BigDGA from United States, GA Public Profile

If you are looking for an upgrade from the basic M4 style stocks that come on most entry level AR's then this UTG Pro may be for you. It uses roughly the same footprint as the M4 but it comes standard with QD attachment points and a nice grippy rubber butt pad. It has just a touch of wobble so I took one star off for that but otherwise I expect it to last a lifetime.

I own (or have owned) a lot of optics over the years. Currently I own two of these Vortex Vipers in 4-16X44 with the duplex reticle. I do think they are a good optic for range work however they fail as a hunting scope compared to several others I own in the same general price range. In fact I own at least two other brands in the 4-16x category that cost less and deliver a much better hunting scope. The glass is clear and the eye relief and eye box are acceptable however the field of view is poor and low light performance is no better than other scopes I own that cost hundreds less. I like the parallax adjustment knob (it works very well) but the power ring has no built in throw lever (not even a small one) which makes it hard to determine your magnification setting in low light. I think my biggest complaint is the large black circle around the image you see when looking through the ocular lens. I own several other brands and while some others also have a black ring the Vortex is excessive. If I had it to do over again I would not have ordered these two scopes even if they had been on sale which was the case at the time.

I was having a lot of short stroke issues with my 300 BLK AR build (carbine length gas system). After some investigation I determined my AR was under gassed. One option would have been to drill out the gas port to a larger diameter but I didn't want to void my barrel warranty so I needed other options. The answer was this reduced power buffer spring which has fixed my feeding issues no matter the load I've tried. I get consistent 4 o'clock ejection with most loads and the bolt locks back just like it should.

I was looking for a 110v digital scale to use for verifying powder drops. Once I get my powder dropper set to the correct charge I like to check the charge periodically to make sure it's still throwing as expected. This Frankford Arsenal Platinum scale fit the bill nicely. I had previously tried to use a pocket scale but I had problems with the scale drifting or shutting off on me...not an issue with the Frankford Arsenal. I have been using this scale for a few months and have not had any drifting issues what so ever. Using my check weights the scale reads correctly every time and I even pulled out my beam scale to see if they would read the same. They did. I also like the size of the scale (it's not dainty), the included carrying case is fantastic and the large readout is good too. The only thing I would change is I personally would have like the readout to be a bit more angled (personal preference).

This is my second Rise Armament trigger replacement for Mil-Spec AR. Trigger install was easy and straight forward although the installation instructions are a bit dated. Previous models of Rise Armament triggers (and maybe some current models) require the use of two set screws after installation however this RAVE 140 uses spring tension to hold the trigger in place instead of set screws. My older model RISE Armament trigger breaks fairly consistently at 3.5 lb however using a Wheeler Trigger Gauge the first pull on this trigger was 4.5 lb, the second was 3.75 lb and the third was 4 lb. Over 10 pulls the average was close to 4 lb but the pulls were not consistent at all. The Mil-Spec 2-stange trigger pull was close to 7 lb so this RISE Armament Rave 140 was still an improvement but it did not meet my expectations.

I have never used an LPVO opting to instead use a read dot with QD base and then changing that out for a MPVO with a QD base for longer range shooting. After doing a lot of research I decided to give an LPVO a try and then based on other reviews I chose to get this Swampfox. 1-6x is a great magnification range for me. I've found the 1 power to be excellent to use for close range engagement (much like a red dot) while still having the option to crank it up to 6x and shoot 100/200 yards at the range. I can't compare this Tomahawk to other options in this price range but the glass is very clear, the illumination is truly daylight bright on the highest setting and it tracks accurately. I opted for the gorilla dot reticle because I plan to use it on 1x most often and I the only negative I have is the eye box could be a little more forgiving. Eye relief is probably 3.5 inches but I as I just mentioned the eye box (on 6x) will require you to position your head the same every time. At 1x the eye box is better but still not as good as just using a read dot. This LPVO is a SFP scope so the reticle stays the same size so the MOA marks are only correct at 6x but for my purposes that is not an issue.

Purchased this SAV-1 from Rifle Basix to go in a new Savage 110 with the Accu-Stock. Many think the factory Accu-Trigger is a good one but I can't stand the blade in the middle of it and after doing some research this is the only replacement trigger I found that said it would work with the Accu-Stock system. I'd like to take off 1/2 a star because the instructions included with the trigger were for a different model entirely but I was able to find the correct instructions on the Rifle Basix website. Installing the trigger is very strait forward and in about 30 min I had it installed and adjusted to my liking. One the greatest features about this trigger is how easy it was to adjust sear engagement, pull weight and overtravel. After installing it before making any pull weight adjustment I checked it with my trigger pull scale and found it was pulling at 8 oz. Too light for hunting but someone doing bench rest shooting would probably love it. I slowly adjusted it up to 2.5 lb and over 10 test pulls it never varied more than 0.10 lb which is fantastic. I highly recommend this trigger to anyone wanting a replacement for the Savage 110!

Purchased the Thrive 4-16X50 with the Duplex reticle. Mounted to a Savage 110 rifle in 7mm-08 with a Warne O MOA rail and 30mm Med Warne rings. Scope is a tad on the heavy side but that was fine with me since I was starting out with a fairly lightweight rifle. Short version of this review is BUY IT! Long version is that after mounting this scope I took it out at 30 min past sunset to compare it to other brands I owned in the 300 - 600 dollar price range. When looking at a forest tree line 100 yards away 30 min after sunset on a cloudy night I was able to see in front of the trees well enough to shoot a deer with any of the scopes I looked through (evaluated 4 - 8 magnification with all). However with the Zero Tech I was able to see under the trees and into the forest. Only one other brand allowed this but the Zero Tech crosshairs were much easier to pick up in the low light and the contrast in the image was better than any of the other brands including scopes that cost hundreds more than this one. The low light image is just outstanding and in bright daylight the color contrast and sharpness is there edge to edge. Eye relief, eye box and field of view are above average IMHO. I try to stay away from Chinese made scopes but this one is a real winner!

This is the first Leupold scope I've ever owned that I did not think was worth what I paid for it. Glass is clear edge to edge and the scope is light weight with solid construction but turrets are hard to turn and not positive. Eye relief is great (over 3.5 inches I'd say) but the eyebox is not as forgiving as my other Leupold scopes and I find myself having to really try to position myself just right behind the scope to get a full picture. Low light performance is adequate but not extraordinary...I've got other brands that cost less that are just as good if not better. I own or have owned serval Leupolds over the years including VX3i, VX2, VX1 and other VX Freedom scopes but I just simply would not buy this one again. I'll be replacing it soon.