Leupold's John Snodgrass, the Tactical Product Line Manager, sat down with Kyle Lamb and Buck Doyle to discuss long-range shooting, the new Mark 5HD, and trends in the shooting industry, live from the Leupold Optics booth at SHOT Show 2018.

Sergeant Major (retired) Kyle Lamb spent over 21 years in the United States Army, with over 15 of those years in 1st SFOD-D Delta Force. Early in his career, Kyle was fighting in the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia – the 1993 fight which inspired the book and movie Black Hawk Down. Lamb is the Founder and President of Viking Tactics, a tactical training and gear company. He also appears on several Sportsman Channel TV Shows and has written a handful of books on carbine instruction and leadership.

Buck Doyle served over 21 years in the US Marine Corps, including multiple combat tours with Special Operations units. As a Reconnaissance Marine with the 1st Force Recon, 1st Recon BN, and MARSOC units, Doyle served as Team Leader, Platoon Sergeant, and Chief Instructor at Special Missions Training Branch. He has extensive experience in hostile combat zones in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Doyle retired from the Marine Corps a Master Sergeant with multiple awards, including the Bronze Star (with Valor) and now runs a consulting and training business.

Buck helped inform the design of Leupold’s new Mark 5HD, giving John a firsthand perspective from long-range shooters and asking how we could take it to the next level. John was most concerned with what was going to get the job done; he wanted to cover all of the basics but also give long-range shooters the tools necessary to dominate every potential situation.

Kyle has noticed that many shooters are training differently than they used to; for instance, competitive shooters have added obstacle courses and various shooting positions to their competitions. He always encourages his students to train the way you shoot in the real world. If you’re going to be in combat, then don’t always shoot in a prone position. Similar for hunters, most real-world targets are rarely static so don’t always practice your shots prone.

Leupold also applied real-world principles in the design of the Mark 5HD when it was produced, which inspired features like the new integrated throw lever – something Buck really appreciated. It allows him to move the variable power back and forth more easily without having to take his eyes off the target. The Mark 5HD is a great example of how Leupold puts our consumers first, taking in feedback and creating a truly versatile scope.