Leupold has updated their entire BX4 line. These scopes still offer the exceptional optics we’ve come to expect from Leupold. The Gen 2 offers a lighter optic, enhanced non-slip skin, and eyecups.
PSA has made a name for themselves in creating a wide range of ARs, AKs, famous and fantasy firearms. This year at SHOT Show they brought over a dozen new designs including a pump shotgun, a bolt action rifle, and an MP7 look alike. All in all, too many for them to realistically bring into production next year. So they’re asking the public to help choose their next 3 guns by voting for their 3 favorite. Cast your vote on PSA’s website. https://palmettostatearmory.com/shotshow2024
At Industry Range Day, I rang steel at 1000yrds using a precision build rifle with what I thought was a Leupold Mk5 scope. It turns out it was a brand new Mark 4 HD. In the 1980’s Leupold developed the Mark 4 tactical rifle scopes, the first rifle scopes built specifically for the US military. As other optics companies developed tactical scopes for military needs, Leupold developed the Mark 5 and discontinued the Mk4.
This year at SHOT Show, Leupold brought back the venerable Mk4 for their new line of Mrk4 HD “affordable” premium scopes. This line includes an LPVO and selection of long range and ELR scopes. These scopes will fill the gap between their top-of-the-line Mk5 scopes and their paired down Mk3 scopes. They’ll range in price between $1000 and $1600.
At roughly half the price of a Mk5, the Mk4HD was as clear and sharp as it’s big brother. The Mk4 it may not have as many bells and whistles or the bragging rights of a Mk5. But if you’re looking for a prime example of Leupold performance, you can’t go wrong with a Mk4HD.
Palmetto State Armory are the Mad Scientists of gun makers, coming out with new designs and recreations of guns. This year they brought out over a dozen prototypes including their MP7-a-like named the X5.7 (which may not be the final name). This PDW is based on their Rock pistol they debuted 3 years ago at SHOT. With a polymer housing, and retractable brace, at first glance it could be mistaken for a mini HK MP7.
PSA has too many ideas and but too little engineering time so they’re asking fans to vote for their favorite prototype guns that PSA should focus on. This means the 3 guns with the highest votes will be most likely to see testing and production later this year. Cast your vote at https://palmettostatearmory.com/
5.11 is one of the most respected brands in tactical apparel. They got their start in climbing and outdoor wear and became sought after by Special Forces teams for their pants ruggedness, durability, and flexibility. Working with SWAT teams, they developed their line of V.XI pants. This year, the V.X1 will be available to the civilian market.
These pants feature well thought out reinforcements, elements and details to enhance ergonomics and protection. EDC pockets are reinforced for wear and cinch points for add-on pads and soft armor are reinforced and adjustable. They will come in a new line of colors for both civilian and professions.
Many LPVO’s claimed to have “daylight bright” illumination, but until recently that was largely a boast. Monstrum sent me a 1-6×24 Banshee. This LPVO appeared physically identical to the 1-6×24 Banshee I previously reviewed but this sample comes with their new BDC-C1 fiber optic reticle.
The package comes with the an offset mount and flip-up caps. The scope has capped turrets that are resettable to zero. This sample’s turrets had audible clicks but were a bit sloppy indexing.
Unlike the standard Banshees, this version’s illuminator rheostat only has red as its color and has an ‘off’ setting between its numerical intensity levels. To make the reticle daylight bright, a hair thin fiber optic strand is embedded inside a BDC duplex reticle to provide a bright illuminated point at the center of the crosshair. In my tests, I found that at at its maximum intensity the reticle was red-dot bright, easily visible in broad daylight even pointed into the sunlight sky.
It checks the boxes. At 1x it’s a flat 1x view with no fish eye. It provides a surprisingly clear and sharp image with little to no chromatic aberration even at maximum magnification. It’s held zero over multiple range visits. This makes the Monstrum the most affordable daylight bright LPVO that’s worth a damn.
This optic is available on Amazon through this affiliate links which support my channel:https://amzn.to/3SndrLQ
Vortex was one of the first optics companies to roll out true “daylight bright” illumination on their LPVOs; bright enough to be seen outdoors in daylight sun. Monstrum recently released their first LPVO with a reticle that claims to be “daylight bright”.
Monstrum sent me a sample of their newest Banshee with a new BDC-C1 fiber optic reticle. They also sent along a brand new Vortex PST Gen2 and asked me to test and compare them. Both are 1-6x SFP LPVO’s with 30mm tubes so it would make for a fair apples-to-apples comparison.
Both LPVOs looked broadly similar. The Viper has larger diameter turrets and some small details in its construction that cue anybody who has milled metal that it’s a higher value scope. Both have 30mm tubes but the Viper manages to offer more than twice the range of adjustments of the Banshee’s 70MOA.
Both have illuminator rheostat that offer an ‘off’ setting between its numerical intensity levels. The Viper offers 10 levels whilst the Banshee offers 6; and unlike the other Banshee models, only in the color red. The Vipers rheostat dial had an annoying slop that made me turn past and accidentally turn the unit off when changing intensity levels.
Both have capped turrets with 1/2 MOA adjustments per click; which were clear and loud. The Monstrum’s turrets were mildely tactile positive with a fair bit of slop between clicks. The Viper’s turrets were crisp, tactile clicks with very little slop. I didn’t bother with tracking tests as capped LPVOs, the designs intent wasn’t for futzing during use. These turrets were meant for zeroing the reticle and then shot adjustments should be made by the user using the reticle’s sub tensions.
The Viper had a smoothly turning power ring but was stiff enough that I would have wanted a throw lever that the Viper’s retail package lacks. It did come with a 2″ sun shade which none of the Monstrum LPVOs include in their package. The Banshee’s power ring was stiffer and not as smooth but compensates for it with a built in fin-style throw lever.
Looking through each scopes, the Viper had a brighter view. But both appeared crisp and sharp at 1x. The Vortex had very, very, slight fish eye curve at the outer edge of the view. In most other ways, the LPVOs were evenly matched. Only at the covered range did the Vortex show a clearly greater sharpness and brightness offering 3 levels of resolution better than the Banshee and less chromatic aberration.
The reticles were also very similar looking semi t-style; the Viper having MOA sub tensions whilst the Banshee has bullet drop calibrated sub tensions. Both have a bright central point which illuminates creating a red-dot like focus point. Comparing both at their brightest settings, both were similarly daylight bright and visible even when aimed into the sky near the sun.
At this point there really wasn’t much else to test. While the Viper at 11 may be a bit brighter than Monstrum’s new BDC-C1 Banshee at 6, both are truly is daylight bright. How much brighter do you need?
At the range, I could quickly and accurately aim and hit my targets. Like so many of their features, I found the eye boxes to be effectively identical. Because these scopes were short-term loaners, I wasn’t able to test durability or ruggedness but both held their zero during my day at the range on my 5.56 AR.
Both scopes come with lifetime warranties on workmanship but the Viper comes with Vortex’s no-fault policy, covering accidental damage and user error. Recently Monstrum revised their warranty to cover accidents but their fine print requires a receipt and I haven’t had any feedback with ease of returns. Vortex seems to have an easier return policy but recently has a reputation for sloppy QC.
By far the biggest difference between the Banshee and the Viper is their price. The Viper is one of Vortex mid-range models and sells for $599 on Amazon, which is 4 times the price of the Banshee ($149). Moreover, the Banshee includes a quality offset mount. The Viper does not include a mount and the Vortex Sports mount costs an additional $100.
Comparing the Monstrum Panzer vs Vortex Razor HD 1-10x FFP the differences in the quality of the scopes was significant. But comparing the Banshee to the Viper, the differences were harder to find. Certainly the Viper was sharper, brighter, had more range of adjustments and a better warranty. But if I had to the choice to buy either of these scopes, I think I’d choose the Banshee because its a better value.
These optics are available on Amazon through these affiliate links which support my channel:
If you had an opportunity to test out a $200 scope you’d probably say, “sure.” If they offered to lend you another scope that cost 12x as much to compare, you’d say “hell ya!”
Recently I conducted a head-to-head comparison between a Monstrum Banshee 1-10x and a SIG Tango MSR 1-10x. This time Monstrum sent me their new Panzer 1-10x FFP (First Focal Plane) and asked me to compare it to a real high-end LPVO like the Vortex Razor HD Gen iii.
Now optics snobs can argue that a Vortex Razor really isn’t a high end LPVO but lets leave that nitpick aside and agree that the general public, the DOD, Monstrum believes that it is. For this comparison Monstrum wanted to me to compare their flagship LPVO to Vortex flagship LPVO.
I agreed to create this comparison video with the understanding that I would post my real findings; however they turned out. If the Panzer was outclassed the Razor, I would show it. I wasn’t going to bias the testing in favor of their product. As with the SIG video, Monstrum assured me they wouldn’t want it any other way.
Using Amazon, Monstrum sent me brand new samples of both LPVOs. Razor is Vortex Optics top tier line of of scopes. And up close, in my hand, the Razor certainly looked and felt like a premium optic.
Razors are identifiable by their trademark burnt-bronze color. The HD Gen iii has very precise low-profile capped turrets, with a fine 1/4 MOA per click adjustment. It has a lockable illuminator knob and offers 11 levels of brightness that at its highest settings is truly daylight bright; almost too bright for indoor use.
The Panzer is distinguished from other Monstrum scopes by the design of its control surfaces, which is inspired by the look of tank treads; “panzer” is the German word for “tank”. The Panzer offers two illumination colors but the intensity is nowhere close to the Razors, offering typical CQB/low-light brightness.
Side by side, the biggest visible differences (aside from the Razor’s unusual color) is size. Without its optional sun shade, the Razor is an inch shorter than the Panzer. Despite that the Razor is heavier than the Panzer, largely due to its larger 34mm sized tube body allowing it 120 MOA of internal adjustments vs the Panzer’s 30mm tube and 70 MOA of adjustments. The other material difference is that the Panzer retail package includes flip-up lens caps and a 30mm Monstrum PRO series offset mount; which are premium quality mounts.
Looking through each scopes, I was struck by how clear and sharp everything looked through the Razor; it was looking through a freshly cleaned window. At 1x the superior clarity of the Razor to the Panzer was obvious. The Panzer view was clear and sharp but not nearly as bright and clear as the Razor.
Despite this, there were two surprising shortfalls in the Razors exemplary optics. At 1x the Razors view appeared wider than 1x Object appearing smaller than in real life. Moreover this manifested in a slightly pronounced fish-eye lens effect on objects at the outer edge of the field of view. Oddly this wasn’t as noticeable when looking through the scope with boys open (as LPVO’s are meant to be used at 1x). The Panzer’s view wasn’t distorted like the Razor’s. 1x looked truly 1x.
At 10x the Razor offered a brighter, sharper and more detailed image than the Panzer. The Panzer’s outer edge had a soft focus. Comparing both scopes at the range, the Razor was able to resolve much finer details on the USAF-51 chart. Surprisingly, despite its clarity, the Razor had far more chromatic aberration.
The first focal plane reticles of both scopes were somewhat similar. At 10x they appear as a T-style crosshair with MOA subtensions and circle-dot central aim point. The Razor’s reticle also included a holdover Christmas Tree and in addition has finer stadia lines than the Panzer. Overall the Razor’s reticle was better optimized for extreme long range shooting by obscuring distant targets less than the Panzer.
At 1x both scopes reticles shrink down to reveal a simple floating T. The Panzer’s reticle lines are twice the length of the Razor’s making it slightly more visible. To compensate for such small, fine reticles it’s best to run both LPVOs with illumination and again the Razor’s brightness outclasses the Panzer.
In ran both LPVO’s on my AR, running timed shooting drills shooting 5.56. Like most 1-10x LPVOs, they both suffer from tight and unforgiving eyeboxes, though not the worst I’ve tested. The Razor had a slightly longer eye-relief.
I found the performance difference for casual range shooting and plinking to be minimal between Panzer and Razor. But for a LEO, 3-Gun Competition Shooter, or a combat professional, the Razor’s proven battlefield performance can not be overstated. Both scopes come with lifetime warranties on workmanship but the Razor comes with Vortex’s no-fault policy, covering accidental damage and user error.
By far the biggest difference between the Panzer and the Razor is their price. The Razor is a premium LPVO that sells for $2499 on Amazon. That is ten times the price of the Panzer ($199). The Razor is clearly a higher quality scope. But for a weekend shooter like me, I was able to shoot just as accurately with either scope.
Circling back to Monstrom’s original request: how does the Panzer compare to a higher-end LPVO. What I learned is that it is surprisingly good for a budget scope. And while the Panzer is not in the same league as the Vortex for sharpness, clarity, brightness, for the price of a Razor you could buy a Panzer and a firearm or two with the spare change.
These optics are available on Amazon through these affiliate links which support my channel:
SHOT Show is an Industry-Only trade show, not open to the general public. The only way to get access to the expo floors is with a SHOT Show badge. Companies like Geissele triggers give out free badge holders as swag. But at the Leapers/UTG I came across a super deluxe badge holder and opens into an Admin pouch with plentiful pockets for business cards, pens, and velcro flap for moral patches.
The smart SHOT attendee will head to the Caesar’s Forum Expo on the first day so that they can score a UTG badge holder before they all get snapped up.
Monstrum asked me to be one of the first YouTubers to review their newest LPVO, the Panzer 1-10×24. This is their first, First Focal Plane (FFP) 1-10x and is distinguished from their other LPVO’s with a new tank-tread texture on its turret caps and control surfaces. In addition, it comes with their PRO Series offset mount.
Another new feature is a removable fin on the magnification ring, which can be swapped for an included throw lever or removed entirely for a clean profile. It is held in place with a single Philips screw and the box includes a mini screw driver and Allen wrench for the turrets (I wonder why they didn’t use a common hex screw instead). The turrets are capped and resettable. The 1/2 MOA turret cliks were clear and audible but not very tactile, moreover there was a bit of slop between each click.
At 17oz, the Panzer is relatively light for 30mm tube LPVO. It has a large ocular lens which gives it a nearly unobstructed field of view. Unfortunately, like many 1-10x LPVO’s it has a tight and unforgiving eyebox, even at 1x. It has a decent eye-relief if about 4″.
At 1x the image through the glass had a mild warm tint but no notable fish-eyeing. At 10x there is a softening at the the edges and loss of light and contrast. But its resolution is surprisingly sharp (as with other Monstrum LPVOs). Continued improvement in Chinese glass manufacturing have greatly improved budget glass.
The scope features their new CM2 reticle which is optimized for long range shooting at 10x. At 1x it appears as a simple “T” reticle but at 10x the central dot enlarges to become a circle-dot and with a finer long range reticle with MOA subtensions, wind holdovers, and a range estimation ladder at the base of the ‘T’. The 10x reticle lilnes isn’t as fine as higher end etches scopes like the Riton Tactix or Vortex Razor. The center dot is 1 MOA but this may still be too large obscure long range targets.
Like many other FFP LPVO reticles, the CM2 isn’t as useful a reticle at both extremes of its magnification range. The 1x configuration of the reticle is a tad too thin unlike more graphic SFP tactical reticles. The CM2 reticle appears very similar to the Vortex Razor but lacks the Razors brighter illumination (and the Razor’s $2500 retail price).
The Panzer offers red and green illumination with an intensity range from 1-5. Oddly, unlike their other LPVO’s, the red appears more visible than the green at 1x. In fairness, the Panzer illumination brightness is typical of most LPVOs; not daylight bright but visible in low-light or CQB.
Its overall clarity and sharpness is pretty good but no in the same league as premium 1-10x offered by Vortex, Athlon, or EoTech. But it is perhaps one of the best scopes in its price tier and punches well above its weight. With a price tag just under $200 the Panzer offers features and optical clarity found in LPVOs that cost 2 to 3 times more (certainly better glass than the SIG Tango I recently reviewed). It comes with Monstrum’s Lifetime warranty on workmanship (but not damage). It remains to be seen if the Panzer lives up to its tank-like name in terms of durability.
This LPVO is available on Amazon through this Affiliate link which helps support my channel: https://amzn.to/3REH6yF
RESOLUTION
@50yrds: Element 3 / Group: -1
SPECS
Reticle: CM2 Lens Coating: Full Multi-Layer Materials: 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum Magnification: 1-10x Objective Diameter: 24 mm Rail Mount Torque: 20-25 in/lbs Scope Ring Torque: 18 in/lbs Tube Diameter: 30 mm Max Windage Adjustment: ±70 MOA Max Elevation Adjustment: ±70 MOA Click Adjustment: 1/2 MOA Eye Relief: 4.0-4.5 in Weight: 17 oz Length: 11 in
