I am going to give some feedback on the scope Vortex sent us for testing and evaluation.
Here is the scope we tested: http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/vor ... oa-reticle
The Good:
Glass quality- the clarity is good, and you can see mirage at distance for windage readings.
Turrets- the turrets have good feeling and notable clicks. The parallax adjustment was pretty accurate in the range markings in coordination with distance.
Magnification- the magnification range is perfect for an AR style rifle or mid range precision rifle. The adjustment ring is easy to adjust while looking through the optic. Would be nice to see how it rotates in colder climates. The pin is a nice addition to the magnification ring for low light conditions.
Reticle- The XLR reticle is a great system! Makes elevation and windage holds very easy instead of holding out in space as with more traditional mil dot reticle systems.
Eye Relief- wasn't hard to establish proper eye relief even in faster sight in shots at close ranges.
Focus- the focus worked great. As it should, it stayed properly focused at all magnifications once properly set.
Weight- I felt the weight of the optic with the mount included was very balanced and felt light. It didn't create any dominant weight added forward or rear on the weapon.
The Bad:
Reticle- on lower magnification of 5x and under the reticle is very hard to see. Not that you would need to use the grid at the bottom at lower magnification. However, even just seeing your center crosshair isn't easy with target acquisition. If I put a string of hair on the glass and said that's your reticle, it wouldn't be too far off.
Overall I think it's a great optic! My only complaint is the reticle size at lower magnifications. I didn't get a chance to test it in rainy conditions. I doubt it would have any issues with that.