Review: Meopta Optika5 4-20x50 BDC-3 rifle scope

The Meopta Optika5 4-20x50mm scope with BDC-3 reticle is a versatile offering for longer range shooting that won’t clean out your bank account. Like the rest of the Optika5 lineup, it blends solid European glass and manufacturing with practical features that most shooters will find useful.

The 4-20x50mm version gives a bit more reach than its slightly smaller siblings yet still allows for good light transmission at the higher end of the magnification range.

The turrets use big, knurled caps for sure grip

While winding as low as 4x allows shooters to quickly acquire closer targets while hunting, the ability to wind up to 20x indicates this scope is pitched at people who want to push out past typical hunting distances.

Ringing steel at 300 and 400 metres was very doable with this scope, even when the light was beginning to fade.

Its 660 grams is a reasonable weight for a scope with this size objective and magnification range. I mainly used it on the CZ 600 American I was testing at the time, which is a sporter-weight rifle. It excelled at the range and it did OK on the couple of hunts I used it on, but this scope would suit something a little heavier that would spend more time on the ground or on a bench than being carried.

If you’re looking to save grams, you could consider the Optika5 3-15×44, which is about 60g lighter.

The turrets are like many of Meopta’s recent offerings with big, knurled caps that give a good grip, even with gloves on. The clicks are positive and repeatable, and with 60 MOA of adjustment in ¼ MOA increments, it’s exactly what you expect and need in this type of scope.

Like other models in this range, you can loosen the indicator rings and reset them to zero after sighting in. There’s no zero-stop, but in most applications where this scope would be used, it’s not a dealbreaker.

The RD BDC-3 reticle has indicator marks that will assist with long-range shooting without having to wind the turret, but keep in mind that the reticle is in the second focal plane, so the scale alters as you wind on magnification.

The reticle is also illuminated, which helped me when shooting at darker targets or when the light was diminishing.

There are six brightness settings with an ‘off’ mark between each setting, so you don’t need to scroll through a heap before you arrive on the one you want.

Other reticles are also available if there is something else that tickles your fancy.

The parallax adjustment turret is the same style, with a smooth adjustment feel. It was spot-on in testing and being able to focus as close as 10 metres means it is useful for some rimfire and air rifle applications if that’s something you deem useful.

The magnification ring has a smooth feel and is firm enough that it shouldn’t move accidentally. The throw lever helps with purchase here but if you feel it might interfere with clothing you can unscrew it easily enough. It’s unlikely that you’d be bouncing between 4x and 20x in a hurry but it’s nice to feel in control as you move through the zoom range.

Glass quality is as good as all the other Meoptas at this price point, giving me a clear picture, including times of lower light when hunting. If I felt I was struggling with optical clarity at 20x, winding it back a touch usually helped. I could still spot targets and aim confidently, which is the main thing.

I had no trouble aiming at small dots for sub-MOA groups with the .243 CZ and found the reticle useful well beyond 200 metres.

For a scope that retails for less than $1000 with this sort of magnification, it’s hard to ask for more.

Those indicators assist with long range targeting

Eye relief was consistent with the specs and I found myself comfortable behind the scope. Naturally, the full 20x magnification creates a narrow field of view so I had to concentrate at times to find the target but after spending a few hours behind the scope at the range, it became a piece of cake.

Down at 4x magnification, the view is about five times wider and, at 9.3m at 100m, in the same range as other good scopes.

At $995, the Meopta Optika5 4-20x50mm sits in a competitive price bracket, but punches well above its weight. For hunters wanting to stretch their legs, varminters chasing smaller targets, or range shooters who don’t want to mortgage their house for decent glass, it’s a scope that delivers.

You get rugged build quality, clear optics, practical reticle design and real-world capability in a package that leaves more money to spend on other important things. That’s not a bad deal at all.

SPECIFICATIONS