If you’ve been in the precision shooting game for a long time, you probably remember the old days when we dreamed about having something as simple as a scope with matching turrets and reticle. I remember wanting to build a custom long-range rifle, and put a true long-range scope on it. Today we are taking a look at a scope that embraces that traditional design. The Mueller Optics 8-32×44 tactical rifle scope with side focus matches what I wished for. Today we are going to see how this scope stacks up against its contemporary challengers.
fresh out of the box
Mueller Optics 8-32×44
This scope is built on a 30mm tube, using a 44mm objective lens. The slightly smaller objective allows closer mounting which some folks see as an advantage. It uses a four power zoom going from 8x all the way up to 32x. One of the key features of this scope is the side focus which believe it or not was not always as popular. We call them side focus, but that also incorporates parallax adjustment in the same feature. This allows the shooter to clarify the target detail while at the same time removing parallax from the view of the target. This is an important feature needing correction when shooting long-range.
Inside the Mueller 8-32 you will find a traditional MIL-dot reticle. The original “tactical” reticle, a MIL-dot reticle uses mil-radian graduations that the marksman can use for measuring distance, target sizes, as well as corrective movements when shooting at long-range.
classic MIL-Dot reticle
The reticle is housed in an erector that uses 1/8 MOA turrets. That is a much finer graduation than what most scopes use today. Moving the reticle 1/8 MOA per click gives a total of 7.5 MOA of travel per rotation of the turret.
Fine knurling of the control surfaces make adjusting the scopes controls easy. And a diopter on the occular housing allows for fine reticle focus to give optimal clarity. The scope comes with a bikini cover, and a three-inch sun shade.
solid turrets and parallax adjustments made the scope easy to use
I had chosen to mount the scope on a CVA Cascade SB 6.5 Creedmoor. Having used the rifle extensively for testing various scopes, and it would be a good host for this one as well. I attached the scope using a set of Vortex 30mm low rings. Even so the scope was a touch higher than I’d of liked for my cheek weld. So I also installed one of my Triad Tactical stock packs. It allows spacers to be added to increase comb height, and the comfortable fabric feels soft against your face.
With eye relief set, and scope leveled I torqued down the screws. With the rifle set firmly on my kitchen table, I removed the bolt and did a quick bore-sight job in preparation of the first range trip. Then I grabbed some ammo and the rest of my gear before heading to the firing line.
big thanks to Wideners Shooting Supply for supplying ammunition for this reviewZeroing the turrets after getting the point of impact rightpicking out varmints with this scope is easyI like the all metal construction, no rubber components here
The Mueller Optics Tac II rifle scope came out to fill a purpose between tactical shooting and everyday hunting. That idea has been revisited now with Mueller’s new 2.5-10×44 Tac III. Today we are taking a look at one of these scopes, to see how it fits into the dual roles. We’ll test the scope on various rifles, and bring you our best informed opinion on it. With that said, lets get into the review of the Mueller Optics 2.5-10×44 Tac III.
Mueller optics 2.5-10×44 Tac III
The Tac III riflescope has received so significant upgrades. Starting on the foundation of a 30mm tube, which has become the minimum standard for tactical riflescopes. The larger tube supports a 44mm objective lens, which is a little smaller than many tactical scopes. Perhaps for a lower profile.
Inside the scope you will find a first focal plane reticle, which means the reticle will change size depending on the magnification setting. This has become a conspicuous trait of tactical scopes, as it allows quicker use of the reticle for measuring downrange details. And using these details for on-the-fly corrections.
The capped turrets can be used for zeroing the scope as well as dialing corrections. They are graduated in 1/4 MOA clicks which are very popular with hunters. The fine scale allows for precise corrections. Mueller uses what they call camera grade lenses, for precise images for accurate engagements.
Specifications
Eye Relief
3.25″
Length
13.125″
Weight
17.6 oz.
Tube Size
30mm
Color
Matte Black
Lenses
Fully Multi-Coated
Magnification
2.5 – 10 × power
Objective
44 mm
F.O.V.
36 – 11.4 feet @ 100 yards
Illuminated
Adjustable Brightness
Click Value
1/4 M.O.A.
fresh out of the box!
Out of the Box
After my initial inspection, finding all the included accessories and such. I decide to mount the scope first off on one of my .22lr rifles, as this would allow plenty of inexpensive shooting to test the functions of the scope.
I would mount the Mueller to my Ruger Precision Rimfire rifle, using a ZRO Delta 30mm Cantilever mount. These two went together nicely with a perfect height for the rifle. Once mounted I spent some time looking through the scope to get a feel for it. The initial clarity and sharpness of the scope was nice. And with it mounted properly I was excited to get outdoors and put the scope to work.
With a target setup at 50-yards, I did a quick boresight job on the rifle and scope. And after loading a magazine I fired a few shots to see how close I was. It only took a couple additional adjustments before the little rifle was hitting everything I put the crosshair to. I stretched it out a bit further and I was very impressed with how consistent this combination was. It didn’t take long to figure out corrections for one-hundred, one-fifty and two-hundred yards. There was too much fun to be had. I zeroed the turrets of the Mueller Tac III, to ensure things would stay this predictably fun.
Accuracy
Adjustments of the Mueller Tac III were crisp and consistent. And they matched the values shown on the FFP reticle. The sharpness of the imagery in this scope made for very precise shot placement. I found myself taking tiny white pebbles out of a hillside some 115 yards out. And dialing corrections would make holding dead center an easy option.
the reticle as seen at 2.5X and 10X (right), seen at maximum illumination in daylight
I am a huge fan of FFP scopes, and the execution on the Mueller Tac III is fantastic. I prefer MRAD over MOA, perhaps someday they’ll produce that option as well.
Tracking the scope across its full sweep of movement showed a smooth return to where it started. Accurate erector movement made the corrections line up with predictions.
Reliability
So many scopes these days are manufactured in Asia, even though they may have higher quality components from elsewhere. You can’t blame people for being suspicious of product quality coming from such places, though there seems to be a huge improvement recently. So far, I see nothing in the Mueller Tac III that suggests it won’t perform very well. I have drug it all over the hills here, bounced it around on the back of an ATV and it hasn’t lost zero or its great image quality.
the uncapped turrets of the Mueller Tac III
Quality
Lower magnification optics tend to suffer less from optical aberrations. But adding the FFP option of this scope throws a level of complexity back into its construction. With that said I can say the optical quality of this scope is much nicer than my pictures can show. That said, keep in mind that this scope is priced under $300. For that price I think its quality is at or above its price point.
Value
Looking at similar optics in similar configurations, there isn’t a lot of competition. Mainly its competition comes from low power variable optics (LPVO) that have 24 and 28mm objectives. These aren’t going to have as bright and impressive an image as the Mueller Tac III with its 44mm. And the few options that are also FFP like this one come from other brands mainly unknown and unproven in the US market.
With an MSRP of $299 this scope is neither Temu trash tier, nor is it unreachable for the masses. It offers a great optical performance and FFP reticle without having to spend a lot of money.
Pros and cons
I like this scope quite a bit, it has handsome good looks which goes a long way. The imagery seen through it is even better though. The sharp details are very nice, making this rifle seem even more accurate. It’s a great match for this 22lr, but would also do very well on a centerfire rifle. I usually prefer dialing turrets over holding over, but with this scope being an FFP I am more likely to use its reticle for holding over instead. Especially since it uses MOA versus my preference of MRAD.
Docking a few points from the Mueller Tac III results from few things; First off is the illumination. It is challenging to make an LPVO with FFP and great illumination, and the Tac III shows that. In bright daylight, I found the illumination to be okay. If you are running the scope at low power for fast sighting the illumination would be more helpful if it was brighter. It does have off settings between each brightness setting, which is a plus.
I guess this isn’t exactly marketed as a long-range optic, but it does use some features useful in long-range shooting. The 30mm tube is pretty standard for such shooting, and having a reticle designed for hold-over corrections on longer shots would suggest it could be purposed on at minimum a medium range rifle. I’d prefer it had adjustable parallax as that would make it much better for that purpose. But this feature also has to be weighed against price as well, because adding adjustable parallax would increase the cost.
With medium range carbines becoming ever more popular, scopes in this range have gone up in demand quite a bit. I find the Mueller Tac III to be a significant improvement over the Tac II, but it does find itself in a flooded market full of other great options as well. I found this scope to be a great companion to my 22, and I also think it would do very well on a medium range carbine or hunting rifle. As competition in this market grows, I expect Mueller Optics will continue to adapt their offerings to customers needs and budgets.
I remember seeing Mueller Optics advertised for years, apparently as far back as 2007 when the company came to market. During all this time, I never took the chance to try one of Mueller’s products. For one reason or another I never got the chance, until now. And today I bring you a review of my first experience with Mueller Optics, with their Mueller Optics 6-24X50 TacHunter Rifle Scope.
Mueller Optics
I mentioned Mueller Optics has been around for nearly twenty-years, but it seems longer than that to me. Either way, the company has long had the mission to bring quality optics to consumers at a price that leaves room for other things.
California based Mueller Optics offers a variety of different scopes, from almost every different size and style. Everything from small low power variable optics (LPVO) up to high magnification long-range rifle scopes like the one we are looking at today.
The Mueller Optics 6-24X50 TacHunter
Based on its name, I believe the TAC hunter line of scopes is directed towards tactical style shooters and hunters. It fits many of the features that both parties look for in a rifle scope. Built on a 30mm tube with a 50mm objective lens, the TacHunter has the right proportions. The 30mm tube allows for greater internal mechanical travel, making long-range corrections possible. And the large 50mm lens compresses light and imagery together for a crisp image.
Specifications
Eye Relief
4.13 – 3.75″
Length
14.25″
Weight
26.45 oz.
Tube Size
30 mm
Color
Matte Black
Lenses
Fully Multi-Coated
Magnification
6 – 24 × power
Objective
50 mm
F.O.V.
27 – 9 feet @ 100 yards
Parallax
10 Yrds Min
Click Value
1/4 M.O.A. (80″ @ 100yds over-all on both W/E)
When I opened the box I was initially concerned because I heard a rattle inside the scope. Thinking maybe something had broken I investigated, and found it was just the zero-stop ring hadn’t been tight enough. So the problem was short lived and easily remedied. The zero-stop functions by tightening against the turret stem, and it engages a post on the base of the housing.
setting the zero-stop underneath the elevation turret
Further inspection of the scope showed good tension on the turrets and magnification ring. Though there was a tiny touch of a rubbing sensation when adjusting the magnification. The SFP reticle was very sharp and clear. As I looked through the scope, I adjusted the parallax to get a very sharp image of both reticle and downrange.
installing the CR2023 battery for illumination
Illuminating the reticle is done with a typical twist rheostat next to the parallax knob. There are 11 brightness settings but only one off setting, and the entire reticle lights up (except for the posts).
The bolt-action AR upper has proven to be very accurate for me in the past, so I figured the combination would work great together with the Mueller TacHunter. It would make a nice little varmint rifle anyways. Once mounted and leveled it was ready for the range.
Shooting with the Mueller TacHunter
In the snowy spring mountains, I would do some exploring with the Mueller. It was a bit early for hunting my typical springtime marmots, so I would end up simply shooting at various targets within my range. The big spaces would certainly allow plenty of opportunity to look at things through the Mueller.
As I lay on a shooting pad, settled in behind the rifle I began searching for suitable targets. I typically use first focal plane scopes, it’s been a minute since I had used a second focal plane scope. I’d forgotten how pleasantly simple they are, and this one in particular was very clean (if you wan’t to know more about FFP & SFP go read this next). My ability to focus both the image and reticle was impressive, making me really wish I was laying in front of a prairie dog town or something.
Removing parallax with this scopes turret felt very precise. Over the broad magnification range I found it was very easy to find a sweet spot where the fine reticle had sharp contrast over the target. This is a very useful feature when shooting long-range, as many looking at this scope might do. Removing parallax is simply part of long-range shooting, and if you need to learn more about the subject you can go read more about parallax here.
On top of the Mueller TacHunter, there is an exposed elevation turret. With 1/4 MOA click values, the turret moves 15 MOA per rotation. That is approximately enough to take your average rifle out to about 600 yards. For that reason I like turrets with a touch more elevation per rotation. But the TacHunter redeems itself with a zero-stop. In the old days before zero stops we had to keep track of whatever revolution of the turret was zero for the rifle. This was further complicated by turrets with more rotations. For example if your scope has only two rotations, even if you guess which one you’re on you have a 50/50 chance. Zero-stops brought an end to this madness by making it easy to just turn in the down direction until it stops. And since you the user could set the stop, you could make it 100 yards or 200 yards or whatever you desire.
Once you zero the rifle, you can remove the screw that secures the turret using a coin or something similar. Underneath you can set the zero-stop, and then reset the turret at zero before snugging down the screw again.
The windage adjustment is capped, which is not an uncommon practice these days. It is typically used less often than the elevation turret, normally just for zeroing the rifle. Opposite the windage is the elevation control on top of the parallax knob. It’s pretty self explanatory, especially if you are looking through the scope. The hollow posts of the reticle don’t light up with the reticle itself, I like that as it reduces too much light when the reticle is lit. And without illumination, the hollow posts allow you better perspective of the target area.
stunningly clear images seen at 9,000 feet
Tracking in the TacHunter
I measured the tracking of the turrets and reticle to see how they matched up on paper. Modern manufacturing techniques make it much easier to ensure a scope is actually moving the amount it says it does. Additionally, I wanted to make sure it not only moves what it says, but also returns to where it supposed to.
In my examination, the Mueller TacHunter exhibited accurate and corresponding movements on both the turrets and the reticle. Measuring a distance with the reticle, and dialing that amount with the turrets would make a corresponding correction. Dialing the scope up and down during various shooting trips would show the reticle return to the same spot.
Pros and Cons
Let’s start out with a couple things I would change about this scope. I do like this second focal plane version, but I am more of a first focal plane kinda guy. So it would be awesome if Mueller would produce an FFP version of this scope. The exact same thing could be said about MOA versus MRAD, I’d like this scope even more if it was MRAD like my other scopes. And unlike making an FFP version of the scope, the cost differential would be minimal.
The illumination might be a little better suited if less of it was illuminated. With the entire reticle being lit up, it can be a little overpowering to your eye in low light conditions where it will be used. I also wish there was more than one “off” position for the illumination.
On the plus side, this scope is very affordable, with nearly every model from Mueller being under $300. I will say that only a little more you can likely get something very comparable or perhaps better.
this setup is great for a prowl through the woods
The high quality lenses that Mueller Optics uses in these scopes definitely shows, as the images are very bright and clean. And the sharp focus and parallax adjustments make it very easy to see fantastic images. The reticle is very fine and useful for precise shooting and measuring. I think this scope is going to stay on one of my varmint rifles for sure.
Conclusion
Despite the few things I would change about this scope, I still think it has great use on your precision varmint rifle or something comparable. It gives a fantastic view through the scope with great visual refinement. While its mechanical features might be a touch behind the times compared to the rest of the market, I still find it very useful in my collection. And I look forward to stacking piles of furry little bodies with it later this spring.
