TonySkyline
WKR
Last year was my first year with a muzzleloader and I loved it. It was finicky sighting in the cva accura mr-x and I think after countless bullet, primer, & powder trials I'm close on a good load for it. However, it needs a more durable scope. Cheaper, less durable optics are not an option and I've narrowed it down to a few finally after much research and talking to people on here while I was dealing with accuracy issues last year sighting it in.
Most important factors in order:
1. Durability- Must have a proven track record and be able to handle the higher recoil (might switch to magnum loads and it already kicks more than my 7rem or 300wsm with 100G BH or white hots)
2. Low light performance- Must have a lit reticle and clear glass at dusk & dawn. Muzzleloader season is late in the year here (Dec25-Jan1) and by that time deer are back to feeding at last light. Also may take it to Kansas and thier season is mid September which also means feeding at last light.
3. Eye relief & eye box- It needs to have a decent eye box and more important eye relief due to recoil.
4. Reticle- I prefer FFP so if I am in the woods I can crank it down and still be zeroed. Not a deal breaker, but absolutely need a reticle that allows me to calculate bullet drop to 250-300 yards max. I use chairgun elite+ and it has most reticles in there.
5. Price- This one is obvious but I've already tried going the cheap route thinking since I am not shooting as far as I do with my rifles, it wouldn't be as important. I was clearly wrong. I am still not willing to spend the coin on a higher end optic as I am on a budget, especially if I draw for any of the out of state tags so I need to keep it reasonable. Prefer under 1k but if I can use the optic for multiple rifles I'd spend a little more.
6. Turret- I always prefer low profile locking turrets with a zero stop similar to what I have on my Leupold VX5-HD. However, if the reticle is decent and I can use my drop data and it's a SFP, it is not as needed.
Based on my most important attributes I am looking for I've narrowed it down to 3-4 optics.
Trijicon Accupoint 2.5-10x56 TR22-2G $724.30- Lowest priced optic I am considering to that adds a ton of value. The large bell & tritium/fiber optic make this one a winner in the low light performance category. Battery free illumination and automatic brightness adjustments sound awesome (one less thing to worry about or go wrong). Japanese glass of course and Trijicon is known as almost as durable as a Nightforce and they have done drop testing (not sure on this model though). It's also a brand that's been battle proven and I love my Acog. Super lightweight coming in at only 20Oz. The mil-dot is nice in a way that my eyes are naturally drawn to the small lit dot in the middle like on my razor LHT and Leupold VX5-HD. The eye relief on relief on this is listed at 2.8-4.1" which is not great at 2.8"or really good at 4.1"
Cons- The mil dots might not get me to that 250 yard number and it has capped turrets so dialing is not really an option. Also being SFP is not ideal but I've used em my entire life so not a deal breaker and the 10X magnification is not to overpowering and perfect for shots out to 250-300 yards max distance (although very rare I'd attempt that with this muzzy).
Nightforce SHV 4-14x50 F1 illumintaed Mil-R C557 $1,290- Most expensive priced optic in the running but can find this used or as a demo and save a few hundred dollars making it the middle priced option. Obviously the most durable optic in the bunch and that is what's most important. Exposed turrets with a zero stop is nice however, they are not locking. I am a fan of this being FFP and the reticle will give me plenty of room for my drops out to max distance and I can dial if needed. I do like how this model has the turn knob illumination vs the push button on the NX8 & ATACR models. Also high grade Japanese glass. I've heard its the same factory & glass that Trijicon uses but can not confirm that to be true. This one is built like a tank but comes at the price of 30OZ weight which is clearly a con for a lightweight muzzleloader but that is low on my priority list. The magnification range being 4-14X does not bother me although it is a bit on the higher end for a 300 yard max gun. As long as its the FFP version I am perfectly ok with it. I do like how the reticle lights up in the middle at full power but not sure how good it will be on the lower end and mid range of the magnification.
Cons- Eye relief says 2.8-3.1" so that is for sure the biggest con on this optic for my use case. Seeing that almost made me write this optic off and consider an NX8 instead but I am not willing to spend that much. I haven't seen it in person but out of the 3, I've heard people say it's the worst in low light and the reticle dissapears at low magnification. I've also heard it has the worst glass although I am not sure how thats possible if it is indeed the same as the trijicon. As i stated before the weight is alot at 30oz. Durability does trump alot of these cons so I am still considering it.
Maven RS1.2 2.5-15x44 FFP SHR-Mil $1,200- Ahhh yes, the beloved RS1.2, the Rokslide special! I will admit, I am in love with this company and if I had a million dollars I'd own their entire catalog. That new LPVO looks phenomenal, this RS1.2 is the perfect hunting rifle scope, I am waiting for them to make more options for the tactical MPVO 2-12, 2-20X optics like Primary Arms because they'd beat them at their own game possibly. OK, fanboy rant over. At $1,200 this is the most expensive option as I don't see many used ones going up for sale (I just missed a killer deal on ebay on one which is what made me start considering it for this muzzy). I love how you can also customize these on their site but I don't see the option for the coveted Mil reticle? So durability... They are a newer company so that was a concern. Thanks to Rokslide it is no longer a question and they have great customer service so I doubt I'd have issues there. This survived the drop test that most of my other mid-premium optics failed at. The glass has been toted as the best glass you can get under $2,000 and is Japanese premium ED glass. Again, not sure if its made in the same factory as the others but regardless, it's always getting raving reviews for it's crystal clear edge to edge picture & brightness. This is the one optic that I could see using it on another rifle. The low light performance is likely the second best from the research I've done only coming in behind the accupoint. I can for sure fit all of my drops in this mil reticle and I love that it is FFP. Not sure how well I'll see the lit reticle on lower power though but my guess is not great as with most FFP optics. That is just part of the tradeoff though. I am not in love with this reticle but I do like it as much as the nightforce options, possibly even more. The brightness also falls in the middle (again going off of reviews & research) but most FFP reticles until recent technology advancements would not compete with a SFP, especially a tritium & fiber optic Trijicon. The turret functions great and has been said to be more tactile than the Nightforce although not sure if as durable. Not a biggie because the reticle is good. The weight also falls in the middle coming in at 26.4Oz. Not bad for an optic with this much packed into it and a 2.5-15 zoom range.
Cons- Magnification range. If they offered this in a 2-10 or 2-12 I think my choice would be this. The 15X is what i use on my deer & elk rifles for shots out to 600 yards so this is for sure more than i need for a 250-300 yard max muzzy. I know they offer less expensive lower power options but they are not the same aside from the great glass they share. I have to have the lit reticle (not negotiable). If not I'd be considering the RS2 and the trijicon huron and be happy with those options for their durability, lighter weight, & price points. Price of $1,200 is steep for what I want to spend and is the most expensive option. Unlike the Nightforce, idk if I'd even want to purchase a used one because I don't know much about the warranty. Nightforce ya won't need the warranty and vortex has the best in the business without a doubt (they have the best warranty dept & customer service I have dealt with in this industry by far). Not sure where Maven falls with that so after buying a new one with tax & shipping it'll likely be over $1,300 which is now approaching double the Accupoint. I do not think it is double that optic however I do believe it is the best value out of the bunch. The eye relief is listed in MM, why? Says 86-100mm so that is 3.3-3.9", not bad but not as good as the Trijicon. Regardless if i get one of these now or not, I will 100% own one in the future and will be my next purchase for an actual hunting rifle. Maybe I'll wait for a sale but again I know its direct to consumer and it is already discounted without a place like basspro or Eurooptic adding their margins. I do believe this is the best optic of the bunch overall but not for this use case on a muzzleloader. I have their rangefinder and it's for sure my favorite one I've ever used. I will be buying more from this company as long as they keep their current sales model & quality!
Super long thread so thank you if you actually read through this, I probably should have just made a poll to get more traction & responses. I will if I don't get much feedback here. The hope is that some of you have actually used one, if not two or all three of these and can provide real world use feedback which I value far more than someone trying to get views on social media or a paid youtuber shilling for a company.
Most important factors in order:
1. Durability- Must have a proven track record and be able to handle the higher recoil (might switch to magnum loads and it already kicks more than my 7rem or 300wsm with 100G BH or white hots)
2. Low light performance- Must have a lit reticle and clear glass at dusk & dawn. Muzzleloader season is late in the year here (Dec25-Jan1) and by that time deer are back to feeding at last light. Also may take it to Kansas and thier season is mid September which also means feeding at last light.
3. Eye relief & eye box- It needs to have a decent eye box and more important eye relief due to recoil.
4. Reticle- I prefer FFP so if I am in the woods I can crank it down and still be zeroed. Not a deal breaker, but absolutely need a reticle that allows me to calculate bullet drop to 250-300 yards max. I use chairgun elite+ and it has most reticles in there.
5. Price- This one is obvious but I've already tried going the cheap route thinking since I am not shooting as far as I do with my rifles, it wouldn't be as important. I was clearly wrong. I am still not willing to spend the coin on a higher end optic as I am on a budget, especially if I draw for any of the out of state tags so I need to keep it reasonable. Prefer under 1k but if I can use the optic for multiple rifles I'd spend a little more.
6. Turret- I always prefer low profile locking turrets with a zero stop similar to what I have on my Leupold VX5-HD. However, if the reticle is decent and I can use my drop data and it's a SFP, it is not as needed.
Based on my most important attributes I am looking for I've narrowed it down to 3-4 optics.
Trijicon Accupoint 2.5-10x56 TR22-2G $724.30- Lowest priced optic I am considering to that adds a ton of value. The large bell & tritium/fiber optic make this one a winner in the low light performance category. Battery free illumination and automatic brightness adjustments sound awesome (one less thing to worry about or go wrong). Japanese glass of course and Trijicon is known as almost as durable as a Nightforce and they have done drop testing (not sure on this model though). It's also a brand that's been battle proven and I love my Acog. Super lightweight coming in at only 20Oz. The mil-dot is nice in a way that my eyes are naturally drawn to the small lit dot in the middle like on my razor LHT and Leupold VX5-HD. The eye relief on relief on this is listed at 2.8-4.1" which is not great at 2.8"or really good at 4.1"
Cons- The mil dots might not get me to that 250 yard number and it has capped turrets so dialing is not really an option. Also being SFP is not ideal but I've used em my entire life so not a deal breaker and the 10X magnification is not to overpowering and perfect for shots out to 250-300 yards max distance (although very rare I'd attempt that with this muzzy).
Nightforce SHV 4-14x50 F1 illumintaed Mil-R C557 $1,290- Most expensive priced optic in the running but can find this used or as a demo and save a few hundred dollars making it the middle priced option. Obviously the most durable optic in the bunch and that is what's most important. Exposed turrets with a zero stop is nice however, they are not locking. I am a fan of this being FFP and the reticle will give me plenty of room for my drops out to max distance and I can dial if needed. I do like how this model has the turn knob illumination vs the push button on the NX8 & ATACR models. Also high grade Japanese glass. I've heard its the same factory & glass that Trijicon uses but can not confirm that to be true. This one is built like a tank but comes at the price of 30OZ weight which is clearly a con for a lightweight muzzleloader but that is low on my priority list. The magnification range being 4-14X does not bother me although it is a bit on the higher end for a 300 yard max gun. As long as its the FFP version I am perfectly ok with it. I do like how the reticle lights up in the middle at full power but not sure how good it will be on the lower end and mid range of the magnification.
Cons- Eye relief says 2.8-3.1" so that is for sure the biggest con on this optic for my use case. Seeing that almost made me write this optic off and consider an NX8 instead but I am not willing to spend that much. I haven't seen it in person but out of the 3, I've heard people say it's the worst in low light and the reticle dissapears at low magnification. I've also heard it has the worst glass although I am not sure how thats possible if it is indeed the same as the trijicon. As i stated before the weight is alot at 30oz. Durability does trump alot of these cons so I am still considering it.
Maven RS1.2 2.5-15x44 FFP SHR-Mil $1,200- Ahhh yes, the beloved RS1.2, the Rokslide special! I will admit, I am in love with this company and if I had a million dollars I'd own their entire catalog. That new LPVO looks phenomenal, this RS1.2 is the perfect hunting rifle scope, I am waiting for them to make more options for the tactical MPVO 2-12, 2-20X optics like Primary Arms because they'd beat them at their own game possibly. OK, fanboy rant over. At $1,200 this is the most expensive option as I don't see many used ones going up for sale (I just missed a killer deal on ebay on one which is what made me start considering it for this muzzy). I love how you can also customize these on their site but I don't see the option for the coveted Mil reticle? So durability... They are a newer company so that was a concern. Thanks to Rokslide it is no longer a question and they have great customer service so I doubt I'd have issues there. This survived the drop test that most of my other mid-premium optics failed at. The glass has been toted as the best glass you can get under $2,000 and is Japanese premium ED glass. Again, not sure if its made in the same factory as the others but regardless, it's always getting raving reviews for it's crystal clear edge to edge picture & brightness. This is the one optic that I could see using it on another rifle. The low light performance is likely the second best from the research I've done only coming in behind the accupoint. I can for sure fit all of my drops in this mil reticle and I love that it is FFP. Not sure how well I'll see the lit reticle on lower power though but my guess is not great as with most FFP optics. That is just part of the tradeoff though. I am not in love with this reticle but I do like it as much as the nightforce options, possibly even more. The brightness also falls in the middle (again going off of reviews & research) but most FFP reticles until recent technology advancements would not compete with a SFP, especially a tritium & fiber optic Trijicon. The turret functions great and has been said to be more tactile than the Nightforce although not sure if as durable. Not a biggie because the reticle is good. The weight also falls in the middle coming in at 26.4Oz. Not bad for an optic with this much packed into it and a 2.5-15 zoom range.
Cons- Magnification range. If they offered this in a 2-10 or 2-12 I think my choice would be this. The 15X is what i use on my deer & elk rifles for shots out to 600 yards so this is for sure more than i need for a 250-300 yard max muzzy. I know they offer less expensive lower power options but they are not the same aside from the great glass they share. I have to have the lit reticle (not negotiable). If not I'd be considering the RS2 and the trijicon huron and be happy with those options for their durability, lighter weight, & price points. Price of $1,200 is steep for what I want to spend and is the most expensive option. Unlike the Nightforce, idk if I'd even want to purchase a used one because I don't know much about the warranty. Nightforce ya won't need the warranty and vortex has the best in the business without a doubt (they have the best warranty dept & customer service I have dealt with in this industry by far). Not sure where Maven falls with that so after buying a new one with tax & shipping it'll likely be over $1,300 which is now approaching double the Accupoint. I do not think it is double that optic however I do believe it is the best value out of the bunch. The eye relief is listed in MM, why? Says 86-100mm so that is 3.3-3.9", not bad but not as good as the Trijicon. Regardless if i get one of these now or not, I will 100% own one in the future and will be my next purchase for an actual hunting rifle. Maybe I'll wait for a sale but again I know its direct to consumer and it is already discounted without a place like basspro or Eurooptic adding their margins. I do believe this is the best optic of the bunch overall but not for this use case on a muzzleloader. I have their rangefinder and it's for sure my favorite one I've ever used. I will be buying more from this company as long as they keep their current sales model & quality!
Super long thread so thank you if you actually read through this, I probably should have just made a poll to get more traction & responses. I will if I don't get much feedback here. The hope is that some of you have actually used one, if not two or all three of these and can provide real world use feedback which I value far more than someone trying to get views on social media or a paid youtuber shilling for a company.
