SCOPE REVIEW: MORE FOR YOUR MONEY

Created on 15th May 2009

MARK CAMOCCIO on a scope that's rammed with features and won't break the bank

HUNTER FIELD Target (HFT) has established itself as a sport in its own right after just a few seasons of competition. While the format was roughly adopted at regional/club level some while back (I was shooting a similar style of competition in the Central Southern Winter League back in the 1990s), the explosion of interest at national level has occurred more recently. This is mainly down to the drive and enthusiasm of Pete Sparkes, which has led to a national circuit of events being structured that appeals to a whole new army of fans. A key part of HFT's attraction is the fact that a point is awarded just for hitting the target face plate: huge encouragement for any novice. Also, the rule that the competitor's scope cannot be touched or adjusted once the tournament has begun means cheaper equipment can be used effectively (not the case in FT, for example).

This ruling means that the ideal HFT scope can actually have a fairly basic spec: 9x or 10x is just about right. Since parallax adjustment is effectively outlawed the scope needs to offer usable clarity at every expected target range (from 8yd to 45yd) - and with the trend towards ever smaller target kill areas, a specialised reticle is more useful than ever.

Mil-dots have become popular on the circuit - but with 15mm target sizes creeping in, range finding has become much harder. With this backdrop it was inevitable that dedicated products would emerge to satisfy demand. My test scope here is a classic example.

MTC Optics is a relatively new name on the scene, but with experienced shots Sammie and Gary Cooper at the helm its products are thoughtful additions to an admittedly burgeoning market. The firm offers three model ranges with the Viper brand at the top - my test model was the Viper 10x44IR.

What makes the Viper stand out for starters is its amazing list of accessories - all included in the fairly modest asking price of £174. Manufactured by Optisan for MTC, it comes complete with two-piece ring mounts (no bad thing, since sourcing 30mm mounts can be tricky); screw-fit metal flip-up lens covers; parallax side-focussing wheel; screw fit metal sunshade and a battery. Why? Well, the ‘IR' in the scope's name stands for illuminated reticle, and with the disc-style power supply neatly concealed under the left turret, red illumination is available to the aim point at the turn of the rheostat control. The usual 11 stages of brightness come as standard - but the truly illuminating feature has to be the reticle design itself.

Novel reticle

Created in-house by MTC, the Christmas tree design includes the novelty of several half-mil-dot reference points - designed for more accurate range finding when faced with tiny 15mm target kills and similar on an HFT course. I say novelty - yet with such demands on the competitor this level of sophistication is fast becoming a pre-requisite for the serious enthusiast eager to push his or her performance to the limit. The SCB (small calibre ballistic) reticle offers four main stadia lines below centre with windage markers/reference points that are effectively progressive as the range increases. A floating central cross means a minimum of the target is actually obscured by the reticle, which can only be a good thing. The reticle diagram clearly shows the extensive central section that glows red on demand - adding a level of versatility that's surely hard to match, especially at this price.

Rugged construction

Everything about this scope is rugged and chunky, including those oversized target turrets. These are of the push/pull style, whereby the turret is pulled up to be adjusted and can then be snapped down again to lock the mechanism. Finger-friendly, in other words, with no coin or screwdriver needed. This all worked fine in practice: the adjustments were fairly positive, with all tracking perfectly round the four-point check and back to zero. My only gripe is that the turret lockdown wasn't quite as firm as I would have liked.

While this scope is ideally suited to HFT it would be equally at home in a hunting scenario, where the clarity could be adjusted via the side focusing turret. The side wheel is a simple push-fit on a rubber mounting over the side turret. However, I feel it's of little use since these wheels are intended to magnify the gaps between range markings, making range finding that much more accurate. On an ultra-high magnification FT scope they work a treat but on these relatively low-power models they're largely redundant - more of a fashion statement than of practical benefit.

The flip-up metal lens covers are, on the other hand, a wonderful inclusion. They even seal onto a rubber ‘O' ring to help keep the lens moisture and grit-free.

Superb clarity

The Viper's clarity is surprisingly good. It stood up pretty well against my beloved Zeiss 9x (and a better benchmark than that you won't find, believe me). This is an unfair comparison, of course: the Viper lacks that radiant image produced by the German marvel. But at 45yd, viewing foliage and twigs in tree tops, target differentiation and image detail is pretty damn good. There was a crispness to the image edge and I could detect no notable fringing. When you consider that if the Zeiss Diatel C (West Germany) was still produced today it would probably retail in the region of £1,000, this is praise indeed.

For many years now I've had a policy of competing only with rifles that are recognised winners: tools which have proved themselves in the heat of competition and brought home the silverware. When you think about it, why should scopes be any different? With MTC Viper models already chalking up some tournament wins at national level, you can be confident that you're getting a product with some genuine race-bred features on board.

Related Links

PRODUCT REVIEW: PROTECTION FROM THE STORM

MARK CAMOCCIO tries out the Storm gun case from Hardigg - and finds it offers legendary attention to detail LIKE ANY sport, shooting can be enjoyed on many levels. It can be viewed purely as a relaxing ...

Read Full Article

SCOPES: BACK TO ZERO

VINCE BOTTOMLEY explains how to mount and zero a scope - and helps out a struggling shooter YES, WE have covered this one before but I still receive emails on the subject and just recently I was prompted ...

Read Full Article

SHOOTING GEAR: BEST OF BRITISH

MARK CAMOCCIO gives the lowdown on Rangesports' shooting gear, including a nifty pellet tin and a top-quality mat MADE IN Britain is a hard label to track down these days, as more and more firms outsource ...

Read Full Article

SCOPE REVIEW: BRAND NEW

MARK CAMOCCIO checks out the Sidewinder 30 from Hawke - and finds it good value for money THE HAWKE range of telescopic sights, distributed via Deben Group, has expanded in the last few years. With many ...

Read Full Article

SCOPE REVIEW: EASY ON THE EYE

TIM FINLEY tests the new Nikko Stirling 10-50x60 - and finds it's a worthy successor to its famous sibling THERE IS a particular scope that has dominated the Field Target scene for years. Its popularity ...

Read Full Article

STORAGE SOLUTIONS: VERSATILE AND AFFORDABLE

The FastRak is designed to make gun storage easier. Mark Camoccio tries it out Home storage of guns can be a contentious issue, especially in light of events in the news regarding access to unattended ...

Read Full Article

TAS: BALLISTICS CALCULATOR: A MINE OF INFORMATION

VINCE BOTTOMLEY tests the TAS Ballistics Calculator - and finds it effective, robust and accurate LONG RANGE rifle shooting doesn't get much more demanding than F-Class with its ½MOA V-bull - ...

Read Full Article

SCOPE REVIEW: A GOOD ALL-ROUNDER

VINCE BOTTOMLEY reviews the latest scope from Sightron - and finds it surpasses his expectations Sightron scopes have been around Stateside for about 15 years, but until recently they haven't really ...

Read Full Article

PRODUCT TEST: FX PUMPS

MARK CAMOCCIO puts the FX four-stage pump and the FX standard pump to the test - and finds the four-stage version is a major improvement OWNING A modern pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) brings with it a new ...

Read Full Article

SCOPE MOUNTING GUIDE PART THREE: ALL SCOPED UP

MARK CAMOCCIO provides some troubleshooting tips in the final part of setting up the scope IN THE previous articles, I`ve dealt with the general procedures for setting up a scope correctly within the ...

Read Full Article