MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope ~ Review

by Dr. Jim and Mary Clary
MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope Review

MeoPro 3 - 9x50 Riflescope : https://tiny.cc/i2m89x
MeoPro 3 – 9×50 Riflescope : https://tiny.cc/i2m89x
AmmoLand Gun News
AmmoLand Gun News

United States -(AmmoLand.com)- Over the past 50 years we have used and tested more riflescopes than most folks, always looking for that perfect scope.

They ranged from the low end big-box specials to some pretty pricey upper end scopes. Although we never found the “perfect scope,” we “made do” with some very nice Redfields, Nikons and Leopolds. We had given up looking until we saw the MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope at the 2016 SHOT Show. One look at that scope and its specs was all that was required. We knew that we had finally found our perfect hunting scope.

We will get into the detailed specifications later in this article, but the four things that most impressed us were:

  • MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope: 99.7% light transmission per lens surface:

The 99.7% light transmission per lens surface is the highest in the industry, regardless of price. In checking the websites of other well known scope makers, such as Nightforce, Redfield, Nikon and Leopold, the highest transmission listed was 92%. Most simply say that their scopes gather the light and provide optimum viewing under low light conditions. However, they fail to back up their claims with the percent of light that is actually reaching your eye.

With the highest light transmission on the market, there can be no argument that the MeoPro 3-9×50 scope provides the best view under low light conditions. This translates into you being able to actually see that trophy buck early in the morning or at dusk so that you can put him on the wall.

  • MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope : 6 mm exit pupil at high power (most variables are 4.0 mm or less under high power):

Most hunting happens in low light. A 3-9 variable scope with a 50 mm objective will transmit a 5.6 mm light beam under 9x (exit pupil: 50/9=5.6) to the hunters eye. The average hunter’s eye pupil is about 5mm when dark adapted. As such, the view through the scope will be brighter than when seen by the naked eye. Hence, when combined, the 99.7% light transmission and the 5.6 mm exit pupil value produce the best possible view under low light conditions (given the physics of the glass and the biology of the eye).

It is important to note that the low exit pupil value on the majority of variable scopes on the market is the reason that they are of little use under low light conditions.

  • MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope : 77 MOA windage & elevation adjustments (superior to the best LR scope available):

Most hunting scopes have an MOA adjustment range varying from 35 – 45, and a few of the high end scopes like Nikon and Redfield have a 56-60 MOA range, which is very good. For companies that only offer the lower range of MOA adjustments, they hedge their bets by recommending that if you plan on using their scope for long range hunting (such as Unit 10 in Arizona where the average shot is 400+ yards) that you install a 20 MOA picatinny rail on your gun to give you enough elevation to sight in your rifle.

It is expensive and requires some sophisticated engineering to extend the MOA adjustments beyond the “average” 35 – 45 range. Having been a mountain hunter in Europe for years, Reinhard Seipp, the COO of Meopta, decided that he wanted to offer his customers the same range of MOA adjustments that he demanded for himself. Hence, the MeoPro 3-9-50 scope has the highest adjustment range in the industry…77 MOA.

You don’t need any extra rails on your gun with this scope. You just mount it, sight it in for ANY range that you want and you are good to go.

MeoPro 3-9x50 Riflescope : https://tiny.cc/i2m89x
MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope : https://tiny.cc/i2m89x

While you will probably never need 77 MOA for windage, you are covered for elevation….all the way out to over 1,000 yards, if you want. How do we know, well Mary shoots F-Class at that distance. Her Nightforce NXS scope has a 55 MOA adjustment range and is mounted on the requisite 20 MOA picatinny rail (total adjustment range – 75 MOA). She has no trouble adjusting it for the 1,000 yard targets during competition. As such, with a 77 MOA range, built in to the MeoPro, the only limitation is whether you can see at 1,000 yards.

  • MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope : Lifetime Transferable Warranty (as good as it gets):

There are several companies in the U.S. that offer lifetime warranties. But, to our knowledge, that applies to the original purchaser. Not so with Meopta, you can hand this scope down to your son or daughter, and the warranty is still good…. and they can pass it along to their kids and the warranty is still valid. Don’t you wish that more companies in the world had that kind of confidence in their products?

There are several other features of this scope that set it apart from the “pack“.

  • The ELOX anodized hard coating on the main tube which makes it almost impervious to scratching or marring.
  • The MB5501 proprietary anti-reflective coatings on the optics are the best in the industry. Several companies have been trying to duplicate the MB5501 coating, to no avail.
  • The windage/elevation turrets provide a tactile “feedback” when you adjust them. Yes, you can actually feel the adjustments, no more straining to hear the clicks or wondering if you actually got it right.

If all of the above doesn’t convince you that this scope is as good as it gets, the German #4 reticle will. The three posts bracket the fine crosshair in the middle making target acquisition quick and easy. The #4 reticle design is very similar to one in a scope that Roy Weatherby sent me almost 50 years ago for my first .300 Weatherby Magnum. No matter where I was, no matter what the conditions, I was always able to precisely get on target with that reticle. The MeoPro’s German #4 reticle is even better.

Meopta German #4 Reticle
Meopta German #4 Reticle

MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope Specifications:

  • Magnification: 3.0 – 9.0x
  • Objective lens diameter: 50 mm
  • Main tube diameter: 1″ Matte black

Aerospace aluminum chassis with ELOX anodized hard coat:

  • Exit pupil: 12.5 mm – 5.6 mm exit pupil
  • Fast focus eyepiece with -3 to +2 diopter correction
  • MeoShield abrasion resistant multicoating on exposed lens surfaces
  • Nitrogen-filled fogproof & waterproof
  • Fully multicoated optics, MeoBright proprietary MB5501 anti-reflective coatings
  • Reticle: Etched second plane

German #4 reticle with fine crosshair and heavy posts at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock:

  • Adjustment graduation: 1/4 MOA
  • Windage and elevation adjustment: 77 MOA
    • Windage/elevation turrets with tactile feedback (MeoTrack II)
  • Field of view at 100 yards: 37 ft – 12 ft (11.3 m – 3.7 m)
  • Eye relief: 3.7″
  • Percent Light Transmission:  99.7% per lens surface
  • Length: 14″ (35.6 cm)
  • Weight: 18.4 oz (522 g)
  • Optical Components:  Czechoslovakia
  • Assembly:  USA
  • North American Lifetime Transferable Warranty.
  • 2016 MSRP:  $689.99 (cheaper on Amazon : https://goo.gl/Fy7Tc2)

Mary summed up this scope better than I can ever hope to. The fast-focus eyepiece makes it possible to rapidly adjust the target image for perfect edge-to-edge sharpness. There is absolutely no distortion. In her words, you do not “feel” like you are looking through any glass or optical system…. it is though you simply have IMPROVED VISION.

She also remarked that she can use the MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope without removing her glasses and does NOT have to refocus when she puts the scope down. No glare, no tearing of the eyes….. all of a sudden, You Just See Better. If you wear glasses, you know what she is saying.

Is this the best hunting scope on the market? That, we can’t say, because we have not seen all of the other scopes that are out there.

That being said, it is our opinion that if you get the MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope, you will never need (or want) another one, unless it is to buy a second one for your other rifles.

MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope Resources:

  • MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope factory webpage : https://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/shop/en/3-9×50/meopro-3-9×50/ctgRen.html
  • Best price on the MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope we found was on Amazon : https://tiny.cc/i2m89x
  • MeoPro 3-9×50 Riflescope Manual : https://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/download.php?id_document=1404042851&at=1

 

James R. Clary, Ph.D.
Contributing Editor, Guns & Shooting Online
Field Editor, Universal Hunter Magazine
Associate Editor, N.A. Muzzleloader Hunting Assoc.

Mary H. Clary, B.S., R.N.
Women’s Editor, Guns & Shooting Online
Associate Editor, N.A. Muzzleloader Hunting Assoc.
Field Editor, Universal Hunter Magazine