Optics/Sights

There is a popular saying that many gun enthusiasts know, “Buy once; cry once.” Basically, this means that it is generally worth the extra pain and expense to buy a high quality, expensive product instead of many budget options. Vortex’s new optic, the Diamondback Tactical 6-24×50 destroys this mantra with its quality construction, many features and high optical clarity all while maintaining an itty-bitty price tag.

A compact and lightweight binocular, the Droptine 10x42mm fit into a hunting pack and on a shooting range table. At 20.1 ounces, they’re light enough for long-term glassing.

I didn’t think I needed anything new from Aimpoint. My old stuff still works perfectly. But then I met the Comp M5 and suddenly it was time for an upgrade.

On a recent South Texas hunt with the Nosler M48 Handgun, the Burris 3-12 let me see well enough to shoot right up to dark and then several minutes beyond. It took some good bouncing around, in hunting blinds and vehicles, and held zero.

Leupold’s new addition, the VX-3i optics series, is a solid buy for any long-range hunter or shooter on a budget.

As the flagship of the Bushnell Elite Tactical line, my expectations are high for the XRS II. I’m happy to report that Bushnell hasn’t failed.

Fed up with eyeballing and Home Depot bubble levels, I finally reached out to Wheeler Engineering and Straight Shot, LLC. Both companies have designed devices that, ostensibly, take the guesswork out of reticle leveling.

As optics companies strive for ever better and cheaper scopes, a clear winner has emerged. The consumer. We live in the golden age of optics and weapons, as evidenced by this weeks test of the Leupold Mark 5. At a combined cost of under $4000 for optics and rifle, using .60 cent per round ammo, I was able to test a sub half MOA weapons system. Even 15 years ago, you would be lucky to match that at any price outside of a benchrest rig.

At any rate, I like the 19X so much that I bought the one that came in for review. And this week, I finally got around to the add-ons and mods I prefer.
First rattle out of the box, the sights that come as the only option on the 19X are weak sauce.