So, i think i wrapped up my desire to explore what the 2021 options of shitty cheap glass 
looked like, and got some final conclusions,
which do not really expand much beyond of what can be found in most of recent reviews.
The models that went through me and stuck for now - as they passed the initial test - are:
1) $110 - Athlon Optics Neos 3-9x40 SFP
2) $200 - Vortex Optics Diamondback 4-12x40 SFP
3) $250 - Primary Arms SLx 4-14x44mm FFP
4) $440 - Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm FFP Athena BPR MIL
5) $440 - Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm FFP Apollo 6.5CR
6) $500 - Vortex Optics Venom 5-25x56 FFP
illuminated: 3, 4, 5.
zero stop: 3(with mod), 6
covered/locking turrets: 1, 2, 4, 5
overall optically the #6 stands apart, but it is not exactly in the basic 'shitty' category.
next one, optically - with a huge field of view and very clear glass - #2. it can be declared a winner of a whole category, especially considering its 16oz weight, but it has some serious drawbacks.
it would be a truly great scope is they added a parallax adjustment there. at 25yds it cannot render the target in focus at all - you need to dial back magnification from 12x, so, no squirrels or mink eye shots for you. sad.
i do understand they have a next tier diamondback tactical 4-16x for $350, but i was curious to see what can a cheaper option provide, plus 4-16x weighs 24oz - same as 3-18x scopes.
next would be, surprisingly or not, #1. the issue there, again, it has an absolute minimalistic feature set - a basic cross hair with 3 notches, it works for nothing else other than 50/100 .22lr really. for hunting it cannot compete with 2 which has simply a next level clarity and way less chromatic aberrations. but field of view is decent, glass was not milky - it looks ok so far. some reviews say it may not last so. and some say it can have debris inside, etc. quality issues, but, for the $100 - damn.
the 4/5 new 3-18s stand aside, somewhat, mostly due to their exceptionally good reticles and illumination. the field of view on those scopes is not that great, but the rest of optical path is ok. may be less chroma than 1, even, adjustment of parallax is great, etc. the apollo reticle in 6.CM is pretty awesome, as in practical reality is does not require any elevation dialing in at all, just zero it and leave turret alone - so the absent zero stop is not the issue, up to 600yds at least. i tested it and up to 300yds i have access to it was dead on.
Athena reticle in MIL is also ok - similar to apollo enough to get used to it. i got those instead of a diamondback tactical due to the illumination feature.
so far the scope some reviews say was the 2021`s 'best option' - #3 - PA 4-14x sucks big time. field of view bad - smallest of them all. turrets do not seem to be excessively mushy in my sample, but optically it is worse than 3-18x, at both 14x and 9x. i do not see any debris inside of my sample, it is not milky, but if you set it next to the 2 and compare - damn! not even close.
so i will take it to the range to see how it will hold turrets adjustment - with a mod it gets zero stop, it has illumination, etc. from the house i cannot really tell how it will render low contrast targets, etc.
a #6 again in my opinion is the great scope,, optically very clear in between diamondback and pst2, but, it is both heavy and lacks illumination.
for anybody who needs a true hunting scope - the #2 is the absolute best, hand down. it is clear enough and FOV big enough for no need for illumination and very light.
discarded scopes - 2 vortex crossfires, 2 vortex strike eagles, some chinesium uhg/monstrum, 2 bushnells 4.5-18x40 and 6-18x50, athlon argos 6-24x50 (abysmal compared to #6 and pst2)
as of placement -
4-14x and 4-12x will be probably rotating on the .22LR CZ 457 depending upon use cases
3-9x will be set on the dedicated cheap .22LR AR15 upper, it is perfect there
2 3-18x will stay on AR10s. one with athena reticle i may try to sell soon, as i do not like it that much. if anybody wants it - let me know, we can discuss
venom 5-25x sits on LaRue subMOA AR15 with 20" barrel
pst2 5-25x is on bergara 6.5CM
that is all, for now.
there was also an LPVO exploration done, but it is way more subjective topic. the winner there for now is the 1-10x swampfox arrowhead in MIL reticle. only other scope left is the 1-6x PST2 vortex that remains in its box, for now.
looked like, and got some final conclusions,which do not really expand much beyond of what can be found in most of recent reviews.
The models that went through me and stuck for now - as they passed the initial test - are:
1) $110 - Athlon Optics Neos 3-9x40 SFP
2) $200 - Vortex Optics Diamondback 4-12x40 SFP
3) $250 - Primary Arms SLx 4-14x44mm FFP
4) $440 - Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm FFP Athena BPR MIL
5) $440 - Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm FFP Apollo 6.5CR
6) $500 - Vortex Optics Venom 5-25x56 FFP
illuminated: 3, 4, 5.
zero stop: 3(with mod), 6
covered/locking turrets: 1, 2, 4, 5
overall optically the #6 stands apart, but it is not exactly in the basic 'shitty' category.
next one, optically - with a huge field of view and very clear glass - #2. it can be declared a winner of a whole category, especially considering its 16oz weight, but it has some serious drawbacks.
it would be a truly great scope is they added a parallax adjustment there. at 25yds it cannot render the target in focus at all - you need to dial back magnification from 12x, so, no squirrels or mink eye shots for you. sad.
i do understand they have a next tier diamondback tactical 4-16x for $350, but i was curious to see what can a cheaper option provide, plus 4-16x weighs 24oz - same as 3-18x scopes.
next would be, surprisingly or not, #1. the issue there, again, it has an absolute minimalistic feature set - a basic cross hair with 3 notches, it works for nothing else other than 50/100 .22lr really. for hunting it cannot compete with 2 which has simply a next level clarity and way less chromatic aberrations. but field of view is decent, glass was not milky - it looks ok so far. some reviews say it may not last so. and some say it can have debris inside, etc. quality issues, but, for the $100 - damn.
the 4/5 new 3-18s stand aside, somewhat, mostly due to their exceptionally good reticles and illumination. the field of view on those scopes is not that great, but the rest of optical path is ok. may be less chroma than 1, even, adjustment of parallax is great, etc. the apollo reticle in 6.CM is pretty awesome, as in practical reality is does not require any elevation dialing in at all, just zero it and leave turret alone - so the absent zero stop is not the issue, up to 600yds at least. i tested it and up to 300yds i have access to it was dead on.
Athena reticle in MIL is also ok - similar to apollo enough to get used to it. i got those instead of a diamondback tactical due to the illumination feature.
so far the scope some reviews say was the 2021`s 'best option' - #3 - PA 4-14x sucks big time. field of view bad - smallest of them all. turrets do not seem to be excessively mushy in my sample, but optically it is worse than 3-18x, at both 14x and 9x. i do not see any debris inside of my sample, it is not milky, but if you set it next to the 2 and compare - damn! not even close.
so i will take it to the range to see how it will hold turrets adjustment - with a mod it gets zero stop, it has illumination, etc. from the house i cannot really tell how it will render low contrast targets, etc.
a #6 again in my opinion is the great scope,, optically very clear in between diamondback and pst2, but, it is both heavy and lacks illumination.
for anybody who needs a true hunting scope - the #2 is the absolute best, hand down. it is clear enough and FOV big enough for no need for illumination and very light.
discarded scopes - 2 vortex crossfires, 2 vortex strike eagles, some chinesium uhg/monstrum, 2 bushnells 4.5-18x40 and 6-18x50, athlon argos 6-24x50 (abysmal compared to #6 and pst2)
as of placement -
4-14x and 4-12x will be probably rotating on the .22LR CZ 457 depending upon use cases
3-9x will be set on the dedicated cheap .22LR AR15 upper, it is perfect there
2 3-18x will stay on AR10s. one with athena reticle i may try to sell soon, as i do not like it that much. if anybody wants it - let me know, we can discuss
venom 5-25x sits on LaRue subMOA AR15 with 20" barrel
pst2 5-25x is on bergara 6.5CM
that is all, for now.
there was also an LPVO exploration done, but it is way more subjective topic. the winner there for now is the 1-10x swampfox arrowhead in MIL reticle. only other scope left is the 1-6x PST2 vortex that remains in its box, for now.
Last edited:
