Review: ZeroTech Trace 3-18x50 LR Hunter riflescope

The ZeroTech Trace 3-18x50mm LR Hunter MRAD is is ideally specified for pulling off long shots in the field, yet it’s still handy up close. It’s a feature-packed scope designed for long-range hunters and shooters.

ZeroTech has continued to make a solid name for itself in the optic market, providing functional and durable scopes at outstanding prices. The Trace 3-18x50mm is no exception, and is potentially one of their most versatile offerings.

It is a fairly big scope, but at 825 grams it’s manageable, and lighter than some similar offerings from other manufacturers. With a 30mm main tube and 50mm objective, there is a lot of glass in there, but I’ve hiked it around on top of one of my lighter mountain rifles enough to know that I’d be happy putting it to use in this space at a pinch. With great power comes great weight!

When placed on a heavier target or varmint style rig, this scope was right at home and I could shoot it accurately and comfortably from a variety of positions.

The adjustment turrets have aluminium dials that are smooth to the touch but adjust easily with minimal effort. ZeroTech calls this its Precision Turret System (PTS). With 26 MRAD for elevation and 20 MRAD for windage, you’ve got a generous amount of adjustment, which is obviously what the long-range shooter needs. Each click is a 0.1 MRAD adjustment (1cm at 100m), so working out a robust zero and being confident in my shot placement came quickly.

The windage turret is capped to protect it against accidental changes, and the elevation turret needs to be pulled up to allow it to adjust. One of the best features here is the zero-stop offered on the elevation turret, which ensures you can’t accidentally wind it back past this point and lose where you’re up to.

Setting the stop is a two-minute job that requires basic prowess with the Allen key supplied with the scope, along with some other great tools. Be careful to not lose the grub screws when making these adjustments, but ZeroTech supplies some extra ones in the box for you.

The magnification ring moves smoothly and takes less effort than similar scopes I’ve used in the past. There’s a bit of knurling on there but I never felt that I needed to get hold of it more than was necessary. You have the option of adding a throw lever here if you wish but for my use, it would be unnecessary.

The huge magnification range of 3x to 18x means shots out to extended ranges are possible, but shots in the thick stuff at moving targets aren’t out of the question. Depending on how you put this scope to use, it’s unlikely you’d ever find yourself needing to do that, but it’s nice to know the option is there. The low-end magnification also means it would be compatible with some clip-on thermal options if you needed to use the ZeroTech for night-time culling operations.

The LR Hunter MRAD reticle is in the first focal plane (FFP). At the lower magnifications, it’s difficult to make out the MRAD markings in a usable way, but once you get up into the higher magnifications, they are extremely clear. When you see pictures of the reticle on the internet it would be easy to think it would look too busy in the field, but I didn’t find this to be the case at all.

I made many shots at both targets and live animals with this scope anywhere from 6x to 18x and I shot very confidently. The MRAD markings give you the ability to make quick adjustments with holdover if you don’t have the time or ability to wind the turret, a great capability to have. The reticle also features illumination in a few different settings, which further adds to its practicality.

Parallax adjustment is imperative on a scope like this. The dial is the same as the elevation and windage turrets and moves easily. I found the indicators on the side fairly true and it was easy to get a clear sight picture, even when shooting at modest distances on very hot days. The eye relief also seemed very forgiving and every time I got behind the scope to make a shot, I felt like I was in the right spot.

The glass has what ZeroTech calls a Weathershield lens coating, which adds further protection from the elements. The scope is supplied with alloy flip-up covers for both ocular and objective lenses. These are far from a tokenistic add-on, and they felt very well made and heavy duty. ZeroTech even supplies a tool that allows you to adjust their position.

The overall quality of the glass is outstanding for a scope in this price range. ZeroTech boasts 92% light transmission. I used it extensively at the range and in the field. When I started losing the light I picked up a little bit of blur at the edge of the sight picture, but it never stopped me from shooting confidently. To be honest, I was blown away by the clarity of this scope.

The field of view within the practical ranges of this scope is close to perfect. When shooting 100m groups at the range I experimented with the scope anywhere between 9x and 18x, to work on watching my bullet impacts, as well as checking overall clarity at the highest magnifications. Most of my range testing with this scope was done with a Sako 90 VLS chambered in .308, and Calibre Country in Tamworth hooked me up with enough ammo that I shot group after group and enjoyed the heck out of it.

I also experimented with the magnification and field of view when shooting animals in the field and found the scope usable through the whole magnification spectrum.

The Trace 3-18x50mm LR Hunter MRAD is full of good features in a durable package. At $1299, I don’t know that it’s possible to find a scope on the market that performs as well as this for the price. It was just as much at home on a varmint .308 rig punching paper as it was on my lightweight .300 Win Mag looking to make long cross-gully shots.

I can see this scope being the perfect gateway for someone new to the long-range world to dip their toe in, but it would also be perfect for a seasoned shooter who needs a versatile optic on a rig that might cop a flogging during pest control.