Mueller 8.5-25 Tactical - recommendations?

brotherjack

brotherjack

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Here's where I'm currently at - I currently have a Bushnell Banner 3.5-10 on my CZ Silhouette, and I am generally OK with the optical quality and such - nicer would be better, but for a 22 I mostly just use to play around at the range while the barrels on the big guns cool, it's optically good enough.

I do, however, really wish I had more zoom for playing around at the range at long distance (I routinely shoot 250 yards with my 22 - great fun!), and a step up in optical quality would be nice too, so I have been looking around for what would suffice. Ideally, I'd like something lke a 4-16SF Nikon Monarch or the same in a Bushnell 4200 (low enough zoom for hunting (barely), high enough zoom for targets (barely)). But, being a cheapskate, I was thinking I might save a couple hundred bucks, and pick up a Mueller 8.5-25 mil-dot for target use, and keep the Banner for hunting purposes (I already have QD rings I could use to make the swaps easy).

All of which is a long winded way of asking - any of you guys who actually have the 8.5-25 Mueller scope; what's it optically comparable to in a Bushnell (Bushnells being the brand I am most familiar with)? Would it be a step up from the Banner I have currently, or not? Should I just suck it up and go an extra $200 or so for a Monarch or 4200 4-16? Or would you recommend something else in the $500 or less class?

Thanks,
 
BJ, as a current owner of both the Nikon Monarch and the Mueller Tac., I can tell you the Nikon is miles ahead of the Mueller in terms of optical quality. However, since you mentioned it is for 22 plinking at the range, the Mueller is decent for the money. Personally, I have the Tac. on my 204 and it's serving it well. My Nikon goes on the 25-06 so it can handle hunting/varminting/target shooting.

And from my experience, you're much better off with the Nikon than the Bushnell, unless it's a 6500.
 
What's the crosshairs like on the Mueller? Nice and thin? Or a bit thick and chunky? Is it clear all the way up to 25, or do you find you tend not to dial it all the way up because it's not clear at full zoom? Any other tidbits you can think of that might be useful to know?
 
The Mueller Tac has a standard mildot. If you like I could take a pic or two for you.

I haven't really used it long enough, but regardless of clarity I always dial it to max on the range (spotting 20 cal holes are not easy at 200+ yards without a spotting scope).

IIRC the Mueller has 1/8" clicks. Good for precision target shooting, but I question the smaller click value on a "tactical" scope, where it is supposed to shoot two legged critters. To each his own.
 
This may be a moot point question - I just got of the phone with a guy who's got me a Nikon Monarch 4-16SF mil-dot for something vaguely resembling a reasonable price. Still more than I wanted to spend, but bleah - if I don't, someday I'll be looking at that Mueller thinking "you know, I'd really like to upgrade that scope right there to something with crisper optics and a bit less zoom for when I want to take that thing hunting..."
 
Update: Nikon 4-16 mil-dot is ordered!!! The only bad part is, when it gets here, The Wife(tm) is going to swipe it from me and wrap it up for Christmas, LOL...
 
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