MTC mamba lite 3-12x44

[JLB]

Well first things first. I've held off from buying an MTC scope for years as in my opinion all the rave reviews were done by the 'usual suspects', mates & hero worshippers of Mr & Mrs C, some even to the point of saying they were better than top european glass Anyway just before xmas or was it just after I decided to bite the bullet & buy one. Fitted it to my TX200 first, but it just didn't feel right so moved it over to my .22 CZ. Build quality & finish is good, nice low profile turrets & side focus, which was suprisingly accurate from 50 yards to infinity, not so accurate below, but not a million miles away either. The 'lift up' covers (they don't flip) are a nice feature, but the little tabs that open them up being in the 6 o'clock position mean you have to have them opening to one side which personally I don't like & unlike butler creeks you can't fit a range card in the eye piece. I really warmed to the SCB reticle, didn't think I would but found it excellent for bracketing the bunnies & the half mil marks were really useful coupled to the loopy trajectory of the .22lr at intermediate ranges ( I use a rangefinder with the .22lr). The depth of field was truly excellent, when set to 75 yards I had no trouble engaging targets from 25yards to infinity at 12 mag & winding the mag down to 7x as low as 12 yards. Yes the target & reticle weren't totally focused at 12 yards but still perfectly shootable. Sight picture was excellent with no fading or loss of focus at the outer edges throughout the magnification range. In the fading light the scope performed admirably, though I did have to wind the mag down to 7x again, where my Burris FFII was still performing at 12x in the same conditions, though it is more than 3 times the price. Overall this scope has suprised me & apart from the non-flip lens caps I think its an excellent scope for the money & would definately buy another. I would think a 3-9x40 with the SCB reticle parallaxed at 35 yards would be a big,big seller for air rifle use So to finish, apologies to MTC for my previous scepticism, you have a great product in this scope & look forward to that 3-9x40.

John

[Parabuteo]

Apart from one of my scopes I have all MTC and am more than happy with them.

The only reason I have one "Non MTC" scope is quite simply that it was for a niche discipline and the MTC scopes did not go down that route.

That said, my Viper did a sterling service in the .308 up to that point and is still in service as a stand in should the Sightron need repair.

Up to that point it had held zero and the combo was regularly producing 1/2 MOA groups...not bad for an old crock, particularly as that particular scope had been written off and returned as incapable of holding zero.

Well, if you are reading this let me assure you, it holds zero, and it does it on a .308.

The european glass comment is unfortunate to be fair. Too many folk compare scopes and have made their minds up before they even look through them.

Yes, you would expect say an S&B, a night force or a march to perform better than many scopes tecnically speaking.

But what many forget is that a scope is an optical aid to the human eye. If one scope, lens and coating combination happens to suit your own inbuilt optics then you will prefer it, and then compare, which is a bit daft as you might just be comparing apples and carrots.

What I am trying to say is that while it may seem ludicrous to compare the 2, for some they may well be better, but only they will know that, it is totally subjective.

But as you point out, the Lite was perfoming (for you) as well as a scope costing 3 times, and I think that says it all.

The MTC scopes are not just good value for money, but also excellent in ther own right.

I dont think you will just find friends of the Coopers enthusing about the MTC range. I have never met Sammy or Gary, but they have always done their best to help me (and many others, often above an beyond what you would reasonably expect) when I have asked, and their products have a good following accross the various disciplines.

The little Mamba Lite you talk about is a cracking little scope as you say. Had I not just sold a rifle with one fitted I would have 3, they really are great little scopes.

It was a brave departure when the rest of their models were 30mm tubes, but for some rifles that need a lighter touch the Lite is perfect and feature loaded, an amazingly flexible ret, side parralax, you cannot lose.

As regards the flip over caps, if you like them, and if you think about it, they are an ideal moustrap in that they dont sit up looking like one of mickey mouse's ears as a majority of the other flip ups do.

Personally I prefer Bikini covers and usually replace any flip ups with these (apart from on my viper connects), but the MTC caps certainly work well and do what they say on the tin.

[Garry]

I tried out my Mamba Lite for the first time today.
The optics are good, and the reticle is very nice to use, much better than the usual lines of dots. I was only shooting at 20 odd yards today, but I'm looking forward to using the ret at other distances.

I don't like the attached covers much. Nothing wrong with them as such, but I did find the rear one gets in the way a bit and catches on my clothing when loading my TX. Probably pilot error as it's a new feature to me, but I prefer removeable covers on elastic bands. Any reticle focus adjustment means the rear cover turns as well. You can set the cover to any position you want, but if lending the rifle to someone else, the cover could end up in an inconvenient position for that person.

The mag adjustment needs a firm twist, but nowhere near as firm a twist as my BSA needs. Some people have said it's too stiff, but I thought it was ok, and it would loosen up with use anyway.

The big let down for me were the small turrets. I wouldn't fancy adjusting them in the winter with cold fingers.
Also there aren't any positive clicks when adjusting them. There is a faint click, but you can't feel it when turning the dials, and adjustment feels vague and mushy. Any time I made an adjustment, I had to hold my ear near the turret and listen for the click to tell me when to stop turning. My 50 quid BSA scope is dead easy to set as it has larger turrets, and you can feel and hear the clicks. With the Mamba Lite it's hard to tell if you've stopped on a click, and you get the thought that the setting might slip one way or the other.
Not having much turret to get hold of also makes it seem stiffer than it probably is. I think the inset circle with the markings on could look nicer, as they each have a slit in them for some reason.

This is the first scope I've had with a side wheel focus, and that works very well. It turns easily enough, and has a quality feel when using it. I don't think there's any need for a larger wheel on the side as this one seems just right. The distance indicator marks seem to be accurate as it read just over 20 yards which matched with what I'd roughly paced out.

Overall build quality is very good, and the whole scope feels nice and solid.

The only thing that would put me off buying another one is the turrets. I've zeroed my BSA in for different distances loads of times, but I'm not sure I'd want to set this one up again, it really was a chore.

With larger turrets, and a more positive click index I'd recommend the Mamba Lite to anyone looking at scopes in this price range. The reticle is worth 10/10 on its own.

[18 Wheeler]

Given these are aimed more at the hunter I feel the low-profile turrets are well suited. They may not be as convenient to adjust as the target turrets, but are less likely to get bashed/moved in field use.

The SCB reticle removes the need to "dial for range" once zeroed, just use one of the aiming marks.


"I think the inset circle with the markings on could look nicer, as they each have a slit in them for some reason".

The inset can be rotated to act as a zero marker. After you've zeroed the scope, align the slit with the marker dot on the turret.You can do it without any tools. You now have a quick reference to rezero if you felt the need to make any adjustments on the fly.

Leupold low-profile turrets have a similar system.

[CameronWilson]

Good review. Thanks!

[Garry]

The inset can be rotated to act as a zero marker. After you've zeroed the scope, align the slit with the marker dot on the turret.You can do it without any tools. You now have a quick reference to rezero if you felt the need to make any adjustments on the fly.

Leupold low-profile turrets have a similar system.

That's useful, but I don't think it's mentioned in the manual at all.

[vjanda]

I've got the 4-16x44 mamba lite.
Been using it for 2 months now.

I find it whites out badly and far too often if you're not alligned perfectly. That's my biggest complaint.
A less cluttered reticle would be nice to have as an option, like the AMD.

Pros : light, quality optics, value
Cons : white out, no reticle choice

Will have to swap it for a falcon menace 4-14x40 I think.

[JLB]

I too was concerned about milkyness at the highest mag, which is why I chose to buy from a local gunshop so I could have a look through it first. In fairness I haven't had any trouble with mine, doesn't lose zero with mag or parallax changes either. Just those lift up covers I don't get on with.

John

[steviep]

More than happy with mine,good value for the money

[anim al]

used mine the other night,
quite impressed,clear optics,no problems
a little cluttered when first viewing,,but you do get used to it

cheers al

[Garry]

I've tried mine out at up to 60 yards now, and found the reticule was much better to use than mildots. I was hitting the knock downs no problem at that distance, something I had trouble with on my mildot scope. Bracketing with this ret is really nice.
I'd still prefer larger turrets, but that's probably just me it seems
If I somehow managed to break this, I think I would likely get another one.

[thibben]

I recently came back to air rifles for practice plus my son showed interest. We have the 3-12 & the 4-16 Mamba lites both on AA MPR's.

They have both been to date very good scopes, clear, they track (not designed for constant adjustment - if you need this look elsewhere ) the Xmas tree ret works and works well once you've sorted your hold overs. Has a good feel to its build, I like the compact feel, so many scopes have ridiculously large turrets sticking out in the breeze

Not sounding snobbish but this is the most basic scope I use/own and for the money and our intended use (HFT) it works just fine, would probable work on a 22LR for hunting.

Terry

[jordang]

My mamba lite has been relegated back to the air rifle after a spell on my 17 Rem. Whilst it was excellent over the winter using nv, I can't live with the white out during daytime anymore.