(snip)
At the 3 minute mark Gary mentions the 8-80x56 as having the best optics of any rifle scope ever made (he does qualify that by saying "in my opinion"), well, I would have to disagree. I have experience with the 8-80x56 Majesta and while it is very impressive for the design I did not find it to have better glass than say TT, ZCO, et al but I also think that is part of the 10x erector design even with a SFP scope. Also, when it comes to the PRS/ELR Goldilocks zone (10-20x) I found the 5-42x56 Gen2 to offer better performance than the 8-80x56 Majesta. I also would agree to disagree with his comments regarding the scope cutting through mirage, yes, it does a great job with mirage but at magnifications above 30x I still found it to magnify the distortion vs. cutting through the distortion. I realize that dynamic shooting sports like PRS and other ELR style comps are different from static shooting sports like F class, but mirage is mirage and doing extensive tests at 1000 yards I have found TT and ZCO to be among the best scopes at managing mirage above 15x;
(snip)
I don’t think Glass appreciates mirage and what it does the IQ of a riflescope in the conditions with which Gary is familiar when he speaks about the Majesta. I don’t think Glass has enough experience with a Majesta or any other riflescope, in the conditions that Gary encounters in F-class.
When we shoot F-class competitions, we are aiming at a known target, at a known distance. At 1000 yards, the target frame is 6’ X 6’. The target face is tan in color with an aiming black 44 inches in diameter in the middle of the target. There are concentric rings on the target, with a black one outside the aiming black, and all the others in the aiming black itself. These rings are ¼ inch thick, very thin, and tan in color. The innermost ring is the X-ring and it measures 5 inches in diameter, including the tan line that delimits the ring. This is about 0.5MOA in diameter. The 10-ring is 10 inches in diameter, or about 1.0 MOA. The 9-ring is 20 inches in diameter, about 2.0 MOA. The 8-ring is 30 inches in diameter, about 3.0 MOA and the 7-ring or the aiming black itself is 44 inches in diameter, about 4.5MOA. The lone ring outside the aiming black is 60 inches in diameter, about 6.0MOA.
Now, the distance between the X-ring and the 10-ring is 2.5 inches or 1/4MOA. The distance between the 10-ring and the 9-ring is 5 inches or 0.5MOA and the distance between the 9-ring and the 8-ring is also 5 inches, 0.5MOA. These distances are important.
In an F-class match, we will figure out the wind and estimate the correction needed on the target before the first sighter. Some will dial in a correction in the scope and refine it during sighters. From that point one, most people do not dial in any windage correction during the match. We will play with elevation as the barrel heats up. Instead of correcting with the windage, we will hold off on the target using the rings as the gauge.
In order to be as precise as possible, we favor high magnification riflescopes that have very thin reticles; in other words, high mag SFP riflescopes. By high magnification, I mean north of 40X.
Let’s talk real mirage now. At 40X and beyond, mirage will distort the IQ of the target in ways that can be downright amusing if it wasn’t impacting your aim. I have been shooting at that target with a high mag riflescope for about 17 years now. In lower quality scope, the round aiming point was actually changing shape, “like a crazed amoeba on crack”, pulsating in the eyepiece. There was no semblance of rings, only a pulsating blob. In better quality scopes, the image of the aiming black is roundish, but the rings simply cannot be distinguished at higher mags. You’re holding off on the target by gauging the size of the roundish blob. Most people elect to wind down the magnification to diminish the effects of mirage on the IQ of the target, preferring to surrender the precision afforded by higher magnification in order to be able to somewhat discern the rings.
The March-X 10-60X56 HM had its IQ less affected by mirage than any other riflescope at 50X and beyond. While people using lesser optics were dialing down the magnification trying to deal with mirage, those with the March HM could remain at high magnification and continue placing their shots precisely.
Then the Majesta appeared and its increased resistance to mirage allows me and others to stay at 80X throughout the day, regardless of mirage. The lone Majesta user in 2022 won the US Nationals in F-Open in Phoenix (at 75X to 80X all week). There were many Majestas at the 2023 US Nationals, again in Phoenix, when the champion and runner-up were both using Majestas. One was using 60X all the time, (personal preference) and the other was using 80X all the time.
Now, let’s be clear here. Mirage will degrade the IQ of the target in ANY riflescope. It’s just that in the Majesta, while the image of the target will not win any photography prizes, the target remains shootable. The aiming black is round, and the rings are still distinct and usable. You can differentiate between the X-ring and the 10-ring and so on, at 80X.
The Majesta also allows you to discern the mirage in the eyepiece. We spend a lot of time on the spotting scope trying to figure out what the mirage river is showing us, and when we transition to the Majesta, we can detect any change in mirage conditions just as we are getting ready to shoot. If something changes before the trigger is pressed, it will show in the Majesta and you can act on it.
Finally, the Majesta has an AAOV of 25°, with provides a much larger FOV at any magnification (all the way to 80X) compared to any other riflescope on the planet except for the March-FX 5-42X56 HM (gen 1 or 2), with its 26° AAOV. While I can’t read his mind, when Gary says that in his opinion, the Majesta has the best optics of any riflescope ever made, I should think he is taking into consideration the magnification, the FOV and the mirage resistance of the Majesta; no other riflescope on the planet approaches this combination.