Tag Archives: gen 2

DiscoveryOpt ED-PRS 5-25X56 Gen 2 Riflescope Review

December 12, 2025Optics, Product review5-25x56, discovery, discovery optics, discoveryOpt, ED, gen 2, PRScoldboremiracle

Preface

As the shooting sport optics market continues to grow, it can be challenging to keep up with all the options. I try to keep informed on so many of the optics manufacturers, but admittedly it can be challenging at times. Today I bring you another optics brand that is new to me called Discovery Optics, oddly shortened then lengthened again to DiscoveryOpt Optics. Like some other Asian optics companies, DiscoveryOpt offers a variety of riflescopes at surprisingly affordable prices. According to the company’s mission statement, they seek to deliver scopes that rival the worlds best at factory direct prices. In order to evaluate this proposition, I present for you today a review of the DiscoveryOpt ED-PRS 5-25X56 Gen 2 Riflescope. I spotted these optics on display at the final Snipers Hide Cup at Rifles Only, and I was interested enough to give a closer look.

DiscoveryOpt ED-PRS 5-25X56 Gen 2, Riflescope, discovery optics, Desert tech, SRS M2, Anubis defense, banish, suppressor, two vets, tripod,

DiscoveryOpt Optics

Discovery Optics has a broad line of products, composed of just about every type of optical sight type you can imagine. It seems many Asian optic manufacturers start out their product lines based on what they see in movies. We have all seen the memes of Temu scopes stacked with ridiculous levels of bells and whistles. Yet the quality of any one of those features is questionable.

Discovery Optics seems to have moved past that, though browsing their website I still see some interesting products. But they also have done a very good job at emulating proper products that I wanted to try out. That is where the ED-PRS 5-25X56 Gen 2 riflescope comes in, on paper it boasts most the of desirable features we precision rifle junkies are after.

Zeroing the rifle and scope combination, the **Athlon Chronograph** as a luxury accessory

The DiscoveryOpt PRS Gen 2

When the box arrived, I was quick to open it. Quality packaging protected this scope, with a foam-lined box. Inside the box I found a selection of included accessories:

The ED PRS Gen 5-25X56 scope
A sunshade
Ocular and objective flip caps
A lens cloth
Manual and Spec card
Tool for adjustment
A lens pen
A scope leveling tool

I unpacked everything, and was quickly impressed with it all. The scope itself seemed really large, its turrets might be the largest of any riflescope I’ve ever used. The turrets are adjusted with no tools needed, you can remove them using only your fingers (all five of them if you want). The control surfaces have a nice texture to them, and they included a removable throw-lever on the magnification ring.

My initial inspection running the turrets and other controls up and down confirmed everything worked as designed. The reticle illumination fired on command, illuminating only the center of the reticle out to 1 MRAD. Parallax adjustment went from 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, Infinity. I spun on the shade, which made a flawless transition on the objective. Just for fun I installed the flip caps which were also pretty nice, they looked similar to Tenebraex caps but likely not as tough. After a few more minutes tinkering, it was time to mount this scope and see how it worked with a rifle.

Specifications

Mounting

I decided to mount the Discovery scope in my one-piece Anubis Defense scope mount. It too is a bit overbuilt and robust so I figured it would match. Leveling the scope was easy using the scope leveling tool included by DiscoveryOpt. There is a baseplate and a wedge you can use to ensure the bottom of the scope housing is perfectly parallel. It’s really a nice little tool, and can be used to setup scopes in a variety of configurations. It will definitely be staying in my toolbox.

I intended to mount the scope on my Desert Tech SRS M2, where I do a lot of my scope testing. This rifle makes it extremely easy to swap scopes around, and has very predictable accuracy to evaluate the scope performance.

Zeroing Turrets and Zero-Stop

After zeroing the scope to the rifle, it was time to slip the turrets back to zero. This is very easy using the finger secured turret caps. Just spin them loose and lift them off the inner hub. You can set the turrets back to zero, and snug the caps back in place.

DiscoveryOpt ED-PRS 5-25X56 Gen 2, Riflescope, discovery optics, Desert tech, SRS M2, Anubis defense, banish, suppressor, — slipping the turrets back to zero after zeroing the rifle

Setting the zero-stop is easily done during this process as well, using the provided tool. Loosening the screw that clamps the stop to the turret hub, you can slide it down against the base of the housing, and turn it clockwise against the stop lug. With the stop in place you snug the screw back up, and reinstall the turret.

With the turret zeroed, and the zero-stop set I was in business. Part of the reason I used my SRS M2 for this review is because I have exhaustive experience shooting it. The dope I have for the 6mm GT barrel is as predictable as the sunrise, so it would be perfect for testing the performance of the DiscoveryOpt PRS Gen 2 Scope.

Shooting the PRS Gen 2

My initial concerns about the eye-box being to tight weren’t warranted. By that I mean it was a little touchy getting perfect eye relief for a concise image, but once I got on the rifle it was much easier. With the rifle setup the way it fits me, I didn’t even really notice the slightly tighter eye-box. My experience has shown me that less expensive scopes tend to be touchy like that.

DiscoveryOpt ED-PRS 5-25X56 Gen 2, Riflescope, discovery optics, remington 700, two vets tripod, anubis defense, suppressor, two vets, tripod, CMMG, zeroed 36 Suppressor, — the PRS Gen 2 also functioned perfectly on my custom .223 **Remington 700** seen here with the **CMMG Zeroed 36 suppressor**

I moved to shooting from a 100 yard distance to a much wider canyon area. This allowed me to shoot as far as I dared, but for starters I picked out a small patch of snow sitting on a rock at 405 yards. I dialed my correction, and fired a shot that would scatter the snow.

Both at the range and in the field I found the DiscoveryOpt ED-PRS scope to be very easy to use. The turrets can be felt and heard with every click, making it easy to adjust blindly. Though it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they were a touch sharper. Shooting back and forth from near to far, I had no problems focusing the reticle for sharp contrast on the target. The included throw-lever made it easy to swing between magnification settings.

Quality

The feel of this scope is robust, it feels well built. With its oversized turrets I would expect it to stand up to bumping into and getting smacked during use. As I moved from target to target while shooting, not once did I feel like I was looking through a cheap scope. It looked like the sharp clear images I am used to seeing, allowing me to see the wind moving snowflakes across the hundreds of yards to the targets. And picking out the details of distant landscapes

the parallax adjustment was a bit touchy, but perfectly serviceable

Durability

Turning the controls of this scope in the freezing temps of the high Rocky Mountains didn’t change much to its feel. The way this scope seems a little bit overbuilt and gives the impression it will last through tough use. Time will tell of course if that proves to be the case, I’ll continue to use it as designed to see how it lasts. If you’d like to hear about that, check back in the future as I’ll update this review as time goes by.

So far, the bouncing about in a scabbard on an ATV, or in a soft case in the bed of the truck haven’t seemed to phase the scope. Carried on a sling through snow and brush, dialing back and forth sweeping both power and corrections it hasn’t lost zero or focus. Which I’d consider the bare minimum for durability

Accuracy

I like to bolt down scopes to a sturdy mount, and see how they measure up against their actual travel. To do this, I put out a yardstick at 100 yards, and measure the travel of the reticle. I do this both against the yardstick, as well as the reticle measurement to see how close they measure up. This way I can confirm repeatability and actual travel vs. the indicated.

On paper you can also see this manifest doing a box test. DiscoveryOpt’s scope was more than close enough for most of the shooting I do. Making corrections and come-ups precise enough for first rounds hits time after time.

Pros and Cons

There are many things to like about this scope, but there are a few things I would count against it. These aren’t a huge deal depending on your shooting practices and budget, but they are things you should know before you buy it.

Cons

First off, this scope is pretty big. You can probably tell in my pictures that is is bulkier than most comparable scopes. I have many 56mm objective scopes, this one has the largest external diameter of all of them, many of them easily fit inside this one. And it’s not just the body of the scope, turning the turrets on this bad boy make you feel like a Soviet Akula submarine operator.

the large turrets with their big numbers are easy to see even for failing eyesight

Ok, maybe I exaggerate a little, but they are the biggest I’ve seen. Additionally, as soon as I picked up the box containing this scope, I knew she was gonna be heavy. At 44-ounces it might be the heaviest 5-25X scope in my inventory.

But even with all that said, I must temper it with the price point. At print, the MSRP of this scope is $359.99. Which is $200 less than the comparable Arken I recently reviewed. And after shooting the Discovery Optics scope, I think the only reason I’d choose the Arken over this would be weight requirements. And these days people are throwing weights and extra things on their rifles anyways so it might not even be a problem. For some folks, the Chinese origin is reason enough to second guess one of these products. I’ll leave that up to your discretion.

Pros

Now let’s get to what I like about this scope; Optically it punches above its weight, a decade ago I would have expected looking through a Chinese scope under four-hundred dollars to look like a glass of tea. But even as my eyes begin to show their age, I think this scope looks pretty good. Sharp detail and good focus make placing precise hits and target identification great. The parallax adjustment is a bit touchy but fully functional, similar to the eye relief.

I mentioned the berthy turrets, but other than their size they are fantastic. Seeing the numbers up close is great with how big they are printed, and ten-MIL turrets are a must. And being able to easily and quickly slip the turrets to zero without any tools is a great feature. And the robust zero-stop is the coupe de gras for me.

The reticle inside is pretty close to what everybody is making these days. There is plenty of detail and subtensions for every need. I like that only the center 1MRAD is illuminated as well.

Pictures don’t do it justice, like most scopes, it looks better than photos can show

Value for your money might be the big thing here, the included extras and performance for such an entry level price would have blown the pants off of 2005 me. I can’t believe that as little as a decade or so ago, I paid more than this for scopes I would consider borderline trash today.

My Conclusion

My initial impression looking through these scopes was pretty positive, and after taking one out for some serious shooting my positivity remains. The concerns we all typically have with inexpensive scopes made in China seem to have been overcome these days. For at least this scope, I feel like the performance more than warrants its price. Giving judicious shooters a great value with all the features we like in our precision rifle scopes.

-CBM

If you like this scope, here is another one that you ought to consider

Ruger American Gen 2

November 24, 2024Product review, Shooting hardware308 in, 6.5 creedmoor, american, gen 2, gen2, generation II, ruger, ruger american, ruger american rifle generation IIcoldboremiracle

Preface

I guess you could say I’ve always been a Ruger fan, the very first centerfire rifles I bought were from the 75 year old manufacturer. Back then, I couldn’t have known how many Ruger rifles would come my way. And in the many years since I have found many virtues in Ruger’s firearms. Today we are taking a look at the new Ruger American Gen 2, a modestly priced rifle made for the American shooting public. The Gen 2 Ruger American builds on the reputation of the incredibly popular Ruger American, which has become a mainstay with firearms enthusiasts and gun shops.

I bring you this review today, because I quite enjoyed the Gen 1 Ruger American. So I purchased the new Gen 2 to see how they compare, and if the upgrade is worth your time. Some of this review will be comparing the rifle to its predecessor, as well as comparing it to other competitors rifles. The market that the Ruger American is after, is incredibly competitive. Price is a big factor, as is performance and reliability. Let’s start down the bore…

Ruger American Gen 2

Specifications

Caliber	308 Winchester
Barrel Length	20 Inches
Barrel Twist	1:10
Stock	Gen 2 American Gray Splatter polymer
Overall Length	41.25 inches
Length of Pull	12-13.75 inches
Capacity	3 Round included
Magazine	AICS pattern
Barrel	5 Groove Spiral Fluted
Weight	6.2 pounds
Material	Alloy Steel
Finish	Gun metal gray Cerakote
Sight option	Picatinny scope rail
Muzzle thread	⅝-24 threaded with radial brake
MSRP	$729.00

Ruger American Gen 2 action — the bolt-stop does double-duty serving as a timing guide for the bolt assembly

The Ruger American Gen 2 rifle is based on the American action, a steel action with a three-lug bolt. The oversized bolt-body in my opinion gives the action its smooth stroke, and it is guided by the bolt stop which does double duty keeping the bolt clocked properly. Its bolt-handle is oversized and threaded 5/16-24 to allow changing it should you desire. The large round bolt-knob gives great purchase while running the bolt.

For a trigger, the American uses Ruger’s Marksman trigger which can be adjusted from 3 to 5 pounds. As usual, there is a blade safety on the trigger, something I am not particularly fond of. On the action-tang, there is a three position safety. With a bolt-lock safe position, as well as safe with bolt operation, and the firing position.

ruger american generation 2, maven optics — note trigger blade safety and AICS magazine release

Caliber Options

One of the many appealing options of this rifle is the spectrum of caliber options. Nearly any sized cartridge can be put into the American action. According to Ruger’s website, these are the current options:

22 ARC	.243 Win	.270 Winchester
6mm ARC	6mm Creedmoor	30-06 Springfield
6.5 Grendel	6.5 Creedmoor	6.5 PRC
223 Remington	308 Winchester	7mm PRC
204 Ruger	7mm-08 Remington	300 Win. Magnum
350 Legend	450 Bushmaster	400 Legend

There are three distinct Gen 2 American models, the Standard we have here, the Ranch model that uses shorter barrels and a Cobalt Cerakote/FDE color, and the Predator model that uses a longer barrel and Bronze Cerakote on green color.

All the above options made it challenging to pick one, as several of them are my fave’s. But I ended up going 308 Winchester simply because it’s such an easy choice and quickly comparable to other rifles.

ruger American gen 2 rifle, muzzle brake — the radial muzzle brake of the Gen 2 American, nice flats made removal easy

All models of the Gen 2 American rifle come with the spiral fluted barrel, and comes with a threaded muzzle should you wish to change the muzzle device. I would certainly take advantage of this feature to see how the rifle shot suppressed. Getting the brake off was easy with provided flats, and I appreciated that it hadn’t been torqued on by the same guy who did my Gen 1.

The polymer stock feels like an upgrade from the Gen 1. It feels a bit harder and less flexible, which was one of my complaints about the Gen 1. While there is still some flex in the stock, at a price point like this it’s tough to ask for more. Interestingly, the magwell area of the stock is interchangeable. This allows the same basic stock to be used, and simply change out the magwell depending on the cartridge feeding needs.

Ruger American Generation II magazine well — a look at the magwell and its detail

Apart from the handsome finish, the stock also features an elevated comb. This was very welcome, as it allowed perfect alignment of my eye with the scope once mounted. At the tail-end, you find a very soft rubber recoil-pad. I imagine this is very nice on the larger long-actions, as well as the short-action’s like mine. I also like the way they set the rear sling-stud at an angle, the natural angle it would pull from on the sling.

Ruger American Gen 2 Setup

As a hunter at heart, I wanted to set this rifle up the same way I would to hunt these wild Rocky Mountains. The Gen 2 American would be a great rifle for the kind of hunting I do, so I picked out some great accessories for it.

A Riflescope

A good hunting rifle needs a good scope. The wide open mountains where I hunt and shoot definitely need something suitable for long-range shooting. I like semi-compact scopes like 3-12X or 3-18X for my hunting rifles. But because I could, I picked a higher magnification scope. The Maven Optics RS3 is a 30mm scope with a 5-30X magnification spread, and it fit the space on the Ruger American perfectly. I used a set of Warne scope rings that set the height perfectly on the pic rail of the receiver.

A Suppressor

The radial brake on the muzzle of the Ruger American rifles works well to reduce recoil. But there are a few things I don’t like about it; for starters its way too damn loud. Aside from the noise, radial brakes often kick up dirt and debris when you shoot. Both of these issues can be addressed by adding a suppressor, and it will make you more popular among your shooting friends and women of culture.

Ruger American Gen 2 rifle, suppressor, silencer, Maven Optics — the Ruger American makes a great suppressor host

Because the Ruger American Gen 2 rifles are pretty light, I wanted to add a suppressor that would keep it that way. For that purpose I installed my Banish Backcountry suppressor, it’s lightweight titanium construction and compact size matched the Ruger handsomely.

Additional Accessories

I prefer to shoot from a supported position, so most of my rifles have a bipod installed. And this little Ruger would get the same treatment. For simplicity I installed one of my Harris 3-9 bipods, its a well-known option that I use frequently so it was an easy choice.

Because I like to shoot extensively, I also figured I would get some extra magazines for the rifle. Since Ruger did me the favor of making the American Gen 2 accept AICS magazines, I could select from a variety of options from 3 to 10 round capacity.

Ruger American Gen 2 magazine, MDT, AICS

Other than a good sling, this rifle was ready for field shooting. By pure luck I happened to visit a public range that day, something I prefer to avoid. But it gave me an easy opportunity to boresight the rifle using my tool-less method, and zeroing the rifle with just a couple shots.

Ruger American Gen 2 Rifle on the Range

With targets hung at one hundred yards, I snuggled-up behind the rifle and settled my eye through the scope. I’d already loaded the magazine with a fine selection of Hornady Precision Hunter 178 grain ammunition. I touched off the first few rounds, and made a scope adjustment to bring my impact and aim-points together. After a few more rounds, and shooting a few groups, I felt it was close enough to call for now.

First Impressions: Running the bolt on the Ruger American Gen 2 felt great, but I did notice that the very first few rounds I really had to run the bolt like I meant it. Whether it was the ejector tension or something else, it seemed to not like being pussy-footed into battery. This issue went away with additional shooting. I also found that the magazine fit quite tight, which is good for a hunting rifle, but bad when your trying to hurry up the next magazine into place. I’m sure with practice this will get better. The trigger felt great, whatever the factory setting is works just fine for my shooting needs.

ruger american gen 2, 308 winchester, ruger American generation II accuracy — one of the better groups from my testing

From there, we would venture into the high country where I spend most of my time. The snow covered mountains where deer, elk and moose wander is the best place to practice in my opinion. Practicing where I hunt helps familiarize with real world shooting, and better preps us for hunting season. And that is where we would put the little Ruger American through its testing.

Shooting long-range with the Ruger American was fantastic. Hitting 1 MOA sized targets at distances like 730 yards was easily repeatable, and brought a smile to my face. Using a drop chart I’d calculated prior allowed me to make deadly accurate shots at various real-world long-range hunting distances. From 450 yards and in, it seemed we couldn’t miss while shooting the DTM match ammunition.

Shootability

I already mentioned the little issue I had closing the bolt too slow, that issue seemed to be mostly related to break-in. The three-lug bolt of the American has a shorter bolt throw than some of its competitors, which makes it easier to run. I really liked the round bolt-knob and saw no reason to change it to something different, but it’s nice to know you can.

The new three position safety worked great, though I don’t often use them. I did think that there is a good positive click between settings, though it was also easy to think you un-safed the rifle and still have one more click to go.

Ruger American generation II, gen 2, maven optics — extraction and cartridge cycling was flawless

Ruger’s Marksman trigger felt just like I expected it to, and for a rifle at this price point I wouldn’t complain. I mentioned I don’t like blade safeties, mainly because of aesthetics, but I found this trigger and I immediately got along. It felt crisp and predictable, allowing me to shoot some pretty good groups.

The stock has a nice feel to it, the texture is nice for gripping it. And yet it seems the stock is thin enough in all the right places to get a good grip even with smaller hands. My kids were all quite comfortable behind the rifle, which is an easy test metric.

I did notice that my MDT 10 Round magazine seemed to rub the bottom of the bolt while reloading. It never interfered with operation, but perhaps another 10-round option wouldn’t rub.

Ruger American second gen, maven optics, silencer, suppressor

Reliability

It seems the second generation Ruger American continues the reliable operation established by the first generation rifle. During our testing, the rifle never malfunctioned. It fed flawlessly from the factory magazine as well as from several aftermarket mags. Cycling a variety of ammunition types without issue, with clean and smooth ejection.

I expect that long-term testing of this rifle will show continued reliability. With a rifle priced around $600 or less, you can expect there will be some plastic parts which some of us feel are less durable. However it feels like the Ruger American Gen 2 rifle has a healthy balance of good materials where it matters. And I expect this rifle will last me a long time.

Ergonomics

Ruger engineers really got it right when designing this stock. The grip angle is comfortable making the rifle easily manipulated. The grooves in the fore-end are great for holding onto the rifle, and one-handed carrying. The bolt-throw and controls of the rifle are all easily accessible and function smoothly. I couldn’t find anything I didn’t like about the ergonomics.

Gen 2 Ruger American rifle, maven optics, long-range

Accuracy

Hornady 178 gr PH	Hornady Black 155 gr	DTM 175 gr Match
0.923 MOA Average	0.944 MOA Average	0.597 MOA Average

Only accurate rifles interest me, and in my experience I’ve had some very accurate Ruger rifles. You can read more about my other Ruger experiences here. The Ruger American Gen 2 fit in with my excellent past experiences, the rifle performed very well right out of the box.

The above accuracy results are a pretty good average, though there were plenty of better than average groups. I’d expect if you handloaded for this rifle it would be easy to tune them to what this rifle likes. And doing so, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if this rifle shot 1/2 MOA groups regularly.

Value Proposition

I often mention my secret fascination for inexpensive rifles that shoot like very expensive rifles. This little Ruger definitely gives me those vibes, much like other Ruger rifles this one seems to punch above its weight.

You’ll have a hard time escaping the feel of a six-hundred dollar gun, but as the hits keep coming you won’t care. You really get a great functioning and sweet shooting rifle for that price. Ruger has done well in this realm of firearms, and it seems the American Gen 2 rifle has upped their game a little bit more.

With new features like the safety and trigger, the Gen 2 may or may not be worth upgrading for you. If your Gen 1 shoots good, roll with it. I do prefer the handsome looks of the second generation myself.

Recommendations

I mentioned this rifle market is incredibly competitive, for just a little more you can get some nice rifles. And there are certainly cheaper options as well. There are some great Bergara rifles that are around the same price, and bring Remington 700 compatibility which is very nice. Mossberg and Savage both make cheaper rifles that can perform well, but based on my experience with them I would choose the American over those even at their lower price. And for a hundred or two more dollars you can get into a Tikka T3, which is also a fantastic rifle.

If the cost dictates your choice then go the way you must. The Gen 1 American’s can often be had for less, as can the other brands I mentioned. If you’ve got your sights set on this rifle I can strongly recommend it.

Conclusion

The Ruger American Gen 2 rifle turned out to be exactly what I thought it would be. A great little hunting rifle with features and price that appeal to the heartland hunters of America. There are few things you’d need a bolt-action rifle for that this rifle wouldn’t do quite well. I would feel more than comfortable taking this rifle on a backcountry elk hunt here in these mountains. And that is what matters most to me; would I take it hunting.

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