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Half-Price Shooting Optics? Maven Shakes Up Scope Market

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The optics brand Maven made waves a couple years ago with a direct-to-consumer model that offered high-end binoculars at a fraction of the price of competitors. Now it wants to do the same thing with rifle scopes.

With the SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade) Show rapidly approaching, companies are beginning to leak out new product releases. Maven Optics out of Lander, Wyo., is one of the companies following suit, releasing the RS.1 – a first focal plane riflescope.

This product expands a brand that previously specialized only in spotting scopes and binoculars.

First Look: Customizable, High-End Maven Binoculars

With bright, sharp optics and a durable build, Maven binoculars are exceptional. But are they worth the price? Read more…

Maven RS.1 Rifle Scope: $1,200

The Maven RS.1 Rifle Scope includes a 2.5–15x zoom with a 44-mm objective lens and Extra Low Dispersion (ED) glass. Minute of angle (MOA) adjustments are the industry norm. And the 0.25 MOA per-click adjustments with side parallax adjustment should operate efficiently on the coldest mornings, even with gloves on.

The RS.1 is Maven’s first attempt at a premium rifle scope for hunting. So how does it differ from competing scopes on the market? Maven built its business structure in a direct-to-consumer model, meaning that you pay for the quality components of the product, not for retail mark up.

Maven: Direct-to-Consumer Optics

The result is an optic Maven claims to be just as good as, if not better than, competitors at roughly half the cost.

The RS.1 competes in the technically advanced rifle scope market crowded with options from Zeiss, Vortex, and Leupold, but at a fraction of the cost due to Maven’s business model.

The FFP (first focal plane) offering is seen in scopes reaching upward of $2,500. The pre-sale price of $1,000 is simply unheard of for a rifle optic. FFP scopes are favored by long-distance shooters because the reticle appears larger or smaller as the shooter increases or decreases magnification. Holdover points remain the same at all magnifications, simplifying long-distance shot calculations.

But they come with a much higher cost.

Maven claims the direct-to-consumer business allows it to use the best materials in its products and maintain complete creative control without the restraints of retailer margins.

So don’t expect to see Maven products at your local retailer. The brand sells products exclusively online and at regional trade shows. And with its highly-regarded customer service team and broad warranty, Maven continues to build a loyal base.

RS.1 is available for a pre-sale launch price of $1,000, lasting until May 2018. Then it will increase to $1,200. Note: You must enter “RS1-PRESALE” at checkout to receive the discount.

The RS.1 comes with Maven’s full-coverage lifetime warranty.

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