Spotting scopes are a great tool to have in your arsenal when getting ready for deer season. Whether you are carrying one around in the late summer to glass the fields or using it at the range to make sure your or your friend’s rifle is still zeroed properly. The ability to just sit there and watch what is going on is a great benefit for any hunter. Last year Maven Optics expanded its premium S.1 line of spotting scopes with the new S1.2, an updated spotting scope that now features interchangeable eyepieces. This is a premium optic that uses quality Japanese components that are brought to the company’s headquarters in Lander, Wyoming for a final quality control inspection and assembly. Then to make it better for the consumer, Maven uses their “direct to consumer” business model to cut out the middleman and save end users as much money as possible. Today I’m going over the Maven Optics S1.2A Spotting Scope with the fixed 30x MIL reticle eyepieces.
Maven Optics Coverage on AllOutdoor
“Building upon the foundation laid by the award-winning S Series, the S1.2A and S1.2S represent the evolution of Maven high-powered spotting scopes. Built to cover ground with your eyes in a fraction of the time and effort it would take you on foot, the S Series is designed to maximize detail in variable lighting conditions, all while providing a crystal clear image at every magnification.
Specifications: Maven Optics S1.2A – 30×80 MRAD
- Magnification – 30x
- Objective Lens Diameter – 80mm
- Field of View – 2.2° (115ft at 1000 yards)
- Near Focus Distance – 5M
- Eye Relief – 18mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter – 2.65mm
- Optical Coatings – Oilphobic + flat multi
- Prism System – Schmidt-Pechan
- Prism Reflective Coating – Dielectric Coating
- Lens Type – Fluorite Glass
- Waterproof/Fogproof: Yes, O-ring sealed and nitrogen-purged
- Dimensions – 14.9″x6.3″x3.9″
- Weight – 60.5 oz – 3.78 lb
- Frame Material – Aluminum / Magnesium / Polymer
- Included Accessories – Lens Caps and Double-Layered Microfiber Storage Bag
- Origin – Japanese Components assembled in the US
- Lifetime Warranty
- Direct to Consumer / No Retail Markup
- MSRP – $2000
Glass Quality and Features
Using high-quality Japanese glass for the massive 80mm objective lens makes for great image quality with the Maven S1.2A. The image is very crisp with good contrast, making it easy to spot the hits on paper as your buddy zero’s his deer rifle and muzzleloader. Making it so you really do know where they are hitting the target and how they should adjust.
Beyond just looking at targets the Maven S1.2A excelled for scouting before both dove and deer season last year. Even from across a property I watched and patterned mourning doves in the late summer. The ability to see their daily patterns from hundreds of yards off helped with planning where to hunt for them in September.
Features-wise, the Maven S1.2A’s built-in sunshade was very helpful for dealing with the bright Georgia sun, especially when glassing in the afternoon. Being built into the spotting scope, it takes up pretty much no space and is very easy to deploy. Along with the sunshade, all adjustments on the scope are very smooth and responsive. Each adjustment surface is well knurled, giving you great tactile control as you are getting focused in while using the scope.
Lastly, the Maven S1.2A comes with an integrated Arca-Swiss foot that can adapt to any tripod head that accepts it. Letting you easily pack or unpack the spotting scope and tripod out in the field.
Preparing Rifles for the Fall and Final Thoughts
The Maven S1.2A Spotting Scope was an amazing thing to have to get the rifles ready for this fall. For both zeroing the rifles and getting trigger time to improve our proficiency with the guns. Being able to see our targets at 100, 300, and 500 yards and still be able to track our hits saved so much time and probably ammo for us this past fall. There was no guesswork when it came to looking through the Maven S1.2A, the glass quality and stability of the spotting scope just made things so easy. Just leave the spotting scope set on the target and start shooting. That way you didn’t waste time on going back and forth from the target.
While the Maven S1.2A works incredibly well I need to talk about something that is one of the biggest concerns for people, the price. The fixed magnification reticle model that I reviewed here has an MSRP of $2000. Some would consider that a steep price to pay for glass, and I get that. But considering the build quality, materials used, and lifetime support from Maven Optics it is a reasonable MSRP. There are many other spotting scope options out there that perform about the same as the Maven S1.2A but command a much higher price point. So while I would not consider this a true “budget” spotting scope, it does punch above its weight class and should be considered if you are looking for that one spotting scope to always use. Also keep in mind the interchangeable eyepiece system that Maven has introduced, that way if you want more magnification in the future you could order another eyepiece instead of buying a whole new spotting scope.
At the end of the day, all I can really say about the Maven S1.2A is that it did its job in the past year. For getting the rifles ready for the season and just scouting them out through the late summer. I can attribute at least 4 bucks between 3 of us that the Maven S1.2A had some hand in helping us bring home.
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