I had mine [MTC Viper Pro 5 - 30 x 50] for a while now, and I like it a lot. The main feature I like the most, is of course the "tape", and the geared turret. I would say that overall, this is a really nice scope. However, I am the kind of person that always wants to make things "better" and finds "improvements, so here are my thoughts on it. Please keep in mind, I am by all means no Pro when it comes to scopes... : )
- The scope is nice and heavy. I like that. It shows that it is build well. The finish is also really nice.
- Mine does not have distances on the parallax dial, but from my understanding, mine is a "pre-production" unit and by now, all Viper Pro's have distances on the dial.
- The flip covers are nice, but, I wish the one in the rear would not have to be screwed on. It makes it awkward when adjusting your eye focus. Sometimes it comes loose, and sometimes it doesn't. Many people also use scope cameras. Having to screw the cover on and off makes it a bit of a pain. It would be much better if the cover would just "snap" on or off. (Kinda like it does on UTG scope).
- The button for the illumination is hard to press. I wish it would be a dial, like it is on other MTC scopes. However, I heard from others that the button works just fine. Again, mine might be different because it is not a production model.
- The "ring" that allows you to adjust the magnification is a bit of center. What I mean by that is, that the little "knob" that stands out, is not at the 12 o'clock position, but rather at the 11 o'clock position when set to 10x. Being at 12 o'clock would make setting the mag to 10x at night, or low light conditions easier. Even better would be if the "ring" would "snap" into place at the 10x magnification. That way you would not even have to take your eye of the scope. I do change the magnification quiet often when shooting just to get a different POV, and then find myself "searching" for the 10x position again. Especially difficult when shooting out of a dark room into the light. (Not sure if I explained the whole thing correctly? English is not my fist language).
- Sunshade?! I agree, it needs one.
About the tape feature...:
- People use different pellets, different power settings and maybe even different calibers these days. That requires for one to be able to change the "range tape" really fast, or even on the fly. Having to unscrew three tiny little set screws does not help. That is actually the last thing I want to do, when I am out and about. Maybe they can use something other than three tiny set screws?
- Speaking of tape. They should supply more than one "ring" with the scope, so you can make more than one tape. I have a Bobcat Mk2 and I switch between pellets and power settings all the time. Each time I do that, my current tape is useless.
- The range tape "window" is too small. It should be wider and definitely higher. That way you could possibly make a tape that has three different "ranges" on it.
- There is a 1/4 click "lag" or "play" in the top turret. Annoying, but no big deal. I would still to eliminate that though. There are reduction gear boxes that use magnets or even "belts" to have no "lag". That said. I have not tried using their software yet, because the way I do it works for me...:
1. I go the the 100 yard indoor range and Zero the scope at 30 meters.
2. I unscrew the turret dial and take the tape "ring" out and put blue masking tape on it. (The kind of tape painters use).
3. Then I put the dial back making sure the Zero on it is lined up with the line on the turret.
4. I shoot at 30 meters to see if everything is lineup correctly.
5. I then shoot at different distance in 5 meter increments.
6. At each distance I put a new mark on the tape using a really fine sharpie.
Once I set all my "marks" on the tape, the plan was to make a tape that "looks" better. : ) Since the one I use works absolutely great. I never bothered making one that "looks better", ha ha.
I attached some videos below. Really lame, if you ask me, but who cares, right? : ) The first video shows that the scope "works", ha ha. The second video shows how the reticle looks like... Sorry about it being all tilted. The last video shows how I make the range tape. I put some music over it as I did not want people to hear my commentary, as it was not meant to be made public. : ).
EDIT: I like this tape a lot. I like it because you can use it as a regular scope, AND you can use the geared turret and range tape feature as well. It shows the proof of concept. Does it need some work?! I think so. But considering that this is the first try, it works really well.
Thanks,
Kmd
EDIT: I forgot to mention something important... The plan is to use masking tape to make a master tape, and then measure the distances (in millimeter) between the "marks", or lines I made on it, and then apply those measurement to the "real" tape. The one that does the exact same thing, but looks better...
. He then gave me the most helpful and easiest tip! 