Meopta Optika5 2-10x42 PA impressions

[norcan]

I was recently looking for good compact 1"-tube glass for my 10/22 Takedown. I ended up with a scope that not only checks pretty much every box for that use, but that I'd also be happy with on even a big-game rifle: the Meopta 2-10x42 PA. There's not a lot of material out there about this scope — or any of the Optika5 lineup, for that matter — but the local shop had it in, and it really impressed me in person, so I thought I'd share my thoughts about why I liked it.

What you get here is a well-made scope with quality glass and a very useful zoom range in a compact package with positive/precise dials that are resettable for zero, plus a nice-feeling side-focus wheel on the PA version besides. I don't feel there were any significant compromises made, and especially not for the reasonable price; it's a hell of lot of scope for the money.

But what really surprised me is that until the light gets really dim, it's not even that noticeably behind when directly compared to my Zeiss HT. It gives high optical quality with a properly-wide field of view and an excellent eyebox, plus that glassless feeling that makes it a pleasure to look through. I haven't checked resolution charts or anything, but it does look very sharp across the mag range. Abberations like colour fringing are very well-controlled as well. Compared to that milky look that cheap scopes can give, this one brings out a ton of detail and contrast without eye fatigue.

Any downsides?

Well, it's not the lightest option, but it is quite compact and seems very solidly-built, so I don't mind carrying a bit extra compared to the featherweight Leupold given the wider zoom range and superior turrets on the Meopta.

The windage turret is marked 0-24, which is a bit lame, but not a deal-breaker for the cost. I can always print a sticker or something if the lack of left-right markings ever starts to bug me.

An illuminated reticle would be nice to have, but I don't feel it's necessary for my intended use and it feels that they put the money into the glass and mechanical components instead of trying to cram in every feature possible.

So while those things would be nice to have, there's truly nothing to complain about here.

For reference, my other .22 scopes are a Nikon 2-7x33 and Leupold's 3-9x33 AO, and I feel that the Meopta beats them in every way except weight. It's about the best general-purpose .22 scope I've come across until you get into something really expensive like the March 1.5-15x42, which has got to be the ultimate for this style of optic.

Because of its compactness and wide FoV, I think it would also be a great match on something like a short-action/short-barrelled .308 as a bush rifle. 10X gets you more than far enough out for more open terrain, too.

I'd love to hear if anyone else has any experience with this scope range, which in my opinion is seriously underappreciated.

 

[Jasper_AK]

Thanks for the review. Meopta is a brand I have been overlooking it was a surprise to learn they are made in the Czech Republic. I wonder about these scopes with rem fire models that have a parallax adjustment, leupold has one in their freedom line as well. They seem identical to their fixed parallax twins in every way except of corse for the adjustable parallax. Are they not suited for larger rifles for some reason? I know they have the parallax adjustments so one can focus on close targets. But I wonder if they are limiting the advertised use of the scopes claiming they are “rem fire” models.

 

[sneaky]

Thanks for the review. Meopta is a brand I have been overlooking it was a surprise to learn they are made in the Czech Republic. I wonder about these scopes with rem fire models that have a parallax adjustment, leupold has one in their freedom line as well. They seem identical to their fixed parallax twins in every way except of corse for the adjustable parallax. Are they not suited for larger rifles for some reason? I know they have the parallax adjustments so one can focus on close targets. But I wonder if they are limiting the advertised use of the scopes claiming they are “rem fire” models.

They make plenty of Optika 5 models for centerfire rifles.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[bmanb940]

As someone who has been doing some freelance work with Meopta for a few years now, I can truthfully say that they make one heck of an optic. I agree that there are always a few little tweaks that we may or may not want, but for the money, this scope is one heck of a value. I mounted one up on a 22LR for some Spring fun and posted pics on Meopta's Facebook page, which I know a lot of guys hate, but, just letting you know in case you want to see other photos? I have had the 2-10x42 PA on Rem. SPS .308 and smacked a bunch of feral swine with it. With the 1-inch tube and 5X zoom, it is more compact and lighter than its 30mm tubed Optika6 brother. They are no longer the secret that they used to be and are getting snapped up as soon as they arrive in the US. A new Meopta scope that perhaps you aren't aware of is the MeoSport R. 3-15x50,30mm tube, Illuminated reticle, and around $450. A little reminder that Meopta supports LE/Mil/First Responders. https://www.facebook.com/Meopta

 

[norcan]

Thanks for the review. Meopta is a brand I have been overlooking it was a surprise to learn they are made in the Czech Republic. I wonder about these scopes with rem fire models that have a parallax adjustment, leupold has one in their freedom line as well. They seem identical to their fixed parallax twins in every way except of corse for the adjustable parallax. Are they not suited for larger rifles for some reason? I know they have the parallax adjustments so one can focus on close targets. But I wonder if they are limiting the advertised use of the scopes claiming they are “rem fire” models.

My pleasure; hope you found it useful.

Yeah, I guess Meopta is one of the relatively-few players in the game who manufacture their own products instead of contracting out production to someone else's facility, and they've been making optics since 1933. If a scope works, it works, but all things being equal, I prefer buying straight from the source. If nothing else, it makes me more confident that the company will actually be around long enough to actually cover their warranty period, ya know?

You're right; there's no reason you can't use a decent-quality side-focus or adjustable-objective scope on a more powerful rifle. The ones you mentioned seem to be marketed for rimfire use because of their compact size and close-focus ability — which are great on a .22, but can obviously be advantages on something with a bigger bore too. There are rimfire-intended scopes with fixed parallax at 50 or 75 yards that might be less suitable for centrefire, but there's no downside when you can dial in the parallax setting; you can just as easily set it for long distances too. One of the guys at the range uses a VX-2 3-9x33 AO Leupold on a super-light 18"-barrelled Remington Seven, and he says he loves it.

I agree that they may be unnecessarily limiting the range of applications when they call it a rimfire scope, but I think savvy buyers will know that it's just a marketing thing and that doesn't mean it's only for rimfires.

 

[norcan]

As someone who has been doing some freelance work with Meopta for a few years now, I can truthfully say that they make one heck of an optic. I agree that there are always a few little tweaks that we may or may not want, but for the money, this scope is one heck of a value. I mounted one up on a 22LR for some Spring fun and posted pics on Meopta's Facebook page, which I know a lot of guys hate, but, just letting you know in case you want to see other photos? I have had the 2-10x42 PA on Rem. SPS .308 and smacked a bunch of feral swine with it. With the 1-inch tube and 5X zoom, it is more compact and lighter than its 30mm tubed Optika6 brother. They are no longer the secret that they used to be and are getting snapped up as soon as they arrive in the US. A new Meopta scope that perhaps you aren't aware of is the MeoSport R. 3-15x50,30mm tube, Illuminated reticle, and around $450.

For sure.

Yeah, I checked around a lot before deciding on the O5 2-10X; it just has that nice Euro-optic look and feel where they didn't cheap out on the components. Funny that you mention using it on a pig rig; that was first use I thought of when I handled it, since it would give such a handy, compact build while still having a wide zoom range and quality glass.

That's a really sweet-looking 10/22 you put it on! I like how nothing sticks out too far; the short, wide turrets work great for keeping things usable without being a snag magnet. How ya like that TS barrel? It seems like it would be pretty great to shoot, I like the green anodizing a lot, plus they make a version for the Takedown model...

I haven't taken any photos of the scope mounted yet, but I think it goes well with the Backpacker version too — especially because it's short enough to still fit in the Ruger carrying bag without straining anything.

What I do have for now are a few comparison shots with the 2-7X Nikon it replaced:

The little Nikon is fun on a Takedown, but I find this Meopta gives that same easy-handling fun factor while also being suitable for use as a proper big-boy scope.

 

[norcan]

Just a few thoughts on the Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x33 EFR, which is another adjustable-parallax option around this price range.

The glass doesn't suck, and the FoV is the same as the Meopta 2-10's, which is surprising considering how slim the ocular bell is. This gives a near-frameless image when you look through it, which is kind of cool.

The 3-9X magnification range does feel a bit limited compared to the 2-10X — and, just like everyone says, the dials aren't the greatest — but holy crap is the thing ever light. The Meopta is almost twice as heavy. Could be worth checking out if anyone’s looking to save some serious weight while still getting decent optical quality.

Extremely compact and low-profile, too. It even makes the little Nikon look a bit bulky:

I’ve really started appreciating parallax adjustment, by the way. The improved accuracy at all distances is the main reason to have it, but the most obvious difference is that things like fine print can be made razor-sharp at full magnification on objects under 10 m away, whereas a fixed-parallax optic just shows a blur. Really sweet feature for precise close-range plinking.

 

[bmanb940]

Great pics! I love the green TS barrel. It goes great with the green streaks in my engraved laminated stock. I spent 3 hours hand sanding it down to get the right fit into the stock and finally gave up and took it to a friend and let him finish it. It shoots Stingers around .5 inches at 50 yards plus or minus how hot the ambient temp is. I have a number of Tactical Solutions products and zero complaints. I'm happy to hear you are loving your Optika5.

 

[norcan]

@bmanb940

Great to hear; thanks for the reply.

It seems like it was worth all that effort, because that's a really good-looking and sharp-shooting rifle. A quality laminated stock is a thing of beauty, and yours really demonstrates it.

Meanwhile, I still have some playing around to do with stuff like barrel tension adjustment on the Takedown Target to approach that kind of precision even with CCI Standard. Ah well, part of the fun of playing with 10/22s. For sure the scope won't be holding anything back, at least — I gotta say that it's pretty confidence-inspiring.

Just wondering: what sort of trigger setup are you using?

 

[norcan]

Decisions…

The solution is probably to get one rifle for each scope.

 

[bmanb940]

Another rifle is ALWAYS the right solution! lol. Great pics and choices. After working for another optics company for 12 years, retiring ( I was almost retired before that), and then getting asked to work with Meopta, it was a no-brainer. Meopta quality control is top shelf. I get so few complaints and almost never an issue that isn't owner-related to their products. You have made solid choices that will give you years of reliable fun! Thank you for reaching out. Bart

 

[bmanb940]

 

[bmanb940]

These rifles shoot so well that I just had to have some additional magnification on them. I love shooting long-range on a windless day and dialing out my distances with the 22LR's.

 

[sbaker0029]

I know this is an older thread but I just wanted to say thank you very much @norcan for the great detailed review and pictures.
Which reticle does your scope have? Couldn't find that in the review and sorry if I overlooked it.
I'm considering putting one on a tikka 223 with the zplex reticle.

 

[Aulus]

I know this is an older thread but I just wanted to say thank you very much @norcan for the great detailed review and pictures.
Which reticle does your scope have? Couldn't find that in the review and sorry if I overlooked it.
I'm considering putting one on a tikka 223 with the zplex reticle.

What did you ultimately get for your 223? I’m in a similar situation.

 

[sbaker0029]

What did you ultimately get for your 223? I’m in a similar situation.

I went with a swfa 6x

 

[peaceful_ruler]

love this scope! I just wish it had a MIL variant and maybe slightly better target turrets