|
Meopta Optika5 3-15 x 44 Riflescope: Long Range Performance Without the Price
There are lots of good riflescopes on the market these days. Asian optics-makers have literally flooded the market with them; however, our preference still rests with either American-made or European made scopes because of their superior glass. With that bit of bias out of the way, the question now is how to truly test a new scope for functionality. The answer for us was simple… give it to our daughter, a 29-year old archaeologist who has been hunting since she was a teenager and a girl who set an NRA record in 1,000-yard competition at Whittington Center, New Mexico in 2007…. and who killed a running 5×5 bull elk with her muzzleloader last year at 175 yards. Yep, she will put the scope through “the ringer” and if there are any problems, she will find them.
The Clary's daughter Susannah on a muzzle-loader gun for Elk. Image by Greg Chavez. However, we are getting ahead of ourselves (call it parental pride). We received the Optika5 just five days before Susannah's current hunt. As such, Jim had to really hustle to get it mounted and sighted in on her CVA Accura rifle. To simplify the entire process, he used the Real Avid Level RightTM Pro system to ensure the reticle was not canted. Then came the “painful” part… zeroing in the rifle at 100 yards. Jim can no longer shoot left-handed due to his defibrillator, so he had to shoot right-handed off a rest. He is a bit old for the kind of repetitive punishment that a 50 caliber inflicts on the range, but he is stubborn as a mule and sneaked out (without my knowledge). After three hours, he came home, complaining of the pain, but with great pride he showed me the target…. three perfect rounds at 100 yards. I didn't ask how many rounds it took him to get it dialed in, but he told me anyway…. somewhere between 15 and 20. Jim is a perfectionist and won't accept a “just OK target”, he wants it to be as perfect as the scope and gun can make it.
Accura group with OPTIKA5. Image by Jim Clary Jim determined that the click adjustments on the scope were solid and reliable. He remarked that he could feel each 1?4 “ click. And the parallax correction knob (marked at intervals from 10 yards to infinity) allowed him to precisely focus, first at 25 yards and then at 100 yards. Those features alone sold Jim on the scope. The windage and elevation adjustment range of 60 MOA is more than adequate for field adjustments requiring long-range shots. But, how will our daughter like it on her hunt? We had to wait for the end of her elk hunt to get the report. And no, she didn't get an elk this time. In fact, they didn't even see any bulls as the hunt was cut short by an early blizzard. That being said, we asked her about the scope. She remarked that the clarity of the scope matched her $1,000 target scope, from edge to edge. There was no
distortion. The reticle remained sharp and clear at all
magnifications. The reticle is mounted in the second-focal plane so
it does not change apparent size as the magnification is
changed. And finally,
she wanted to know if she could have this scope, as it put her others
to shame. For now, that question is unanswered, as I have not had an
opportunity to use it…. AND, if I like it (as she does), she
will
just have to buy a second one. The detailed specifications for the Optika5 are:
And before we forget, all Meopta scopes come with their proprietary lens coatings which are anti-abrasion and anti-reflective. If that wasn't enough, they have a third coating which is hydrophobic which repels rain, dust, and grease. How many other scopes can claim that? The Optika5 line is available in 2-10×42 Rimfire, 2-10×42, 3-15×44, 4-20×44, 4-20×50 and 4-20×50 RD. And like all Meopta optics purchased in the United States, they are backed by Meopta’s Lifetime Transferable Warranty. |
