Not what they used to be (in a good way) - SightMark 3-18x50mm Presidio LR2 Riflescope, 30mm, First Focal Plane (FFP)

Ordered this about half a year ago now, and I have to be honest, it's pretty damned good for the price range.

SightMark used to have a pretty bad reputation, and deservedly so, back in the day. They largely had airsoft tier and gimmicky junk that didn't hold zero and last more than couple shooting sessions under recoil... But that really doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I've bought a handful of their more recent offerings just for giggles on sale, and they worked well enough. I stepped into a new .308 rifle and needed glass; wanted an MRAD tree, FFP, a minimum of 16x magnification, and zero stops. This one ticked all the marks, and I wanted to try something other than vortex in the price range. I decided to give their glass a go and see for myself.

It's actually been a pretty pleasant experience overall. The build quality seems decent; a little hefty, but solid. The glass quality was better than expected. Very clear, crisp image, good color, good light gathering. The clicks are fairly tactile. It's held up to 1000+ rounds of .308 through an FNAR without any qualms or hiccups. I'm actually tempted to say it's my favorite <$500 scope I have. It beats out my Vortex, Primary Arms and Burris in the same ballpark. The only negative experience has been the odd person asking why I slapped a Sightmark of all things on my firearm.

At the end of the day, brands and their offerings change over time, for better or worse. My recent experiences on rolling the dice tells me that SightMark has changed for the better. Most of the articles bashing their products are 15 years old or from people who haven't looked through them themselves; is everything in their portfolio great? Probably not, but the couple I've chanced on have actually been worth owning. All I'm saying is that much like myself, you might be pleasantly surprised.