Originally Posted by
Nephrology
So one of the uppers I sent out for GB pinning has a 16" 416R SS barrel that is pretty reasonably accurate. Currently it has a Vortex Viper PST Gen 1 1-4x in an ADM QD mount. It's a pretty decent scope - especially for what I paid ($400 shipped, with mount) - but I can tell that I will want to upgrade this eventually. Because the election isn't that far off, my gun funds between now and then will go to ammo and mags as long as they are still reasonably priced. That said I'd like to start doing my homework on what I might replace it with down the line. Let's call budget at around $1k but I could be convinced to go over too, especially if I delay purchase til after the election.
While the easier answer would be the new Razor, this rifle has a very lightweight rail system and is pretty handy despite the heavy barrel, so I am looking for something closer in weight to the Viper (~16oz). While everyone is moving on to 1-8 or higher mag, I would be OK with 1-4 as long as I didn't downgrade in glass quality or go up much in weight. High mag, of course, would be better. Durability/reliability is an important consideration as well. Also want a decent reticle that works on low and high end mag... really don't want a duplex.
So : what is out there that I should start saving my shekels for? I've looked into the Trijicon TR24, which seems like it might be a nice upgrade, but I've heard mixed things about the durability of some of Trijicon's LPVOs as well as their customer service. I don't know their lineup well enough to distinguish between the good and the bad Trijicon lpvos. I've been very satisfied with Vortex, but as noted their nicer options are pretty chonky. I've heard good things about the Burris XTR so that is on my radar. Don't know much about Meopta, Leupold, or SWFA offerings. Have heard the Nightforce NX line might be disappointing, glass-wise.
Any thoughts? I also imagine this market will change over the next ~6 months so I will be keeping my eye on new developments too.