Tag Archives: rifle scope

Shooting Sports

Aquilifer EP 6-24×50

Aquilifer is a budget scope brand that takes its name from the Aquilifer, the soldier in the Roman Legion given the honor of holding the golden eagle standard. Their EP 6-24×50 FFP is the smaller brother of the EP 5-25×56 scope, with a lower price just above $200.

To achieve this low price, this optic made some trade-offs. It has a tight eyebox, though better than its 5-25×56 sibling. It is a heavy scope at nearly 2lbs. Its elevation turret only offers a pittance of 9 MRAD of adjustments.

Its value-tier price and overall performance make up for many of its shortcomings. It has ED (Extra Low Dispersion) glass, which allowed me to see a good level of detail at 24x, though the image lacked contrast and sharpness above 16x. Its limited range of elevation adjustments makes this a poor choice for PRS or NRL-22 competition, but its thin tactical reticle is ideal for bench rest.

SHOP

HD 6-24×50 Amazon Link:https://www.amazon.com/promocode/A2F78IVUZ1UGPY?maas=maas_adg_3841A5650B1EFA272EBCD6A0D01C9EE3_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas

Promo code:X9Q9Z2RS

DiscoveryOpt 6061 scope rings (10% Discount Code: Moondog) https://discoveryopt.com/products/6061-series-aluminum-scope-rings-medium-profile-30mm-34mm-35mm-scope-mount-for-picatinny-rail?variant=49658216972554

RESOLUTION

Group -1
Element 4

SPECS


EP

Magnification: 6-24x

Objective: 50mm

Eye Relief: 3.74″–4.33″

Exit Pupil: 8.3mm –2.08mm

Parallax Focus: 10y – ∞

FOV @ 100y: 15ft-45ft

Click Value: 0.1 MRAD

Max Elev Adj: ±9 MRAD

Max Wind Adj: ±20 MRAD

Tube Diam: 30mm

Length: 14.48″

Weight: 27.5oz

Illumination: 11 levels red

Battery: CR2032

Shooting Sports

Aquilifer EP 5-25×56

https://youtu.be/RJ7wTW-XKZo

Aquilifer is a budget scope brand that takes its name from the Aquilifer, the soldier in the Roman Legion given the honor of holding the golden eagle standard. Their EP 5-25×56 FFP is their new flagship long-range optic, but with a budget to mid-range price point of around $300.

To achieve this low price, this optic made some trade-offs. It has a very unforgiving eyebox that’s tight even at its lowest 5x magnification. It is also a heavy scope at over 2lbs. Its Vortex-style turrets only offer a middling 26 MRAD of adjustments.

Its value-tier price and overall performance make up for many of its shortcomings. The scope has well-made turrets with a Vortex-style zero stop. Its illumination is almost daylight bright. It has ED (Extra Low Dispersion) glass, which allowed me to see a good level of detail at 25x, though the image lacked contrast and sharpness above 16x. Given its weight and limited range of elevation adjustments, I wouldn’t recommend this for PRS or NRL-22 competition, but it’s a good entry-level scope for mid-range bench rest.

SHOP

HD 5-25×56 Amazon https://amzn.to/4qGIHUA

DiscoveryOpt 6061 34mm scope rings
(10% Discount Code: Moondog) https://discoveryopt.com/collections/scope-rings-durable-and-precision-machined-mounting-solutions/products/6061-series-aluminum-scope-rings-medium-profile-30mm-34mm-35mm-scope-mount-for-picatinny-rail

RESOLUTION

Group -1 / Element 4

SPECS


HT
Magnification: 5-25x

Objective: 56mm

Eye Relief: 3.54″–a4.33″

Exit Pupil: 11.2mm –2.24mm

Parallax Focus: 15y – ∞

FOV @ 100y: 22.9ft-4.4ft

Click Value: 0.1 MRAD

Max Elev Adj: ±26 MRAD

Max Wind Adj: ±26 MRAD

Tube Diam: 34mm

Length: 15.26″

Weight: 35.2oz

Illumination: 12 levels red

Battery: CR2032

Shooting Sports

Aquilifer HT 3-12×56

https://youtu.be/IEcaE8iezIg

Aquilifer’s HT line of scopes are hunting focused optics with paired down, traditional features such as capped turrets for protection against the environment, SFP duplex reticles, and illumination. The HT 3-12 offers a large 56mm objective lens for brighter images in low light.

The website product specs list the click adjustments in MOA but the turret markings are in MIL? But since hunting rifles are set it and forget it type of optics, this is embarrassing for Aquilifer, but it isn’t really a problem. As long as the reticle can be zero’d and the scope holds zero, the discrepancy is moot.

The view through the scope was bright and color-accurate but it wasn’t as sharp as I expected. On the plus side, It has a generous eye relief. Its reticle is a bold European-style T duplex that is easy to see in dark or complex backgrounds, but I would have preferred they end in spear points instead of squared off. The illumination was not quite daylight but brighter than many hunting scopes.

SHOP

HT 3-12×56 Amazon https://amzn.to/3Kyd8Nm

DiscoveryOpt 6061 scope rings (10% Discount Code: Moondog) https://discoveryopt.com/collections/scope-rings-durable-and-precision-machined-mounting-solutions/products/6061-series-aluminum-scope-rings-medium-profile-30mm-34mm-35mm-scope-mount-for-picatinny-rail

RESOLUTION

Group -2 / Element 5

SPECS


HT
Magnification: 3-12x
Objective: 56mm
Eye Relief: 3.78″-3.93″
Exit Pupil: 18.66-4.66mm
FOV@100y: 31.4-7.9ft
Total Elev: ±30 MRAD
Total Wind: ±32 MRAD
Click Value: 1/10 MRAD
Tube Size: 30mm
Length: 340mm (13.4 in)
Weight: 640g (22.6 oz)
Illumination: 11 levels red
Battery: CR2032


Shooting Sports

SHOT2026 Vector Optics Continental Gen2

Stopping at the Vector Optics booth at SHOT Show 2026. Among the promotional banners announcing their new Frenzy green dots, and micro thermal optic, they walked me through a rundown of improvements to their flagship line of Continental long-range scopes. These scopes utilize German-made Schott ED glass and highly refined construction and in Q2 they will release the Gen2 models.

The Gen2 updates include a 50% increase in range of turret adjustment, a shorter 10-yard minimum focus, and the most welcome feature to me: shake awake. Auto-sleep/Motion Activation has become a manditory in red dots. Finally, a scope maker has introduced similar technology to an illuminated reticle scope. As in red dots, this promises to radically improve a scope’s battery life. This feature has the potential to be a game-changer in the category.

SHOP

Continental scopes on Amazon https://amzn.to/4rcrXo9

Shooting Sports

SHOT2026 Discovery Optics

At SHOT Show 2026, Discovery Optics showed off the prototype of an innovative internal electronic angle level in their ED and XED scope line. This electronic feature displays a green dot on either the left or rght side of your view indicating if your scope is not level. Canting (tilting) a scope can cause your point of impact to shift due to the position of your scope above your barrel.

Long-range shooters have relied on externally mounted spirit bubble levels. This internal electronic level allows the shooter see when their scope has lost level without breaking their shooting position or cheek weld to look at an external level indicator.

This new internal level feature will come standard in all of their ED and XED scopes, which will dramatically differentiate their scopes from other long-range optics.

SHOP

https://discoveryopt.com
10% discount code MOONDOG2A 

Shooting Sports

Strike Eagle vs. Arken EP5

You won’t find more vociferous groups of fanboys and haters than Vortex and Arken owners. Online, each is convinced their scope is the best. Today we are going to compare their 5-25×56 FFP long-range scope offerings and see who is right: the Strike Eagle (street price $700-$800) and the EP5 GenII 5-25×56 (street price $335-$535).

The Strike Eagle ships with both a throw lever and sun shade. The EP5 ships only ships with a sun shade but in the past, Arken has offered a bundled promotional “Accuracy Pack”: a throw lever, scope rings, and bubble level. The EP5 tested is one such scope.

Physically, the EP5 appears more stoutly constructed. The EP5 has the better-quality turrets. Its clicks are loud, crisp, and precise. The Strike Eagle feels mushy by comparison. The EP5’s turrets are also quite tall and oversized turrets which provides more physical space for larger and easier-to-read numbering.

Optically both scopes are surprisingly similar. The Strike Eagle also offers a more forgiving eye box. The Strike Eagle has a brighter and higher contrast image but with slightly more chromatic aberration at high power. Both scopes performed identically in resolving detail in my US Air Force reference chart.

In the end, both scopes’ optical performances were so similar that it’s pointless to claim one is “better” than the other. The Strike Eagle had a slightly brighter image but with more chromatic aberration. The Arken Long-range shooters will be well served with either scope for their similar optical performance. But for conscious shooters, the Discovery Optics ED-PRS is the clear winner.

BUY

Arken EP5 on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4h7Vnio

Vortex Strike Eagle on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4gA4Ejq

RESOLUTION

ED-PRS: Group -1 / Element 6

Strike Eagle: Group -1 / Element 6

SPECS

STRIKE EAGLEEP5
Magnification 5-25x
Objective Lens: 56 mm
Tube Diameter: 34 mm
Focal Plane: First
Reticle: EBR-7C (MOA)
Illumination: red
Eye Relief: 3.7″
FOV @ 100 Yards: 24.0-5.2
Parallax: 15 yrds-Infinity
Elevation Adj: 110 MOA
Windage Adj: 78 MOA
Per Click: 1/4 MOA
Per Rotation: 25 MOA
Length: 14.6 in
Weight: 30.4 oz		Magnification 5-25x
Objective Lens: 56 mm
Tube Diameter: 34 mm
Focal Plane: First
Reticle: EBR-7C (MOA)
Illumination: red
Eye Relief: 3.7″
FOV @ 100 Yards: 24.0-5.2
Parallax: 15 yrds-Infinity
Elevation Adj: 110 MOA
Windage Adj: 78 MOA
Per Click: 1/4 MOA
Per Rotation: 25 MOA
Length: 14.6 in
Weight: 30.4 oz

Shooting Sports

CVLife Eagle Blaze 7-35×56

The Eagle Blaze series CVLife’s newest attempt to put out a step-up from basic scope. With the 7-35×56 FFP they largely succeeded. This scope has a focal plane (FFP) tree reticle, zero stop, and uses Japanese ED glass.

The turrets push down to lock, are user-resettable with a coin, come with a zero-stop ring, and have audible and tactile positive clicks. But the turret top must be severely cinched down or else the turret top will twist from its position. You are better off leaving the turret in the up, unlocked position; otherwise, your numbers will not sync to your zero.

Optically, the ED glass did reduce chromatic aberration. While the glass is not as sharp as more expensive scopes, its higher magnification top end compensates for this loss in detail and resolution. I was able to resolve lines into the Group 0 section of the USAF chart.

CVLife continues to improve the quality and features of their long-range optics line. While not the dirt-cheap but basic, sub-$100 prices that CVLife became known for, this 7-35×56 Eagle Blaze comes in at a sub-$500 street price. This makes it possibly the cheapest 35x scope with Japanese ED glass.

BUY

EagleBlaze 7-35×56 FFP Scope: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRGC77Z3

20% Discount Code: C3GSP3DL

Amazon https://amzn.to/4lzo6iI

RESOLUTION

Group 0 / Element 1

SPECS

EAGLE BLAZE FFP

Magnification: 7-35x

Objective: 56mm

Glass: Japanese ED

Tube Dia: 34mm

FOV: 18.6′ – 3.7′ @ 100 yds

Eye Relief 3.6”

Parallax Adj: 35 Yards – ∞

Max Elevation Adj: 155 MOA

Max Windage Adj: 75 MOA

Click Value: 1/4 MOA

Length 15.5″

Weight 32.7 oz

Shooting Sports

One Year Later: ED-LHT 3-15×50

I posted a review of the Discovery Optics ED LHT 3-15×50 FFP scope over a year ago. At the time, I found it and the entire ED line of scopes to be an excellent value. The 3-15×50 variant was the smallest and lightest of the ED series, with the same precision turrets and high-resolution Japanese ED glass. But it had a tight eyebox, and its tree reticle was unusually thin, even at its maximum magnification. This is probably because it uses the same etched reticle as the 24x ED variant, and when a FFP reticle is scaled to 15x, it shrinks in size and thickness.

A year later, I decided to mount this scope onto a BCA 22LR AR upper, so I could use it at 100 yards. I thought the fine reticle would not obscure the 2″ diamond bullseyes on my target, while allowing just enough top-end magnification to self-spot from the bench.

While zeroing out the scope at the gun range, I invited the RSOs and club members to test out my setup. I wanted to see if their opinion and first impressions of the scope differed from my original review. Their consensus echoed mine. The scope had clear glass, but most found the eyebox to be tight, and many were not used to a reticle that thin and fine-lined. Despite this, when I revealed that the scope cost under $275, most were surprised and nodded in appreciation.

The scope certainly performs better than its price, but its thin reticle makes it less than ideal for general-purpose shooting or hunting. It may be a better scope for airgun or rimfire Benchrest, where its thin reticle helps in aiming at the X-ring on a well-lit target?

BUY

https://amzn.to/44uCWAZ (12% discount link: MOONDOG315 ) 
https://discoveryopt.com/   (10% discount link: MOONDOG)  

RESOLUTION

Group -1 / Element 4

SPECS

Magnification 3x-15x
Objective 50mm
Field of View 12.6M-2.5M@100YDS
Eye relief 88mm-83mm
Exit pupil 11.97mm-3.3mm
Tube diameter 30mm
Click Value 0.1MRAD
Elevation Adj ±23.2MRAD
Windage Adj ±17MRAD
Length 333mm
Weight 792g (27.9 oz)

Discovery ED-LHT Gen2 3-15×50
Shooting Sports

SHOT 2025 Meopta Tactical Scopes

Czechoslovakia is one of the top arms makers in the world, though most Americans often overlook and underappreciate it. Meopta is a Czech-based company that manufactures various products, mainly optics. At SHOT Show 2025, Meopta showed off its newest optics for military and law enforcement. It’s new enclosed reflex sight utilizes OLED technology to create a sharper and clearer projected reticle.

Shooting Sports

SHOT 2025 Meopta Scopes

Czechoslovackia is one of the top arms makers in the world, though often overlooked and under appreciated by most Americans. Meopta is a Czechia-based company that manufactures various products mainly in the field of optics. The company was once well-known for its professional photographic and movie cameras, although it no longer manufactures such products. At SHOT Show 2025 Meopta showed off their wide line of hunting and target scopes that offer high-quality glass and precision construction.