Super Sniper SS10x42M (Marine) Scope with Side Focus
Review by Scott Powers of Sniper Country 1998
Upon receipt of the SS10x42M Super Sniper Scope, I was happily surprised by my initial impression -- for the money, this scope really has a lot to offer. It appears quite sturdy and well constructed. It is configured similarly to the Leupold Mk4 M1, yet is offered for less than half the price. Of the tactical scopes I have examined at this price level, between $400 and $500 dollars, the SS10x42M offers some unique features the competition can not, or has not been willing to match. The scope, which I will refer to from this point on as the SS10x42M -- it just sounds too silly calling it the Super Sniper -- comes in a pebbled matte black finish and has a 30mm tube. It weighs approximately 21.4 ounces and is 14 inches long. The objective lens is 42mm and the ocular is 36mm. The scope, as the model number indicates, is a fixed 10-power unit. Due to the 30mm tube, the scope allows a whopping 120 minutes of angle (MOA) in travel for both elevation and windage. This is on par with the best scopes of this type.
The elevation and windage turrets are well marked and easily interpreted. The turrets are marked for 15 minutes of angle per revolution. The quarter minute clicks are fairly audible, but oddly, more so in one direction than the other. On the negative side, I found it easy to dial past the setting I wanted as the system almost seems infinitely variable as opposed to a solid click/stop/click design. I can not explain this precisely. You would have to spin the turrets to see what I mean. The knobs did not provide a firm "feel" to each click. This did not affect performance in any way as I could visually stop the turret at the proper position, but I would prefer a more precise stop per click. I have seen this effect in other scopes with 15-MOA dials. It could be the price one pays for the increased elevation per rotation, but that is a guess at best.
The inner turret is marked with a vertical line which is divided with alternating horizontal ticks. Using these the shooter can keep track of how many revolutions from zero he has dialed in. This is very similar to the B&L Tactical. Again, a nice touch. The literature states that it takes 60 clicks, or one full revolution, to go from one "tick" to the next.
The turret knobs are large and easy to grasp. When changing the permanent zero setting of the knob, the shooter must loosen three set screws and adjust the turret to zero, then lock the knob down again with the screws. This is a foolproof system and I was happy to see the manufacturer went to this length to assure a precise adjustment. The turrets are waterproofed and appear to be made out of aluminum. They are fit over the inner turret which should help keep water out of the internal workings. As the scope is rated for submersion in 60 feet of salt water, this should not be an issue anyway but I appreciate the thought behind putting the turrets on this way. I have seen other scopes where the knob went inside the turret ring and these have always bothered me. Waterproof or not, those systems seemed like a ready made water trap. Since a sniper scope has to perform whether wet, cruddy, or covered in goo, they are better served by having as few water/debris traps as possible. This is a small detail, but one I appreciate.
The SS10x42M has a third turret for parallax adjustments, similar to the twice expensive Leupold M3A. The movement is stiff, and at first takes some getting used to. This is good though as it is unlikely that the knob will move under recoil, causing your sight picture to go out of focus. In my opinion the parallax knob's layout is a little nicer than both the M3A and the B&L Tactical. On the Leupold model, the parallax knob has no markings beyond plain dots. This works fine -- you just "focus and forget." However, I prefer to read the distance (if available) and set the range (if I know it precisely.) The B&L Tactical only has two turrets and has the parallax adjustment in the place of a normal power ring as found on a standard variable type scope. This also works fine but I found one major flaw with that design. Please refer to Sniper Country's review of the B&L Tactical for more information.
The Super Sniper SS10x42M parallax turret is marked from 10m to 500m followed by the infinity symbol. This turret is designed in the same manner as the windage and elevation turrets, where the shooter can remove it and reset it to the 100 meter mark. This is a very good feature as over the years I have yet to see an adjustable objective align perfectly with the provided markings. With the SS10x42M, you sight in at 100 meters, check the focus, adjust the dial if necessary -- and that's it, you're "good to go."
The SS10x42M is equipped with a mil-dot reticle that is outstanding. The reticle is finer than the B&L Tactical, and about on par with the Leupold M3A. The dots are circular as opposed to the Leupold tendency to make them oval in shape. The dots are centered very nicely on the stadia. During the range test for this review, I checked the mil relationship out to 850 yards and the ranging ability of this reticle proved accurate. The dots are the standard .75 moa. The only negative comment on the choice of circular mil-dots is that it can sometimes be slightly more difficult to break the mils down when ranging a target. This has always seemed a little easier to me with the oval shaped dots and of course this observation is totally subjective. Once you learn to force yourself to see the dot as actually holding a few fractions of the mil, not just the center of the dot, you can easily overcome any questionable shortcoming. In the end, it all boils down to what you are used too. I had this same complaint with the B&L Tactical, so the Super Sniper scope is in good company!
The optical clarity of the Super Sniper SS10x42M is quite sufficient. The sight picture is bright and clear. Eye relief is roughly 3.75" which gives the average shooter plenty of clearance. Finding the proper eye relief is easy as there is little leeway when on the scope. You either have a clear picture, or you don't. The Literature that accompanied the scope claims that the lenses are fully coated for light transmission and that some internal lenses are five-layer coated to enhance contrast.
The scope tube is made of sturdy aircraft aluminum. I found myself tempted to drive a nail with the tube body as it appeared up to the challenge. I never could work up enough nerve to test this out though... but knowing what the Unertl 10-power went through during its trials for adoption by the U.S. Marine Corps, one can not help but think about such things. As it is, the unit appears quite strong and -- short of testing it to destruction -- there is no way to determine its resistance to abuse. As we did not do this with the other scopes we have reviewed, we'll just have to leave this one alone also.
My overall impression of this scope is very favorable, save for one glaring item. The objective lens is right at the end of the scope tube. There is no recessed area to speak of. This is a real negative as there is no provision for a screw in sun shade and the lens itself is only a millimeter from getting poked, soaked, or covered in mud. This leaves me with a concern about reflection also. It will be hard to hide that glass with out some tube-induced shadow to block the sun. This thing is a real candidate for Tenebraex Corporation's killFlash Anti-Reflection Device (ARD) mounted in a scope cap. Even then, the glass is uncomfortably close to the end of the tube. As long as the sniper stays conscious of this, there should be little problem and it would not stop me from buying this scope. Still, I wanted you to be aware. Just be prepared to install a killFlash filter. That alone will take care of two problems. Besides reducing reflection, it will also protect the lens to no little degree.
In all, the Super Sniper SS10x42M offers the sniper community with a mid-priced offering of viable performance. It is right in the middle of the current, tactically-oriented line of optics available from a number of manufacturers, and with regard to price it offers special features only found in far more expensive offerings. When compared to other scopes in the $450 range, this scope really shines.
Note: Since this review by Sniper Country the Super Sniper series scopes have been modified. One of the Marine Corps requirements was for the objective lens to be placed at the end of the scope instead of being recessed (supposably to make it easier to wipe of dirt and debris). This presented many unforeseen problems such as reflection and increased dirt and debris contacting the objective lens. The newest versions all have a recessed objective lens (") that also acts as a built in sun-shade.
Super Sniper SS10x42 Scope (rear parallax version)
By Scott Powers 1998
I recently had the opportunity to examine the Super Sniper SS10x42. This scope is very close in design to the SS10x42M that I wrote about in the above article. It exhibited enough difference that I felt I should pass along the information.
First, the design and specifications are identical to the SS10x42M with two major differences. The Parallax adjustment ring is not located as a third turret - see the article on the SS10x42M. The parallax ring is located instead where you might normally find a power adjustment ring on a variable scope. The second item of interest is that this scope has a very good integral sun shade built into the objective end. Production models of the SS10x42M may in fact also have a built in sun shade but the unit I currently have does not. Without calling the manufacturer, I would guess that the unit they sent me to review was an early production model, or a factory demonstrator. I do believe the current literature mentions a sun shade on all models.
The SS10x42 is very close to the Bausch and Lomb Tactical in layout. The optics are sufficiently clear and bright. The scope appears very sturdy. Again, the impression is one that makes me long to try driving a nail with the scope tube to see how it holds up. Unfortunately, I cannot convince the current owner into letting me test my pet theory out on his property. Drat! This of course is the problem with writing about any given product. Short of testing to destruction, I cannot vouch for or verify any manufacturer's products for strength against misuse or hard knocks. Appearances seem to indicate that the Super Sniper series of sniper scopes should be able to handle the typical abuse one might expect during a sniper crawl. They are said to be shock proof, fog proof, water proof to 15 feet in salt water, and built to take abuse in a righteous military manner. Temperature rated from -minus 50 F to plus 130 F.
A notable difference between the test model SS10x42M and this SS10x42 is that the elevation and windage turrets on the SS10x42 have a far more definite and solid audible click when dialing in an adjustment. But again, as noticed in my previous report, the windage turret is less audible than the elevation turret. The improvement over the M model in my possession is dramatic. I can only assume, again, that the M model I have was one that had been passed along to several writers for review and has seen long use. The clicks on the 42 model, are dramatic and precise in feel.
Elevation adjustment is roughly 120 MOA. From bottom to top, that is eight turns of the dial. Both the windage and elevation knobs have 15 minutes per rotation, in quarter minute clicks. This should be more than sufficient to reach 1000 yards with the .308 Federal Gold Medal 168 grain load. A slower or less ballistically efficient round might run out of elevation travel before this, but flatter shooting rounds will experience no problem.
The scope exhibits fairly good repeatability. Of the 50 odd five shot groups I have fired thus far, the first round is usually within 1/4 of an inch of the mean center of impact. This includes dialing up and down the scale in both windage and elevation. This is obviously important for a scope that may in fact be called to settle a hostage situation. Of course, I urge any of you employing this scope in a law enforcement role to test and verify the repeatability issue on your own.
The parallax adjustment ring on the model is quite easy to manipulate. It does not bind or exhibit any roughness in motion. The markings range from 10 meters to 500 meters, after which you must place the ring on the infinity symbol to shoot beyond this range. This is pretty standard for this type of set up. One improvement on this scope over the Bausch and Lomb Tactical is that the parallax ring is the only part of the ocular bell that turns. With the B&L Tactical, if you adjust the parallax setting, the entire rear of the scope turns, which results in your flip up scope cap getting in the way at the most inopportune times. With the Super Sniper unit, only the ring rotates, leaving the ocular bell fixed.
Eye focus is achieved by rotating the very end of the ocular in the same manner as many European and more expensive American glass. This is done by employing an internal ring that holds the ocular lens. The bell portion of the ocular is marked +/- so you can keep track of the direction you are moving the focus. Once focus is set, you may place you flip up scope cap over the ocular, and forget it. This will also serve to assure it doesn't get bumped.
The reticle is the standard mil-dot pattern. The inner lines are fine. The .75 MOA mil dots are circular. Oddly, the manufacturer did not provide the same reticle diagram with the SS10x42 as they did with the military model. The mil pattern is standard, but having the diagram handy helps the uninitiated in understanding the mil-dot reticle. If you are new to this pattern, a little research will be in order. To help, visit this site mil-dot.
In all, for the money, the Super Sniper SS10x42 provides a very good option for both the tactical shooter and interested civilian. It provides a surprising amount of value and design for a scope in the low $400. range. The optical clarity is on par with its mid priced competitors and you will have to double the price to see any improvement in this area.
I must admit to a bias against the manufacturer, as I have only, till now, experienced their low budget offerings. I have never been all that impressed. But this opinion is changing with the introduction of these new Tactical scopes. They are really quite nice and very affordable when compared to the upper end of the competition. They are offered in 10x, and 16x. For police I would suggest both of these are too much scope, as 4x or 6x would provide a more usable field of view. This might be worth mentioning to the powers that be at Super Sniper. This scope would make an excellent 6x.
Update 6/1/00
(This article is an update to several pieces written in 1998, on the SS10x42 and SS10x42M Tactical. Since that time several things have changed in the SS series of Super Sniper sniper scopes and they merit a fresh overview. While this is not a full-blown review in the traditional sense, it covers information not presented in the first series.)
Fixed power rifle scopes were once the standard by which strength and reliability were measured in the optic world. Just 30 years ago the idea that a variable magnification telescopic sight could hold its zero through its range of adjustment was, at best, a possibility and at worst, a pipe dream. As technology progressed, companies were better able to create reliable and repeatable variable magnification telescopic sights. Leupold and other companies equally known for their high-quality work, led in producing sights able to zoom from low magnification to high and back again, while still maintaining a reasonable expectation of zero retention. In recent years, these sights have become so good that one hardly worries about the issue - that is if one is willing and able to part with the money required to assure a top quality device. High-end optics AND repeatability is not cheap. Still, a revolution of sorts has taken place and we now see several excellent examples of variable powered sights that can take a beating and hold up as well as their fixed magnification brethren and in some cases, exceed them. Does this mean the death knell for fixed power scopes? Hardly. There will always be the need for a sight that has the simplicity, strength and even lower cost found in the traditional fixed power. You simply can not beat a fixed magnification scope for abusability. Then there is the fact that, dollar for dollar, you can get very good glass in a high quality Fixed power scope when compared to an equally priced variable. While the debate between the types goes on at ranges and in gun rooms, the simple fact remains that, protestations of old timers aside, both the variable and fixed power scopes have finally come of age - that is of course if you are willing to spring for quality.
In the last few years my own attitude has changed and I have become very enamored of the concept of a variable power scope on a sniper type rifle. With the introduction of the Leupold LR M3 and LR M1 it is no wonder, as they represent some of the best technology available for the shooter who needs the ability to dial down for close-in situations. Built military tough they, to my mind, offer a better alternative to sniping optics than do the more traditional Mk4 M1 or Mk4 M3 fixed power series. With the changing face of military involvement overseas and our troops being tossed into many urban situations, the ability to dial back to 5x or 3x must be a godsend for the shooter in the field.
However, my own proclivities aside, there is still MANY reasons to mount a fixed power scope on a sniper rifle. You can not beat the simplicity of the type. Nor will you have to worry about the extra training required to get an excited or stressed out grunt to return his scope to the specified magnification before attempting to range an object. Fixed power often means one less thing to worry about in an endeavor where you have to worry about MANY things. And frankly, even at 100 yards, a 10x fixed power scope is not at all that great a disadvantage. I have shot at many moving targets from a slow pace to a full-out run and have been able to score hits with a fixed 10x. So, it would truly seem that fixed power, while less than glamorous in today's gadget oriented world, is still here to stay and just as effective. For true grunt work, you just got to love it!
So, without further rambling on my part, let's get into the meat of this two-part article; the Super Sniper series of sniper related telescopic sights. You will be very surprised, I promise you. First off, let's clear up a thing or two about optics production. Some of you may have noticed that you can buy a scope from one company that looks very similar to another brand. The fact is that many companies do not have their own production facilities and rely on vendors to produce their goods. I can think of several US and Japanese brands that buy their glass from the same manufacturer. The market in which they intend the product to sell often dictates the quality you typically see in a given brand. Tasco has often sold to bargain department stores. Their target buyer was the hunter on a limited budget who needed a cheap scope with which to bring home the game at 50 to 300 yards. While there are plenty of wealthy hunters, let's face it, you'll see more shopping at K-Mart than you will see at Cabellas. As a result, Tasco has suffered a little in the eyes of serious precision shooters because these shooters generally steer well clear of such lowly optics due to their obvious disadvantages. When Tasco released their Sniper series, many people just assumed that this was in fact a low dollar, low-tech department store sight that was not worth its weight in lead. They forgot to recall that Tasco, in many cases, vends out their projects and if they want, can have SOMEONE ELSE produce high quality optics. And in this case, the SS series is hardly crap. On the contrary, as we will discuss shortly, it is anything but.
The SS series line of scopes, in their current form, were created to compete for a military contract. The parent design was built to military specifications as laid out in the requirements presented by the Navy. At the time, it was rumored that Leupold was considering ending production of their well known Mk 4 series and when the Navy began looking for a new scope, both Tasco and Bausch & Lomb stepped up to the plate. Tasco entered the SS10x42 and Bausch & Lomb the 10x Elite 4000 Tactical. Both sights are functional examples of a fixed power sniper scope and if you look closely you will note that both look very similar as a result of the original specification. Even their cost was similar, running near $1000 a pop. What this means is that you have little reason to scoff at the Super Sniper scope as it was created to compete with some very good competition. In the end, Leupold wisely continued to manufacture the Mk4 as well as the new LR M1 and LR M3. The Army, a traditional buyer for these optics, continues to rely on them. The Navy awarded Super Sniper U.S. Navy Contract #N00164-93-C-205 and the SS10x42M stayed in production until Tasco fulfilled its obligation.
After production ceased, SWFA Inc. , a national optics retailer, contracted with Tasco and assured the continued production of the scope by the same vendor and under the same specifications as required by the original military contract. Since that time, SWFA has enjoyed a fairly interesting clientele. By their own numbers, approximately 40% of their SS Sniper Scope sales are city or state law enforcement agencies, about 10% of sales are federal law enforcement agencies, 10% general military, 5% elite military and 35% general public. In other words, the next time someone laughs at your choice of this scope, saying with derision "but heavens MAN, it is a Tasco!", you can just look at them with a knowing grin and walk away knowing that all things are not as they appear.
The original scope I reviewed in 1998 was an SS10x42M. One of my original complaints, if I recall correctly, was that it lacked a sunshade. This was for a very good reason having to do with water borne Operations. Being of ground pounder lineage, I mentioned preferring a built in shade for obvious reasons. When SWFA took over the exclusive marketing of the SS series from Tasco, it was one of the first things they "rectified". Wondering what else may be different, I mentioned to Chris Farris, my contact at SWFA Inc., that I would like to do a rewrite on the series. He felt this was a fine idea since there were several misconceptions floating about concerning the scopes in question. Several days later all four SS scopes showed up on my doorstep! The SS10x42 & 42M, the 16x and the 20x. Externally, in function, they are identical. Only the magnification differentiates the series.
To begin, let us look at the SS10x42. This scope is priced identically with the 16x and 20x, at $299.00 and constitutes 35% of the Super Sniper scope sales at SWFA. It is also visually identical to the 16x and 20x unit, so as I describe it, so I describe its higher power brethren. The SS10x42, like all the others, comes in a plain white box. No fanfare here - just a serious tool. Packaging is excellent with two layers of bubble wrap and a silica pad to keep moisture at bay. Also included is a set of instructions in five languages. English, German, French, Spanish and, I think, Italian. Hey, what can I say - bilingual I am not! All the scopes come with see-through scope caps, including the SS10x42M, the military version of the quadruplets. The ocular cap is yellow. My personal feeling is that you want to set these aside and get a good set of Butler Creek caps as soon as is convenient. I am very happy they are included mind you, but find the Butler Creek caps indispensable on a field rifle. But I digress. Also included in the box is an allen wrench for adjusting the turrets, a lens cloth, a limited lifetime warranty certificate and a product registration form. The scopes are all made with one-piece tubes finished in a somewhat pebbled Matt black. The turrets are very well marked and have 15 minutes per revolution, providing .25 moa per click. The turrets are marked with 1minute major increments and with minor 1/4 moa ticks in between. The turrets are large, both easy to read and to grasp. No fumbling with gloves on this scope! The area above the numbers is large enough that you can either tape a yard indicator sheet in place or stamp numbers on the turret if you are so inclined. I like to do this with quarter minute scopes as it helps me keep track of where I am at in the drum rotation as well as makes dialing up a snap. But do so only after you have confirmed your zeros! The turret markings while very visible, provided my only complaint. They are in silver paint. Call me traditional but I prefer white. A minor nit to be sure. The turrets provide a very good feel in rotation. Clicks are very audible and very well defined.
In my original 1998 review of this sight, I complained that the turrets were a bit mushy. This was caused by the O-ring seal in the turret. Upon opening the plain white box on the Y2K version, my first inclination was to twist the turrets and see how they felt. Much to my surprise, they were totally crisp and easily defined. I could close my eyes and count clicks precisely, using the audible and tactile feedback to easily track the rotation, something not possible with the original test unit in '98. Curious, I pulled the elevation turret to see if the workings underneath were the same as my original unit. Other than the fact that my older SS10x42M has blackened brass inner parts instead of un-blackened parts, they seem to be identical. A small change has been made in the cap but this has little to do with the new found precision feel. However, the O-ring on the old contract M model does appear to be slightly thicker, and there is more sealing grease, which may have contributed to the mushy feeling. The new O-ring is only two thirds as tall, which was probably thought sufficient since the scope would not typically be submerged for any great length of time. That, or it was proven to be sufficient in either case. Whatever the reason, this one change is most welcome as it makes dialing in as easy as any other scope I have tested. All four SS series scopes are still rated to 15 meters below the surface.
As before, the SS10x42 has a ring for adjusting for parallax about where you'd find a magnification ring on a variable scope. You can adjust the ring from 10 meters to infinity. The resistance to turning in the ring seems just right. Not so loose so as to turn on its own but free enough to dial in the elected range without upsetting your sight picture. Focus is at the ocular end. It is achieved by rotating the eyepiece. Once focused for your eye you typically only have to sharpen the image via the parallax ring for your range. Setting it to the predetermined range is simple. Just adjust for sharpest image.
Image quality is quite good. Again, keeping in mind that this scope is being retailed for $299.95, one can be quite happy with the optical clarity. A 10-meter test on rather bad Xerox copy of the Zeiss Test pattern showed a crisp clear image all the way down to 12.5 on the scale, right to the edge of the glass! I could make out individual lines on the 16 block, but my eyes are not what they used to be so I can not claim the scope will resolve that far. At least not with me behind it. Contrast on the pattern was excellent. The image seemed to hold up right to the edge. I could be missing something as this was a surprise, but with my eyes the image was as clear and undistorted at the edge as it was in the middle. I have certainly looked through better glass, but not at this price!
As mentioned before, all of the most recent SS series scopes now come with an integral sunshade. It measures approximately 1.2 inches beyond the objective glass. This is an excellent feature for several reasons. Tactically speaking, if you lack a sunshade and make a mistake in setting up, you will flash your target area a warning signal. Secondly, in the rain, a sunshade proves its real worth. Keeping the glass dry is problematic in these conditions and while it is easier to wipe down glass without a sunshade, it is required more often.
Speaking of glass, the reticle is of the ETCHED GLASS variety. This means that the cross wire you see is actually not a wire at all, but etched into a glass plate. This is a very strong method of reticle design and it stands up to the most persistent recoil. In fact, of all the SS20x42 scopes that have been mounted on .50 caliber rifles, not one has been returned to SWFA for repair! No small feat considering the abuse some of these rigs can bring down on their optics.
The reticle itself is of the standard mil-dot variety. A special note is required here because in the past there has been some confusion over the distance between the dots in this brand of scope. In all case, the SS series I have tested have had the standard mil-dot as designed and used by the United States armed forces. That is to say that the distance between the heavy posts is 10 mils and the distance between the individual dots equals 1 mil. The dots are of the round variety as used by the Army, which pleases me no end as I am way better at breaking mils down into 10ths than I am into 8ths as required by the football shaped dots. It is a brain dysfunction... at least that is what any Marine will merrily tell me! I believe the confusion over the spacing of the dots has been caused by two sources. The first was a contract run of this scope sold in Europe that had two mils between the dots. This allowed ranging of very large objects but made for some consternation with any shooter unfamiliar with this spacing. The second source was an add placed in Shotgun news and other magazines giving the stats for the SS series. The data was misprinted and actually represented a different Super Sniper scope line. In short, if you buy an SS10x42, SS10x42M, SS16x42 or SS20x42, the distance between the dots is 1 mil. Period. If you "see" something else, you do not have an SS scope as released in the US or you are looking at an SS20x42 and assuming that those wide and large dots are spaced wider than they actually are. At 100 yards they subtend exactly what they are supposed to. Tested against a ruler, the 10x, 16x and 20x all meet the standard for a mil-dot scope as used in the US military. 'Nuff said.
One issue that you may or may not like about the series is the width of the cross hairs. I like 'em thin. I do not like the thinner center wire to obscure my target, nor do I want them so thin that they get lost in the field of view like those on some varmint scopes. To my eye, the center cross hairs on this mil-dot reticle are prefect. Thin but highly visible, even in the early twilight. The outer posts are where people will differ in opinion. The outer posts on the SS series are easily visible, but thin enough that they will get lost in very low light. If you've ever had the opportunity to look into a scope with a mil-dot reticle installed by Premier Reticles of Winchester, Virginia, you will note that their outer posts are very heavy. This makes them highly visible in low light, to a point anyway. They can be seen well past the time when the inner cross hairs have disappeared. I would guess you'd get an extra half-hour out of them when compared to the thinner style outer posts. With targets at moderate ranges, one can still shoot by centering the target between very heavy posts. Not so with the SS series. Will this matter to you? It is a personal thing based on your intended use. Given external illumination, you can use most any reticle and the SS reticle is no exception. It stands out sufficiently with street lighting or illumination from the moon. Same deal if you have a light amplifier on the scope. If you are a civilian this point is moot as most competitions end before twilight and legal hunting ends at dusk. For LE use I doubt this is much an issue either since if you can not see that well, there is no way you are going to be allowed to shoot. For military use in really low light with little external light, you can still use the time proven method of just centering the target in the field of view. It is amazing how well you can hit even with so low tech a method... at least if perfect precision is not an issue. So this may be a non-issue for most users. But you should be aware of it if you are one of those guys who want the outer posts to look like the arms on Arnold Swartzenegger.
Running the turrets up, over, down and back 10 clicks proved that they were perfectly repeatable within the ability of my skill to hold on target. This is in tune with my prior experience with the SS10x42M. I never had any issues with repeatability in the two years I have used this scope. I was always able to return the zero to the center of my rifles, and my ability.
The M version of 10x scope is almost identical to the others with the addition of a third turret for parallax. It is reminiscent of the Mk4 series by Leupold. The parallax adjusts from 10 meters to infinity. Unlike my old model, the newer M model's third turret was much easier to turn, taking less than half the effort. Also, unlike the original contract model, the elevation and windage turrets rotate with an assertive, precise, and "loud" clicking sound. The O-rings look the same but may be slightly smaller and there is definitely less goo in the turrets. My impression is that even were I to wipe all the waterproofing grease away and remove the O-ring from my old unit it would still be mushier than the new.
My final thoughts on this line of telescopic sights is that if you are looking for a rock solid scope for your tactical rig and do not mind a fixed magnification or don't trust a variable, you can not go wrong purchasing one of these units. If you own a big .50 cal, I would not hesitate to mount the 20x scope. It is strong, sturdy and built to take the abuse. Fit the magnification to your intended use and these telescopic sights should serve you well for years.
Each scope has over 120 minutes of internal adjustment -- you will never have to use a sloped scope mount under normal ranges. The scopes are military tough and ideal for the shooter who wants the best he can buy on limited funds or on a departmental budget. The SS10x42, SS16x42 and the SS20x42 will run you $299.95. The SS10x42M will run you $399.95. Compared to similar glass at twice the price, these scopes perform.
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