Heres the same comparison with a Mueller 2-7x32 Multishot, the Nikon Monarch 4x40, and Nikon Monarch Gold 1.5-6x42. The setup was the same as before. All testing was done set at 4x.
Some things to keep in mind:
Again, this is apples to oranges. There is also a major price difference involved that has to be considered. Please keep this in mind.
Daylight:
As before the 2 Nikons were extremely sharp, clear, and vivid. The Mueller was very clear, no complaints at all, but it wasnt as color sharp as the Nikons. For daylight hunting I dont think there would be enough difference to worry about. The reticule for the Mueller is different than most. It is a circle illuminated dot
.basically it appears to be a heavy duplex, meeting in a circle where a normal reticule would slim down. Within the circle is a fine reticule that ends in a dot. The dot is black when the illumination is off, and glows red when illumination is turned on. The illumination can be set to 11 different settings to match the shooters need. The higher settings seemed to be the best in bright light.
Dusk:
This was what I was really interested in. I wanted to try the Mueller with illumination and without. With all scopes at 4x the 4x40 had a 10mm exit pupil, the 1.5-6x42 had a 10.5mm exit pupil, and the 2-7x32 had a 8mm exit pupil. Both Nikons were noticeably brighter. There seemed to be quite a bit of difference in how bright the woods looked and how easily I could pick out limbs and openings. This was done from about 30 minutes before dark to after dark and the darker it got the more the difference became apparent. I also switched back and forth on the Mueller to use the illumination. The illumination definitely is a plus. With the Nikons I could see long enough that a target could be made out after the reticule could not be seen. Although the Mueller optics werent as bright in the low light and the target was harder to make out, the exact point of impact was apparent with the illuminated dot. It seemed to me that the lower settings of 2, 3, and 4 were the best for the low light illumination. If it was cranked up to 9, 10, or 11 the red glow really seemed to adversely affect the light gathering of the scope.
Size and weight:
Well the Nikons didnt change from before. The 1.5-6x42 is still a brick (but well balanced), and the 4x40 is trim and mid-weight. I was surprised at the weight and size of the Mueller. It is fairly long and heavy (specs below). What really stood out on the Mueller is the eyepiece. It is very large to maintain the illumination and has a large dial on top for the illumination adjustment. Where the 1.5-6x42 Monarch is a 30mm tube and is very heavy, it was well balanced. I think the Mueller seemed heavier than it is because of the weight distribution. The Mueller is fairly small with the 1-inch tube, the 32mm objective, but the eyepiece really stands out and makes it seem almost unbalanced. This is going on an Encore. Im using medium rings. Im either going to have to get a hammer extension, or get higher rings so that I can cock the hammer. I really dont want to get higher rings as there is plenty of clearance for the objective
Id prefer not to have to use high rings on a scope with a 32 mm objective. This is the trade off for illumination. On a minor note, the elevation and windage adjustment dials extend much higher than the 4x40 Nikon, but the effect on compactness is null when the eyepiece is considered.
FOV:
The 1.5-6 has the edge on the low end. They will be pretty close on the high end. For the hunting I do the FOV with the Mueller was more than adequate but the 1.5-6 has the edge because of its .5 lower power (specs below).
Eye relief:
The Mueller eye relief was noticeably shorter when I would switch from scope to scope. Ive mounted the scope, but havent fired the rifle yet so I cant say for sure how this will be. At any rate, the eye relief is short.
Specs:
Mueller: 13.3 oz, 11.3 inches, Eye relief 3.25, FOV 47-18
Gold: 17.3 oz., 11.4 inches, Eye relief 4.1-4, FOV 64.7-17.3
Monarch: 11.6 oz., 11.6 inches, Eye relief 3.5, FOV 26.9
My thoughts:
The circle dot reticule is very innovative. I didnt use it for any range finding although I believe that it can be used for that. I also didnt use it on a shotgun for which I think it would be very nice. I think (and hope to find out this fall) that it will be nice when lining up on a deers shoulder or heart and lung area. The only down side to it is that it could possibly clutter the sight picture, especially in the heavy woods that I hunt where shots often have to be picked between limbs. It did seem to make it a little tougher to pick out specific limbs in my dusk testing earlier. The dot is a major plus. I loved it. A dot is perfect for low light use, where a lighted reticule would adversely affect the light gathering of the scope. The 11 different settings for illumination are nice, but probably more than are needed. I think 3 different settings would be sufficient, one at 3, one at 11, and one around 6-7. Just my thoughts, it really doesnt hurt to have extra.
The fit and finish of the Mueller is not in line with high priced scopes, but it is important to remember, it isnt a high priced scope. It is a matte finish. There is a Mueller logo on the side of the scope near the windage and elevation adjustments that has silver showing above it which seemed a little off center. Below the windage elevation adjustments, under the scope, is a sticker covering a hole that says NITROGEN GAS PORT. It was a little irksome to me to have a port covered with only a sticker. It isnt a 1-piece tube.
I havent sighted the scope in yet so I cant comment on adjustments, repeatability, etc. I cant comment on how rugged the scope is going to be or how well it will hold up to rain and hard use.
The company is fairly new and I have read a lot of positive comments on them. One positive comment I can certainly make for them is that I had a question on the tube and batteries. I asked a very nice lady at the Optic Zone and she gave me a direct number for Rich who posts here. He answered my questions and was very personable. Ive seen that he listens to input from people who use Mueller scopes and works on implementing those ideas. I dont have any doubt that Mueller would be a great company to deal with.
Reading back through this it seems like Im down on the Mueller, but thats not the case. Some things come down to price. For a company like Mueller, unless they want to lose money, theyve got to work within a budget. Within a budget they can only provide as much as the budge will allow. Some things they can do and some things are going to have to be on a lower scale. With this in mind, for the price of the scope, I dont think there is anything on the market that can touch the Mueller. In its price range I think it is head and shoulders above the competition. For the price range I highly recommend it. Its got a transferable lifetime warranty and options that are innovative, well designed, and useful. A $130 scope with these features and a lifetime warranty is
.well, there aint nothing else that can come close to it that Im aware of.
Again, I welcome your feedback and thoughts. Take care,
JCM
