Re: Hi-lux CMP VS Falcon Menace low pwr scopes
i can't give you a back to back comparison,i don't own the leatherwood cmr but i did look at one at the range for a while on an AR and all i can say is,from what i clearly remember,i like the falcon at 5x better than the cmr at 4x,..but that's not really fair and i didn't mess with the turrets or anything like that,it wasn't mine or on my rifle,so take that with a grain of salt.
i was looking for a low variable to put on a nice shooting AK in 7.62x39 and there were a few features i wanted,..a reticle with enough hash marks(not specific to 5.56 or 7.62x51) to zero at 100m/yrds(as opposed to a 200 or 235 zero) and still have hold overs i can use out as far(bullet drop) as possible for the x39,..a circle(or something else) that draws my eye to target at low mag,..matching turret adj clicks(that are precise/true) and reticle,..tough enough to last(the falcon is rated for .338 lapua magnum recoil),..decent glass,..ability to mount low as possible but still clear the rear iron sight(again,an AK issue unless you go with a cheek riser which i prefer not to),..and yet didn't cost alot for this particular use/need.
i've only had the falcon for about a month(from swfa) and taken it to the range twice,it's got only about 200 rds so far but during this short time it's given me everything i wanted so far. i did a simple box test to the right and then to the left with 27 rds and it did a perfectly good rectangle and returned to zero every time,also between 1.5x@100yrds and 5x@100yrds it's POI doesn't change. it's center dot is also small enough to be used very precisely. i'll be taking it to a different range to play with the 2 MRAD spaced hash marks and 1 MRAD clicks with GT 124gr fmjbt and create some notes,..buy the way,the covers it comes with are useless imho because they come off too easily and i took them off,i'm ordering some butler creeks.
the illumination is very nice and an upgrade from the 1st gen of same scope. it use to have detents for each and every setting between the two colors before,now it has two off detents(at 180 degrees apart) and a smooth linear non-detent illumination intensification with a long,cone shaped mark instead of numbers. it works very well. in both colors(red and green),low is pretty low and very usefull in very low light and doesn't distract and high is pretty high without blooming that color all inside the scope(which many cheap scopes do and more expensive scopes sometimes do too),very nice. i prefer to keep it on the side that begins with low green and high red instead of the other side that's low red high green,your choice,..just keep in mind that both this falcon and the leatherwood cmr,the illumination will disappear in very bright,direct sunlight(no problem if in shade looking out at bright sunlight) but,of course,the reticle can still be seen(this will happen to scopes costing 12x as much,but if you needs this,think meopta k-dot and a very short list of others,for leo doing entry work for example). by the way,the reticle picture at swfa doesn't do the illumination justice at all,it's much better than what you see there.
at 1.5x there's some barreling which may bother some people but not me,it allows me to see things at the outer edge of the image which i wouldn't see otherwise(if it were the same design at 1.5x but with a 24mm objective lens). the 1.5x really comes into it's own at about 30 feet and beyond but up closer it's still very useful to me with both eyes open,especially with the ill on. i also find the glass and image clear and bright enough at 1.5 or 5x for anything i need to do in low light or daytime(as seen through my eyes in sunny day,dawn,dusk and night with color rendition and brightness matching my eyes without scope very nicely,execpt mag of course).
the eye relief is great for my application and the eye box is not super critical,which was another demand/need that i had. i don't need to change my head position at all between 1.5x and 5x and for up close at 1.5x,the exit pupil is not extemely demanding. the mag ring is rubber armored and feels great to the touch with great finger/ring traction if just a little stiff to turn(better a little stiff than a little too loose though). i was thinking of adding a throw lever before i had the scope,but now i'm not so sure i want it.
the falcon menace 1.5-5x30IR seems very well built to me and i'm a happy camper so far. it should work well for any caliber rifle if you don't need/want more than 5x mag. is it some kind of super-duper scope?,lol,..nope,but i'll tell you what,it's doing everything as advertised and i feel i've gotten more than my moneys worth. the original list of scopes for this project,which i whittled down to the falcon,included about 30 different scopes,including the leatherwood cmr and many other brands like weaver,hawke,bushnell,burris,konus,millet,kruger,mueller and others. in other words,i didn't just pick the falcon nor did i favor it in any way.
anyway,i hope this helps. to be honest,if it were for 5.56 AND i was trying not to spend a large amount,i'd have taken a hard look at the weaver tactical 1-5x24,it has a 5x erector and as such represents good value(because of current design/technology/cost,6x erectors and up is were the prices really jump up). there's also a whole slew of other low variables that begin with 1.5x or 1x. i actually like 1.5x but many people(or so they claim) have a problem if it's not a true 1x,which many 1x- scopes don't really have(from a design/manufacturing standpoint,it's difficult to create a variable that is a TRUE 1x and gives great image quality at that 1x).please keep in mind that i have used a 3x ACOG and have no problems keeping both eyes open there,so caveat emptor as far as your eyes and ability is concerned.
also to be honest,i don't think all that much of the millet dms 1-4x24 which i have used many times. in fact,i consider this falcon menace to be the superior scope compared to that millet(especially the image quality but also the features)(no offense to millet dms owners,everyone has a differnt POV but my eyes see what they see).
