Rifle Scopes Falcon M18+ or S18i

[Shankin McStaby]

Does anyone have any feed back/experience with either the Falcon M18+ or S18i?

I’m looking for a decent scope for a build I’m putting together for my wife. Super high magnification isn’t necessary as it’s a .223. I’m more worried about decent glass, good tracking turrets, and a reticle that’s not super busy as to get in the way. This will be her first bolt gun, and while I don’t want to put a total piece of crap on it, money is TIGHT.

I’ve also considered slapping a SWFA fixed something or other on it.... if I go this route, it will likely be the 6x as it’ll have a slightly better field of view than the 10x.

Thanks in advance for any input you might have.

 

[CDNKopfjager]

I have a M18. It tracks fine, no issues with glass clarity, over all feels pretty solid.

The only complaint I have is that the turret caps feel cheap, as in there is play before you make an adjustment. Other then that it's not bad for a cheap scope. The magnification ring is really tight (on mine at least) but if you can find a throw lever it will make things a lot easier.

Other than that, it's a decent scope for a decent price.

 

[rhsc]

IMHO, you're on the right track considering the SS 6x. I have no experience with the Falcon so I can't comment on that, but I have had the opportunity to compare a fellow shooter's SWFA 6x SS with my own SS 12x and my nephew's SS 10x at the range a few months ago. The 6x has a noticeably larger field of view compared to the higher magnification scopes, and it appears to be a bit brighter and sharper too. The turret adjustments felt as good as the other SWFA scopes and really, it's just very, very nice for the price. For the practical range of a .223 target rifle it should be more than adequate for the task.

Since budget is a big factor for you, here's an outside-the-box suggestion: you might want to consider the Athlon Midas BTR 1-6x24 that Camera Land has on close-out right now for $219.99. Being that the objective is only 24mm, low light performance won't be as good, and the field of view at 6 power is narrower than the 42mm SS 6x (17.6 feet vs 22 feet), but when you dial the Athlon down below 5x you get a wider field of view. The capped turrets adjust nicely, it has very good eye relief and it also has a 1 MOA illuminated red dot center for low light situations. While I would definitely give the SWFA Mil Quad or MOA Quad reticles the edge for target use, the ATSR1 reticle in the Athlon appears to be a better hunting and fast-acquisition reticle, and it's designed to be used with 68 – 69 grain 5.56/.223 rounds. I put one of these on my Ruger GSR as a general purpose scope and couldn't be happier with it.

 

[Shankin McStaby]

@rhsc, if that Midas was mil/mil, I’d be all over it like stink on shite.

I’m still up in the air on this one. I think it’s likely between the SWFA 6x and the M18+. I’ll do some more digging around and see what I can figure out.

Anyone else have any input?

ETA: I’m going to do some more digging on that Midas too.