Great bang for the buck and a nearly perfect 3-gun/tactical scope. - Vortex Viper PST 1-4x24mm Rifle Scope, 30mm Tube, Second Focal Plane (SFP)

I bought this Viper PST 1-4X MRAD scope after over a year of reviewing potential 3-gun scopes and am very pleased with the results. It's got super-clear glass, a nice, wide field of view, and best of all, a fantastic reticle that is perfect for rapid transitions between close-up targets and also for taking those precision shots out past 500 yards.

The biggest pleasant surprise for me is how super-fine the stadia lines are--I came from an ACOG, whose BDC lines are so thick they almost completely cover up a 10" steel plate at 400yds or more. On the Viper PST's reticle, the stadia are so fine that I was able to visually slice a 10" plate into quadrants even out to 500yds*. And my shot placement and scores have dramatically improved.

The biggest disappointment was to find that the reticle's illumination is not bright enough for the bright desert sunlight. It's definitely bright, just not as bright as say the Meopta K-Dot scopes, which DO hold up in the same bright sunlight.

But all that is more than made-up for by the outstanding features. I love the large target turrets (though I wish they were about 5mm shorter so I wouldn't knock them into barricades), the return-to-zero-lock, and the little amenities like the fiber optic indicators. Best of all is the no-questions-asked warranty. My hope is that Vortex will someday improve the reticle brightness, and I'll send my scope in for a free upgrade, making it quite literally the PERFECT 3-gun scope.

I have compared this to my friend's Swarovski Z6i, and though that is a very fine scope, I consider the VIper PST better for 3-gunning for a couple of reasons: far better reticle design, better controls. I also compared it side-by-side with the much-cheaper Burris TAC30 that some of my squad-mates are running. They enjoy having a true BDC on the TAC30 (especially versus the Trijicon TR24s they used to run), but I prefer the finer stadia lines of the Viper PST and much better build quality.

If this scope were lost, I would definitely buy another one.

* I should warn those buyers with poor eyesight: the reticle's stadia lines are too fine for the members of my squad that require reading glasses.
Pros: Bright, clear glass, superb reticle, handy turrets and features.
Cons: Illumination not really daylight visible, MRAD clicks are a bit too coarse compared to the MOA model, zoom ring is a bit stiff for competition.

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.