OK, I have a Trijicon Accupoint triangle and Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9, both of which I enjoy shooting.
The Accupoint isn’t going anywhere. It’s great for a carbine. The VX-R…. It’s like I want to see just a little closer when I move from the Accupoint 1-6 to the VX-R 3-9.
I don’t shoot at long range, though I have a class that will go out beyond 200 in the searly summer.
What’s the next step up for a decent quality scope with over 9x with MRAD? I don’t need the best, though I want “nice.” Keeping under $1000 is always my preference. 15-18x seems like a sweet spot.
At under $1K, I’ve been happy so far with the Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 3-15. If you want 2nd focal plane, it’s in stock right now from EuroOptic for $590.
At $1,000, I’d look at other options, but I’ve not had to pay more than $700 for any of my PSTs. Maybe a Trijicon or a Steiner, though I’ve never used these and finding one you like for under a grand may be hard. Zeiss Conquest V4, though the reticles or turrets may not be to your liking.
It’s kinda an odd duck, but I’ll mention it anyway. I picked up a couple Leupold Mark 4 4.5-14 LRTs from MidwayUSA for $700 early this year. I just checked, and they’re still available for the same price. If their custom shop ever opens again, I’m probably going to send them in for MRAD turrets. I’ve been using MOA turrets for decades, so the mis-match doesn’t bug me. I just treat it like an MOA scope, and always dial for elevation…ignoring the MRAD dot spacing. They don’t have illumination, but they’ve got fully proven durability, good glass, and pretty nice turrets.
I paid $600 for the MOA FFP version from EuroOptic, but that was a year and a half ago.
I bought a few of the VX-R Patrol 3-9s after they were discontinued, for pretty ridiculous prices. For an inexpensive, lightweight optic, I think they work really well (even with a reticle that I consider too thick).
I would take a look at Primary Arms GLX 4-16x50. Good value for the money, made in Philippines. They offer a few different reticles, but this one is MRAD and FFP
I’ve run a lot of scopes, and for under $1,000, the Vortex Viper PST Gen II is hard to beat (ESPECIALLY if Euro Optic has them for $590). I have multiple of the Viper PST Gen II 5-25 FFP MRAD scopes on rifles, and they are great scopes for the money. In fact, i just put on on my 6Creed yesterday.
For magnification, personally I like 5-25, but i’m in Utah and we shoot long range frequently. From your post, it sounds like the 3-15x might be best for you. If it were me, i would grab that Viper PST Gen II 3-15 FFP MRAD scope from Euro Optic, throw it in some nice rings, and call it a day.
Since you like Trijicon, look at the Credo 2.5-15x42 and 4-16x50. They MSRP for above but can be had for $700-900. I have the x42 and it’s great. They are both SFP but great optics.
Reviews are positive, scopes are made in Japan, the SFP Credos will come comfortably under the 1K limit. I don’t know why Trijicon FFP scopes are priced so much higher than their SFP units.