I had a look at a 1-6 x 24i today, with a view to it going on my cousins BLR. They get a good rap, with it often said that under $1000 they are hard to beat. I have two Meostars, so was keen to see how they compared.
Reviews says how good the glass is, and how clear they are. I agree with this, and think they compare well with more expensive competition. In this regard, you should give them some serious thought when in the market for a new scope. Really nice, bright and clear. Impressive for the price point.
But...... this is a scope with an illuminated reticle, so the performance of the red dot is important. I saw an internet review that stated you could not see it in normal sunlight. But it was a US review, doing a 3 gun type shoot on a white target in full sun. So not a hunting scenario. So I figured I had better make up my own mind on this with an inspection. When at the shop the fella put a battery in it for me to have a look out the shop door (I was not even outside). I could not see it at all, even on full power. I handed it back and he had a look himself. He then checked to see it was turned on. It was.
So that was not much good. No point buying a red dot scope if you cannot see it during the day. Yes, at dawn and dusk it would be fine, but I have shot pigs at 9.00am too. Disappointing.
Problem number two was first noticed when it was handed to me. I was stunned at how heavy it was. I could not believe it.. I reckon my 2.5-15 X 56 is lighter. I do not think I have ever picked up a hunting scope that was so heavy. My dad could not believe how heavy it was. We had a GPO 1-6 X 24 as a comparison, and it was much lighter. Gun shop guy reckoned it was half the weight of the Meopta. It was hard to disagree with him.
So we bought the GPO, which looks to be a very nice optic. When we got home we googled the specs of both scopes, which are both in the 500 gram range, one 530 and one 580 or something similar. We got some scales out and stuffed around with baked bean tins etc to try and draw a conclusion. We estimate the Meopta feels to us like it weighs close to 750-800 grams. The GPO weighed close to the specs.
We could not believe how heavy it felt, and agreed there was no way it would suit the BLR. Very odd. The GPO was bought at a heavily discounted price. Normal price is $1850 - $2100 depending on where you look and we got it for $1195. Whilst it does not have the "cache" of a Zeiss or a Swarovski, at a quick glance it compares well to my Z6 for half the price.
For $850- $950 the Meopta Optika6 has great optics. If you want a 3-18 (which may be a bit dearer) for a varminter and do not care about weight or illuminated reticles, then for the price they look really good I reckon.
My 2C anyway!