As i said blade, whilst i sound picky, i wasn't trying to be....it just so happens the unit i have is horrible & i slipped when mounting it so scratched the tube so cant get a refund or get it exchanged.
SCJ just asked what i hate about it & i answered.
I appreciate the scopes work for you mate, but the one i have sucks...& also as i said, they have thrir place, but ideally not for me given i like picking bunnies at couple hundred, & i also feel they would be no good for anyone wanting largely to do the same--but id be happy for one on my .222 or a hornett or something like that.
But there is a reason shooters/varminters seeking the tightest in accuracy dont use scopes with large dots over POI...however as you say, if chasing deer fair enough.
But for all round general stuff its as i said a great value scope...no argument from me there!!
One of your first points (relating to holdover hash marks out to 300 on hunting outfits-as you say if you need a 6" holdover at 300 its not necessary to use holdover hash marks or therefore dial it) counteracts your points of needing/wanting a return to zero & exposed turrets--
So im not quite sure of your points there at the beginning & end of your post..
And that is where it comes down to the individual & their priorities in features for scope selection.
My priorities are optics on walkabout hunting rifle--& the Elite i have has optical quality as good, & even better than some scopes of 3X the outlay.
Whilst i too would like the Elite scope to have these features of zero return exposed turrets etc, im happy to save at least $500 on something remotely comparible in optics ,given that these are on walk about hunting rifles, mostly for goats, & hopefully deer (if i ever get on to them). So capped turrets, return to zero & .25moa make no difference to me with shots on goats out to 300 (mind you the longest we've (2 shooters) ever busted is 14 out of a mob of 15 was 200yds).
When i speak of focus i mean a sharp image that is adjusted by the 'parallex correction" dial on the scope, im not referring to the dioptre--the dioptre is set for you eye & left. (im not suggesting thats what you thought i meant, im just trying to be clear).
...if you havnt had, or noticed that some scopes are not in focus (clearest & sharpest target image possible for that given scope) when parallex is correctly set then you are lucky...or its my eyes lol...
Being out of focus/or not quite the clearest image possible is often barely noticable, & you will not notice it in the results printed on targets at usual ranges of up to 100m (unless youre looking through the scope sideways), or out at extended ranges if you have the ability to centre your eye perfectly in the scope every time.
But id be very surprised that if you have so many of these scopes, that at least a couple of them don't suffer from this phenomenon, if not all, even if it is barely noticable if at all.
I have a Zeiss .Conquest HD5 that suffers from chromatic aberration & target being out of focus when parallex is set correctly...its easy to test...i notice it on a good deal of scopes & i suffer from bad eyes.
As for focus/parallex adjustment down to 10 metres...all i can say is that if you need that on a scope with a power of 18 magnification, i hope you got your safety gear on or youre shooting from a bullet proof bunker mate...
And If you cant shoot a goat in the head at 15 metres with a 4x-6x scope without the need to stop & adjust parallex down to 10 metres, then you be better served using the fuel to drive to the butcher...
My problem (or one of many) is i come from an industry of high end optics, & whilst ive lost a lot of my ability to see the quality i used to be able to see, i can still pick these small flaws in scopes-infact they stand out to me.
And being able to see fine detail in shadows of gum tree foliage well over 600 metres in a Swarovski Z6, and not being able to see fine detail in the dirt mound at 220 metres with a $200 scope is proof that you DO sometimes get what you pay for...!!!
The man who knows everything, doesnt really know everything...he's just stopped learning...