Falcon Menace 4-14x44 FFP MP

[Pod]

Finally managed to get my hands on one of these after a very long wait!

I was advised by Falcon that there were some issues with most of the scopes in the delivery but there were enough good ones to meet a few orders - including mine I bought it via Geoffrey at Nightvision Supplies and he advised me that the one earmarked for me had an obvious blemish in the finish. He sent me a picture of the problem and I decided to go for it anyway.

The scope was delivered and on first inspection I was stunned at the quality of the optics - better than their previous offerings but not quite Lightstream standards. Nice and bright and crystal clear. The revised MP20 ret is absolutely superb - it looks like a crucifix floating in the scope, with lots of relevant aim points. Controls felt nice and positive although the zoom ring was stiff - but nice and smooth.

Biggest concern was that the scope supplied is a metric version - its click value is 1cm at 100m and I was concerned that this would be too coarse to get a spot on zero. I also noted how short the mounting areas are on the scope and had concerns that I would not be able to get the eye-relief right.

I mounted the scope on my Air Wolf (replacing a Falcon Menace 10x) using Sportsmatch elevation adjustable mounts. I had no problems getting the eye relief right. When mounted the first obvious problem was that the mag wouldn't fit! There is a large protruding plug on the underside of the scope - presumably where the gas is squirted in. I swapped the pin over on the mag and it fits fine from the other side.

Took the rifle out to zero it. At 15 yards the first shots were going about 8 inches low and slightly off to the right. After less than 10 shots it was near enough. Another magazine at 30 yards had it grouping lovely and zeroed as well as could be expected considering the wind.

I reduced the mag and noticed that there was an obvious shadow/shape whatever its called (!) at the bottom the view. I've only ever seen this on one scope before and knew that it is the erector tube intruding into the view. I was a tad annoyed!

I twiddled the elevation turret and realised that it was very near the top of its adjustment and as I have adjustable mounts.... I centred the turret - which removed the shadow, and zeroed again but using the mounts. All is now spot on. View is crystal clear on all mags and the annoying intruding shape has gone.

I only did all this yesterday so apologies if this review lacks further info and substance!

So in summary:
Good points - glass, reticle, controls, price.
Bad points - finish (although I was fully aware), erector tube intrudes into view if near the extremes of adjustment.

I'll update this thread in a few weeks when it has had some use.

[BarryB]

Shot with mine last Sun at the SIHFT at Horsham for the first time, scored 53. I have bad eyes, and the FFP allows variable mag and parallax adjustment without affecting mill dot settings. This allowed me to set the depth of field exactly as I required. My scope has the MP20 ret.
I have a Daystate MK3 and had no problems with erector tube intruding into the view. My mounts were standard medium Sportsmatch.

[flims]

if you have the MP20 in First focal plain you really have the best of both worlds. wheni purchased mine the ffp version was not yet available and went with the 4.5-18 but always use it on the 10x since its calibrated so. Dont worry about the metric, you did the right thing, now you have a reticle and a turret that MATCH each other so say you hit 2Mils left or 5Mils low, you can either hold off which in your case since you have FFP reticle you can do at any magnification, but if you are after more precise work, you can simply Dial in exactly 5Mils(50)

the magnification ring is stiff but smooth as you said and being stiff reassures me that it does not get knocked out of the 10x calibration which i find a plus point. my 35meter zero is exactly at the center of the tube so i did not encounter that problem and i still have 11.5Mils of elevation which is equivalent to 40MOA elevational travel which is good.

since the adjustments are a tad larger than 1/4MOA, one turn on the turret will take you out further than other scopes will and you will probably find it useful to know that with one turn of the turret, you can gain more distance.can you post some pics?

[Pod]

Used it a few times now and to be honest I am a little disappointed and struggling with it

The field of view seems quite narrow and the sight picture is framed with a thick rim - its more like the older Falcon Merlin series than the other Menace models I have tried (my personal preference is for a wide field of view with a narrow rim as I find it helps check that my eye is in the same position every time).

The scope suffers with white-out when shooting in poor light but towards light - dusk towards a setting sun is the perfect example. I have found that I can still get a perfect sight picture by moving my head but it induces parallax error. I have fitted the sunshade to see if this helps but haven't been able to try it yet.

Otherwise the scope is performing well - it holds zero and responds to any click adjustment exactly as expected and the revised MP20 reticule is great.

Will persist and see if I can get used to it.


EDIT: Had another fiddle this evening. I have now moved the scope back about 1/2" which has improved the sight picture quite a bit. Seems at odds with my previous experience with scopes - but if it works....

[dbc-65]

Hello Paul,
Another week on, hows the new scope preforming now.

ATB
Dave

[Pod]

Hi Dave,

Getting used to it . Reducing the eye relief has helped quite a bit.

Still love the MP20 reticule and the FFP is as useful as it always is.

I really do need to get it to the club and try it at extended ranges and match the reticule lines to distances. I have also changed pellet so I need to learn the past 40 yards trajectory a bit better.

All in all I am pretty pleased with it but not delighted

[Mog]

Paul, now you've had some time to play with it, what's your opinion of the Falcon against the Lightstream?

[Pod]

Optically and mechanically I prefer the Lightstream. But the ret and sidewheel parallax (and price!) swing me back to the Falcon Menace.

[dbc-65]

Thanks for the info Paul. Im waiting for the next batch to reach the shops
you see. Wont to put one on the FAC rapid 7, Hopefully then keeping the high
mag shots (on paper) the same as the closer, lesser mag shots the same for hunting.

ATVB
Dave

[Mog]

Falcon Menace are well made scopes, I've got a fixed 10 mag. but a word of warning about the MP20 reticle, on paper it's fine but if like me your eye-sights not the best you can lose it on a dark background. I had the same problem with the TMR reticle on a Leupold MK4, brilliant optics and all the aimpoints you could wish for, but lost the reticle on dark targets in woodland HFT comps. That's why I'm back to using the Lightstream mildot. My advise, before buying is look through a scope at various objects in different light conditions, as one mans meat can be another mans costly error

[stumpy lubnut]

Hi Charles, have you seen the new Falcon LRS reticule it has the normal Mil Dots with 1/2 mil line markings. I couldn't get on with the MP20 rec but found no problem with the LRS.

[Mog]

Thanks Stewart, had a look at them earlier, it's the half lines I have trouble with, can see the dots but lose the lines on a dark background, so might as well stay with the Lightstream.
Say ten times. 'Must not keep changing my scopes'

[flims]

i have used my menace at 10x all the way, latest to about 8pm and i did not have so much trouble as others have explained. Even though the reticle allows easy and fast hold over, i can't get my self not to dial the shot. i have my turret marked and the 0.1mil increment on the Turret allows my 31grain pellet to reach 120meters in one turn which for me is the biggest plus. Yes indeed you can hold over but holding over 2.3 mils is not that precise unless it was full 0.5mils. if you are engaging 6" plates it's not problem but for those tiny kill zones i love the dial. The knobs are large and don't slip.

For me the reticle is just there to help me correct my dialing in for windage mostly. Say i dial 1mil for windage and i see the impact 1.5mil left, i just dial 0.5mil more. Did i say how easy it makes it to get your drop chart with the Falcon Menace?

you set up that usual big piece of card board. keep same point of aim and shoot. once you read how low you are in mils eg 5mils, just turn the knob to 50, if you are 5.5Mils low just turn it to 55. when you use traditional mildot and MOA like the lightstream, you have to go through that damn conversion whereas now its spot and dial) when i showed the system to my friends at the club they where delighted, it truly allows and almost guarantees 2nd shot hits after correction. If you have a reactive backstop ex a stone wall at very long air rifle distances, you take aim at a point, squeeze, wait a second or two till you see impact, count the lines and dial everything accordingly. if you do everything right you will hammer that spot. plant pots are great to practice on past the 100m line, your friends will be delighted to see you take off those pots on the second shot past 100meters)))

[Mog]

i have used my menace at 10x all the way, latest to about 8pm and i did not have so much trouble as others have explained. Even though the reticle allows easy and fast hold over, i can't get my self not to dial the shot. i have my turret marked and the 0.1mil increment on the Turret allows my 31grain pellet to reach 120meters in one turn which for me is the biggest plus. Yes indeed you can hold over but holding over 2.3 mils is not that precise unless it was full 0.5mils. if you are engaging 6" plates it's not problem but for those tiny kill zones i love the dial. The knobs are large and don't slip.

For me the reticle is just there to help me correct my dialing in for windage mostly. Say i dial 1mil for windage and i see the impact 1.5mil left, i just dial 0.5mil more. Did i say how easy it makes it to get your drop chart with the Falcon Menace?

you set up that usual big piece of card board. keep same point of aim and shoot. once you read how low you are in mils eg 5mils, just turn the knob to 50, if you are 5.5Mils low just turn it to 55. when you use traditional mildot and MOA like the lightstream, you have to go through that damn conversion whereas now its spot and dial) when i showed the system to my friends at the club they where delighted, it truly allows and almost guarantees 2nd shot hits after correction. If you have a reactive backstop ex a stone wall at very long air rifle distances, you take aim at a point, squeeze, wait a second or two till you see impact, count the lines and dial everything accordingly. if you do everything right you will hammer that spot. plant pots are great to practice on past the 100m line, your friends will be delighted to see you take off those pots on the second shot past 100meters)))

Good points flims, but not much use to HFT shooters who aren't allowed to alter focus let alone dial in.

[springerman]

how good are the Falcon scopes ? looking to get one