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Posted: 3/28/2015 7:47:52 PM EDT
I am interested in getting a 1-6x optic on a budget and these three scopes seem to be the top contenders. I realize the strike eagle has yet to be fully released but it's technical specs are known. Any opinions or experience comparing and contrasting these optics ?
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Look also at the CCOP 1-6x - it, the PA, and the upcoming vortex likely all come off the same line...
That being said, there are a few threads on this subject, and overwhelmingly the consensus is always the same - to go with the PA. But for $100 less the CCOP would be my choice if truly looking for a budget (ie, not a Leupold or Viper or simlar) model... |
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Vortex, hands down. I'm not knocking the others by saying this, PA makes a hell of a product at a great price point after all, but Vortex does have the lifetime warranty.
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I'm so tired of hearing about how good the vortex warranty is.
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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When you hear about how good the warranty is, that means someone had a failure or otherwise they are just repeating what someone else said. When I hear this over and over about any company's warranty, it makes me concerned that they have a high rate of return or a lot of parroting fanboys. Either way, it is not reassuring.
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When you hear about how good the warranty is, that means someone had a failure or otherwise they are just repeating what someone else said. When I hear this over and over about any company's warranty, it makes me concerned that they have a high rate of return or a lot of parroting fanboys. Either way, it is not reassuring. View Quote To me thats a bizarre way of thinking about it. A warranty is nothing more than a peace of mind. If something were to go wrong, you're covered. No surprise expenses. A great warranty is a sign that a co pany has faith in their products. |
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When you hear about how good the warranty is, that means someone had a failure or otherwise they are just repeating what someone else said. When I hear this over and over about any company's warranty, it makes me concerned that they have a high rate of return or a lot of parroting fanboys. Either way, it is not reassuring. View Quote Or we've just seen their CS in action. It's not like arfcom doesn't have a group of guys that play obscenely rough with their toys or anything. Also, what bomber just said. IMO as it stands, Primary Arms has 1000% the best CS I've ever seen from any company in a personal or professional capacity. Hands down, they bend backwards, sideways, and even doodle on the boxes to keep customers happy. Warranty wise, Leupold and Vortex are pretty damn close to tied, but Vortex wins. They warranty optics designs that Burris and Leupold won't. (Red dots and the 3x prismatic style scopes) Considering world class shooters are switching to Vortex, I'd say it is good stuff. |
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How does one acquire warranty experience to trumpet unless you have had a defect and a return?
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one of the first things I check when I start looking for a new product is the warranty and CS reviews. Every company has lemons. How the act when one pops up tells you if it's a company you should support or not.
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When you hear about how good the warranty is, that means someone had a failure or otherwise they are just repeating what someone else said. When I hear this over and over about any company's warranty, it makes me concerned that they have a high rate of return or a lot of parroting fanboys. Either way, it is not reassuring. View Quote That's funny. My exact reaction too. I have owned their binoculars. I have called them with technical questions. Vortex seems to be a very well run company that makes good stuff. On the other hand, everyone says Springfield Armory has a great warranty. That is because they produce crap and use their customer as "final test". Of course you have to send the rifle back. The best "great customer service" companies are the ones you don't hear about. |
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What "world class shooters" would those be? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Considering world class shooters are switching to Vortex, I'd say it is good stuff. What "world class shooters" would those be? Jerry Miculek uses and helped design the Razor. |
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It seems to make more sense to make a comparison, once folks actually get their hands on the Vortex Strike Eagle.
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I am voting for Millett I love my DMS-1 and my TRS-1 so I dont see how the 1-6 could be bad.
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I am interested in getting a 1-6x optic on a budget and these three scopes seem to be the top contenders. I realize the strike eagle has yet to be fully released but it's technical specs are known. Any opinions or experience comparing and contrasting these optics ? View Quote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7DmssXBNgo The difference is in the reticle! The ACSS will easily out perform it or any other reticle set for a fighting rifle. Anyone that has shot further out will tell you wind is the devils work. Not having wind dots is a huge disadvantage! We use them all the time, there is always wind. The horizontal ranging is not enough targets can appear in different angles and moving, all the center mass ranging in the SF goes out the window when a target is not facing you straight on to be ranged. Movers are a reality in any live situation. Shooting at a known distance is fun at the range but live situations threats appear at unknown distances often in windy conditions. Here is video of the ACSS at 700 yards using M193 and a 16" upper! I am holding at 700 yards and almost to the 5mph wind mark for wind. There is a reason all that marking are there, solving field problems is the name of the game and the ACSS is way a head of its time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxwaiDeXP8c The R&D that has gone into the ACSS reticle is second to none and is now going into to a Trijicon TA31 ACOG. -Dimitri |
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I'm considering the Vortex Strike Eagle for my 6.8 SPC.
However, I love the reticle PA scope though, and after thinking things through I'm heavily leaning towards this optic. |
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I'm so tired of hearing about how good the vortex warranty is. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile View Quote It's so good. I've seen it in action. A friend managed to drop his rifle on concrete, strikefire first.... landed on the switch portion of the optic. Strike fire would still turn on but you could not adjust the brightness. Called Vortex, printed shipping label, had a new strikefire in hand in less than a week, no questions asked. |
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7DmssXBNgo The difference is in the reticle! The ACSS will easily out perform it or any other reticle set for a fighting rifle. Anyone that has shot further out will tell you wind is the devils work. Not having wind dots is a huge disadvantage! We use them all the time, there is always wind. The horizontal ranging is not enough targets can appear in different angles and moving, all the center mass ranging in the SF goes out the window when a target is not facing you straight on to be ranged. Movers are a reality in any live situation. Shooting at a known distance is fun at the range but live situations threats appear at unknown distances often in windy conditions. Here is video of the ACSS at 700 yards using M193 and a 16" upper! I am holding at 700 yards and almost to the 5mph wind mark for wind. There is a reason all that marking are there, solving field problems is the name of the game and the ACSS is way a head of its time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxwaiDeXP8c The R&D that has gone into the ACSS reticle is second to none and is now going into to a Trijicon TA31 ACOG. -Dimitri View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I am interested in getting a 1-6x optic on a budget and these three scopes seem to be the top contenders. I realize the strike eagle has yet to be fully released but it's technical specs are known. Any opinions or experience comparing and contrasting these optics ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7DmssXBNgo The difference is in the reticle! The ACSS will easily out perform it or any other reticle set for a fighting rifle. Anyone that has shot further out will tell you wind is the devils work. Not having wind dots is a huge disadvantage! We use them all the time, there is always wind. The horizontal ranging is not enough targets can appear in different angles and moving, all the center mass ranging in the SF goes out the window when a target is not facing you straight on to be ranged. Movers are a reality in any live situation. Shooting at a known distance is fun at the range but live situations threats appear at unknown distances often in windy conditions. Here is video of the ACSS at 700 yards using M193 and a 16" upper! I am holding at 700 yards and almost to the 5mph wind mark for wind. There is a reason all that marking are there, solving field problems is the name of the game and the ACSS is way a head of its time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxwaiDeXP8c The R&D that has gone into the ACSS reticle is second to none and is now going into to a Trijicon TA31 ACOG. -Dimitri I'm with stupid That ACSS reticle is really good. |
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I’ve looked at a bunch of posts on AR15. Com for the last year or so but this is my first post.
On the warranty comments with vortex. First let me say that I buy craftsman hand tools for their lifetime warranty and the fact that when and if they fail like all thing man made items will do eventually all I have to do is carry the tool in to Sears and walk out with a new one. As for Vortex, I have a pair of binos and a monocular as well as a couple of rifle scopes. The reason for this is that while on a goat hunt in Alaska a few years back a genius working at the little airport we were flying back into Anchorage from ran over some of my gear including my binos and monocular and to say that fuel truck did some damage is an understatement. When I got back to Texas I called Vortex and told them my story, the guy laughed and told me to just send them what I had. I sent what was left to them and in about a week I had a new set of binos and monocular in hand. So yes Vortex is good and they stand behind their products period. As for the question of the original poster, I would vote for the PA 1x6, that reticule is just bomb proof and the glass is incredible for the price point. I put one on a 5.56 build I did for my wife with a 14.5 inch barrel and she takes that bad boy out to 300m all day long. |
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I am interested in getting a 1-6x optic on a budget and these three scopes seem to be the top contenders. I realize the strike eagle has yet to be fully released but it's technical specs are known. Any opinions or experience comparing and contrasting these optics ? View Quote Vortex->Millet DMS->PA 1-6x tough call between the Millet and PA...I like the PA reticle but the DMS is a bit simpler/less busy (like the Vortex) Maybe with more trigger time behind the ACSS reticle i would like it more but for now, less is more for me |
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I don't know how one can select an optic that is not yet on the market and has not bee tested or compared to the others.
Among those mentioned the PA is the best combination of features and values, if a purchase needs to be made now. If not, wait until the Strike Eagle can be tested and compared to the others, especially from the standpoint of optical clarity, resolving of detail, contrast and freedom of aberrations in the image (especially distortion of straight lines), tracking accuracy of the turrets, and whether point of impact shifts with power. There are more expensive scopes than these that have some of those issues. That's why objective testing is useful. |
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Quoted: How does one acquire warranty experience to trumpet unless you have had a defect and a return? View Quote |
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I'm so tired of hearing about how good the vortex warranty is. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile View Quote That's how I felt too, until I had to used it. Could not ask for anything more. I F'f up my Spark. I went to my LGS and he called Vortex, they gave a new one on the spot. Then there is DD that everyone here raves about. I can tell you their CS is far from the best. |
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How can the PA and Vortex be made on the same assembly line when one is made in China and the other in the Philippines?
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That's how I felt too, until I had to used it. Could not ask for anything more. I F'f up my Spark. I went to my LGS and he called Vortex, they gave a new one on the spot. Then there is DD that everyone here raves about. I can tell you their CS is far from the best. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I'm so tired of hearing about how good the vortex warranty is. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile That's how I felt too, until I had to used it. Could not ask for anything more. I F'f up my Spark. I went to my LGS and he called Vortex, they gave a new one on the spot. Then there is DD that everyone here raves about. I can tell you their CS is far from the best. What issue did you have with DD? |
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I'm so tired of hearing about how good the vortex warranty is. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile That's how I felt too, until I had to used it. Could not ask for anything more. I F'f up my Spark. I went to my LGS and he called Vortex, they gave a new one on the spot. Then there is DD that everyone here raves about. I can tell you their CS is far from the best. What issue did you have with DD? A stock that did not work on a $1500 rifle. The shop I bought if from spent 2 weeks going back and forth trying to get replacements(3 for the Mk18s they sold). They finally had to call an outside sales rep to get someone to respond. Nearly 3 months later I received my replacement stock that is a POS that won't move worth a shit, but at least is does not collapse under recoil |
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So I am broke and need a scope in this price range. The PA RDS and the 4-16X has served me well. Is the PA 1-6 been used by anyone here for a say 1000 rounds or more? Wondering about durability and if anybody has used a PA 1-6 for 3 gun duty? Does the 1-6 work for up close like a RDS or do you have to mount a small micro RDS on it?
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So I am broke and need a scope in this price range. The PA RDS and the 4-16X has served me well. Is the PA 1-6 been used by anyone here for a say 1000 rounds or more? Wondering about durability and if anybody has used a PA 1-6 for 3 gun duty? Does the 1-6 work for up close like a RDS or do you have to mount a small micro RDS on it? View Quote The 1-6 has been around for a while now, most serious guys here blow 1000 rounds in a couple days, the 1-6X should last you a life time not just a few thousand rounds. -Dimitri |
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I'm so tired of hearing about how good the vortex warranty is. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile View Quote I ordered a Razor Gen1 after talking with them, they care and it comes through when speaking with them. one of the guys there is a former Marine scout/snipe, same REPR I have, he went through EVERYTHING with me, even to what a competitors scope mount would measure with the razor mounted. they have earned my business |
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I was interested in the new Vortex StrikeEagle and was reading about it on their website. There is a Q&A section on the scopes homepage. A question was asked about where it was built and the company reply was China. Another question asked about the scopes clarity compared to one of their other scopes. The reply was sometime to the effect that at the price point the scope was being sold at, it would not be as clear as the other one mentioned. This scope is specific to the 5.56 platform also. I was looking at it for my .308 rifle.
Just a FYI.... I still plan to buy a Vortex scope, just not the StrikeEagle. Regards, Bob |
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So I am broke and need a scope in this price range. The PA RDS and the 4-16X has served me well. Is the PA 1-6 been used by anyone here for a say 1000 rounds or more? Wondering about durability and if anybody has used a PA 1-6 for 3 gun duty? Does the 1-6 work for up close like a RDS or do you have to mount a small micro RDS on it? View Quote Zoe, I don't have 1000 rounds through mine yet, but close after a few range trips. Yes, it works like a 1x RDS up close when you back the power off. I was shooting at 10 yards last week and was shooting the staples out of my target on 1x with both eyes open, like I would shoot my RDS. The thing is solid. The glass is clear. The zoom ring is a little on the stiff side, which I prefer. At 10 yards, I was using the 400 yard holdover, after zeroing per the instructions. I absolutely love mine. |
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Is the PA 1-6 been used by anyone here for a say 1000 rounds or more? Wondering about durability and if anybody has used a PA 1-6 for 3 gun duty? Does the 1-6 work for up close like a RDS or do you have to mount a small micro RDS on it? View Quote http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=182104&hl=+primary%20+arms%20+1𔂦x&page=9 |
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The 1-6 has been around for a while now, most serious guys here blow 1000 rounds in a couple days, the 1-6X should last you a life time not just a few thousand rounds. -Dimitri View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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So I am broke and need a scope in this price range. The PA RDS and the 4-16X has served me well. Is the PA 1-6 been used by anyone here for a say 1000 rounds or more? Wondering about durability and if anybody has used a PA 1-6 for 3 gun duty? Does the 1-6 work for up close like a RDS or do you have to mount a small micro RDS on it? The 1-6 has been around for a while now, most serious guys here blow 1000 rounds in a couple days, the 1-6X should last you a life time not just a few thousand rounds. -Dimitri Off topic but any updates on the 1-8x ffp |
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Not taking anything away from PA, but they are a vendor that contracts a third party to produce their products. While PA has good CS...Vortex has great CS.
Vortex is located in WI and I live in PA, so enough of the BS about people working for Vortex. I did however work for Streamlight in the repair department and will tell you that Vortex CS is incredible from a warranty standpoint. I had an issue with my Viper scope and spoke to Vortex CS. Vortex shipped my replacement optic along with shipping label to return the defective Viper. That is unheard of in the warranty business. When I worked at Streamlight...the customer would have to send in their light and wait to have it "repaired." I could not believe that Vortex would not only send the replacement scope before they even received the defective unit back from me. You are not going to convince me that PA glass is as good as Vortex glass. There are a lot of great companies offering optics for low budget to high budget. Just don't try to convince people that less expensive optics are on par with high end optics. |
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Not taking anything away from PA, but they are a vendor that contracts a third party to produce their products. While PA has good CS...Vortex has great CS. Vortex is located in WI and I live in PA, so enough of the BS about people working for Vortex. I did however work for Streamlight in the repair department and will tell you that Vortex CS is incredible from a warranty standpoint. I had an issue with my Viper scope and spoke to Vortex CS. Vortex shipped my replacement optic along with shipping label to return the defective Viper. That is unheard of in the warranty business. When I worked at Streamlight...the customer would have to send in their light and wait to have it "repaired." I could not believe that Vortex would not only send the replacement scope before they even received the defective unit back from me. You are not going to convince me that PA glass is as good as Vortex glass. There are a lot of great companies offering optics for low budget to high budget. Just don't try to convince people that less expensive optics are on par with high end optics. View Quote comparing the ACSS to the Eagle, the bottom line is only hits count, customer service does not help with that... We test this 3-4 times a week and wind is always a factor, not having wind holds is a big mistake for any BDC reticle, further more vertical ranging is a must. The ACSS has been designed by feed back by some of the top sniper instructors in the world, its not just another reticle and why its going to the the T31ACOG next year. -Dimitri |
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I will give my $.02
Ive had a pst 1-4 and currently have 2 PA 1-6's and a Leupold vxr patrol 3-9. Ive also had a leupold mk6 1-6 that i regret selling... Both vortex and PA are fantastic to deal with, although ive never had a lick of trouble w any of my scopes, they r excellent to deal w on the forum. Glass was slightly better on the pst, eyebox was as well. The PA 1-6 reticle is perfect. i sold the pst because i really had no use for a 1-4 anymore, i dropped 2 deer w it both over 200yds, one running. Not sure how. I took a nice buck at about 15 steps w the PA last fall, i hit him 3 times on the run. So, they both worked for me. Im not much of a bench shooter, my targets are generally moving. Now, the mk6 and the vxr are on another level as far as glass. No comparison. I sold my mk6 because for $1500 the god damn illumination was annoying as hell. U have to be dead center for it to work. I loved the scope other than that, sold it and wish i hadnt. Im a leupold fan and will probably get a vx6 1-6 w the cmr when it comes out. Im also interested in the pa 1-8. |
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Quoted: Where would you hold on the eagle say at 600 yards in a 10mph wind? What if the guy is not facing you straight on, how would you even know how far away he is? So yeah if missing is an option just pic one. -Dimitri View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: I'd say just pick whichever reticle you like best. Where would you hold on the eagle say at 600 yards in a 10mph wind? What if the guy is not facing you straight on, how would you even know how far away he is? So yeah if missing is an option just pic one. -Dimitri However, sarcasm and condescension is very unprofessional. We get you think your reticle is the best available, but different people value different attributes of an optic, so it may not be best for EVERYONE. |
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I always appreciate direct industry input, especially from someone who helped develop a particular product. However, sarcasm and condescension is very unprofessional. We get you think your reticle is the best available, but different people value different attributes of an optic, so it may not be best for EVERYONE. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I'd say just pick whichever reticle you like best. Where would you hold on the eagle say at 600 yards in a 10mph wind? What if the guy is not facing you straight on, how would you even know how far away he is? So yeah if missing is an option just pic one. -Dimitri However, sarcasm and condescension is very unprofessional. We get you think your reticle is the best available, but different people value different attributes of an optic, so it may not be best for EVERYONE. +1.....Dimitri, you have come to the point where you're over selling. |
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PA is made in China, Vortex is made in the Philippines View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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How can the PA and Vortex be made on the same assembly line when one is made in China and the other in the Philippines? Which is which? PA is made in China, Vortex is made in the Philippines Scroll down a bit.. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_2_277/259271_Strike_Eagle_1_6x24.html |
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Vortex is a design, sales and distribution company; they have no manufacturing capability, they own no factories. They design a product and submit the specs to Asian suppliers who then make it and put their label on it. In that sense they are very similar to PA. I think Vortex set out to create a company with great customer service, and they are doing so. But PA has great customer service as well.
The cost of the Vortex warranty is built into the price of their products. The Strike Eagle has a list price of $429 and is being sold for $329. The PA 1-6x is $269. Considering the possibility that these scopes may be rolling out of the same factory, if not then a similar network of suppliers, I doubt the price premium for the Vortex is due to superior glass. In this video, Vortex doesn’t even think it matters where their glass is sourced from. As long as it meets the chosen industry spec they believe their design is what matters, not the supplier of the glass. As noted, one of the ways the designs are differentiated among these scopes is the reticle. Maybe Vortex is just saying something everyone in the industry knows. Check out this video of a Zeiss factory in Germany. At around the 5 minute mark you can see boxes of raw Schott glass with customs duty stickers on them. Goods produced and sold within the EU aren’t subject to customs duty, so this glass didn’t come from Germany, Austria or the Czech Republic. So that probably means Schott is making that glass (or contracting for it) in Japan, Taiwan, or elsewhere. There are also boxes from Ohara, a huge Japanese glass maker with plants in Taiwan (as well as other parts of China), and Malaysia. Granted, Zeiss is grinding, polishing and coating the lenses in this factory, so it doesn’t matter where the raw glass is made as long as it’s made to spec. No grinding or polishing is going to help if the raw glass is full of bubbles. |
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I always appreciate direct industry input, especially from someone who helped develop a particular product. However, sarcasm and condescension is very unprofessional. We get you think your reticle is the best available, but different people value different attributes of an optic, so it may not be best for EVERYONE. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I'd say just pick whichever reticle you like best. Where would you hold on the eagle say at 600 yards in a 10mph wind? What if the guy is not facing you straight on, how would you even know how far away he is? So yeah if missing is an option just pic one. -Dimitri However, sarcasm and condescension is very unprofessional. We get you think your reticle is the best available, but different people value different attributes of an optic, so it may not be best for EVERYONE. I am sorry.. not trying to be rude or be sarcastic, they are legit questions, " where would you hold on the Eagle in a 10mph wind at 600 or even 5mph wind?" How would you range people standing sideways? how far would you lead a mover? These are all issues that were solved on the ACSS . Wrong range estimation is the number 1 reason shots are missed,wind is the second. Anyone that has shot 5.56 further out will tell you it drifts like crazy! a 2 mph wind can throw you off almost 18", anyone that has had to mil or range estimate people moving,runing will tell you center mass is not enough. Comparing the ACSS reticle designed by combat feed back to the Eagle is like comparing the F22 Raptor to the F4Phantom we know the ACSS is the best reticle available and will continue to be, the math will never change. -Dimitri |
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I'd say just pick whichever reticle you like best. Where would you hold on the eagle say at 600 yards in a 10mph wind? What if the guy is not facing you straight on, how would you even know how far away he is? So yeah if missing is an option just pic one. -Dimitri However, sarcasm and condescension is very unprofessional. We get you think your reticle is the best available, but different people value different attributes of an optic, so it may not be best for EVERYONE. double |
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I've owned two (well three, if you count a mount) PA products, including the 1-6x and was underwhelmed by both - so to be completely fair it's not like PA was on my short list for any future purchases - but to be perfectly honest Dimitri's posts of late have all but guaranteed I won't be purchasing any more. I'm sorry but I agree with the other posters, Industry partners are great to have, but at some point you have to decide what is constructive support and what is just plain derisive commentary.
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