Top-Tier Optics at a Mid-Range Price: Maven RS1.2 Rifle Scope Review

When you’re investing in a premium hunting scope, versatility should be a top consideration. Maven’s RS1.2 rifle scope comes close to a true do-it-all rig.

It’s no featherweight, but mountain hunters would do well with this glass on a lightweight hunting rifle. Its range in power allows for both close shots in the timber and long pokes in open country. And, the clarity in dusk and dawn settings gives you a real chance when the buck or bull of a lifetime emerges in the twilight.

While it’s dang near excellent at a variety of hunting applications, its best qualities serve hunters who will utilize the zero-stop and need to make long-range adjustments for precise shots. As someone who might shoot 40 yards in dark timber or 300 yards across a clear cut, I’ve been just as impressed with this scope’s wide range of applications as I have its glass.

In short: Maven’s RS1.2 offers the optical quality and long-range hunting capabilities of scopes in the next price tier.

Maven RS1.2 2.5-15x44mm Rifle Scope Review

Testing the Maven RS1.2

This fall, I had the privilege of testing and hunting with the Maven RS1.2 2.5-15×44. I mounted the RS1.2 on a Bergara B-14 Ridge 6.5 Creedmoor. Along with spending some time at the range, I used this scope during my state’s general gun season and was lucky enough to wrap my tag around a buck.

To evaluate the Maven RS1.2 while shooting at the range, I made adjustments up, down, and back to zero to test the reticle’s tracking. I tested the MOA reticle, but Maven offers a MIL option, too.

Reticle

The RS1.2 features an FFP (first focal plane) reticle in MOA-2 and SHR-MIL options with an illuminated reticle with 10 brightness settings.

Controls

The RS1.2’s locking elevation turret is tactile and smooth, offering 100 MOA of travel with 0.25 MOA per click, while the capped windage turret turns similarly with 70 MOA of travel.

Setting the zero stop is painless and requires a single hex wrench to do so. Once zeroed, loosen the screws on the zero stop, slide the elevation mechanism down to the turret base where the zero-stop and base pins touch, tighten it down, and align the 0 on the cap with the line indicator. That’s it.

At the range, I rotated between distances of 100 and 300 yards, both making adjustments to test the scope’s tracking and using the hash marks for quick holdovers. Clicks are crisp and smooth, which removes any doubt when you need to make an adjustment in the field.

While the magnification ring turns smoothly, it’s not without some effort. You won’t have to worry about the magnification straying, but you will have to break your shooting position to change it. A throw lever would mitigate this issue. That being said, the magnification range (2.5-15x) covers everything from close shots in the timber to long distances in open country.

Optical Quality

Maven’s RS scopes carry the company’s best glass. Though it isn’t European, it’s still great. I hunted with the RS1.2 in the timber, open fields, and cutovers, and the scope delivered a crisp, detailed sight picture in each of these settings. Even at max magnification ranges, minimal blurring occurred around the edges of the sight picture, and deer or other targets at the center remained sharp and in focus.

Light-gathering capabilities for this scope are great. With a 30mm tube and 44mm objective, it provides excellent clarity in lowlight conditions. My home state has antler restrictions on most public lands, and there were multiple times this season when I had to judge a buck’s rack on the hoof at dawn and dusk in the dark timber. I had zero issues counting tines and estimating inside spreads in fading light.

Where the Maven RS1.2 Excels

The true zero stop should please western hunters and long-distance shooters who need to adjust on the fly. The clicks are tactile and crisp, and the zero doesn’t stray.

After spending the latter half of gun season with the RS1.2 and several days at the range, I checked the scope’s zero, which didn’t budge. This is great for the bench, especially if you do a lot of target or competition shooting, but even more so if you subject your rifle to field conditions.

For the money, this scope’s clarity and brightness in lowlight conditions rival those in scopes that cost several hundred dollars more. I hunt in the timber a lot, and I was surprised at the clarity and level of detail during the last minutes of shooting hours. The illuminated reticle also helped with target acquisition in these conditions, and the brightness settings are easy to adjust without breaking your shooting position.

I know $1,200 is no small investment, but Maven’s direct-to-consumer model makes the price worth it. The RS1.2 punches above its class with great glass that belongs in the next tier of scopes.

Where the Maven RS1.2 Rifle Scope Can Improve

While most of the controls turn smoothly and without any grit, the parallax adjustment requires more convincing. It’s stiff to turn, but once set, the parallax doesn’t move. No doubt this is field handy, but a little more play wouldn’t hurt.

This scope suits hunters looking for long-range and lowlight capabilities for a nimble mountain rifle. For this reason, I think the weight runs a tad heavy, but it certainly isn’t a deal breaker.

Final Thoughts

Though not lightweight, this scope’s versatile size and price make it an exceptional option for hunters who want more zoom and low-light capabilities, especially if long-range shots are the norm.