The israeli acog - Meprolight Mepro 4X Day Rifle Scope w/QD Picatinny Mount

There was huge buzz around this sight when it debuted at ShotShow 2016. It was supposed to be the Israeli ACOG: fixed 4 power, huge objective lens, deep depth of field, all for a price that was supposed to be cheaper than an ACOG. Except then that it wasnt't. At MSRP of ~1200, would you choose this over an ACOG?

There are some things it does better. The field of view is gigantic. So even though the ACOG may have better glass and edge to edge clarity, because the FOV is so much more expansive and the depth of field so deep, the overall sight picture through the Mepro 4x looks more impressive. Also, I have the Mepro with the chevron reticle, which I think is better than the chevron reticle that ACOG offers. But this is also because I'm a chevron reticle kind of guy, and this advantage wouldn't necessarily carry over to the crosshair or the horseshoe reticles. I've not had an opportunity to evaluate those.

Then there's stuff it doesn't do so well. You see how the eyepiece lens has gigantic rubber bumper wrapped around it? That's because if there's plenty of light and your exit pupil is small, this scope will punch you in the face every time you fire. Granted, its not a hugely forceful punch if you have it mounted on a 5.56 rifle, but very short eye relief is the trade-off for its large FOV.

Also the mount is not offset from the optic, so it rides far forward on your rail. It seems like it was designed for a bullpup type configuration where the rail ends where the stock begins (like for example the Tavor), but on an AR you have to collapse your stock way forward to get a good cheek weld and your nose ends up nuzzling the charging handle.

And then there's the fact that the ACOG has been around forever and has a thousand accessories for it. Need a lens cap for the objective or the eyepiece? How about a mount for a mini-red dot sight? Good luck finding them for the Mepro. Also, there's no fiber optic or tritium illumination, and don't expect the illumination to be daylight visible.

And the kicker? Well for about a 1000 bucks you get a scope from Trijicon with a lifetime warranty. You get that with the Mepro 4x too, if you only expect to be alive for another year. Otherwise, your warranty is up.

So should you buy it? Not for MSRP. But, if you are patient and keep an eye out, you will see when these do go on sale they discount much more than a new ACOG would. So if you prefer Chevron reticles and could score this one for significantly less than a new ACOG, this might be the scope for you.