What Scopes is everyone Using?

Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x56mm MOAR Reticle
Element Nexus FFP 5-20x50mm Dirty MOA Reticle
Element Titan FFP 5-25x56mm MOA Reticle
Hawke Sidewinder 30 SFP 6.5-20x56mm 20x Half-Mil Reticle
Hobiggitybag1,
How does the Nexus stack up optically against the other three scopes? Do you mind rating them, if you see differences? Thanks. S7
 
I'm a little old fashioned..lol but my Bushnell Trophy 4×12×40 DOA is a favorite of mine. I don't think they make it anymore. Reticle is just thick enough and clear. I use it on my unregulated Lonestar and have drops figured out.

Screenshot_20230516_184733_Samsung Notes.jpg
 
How's the parallax/side focus on the Optika6 3-18x50? I believe it focuses down to 25 yards. Is that correct? What's your experience with it if you don't mind me asking? I've been thinking about picking up one with the MRAD-1 reticle.
The side focus works flawlessly. It does have numbers that actually are very close to correct. And yes, it does focus clearly down to 10 yards at max magnification(18X).

The 3-18 is such an awesome hunting scope. That donut reticle really makes it usable at all magnifications and the MRAD-1 reticle is great otherwise.

I've since picked up a 5-30x56 Optika6 with the RD MRad reticle and ED glass. It only focuses down to 25 yards. While the glass is very nice I found the tight eyebox to be quite disappointing. At 30X, you have to be locked in perfectly to have a decent sight picture. Otherwise it seems like a killer scope...but honestly for a pure hunting scope the 3-18 might just be better as it as a much larger eyebox than the 5-30X. Really the only complaint I have for the 3-18 is that it's a bit heavy at 32 oz.
 
The side focus works flawlessly. It does have numbers that actually are very close to correct. And yes, it does focus clearly down to 10 yards at max magnification(18X).

The 3-18 is such an awesome hunting scope. That donut reticle really makes it usable at all magnifications and the MRAD-1 reticle is great otherwise.

I've since picked up a 5-30x56 Optika6 with the RD MRad reticle and ED glass. It only focuses down to 25 yards. While the glass is very nice I found the tight eyebox to be quite disappointing. At 30X, you have to be locked in perfectly to have a decent sight picture. Otherwise it seems like a killer scope...but honestly for a pure hunting scope the 3-18 might just be better as it as a much larger eyebox than the 5-30X. Really the only complaint I have for the 3-18 is that it's a bit heavy at 32 oz.
Thanks for your insight. I was just a little confused about what the minimum parallax was. The specs on Cameraland say 25 meters yet everyone else is saying 10 yards/meters. They need to update it. I'm slowly upgrading the optics on my PCPs' and the Optika6 3-18x50 looks like a good candidate. I watched a YouTube review from C-DOES on this exact model and he gave a favorable one. I do agree that the weight is a little on the heavy side. If they were to make it shorter and lighter, there might be some compromises.
 
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Thanks for your insight. I was just a little confused about what the minimum parallax was. The specs on Cameraland say 25 meters yet everyone else is saying 10 yards/meters. They need to update it. I'm slowly upgrading the optics on my PCPs' and the Optika6 3-18x50 looks like a good candidate. I watched a YouTube review from C-DOES on this exact model and he gave a favorable one. I do agree that the weight is a little on the heavy side. If they were to make it shorter and lighter, there might be some compromises.
I'm seriously considering going back to the 3-18X because the eyebox is so much easier to get behind than on the 5-30X. If I shot regularly past 100 meters the higher magnification might be nice but the 18X has been very capable on starlings and grackles out to 100 meters. The only real difference that I can see between the glass of these two is that the 3-18 has a bit more CA but it is also clearer at 18X than I could achieve with the larger scope at 30X.

Frankly, I'm not sure why anyone would need more scope than what the Optika6 3-18x50 offers...especially for hunting/pesting.
 
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Regarding the Optika6 3-18x15, I think that lots of people comment on this scope, use it, and like or love it. I don't think I bump into many people that speak about the Ares ETR 3-18x50. This dearth of comments on the Ares obtains even on a thread comparing the two scopes. Mostly all of the comments were on the Optika6.

I mean, so many people on AGN speak so well (rave, even) about various Athlon products, from the Argos to the Cronus.

Is it the price of the Ares, or something else? I have the Ares, so I ask.
Thank you. S7
 
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I'm seriously considering going back to the 3-18X because the eyebox is so much easier to get behind than on the 5-30X. If I shot regularly past 100 meters the higher magnification might be nice but the 18X has been very capable on starlings and grackles out to 100 meters. The only real difference that I can see between the glass of these two is that the 3-18 has a bit more CA but it is also clearer at 18X than I could achieve with the larger scope at 30X.

Frankly, I'm not sure why anyone would need more scope than what the Optika6 3-18x50 offers...especially for hunting/pesting.
Would you happen to have any experience with an SWFA 3-15×42? I have one currently on my R5M Standard in .25cal and I notice a lot of CA. The Optika6 3-18×50 would replace it but I'm just wondering how they compare in regards to CA. If I get the Optika6, I will be mostly using it in the 10-15 magnification range. Also, would happen to know what size in mils is the floating center dot for the MRAD-1 reticle in the Optika6?

EDIT:
I did a little digging on the size of the floating center dot. It's .08 mrad. That works for me because it's similar in size to my March-FX High Master 4.5-28x52 which I like.
 
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Regarding the Optika6 3-18x15, I think that lots of people comment on this scope, use it, and like or love it. I don't think I bump into many people that speak about the Ares ETR 3-18x50. This dearth of comments on the Ares obtains even on a thread comparing the two scopes. Mostly all of the comments were on the Optika6.

I mean, so many people on AGN speak so well (rave, even) about various Athlon products, from the Argos to the Cronus.

Is it the price of the Ares, or something else? I have the Ares, so I ask.
Thank you. S7
For me the reason for going with the Meopta Optika6 was the reticle. At 3X the donut makes it very usable. Not so much for the Ares.
 
Meopta Optika6 5-30x56 FFP
Meopta Optika6 3-18x50 FFP
Athlon Helos BTR Gen II 2-12 FFP
I just want to comment briefly on the pros and cons of the Meopta Optika6^ that I own.

Cons:
1) heavy and chunky; I found that I couldn't correctly install the Side-Shot scope cam mount on my 3-18X because the magnification dial was too large
2) poor stray light management; while the general resolution and clarity of Meopta's glass is very good the one kryptonite is high brightness situations, this is easily remedied with a sunshade and trust me it made a HUGE difference immediately, particularly at max magnification(especially the 5-30X, wow, it went from almost unusable to great with the simple addition of a sunshade); a sunshade is almost essential on these scopes

I'm actually struggling to come up with another con...

Pros:
1) good glass clarity; best glass for the money in my experience is between Meopta Optika5/6 and Athlon Midas/Ares; it truly is spectacular and I'm not sure why I would need better glass quality in an air rifle scope
2) general quality and reliability; zero complaints in 2 years of use, very consistent and accurate controls and functions, also very robust in design;
3) feature set; these Optika6 scopes have lots of great features once only found on expensive tactical style scopes; zero reseting, locking, zero stop tactical style turrets(varies by model); illumination; FFP and SFP reticles available(my personal favorite reticle being the MRAD-1 in the 3-18X; reticles are a personal preference thing, YMMV); reliable, effective side focus dial; the 3-18X focuses down to 10 yards which is sweet for us airgunners

Summary; we live in the age of great glass for average prices...the Optika6 scopes are no exception; particularly if you can pick one up on sale which is fairly common.
 
Ive only had cheap scopes and now thinking of buying a DS35 LRF, I dont know if the ballistic calc is nessesery but it looks fun, and NVG is always welcome, but I cant find out if its doing OK in daytime targetshooting / plinking out to max 150m.
Maybe a regular scope in the same pricerange would do me better, but I loose NVG and rangeringer.

Any tought?