By Charlie Benton
Instead of a pacifier, the labor and delivery nurse handed Paul Frodsham a lit cigarette during his first post-birth cry, and he hasn’t stopped smoking since. On account of his lifetime of ripping heaters, Paul speaks in growls forced through a gravel-filled throat, but his South African accent lends an air of formality to every word. Bumping along a dusty dirt road, Paul flatly confessed he’d just recently come around to believing in the efficacy of dialing for elevation. For a professional hunter, that struck me as odd.
Paul’s revelation naturally led to a discussion of optics, and in particular, his asking my opinion of the optic I chose for this trip: Leupold’s VX-6HD Gen 2. In short, it’s outstanding. Leupold released the Gen 2 in early 2025, and I ordered it specifically for Outrider’s 3rd Annual South African Safari. They offer this scope in multiple magnifications with multiple reticles, but not all reticle options are available in all magnifications. While I’ve used “Christmas tree” reticles with success, my preference is for simplicity. I opted for the 3-18×56 with the Illuminated Firedot Twilight Hunter reticle—basic crosshairs with an illuminated red dot in the center. If you’re looking to Reddit-PRS-basement-nerd out on hash marks, this reticle is not for you. If you appreciate streamlined visual efficiency, you may never choose another reticle option after trying this one. Again, there are multiple options; find your preference.
Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2 Features
Aside from the Oregon-based optics company’s standard high-quality glass and tough tubes, there are two really impressive features on the Gen 2. The first is the Speedset Dial, which eliminates the need for tools to remove the turret cap and make elevation and windage adjustments. The tops of both dial caps have a small silver button that, when pressed, releases a built-in lever used to easily remove the cap. Make your adjustments, place the cap back into position, and rotate the lever back, locking the dial cap back in place.
The second feature, which isn’t exclusive to the Gen 2 but is only available on select models with illuminated reticles, is the Electronic Reticle Level. Hold the illumination button down for 15 seconds to turn the feature on, release the button, then press it again to turn on the illuminated reticle. If your scope is canted, the reticle will flash and continue flashing until you’ve rotated it level. This can be used both when mounting your scope as well as in the field before taking a shot to better ensure point of impact.
At the moment of my present conversation with Paul, I’d killed four plains game species with the Gen 2 and went on to kill two more before the end of the trip. One of those first four animals included a bushbuck at 550 yards on a mountainside across a deep ravine with sustained winds between 15 and 20 mph and gusts significantly higher. Obviously, the scope didn’t fire the bullet, and the entire setup deserves credit for working together, but using an optic you know you can trust is non-negotiable.
Making it Count
Our last-light conversation stopped when Paul spotted a fallow deer. It stared down at us from a small opening in some dense brush pretty far up the side of the mountain wall that parallels the road. “He’s certainly tall, but I can’t see his palms with him facing us straight on,” Paul rumbled. After ranging him at around 600 yards, we decided to move closer and hoped to get a better look at his rack. When we stopped again, Paul called the distance at 491 yards with a significant incline. I set my bipod on a small boulder, proned out behind it, and dialed for 500 yards. The sun already dropped behind the mountain and last light waned towards darkness.
Despite the time between initial sighting and getting him in the scope, he still only offered a full-frontal view. I’m a firm believer in listening to one’s guide, so I asked Paul’s opinion on both the deer and the shot. He reasoned that we’d likely only get to see the width of his palms if he turned to run away. As for the shot, he put it back on me and my comfort level with that distance, at that angle, during last light, on a fallow that wasn’t even slightly quartering. Less than two seconds later, I confidently sent a 160-grain bullet up the mountain and into the stag’s chest, dropping him where he stood.
All those years of smoking meant that I got to the deer before Paul. I’ve shot wider stags, but how we took this one means just as much to me as the width of the others, and it certainly reinforced Paul’s newfound belief in dialing for elevation. I’ve used a lot of impressive scopes from different manufacturers over the years, but, thus far, I’ve taken my longest and most accurate shot on game with a Leupold.
Cost: $2,000 – $2,700.
Pros: Speedset Dials provide the ability to make adjustments anywhere, without tools; the Electronic Reticle Leveling system is great for initial mounting and improving long-range accuracy in the field; clear glass in low light, bright light, and everything in between.
Cons: If I’m forced to come up with one, I wish the battery compartment for the illuminated models also had the Speedset Dial system for faster access.
Charlie’s Full Rig for the Outrider 3.0 & 3.1 Safaris
- Gun: Aero Precision Solus Lightweight Hunter
- Suppressor: Aero Precision Lahar 30-K
- Optic: Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2
- Ammo: Barnes VOR-TX LR 160-grain
- Bipod: Spartan Precision Javelin Pro Hunt Tac
- Binos: Revic Acura BLR10b
