Mountain Goat
Handloader
- Dec 14, 2010
- 386
- 11
This is not an in-depth review, but I'll cover the general features that seem important in this style a scope. Yes, this scope is a winner with a brilliant reticle and only minor complaints.
First off, if you want specs, you can go to the website at ritonoptics.com to see the details and info you're after. What I will mention is that the higher the number, the higher the glass quality, i.e. the 7 series glass is made in Japan.
Speaking of glass, this truly is top-tier glass that compares favorably with others I've viewed or owned in the sub-$2k range. It's that good! I was most impressed when I had the sun facing me, low in the sky. There was very little to no reflection or flair on the target image. In all light conditions it was equal to or better than my Zeiss V4 4-16x50. In fact, it was far better when looking at targets in deep shadows on this particularly bright sunny day of testing and shooting.
Next up are the turrets. No, they aren't capped or locking, so if that's a deal breaker, then you can move on. I have nothing negative to say about the turrets. They are crisp and audible. The 1/10 MRAD marks line up with the reference mark. The zero stop is exactly what it should be. There is a graduating size to the marks, so I can easily see where I'm at in my adjustments. After doing a 10 MRAD ladder test, it tracks perfectly to the reticle and had less than a click of error throughout as far as my accuracy abilities were able ton discern.
Speaking of reticle, this has their T3 reticle which is nothing less than brilliant! Stay with me here, for this will not seem attractive at first. It's a basic hash-style with only a few mils going up on the 12 o'clock hash. The center dot is .2 MRAD and has .25 MRAD subtensions! Did you catch that, 1/4 MIL subtensions? But why? This is the real brilliance of this optic. We naturally break down linear and geometrical objects into quarters. This goes back to the discovery of time using a sundial. When that became the clock face, we used terms like "half-past," or "a quarter 'til" to interpret time. We don't naturally or quickly decipher .7 or. 8 MRAD in shooting situations. This reticle is almost instant in correcting a miss since both spotter and shooter can operate in 1/4ths. "Give me .75 right!" and the followup shot is on target before most can determine if the miss was .7 or .8 off. Also, your .7 might be my .8, but we all know where .75 is! At least I hope so. Did I mention that this reticle is brilliant?! The T3 reticle is also more visible and useful at 3x than the Vortex "EBR-alphabet?" reticle is on 6x. It's not because it's thicker, just better designed and executed forthe shooter to use at all magnification ranges and could easily be used in hunting situations. It's also illuminated with an "off" setting in between each setting.
With all that, let's get to my only two minor complaints with this otherwise stellar rifle scope. The first is the eyebox. It's not bad at all but is tighter, just slightly, than others. The second is the magnification ring. It's simply too tight, and I hope it loses up with more use. Riton did tell me that this is directly related to waterproofing and sealing. I can't really argue with a company thinking quality first.
First off, if you want specs, you can go to the website at ritonoptics.com to see the details and info you're after. What I will mention is that the higher the number, the higher the glass quality, i.e. the 7 series glass is made in Japan.
Speaking of glass, this truly is top-tier glass that compares favorably with others I've viewed or owned in the sub-$2k range. It's that good! I was most impressed when I had the sun facing me, low in the sky. There was very little to no reflection or flair on the target image. In all light conditions it was equal to or better than my Zeiss V4 4-16x50. In fact, it was far better when looking at targets in deep shadows on this particularly bright sunny day of testing and shooting.
Next up are the turrets. No, they aren't capped or locking, so if that's a deal breaker, then you can move on. I have nothing negative to say about the turrets. They are crisp and audible. The 1/10 MRAD marks line up with the reference mark. The zero stop is exactly what it should be. There is a graduating size to the marks, so I can easily see where I'm at in my adjustments. After doing a 10 MRAD ladder test, it tracks perfectly to the reticle and had less than a click of error throughout as far as my accuracy abilities were able ton discern.
Speaking of reticle, this has their T3 reticle which is nothing less than brilliant! Stay with me here, for this will not seem attractive at first. It's a basic hash-style with only a few mils going up on the 12 o'clock hash. The center dot is .2 MRAD and has .25 MRAD subtensions! Did you catch that, 1/4 MIL subtensions? But why? This is the real brilliance of this optic. We naturally break down linear and geometrical objects into quarters. This goes back to the discovery of time using a sundial. When that became the clock face, we used terms like "half-past," or "a quarter 'til" to interpret time. We don't naturally or quickly decipher .7 or. 8 MRAD in shooting situations. This reticle is almost instant in correcting a miss since both spotter and shooter can operate in 1/4ths. "Give me .75 right!" and the followup shot is on target before most can determine if the miss was .7 or .8 off. Also, your .7 might be my .8, but we all know where .75 is! At least I hope so. Did I mention that this reticle is brilliant?! The T3 reticle is also more visible and useful at 3x than the Vortex "EBR-alphabet?" reticle is on 6x. It's not because it's thicker, just better designed and executed forthe shooter to use at all magnification ranges and could easily be used in hunting situations. It's also illuminated with an "off" setting in between each setting.
With all that, let's get to my only two minor complaints with this otherwise stellar rifle scope. The first is the eyebox. It's not bad at all but is tighter, just slightly, than others. The second is the magnification ring. It's simply too tight, and I hope it loses up with more use. Riton did tell me that this is directly related to waterproofing and sealing. I can't really argue with a company thinking quality first.
