux CMR with PEPR mount