MTC Mamba & Viper

[Hellequin]

I know there are countless reviews of MTC scopes on this forum now but I thought I'd add my thoughts regarding the models I've used; to be honest that's what this is really, my personal thoughts and opinions on the scopes, rather than a true 'review' of a product.

This will combine both the Mamba 3-12x44 4a reticle and Viper 10x44 SCB reticle, due to the fact that these are currently the two I own. I have had two of the Mambas before so knew what I was getting when I bought the latest. I am going to skip all the info about packaging and accessories in this review; that is well documented elsewhere as are photographs, so none added here I'm afraid.

I will start with the Mamba then, which is fitted to my CZ452 .17HMR.

The scope is well made and has a nice solid feel to it. I've found the finish in general to be good, though I feel it is not quite as 'classy' as a similarly priced Falcon Menace. That is not something which would ever put me off buying an MTC though and everything works as it should; I don't have any problems with too stiff zoom/PX adjustment on this particular scope.

The optics are absolutely brilliant; very clear and bright and the scope works well when the light gets low, especially on reduced mag. The scope is a little fussy on head/eye position but I quite like this in a way as it prevents inconsistency with hold when I get a bit lazy. Depth of field is also quite good. I shoot a lot on 8x mag and when focus is set at just over 50yds, I get a usable sight picture from 20-80 yards (not perfectly clear at each end range wise but definitely usable) on full mag I use a higher focus setting of 100yds (don't need 12x mag at short range) and have a usable sight picture from about 70- 140 yards. Please bear in mind this is my personal preference with my Mk1 eyeball- yours may be different!

The thing I absolutely love about this scope is the 4a reticle. I've found that for my HMR shooting it is perfect. I use a 100 yard zero and rarely shoot beyond 140 yards, which with this scope set up means I can practically 'aim on' at all ranges between 40-130 yards. The reticle is illuminated with varying brightness which is adjusted via buttons on the IR pod. My scope is one of the 'removeable' pod versions though I never take it off anyway. This part of the scope is my only real 'dislike'; I do think the IR is useful but with the pod/ramp where it is, it makes it too much of a pain to use a NV add-on unfortunately. I know it can be done but I'd much rather have the smooth eyebell of the Viper and side mounted IR adjustment.

This brings me on to the next plus point of the Mamba (certainly for hunting) which is the low profile turrets. Not much to say except you hardly notice them! Very practical in the field and they really minimise the knocks. The adjuster underneath the screw off caps also work very well with nice positive clicks. I know I've contradicted myself slightly with the turret/IR thing but I would still rather have an IR/PX adjuster which is slightly larger than have an IR pod in the way of a NV add-on, if that makes sense!

To sum up, this scope ticks almost all the boxes for me; it has good build quality and excellent (unbeatable for the money?) optics. The 4a reticle is a brilliant option for a hunting scope in this price bracket too.



Right, now on to the Viper which I only received this week (bought 2nd hand on here) and is now fitted to a Falcon FN19 Lighthunter Raptor, .177 calibre.

Again, the build quality is very good and I would say this model is slightly better than the Mambas I've had in this respect. The optics are very clear indeed with a nice crisp, bright image at whatever range I focus at. I have only had one fixed mag scope before (Falcon Menace 7.5x50) and was a little hesitant when buying this but considered the fact that this gun may be used by my step son for some local HFT and know how highly these Vipers are rated for that part of our sport, which put my mind at rest somewhat.

When compared with the 7.5x50 Menace, the depth of field on the Viper is not as large. Not really a problem though as it is still very usable; I had a good zero session yesterday and set the PX at just over 25 yards which gives me a usable picture from 10-50 yards, though the picture is fuzzy at each end of that spectrum. It isn't possible to see what it is set at exactly as the PX ring (standard on scope one) has no range markings between 25 and 50 yards, though again this won't be a problem as I'd not expect to rangefind with this scope anyway. The scope will focus right down to 10 yards and the clarity at this range is stunning, as it is at all ranges when focussed correctly to be honest.

The turrets on the scope are quite large target type which, to be honest, I wasn't keen on at first. I have to say though that I have had 2 other scopes with this type of 'large' turret (Falcon Menace & Hawke Sidewinder30) and the ones on this MTC are definitely the best. They lift to adjust without needing an allen key and have very positive clicks. They snap back down to lock and then can be 're-set' to zero by unscrewing the little knurled ring on the turret. Very very usable and practical. Zeroing did need quite an adjustment for elevation but I'd not centered the scope prior to zeroing so wasn't surprised. I did experiment with the turrets and moving ten clicks each way changed POI and then changed it back to zero with the same amount of clicks.
I have to say the turrets will stay locked though, on account of the (already well documented) superb SCB reticle. I have had one of these before on a Mamba but didn't keep the scope long enough to test the reticle properly. I will be doing more testing on this with the FN19 but already it seems very useful; zero at 35/15 yards, bottom tip of centre cross is 10yds and between 40-45yds, top of centre cross 20/25yds. The markings below the centre cross I'm sure will be useful for some long range testing at 50yds and beyond.

I do intend using this scope for hunting too and I may update this review once I've been out a few times as I wouldn't be surprised to find the field of view may be quite small for some of my airgun shooting, due to the 10x mag. In that respect it may well be employed for sniping bunnies rather than stalking squirrels where I quite like a lower mag. I have a nice 'garden/meadow' shoot which is rife with bunnies at the moment which isn't clear for HMR, so this may be just the tool for that job.

To sum this one up then; great optics and build quality once again, superbly useful SCB reticle and very practical target turrets, simplicity of fixed mag so no temptation to fiddle!

One thing I would also like to add to this review is the service and value provided by MTC. I had to send one of the previous Mambas back due to a fault and the customer service provided was 1st class. I spoke to Sammie on the phone who told me to send the scope back for a replacement. I followed up a call to check the faulty one had arrived but was told that, even though it didn't seem to have got there the replacement would be sent anyway! Not a 'repaired' scope, a brand new replacement. Sammie did phone back later to reassure me that the scope had indeed arrived, just that Mr C had forgotten where he'd put it.

Top service though from a customer oriented team. This would be reassuring from any 'top' scope manufacturer but consider how little these MTC's cost and that service just reinforces how much you get for your money. I have tried many scopes since joining the bbs but I would recommend these without hesitation; I think you would have to spend serious money to get a significantly better quality package.

ATB
Paul

P.S. For info, I have no connection with MTC whatsoever, this review is entirely independent and based on my own experiences with the scopes mentioned. I am though a very happy customer and believe in credit and praise where it's due, that's all.