Gear Review: KonusPro T-30 Rifle Scope

Konus Optical makes some very good, reasonably priced rifle scopes.  Most of their focus has been on the sporting market, but they’re branching out.  Their latest offering is meant for the tactical shooter.

The Konus T-30 3-12×44 is a great little scope.  Short and remarkably solid.  The whole scope comes in under ten inches.   But at 100 yards, the field of vision is substantial: more than 36 feet at the 3 mark, and 9 feet at the 12 mark.

The one piece tube is waterproof and fog proof, and filed with nitrogen.  The illuminated reticle is engraved onto “unbreakable glass.”  I don’t have much use for adjectives like unbreakable.  If it can be broken, I’ll find a way to do it.  But Konus offers a lifetime replacement guarantee.  That guarantee won’t do you much good in the field, but that why you have back up sights.

The T-30

The T-30 weighs in at just over a pound.  That’s not insignificant.  With the addition of scope rings and a sight riser, it adds noticeable weight to a gun like the Stag 3G, which only wieghs seven and a half pounds, epmty.

But the weight of the optic is also a benefit.  The T-30 is like a rock.  I don’t say that about optics very often.  Even the highest quality scopes feel fragile to me.  And some are. But the T-30 is the first 3-12×44 that I’ve felt could truly stand up to the type of abuse I put my ARs through.  We’ll see.  I’m early in the testing.

Konus has added a couple of nice touches to finish the exterior.  The scope body is matte, which is right at home on a black rifle.  And the scope comes with flip up caps, which are well made and responsive.

The Reticle

The reticle is engraved.  This means there isn’t any way the cross-hairs can be jarred or shot loose.  And they’re illuminated, which seems a bit like magic to me.  Without the illumination, the markings are black.  But a turn of nob and they glow red or blue.  In low light situations, these markings are really clear.  As the light intensifies, they are less effective.  But with the illumination off, the reticle is easily visible in daylight.

This is a bit hard to photograph, but the images below show the illumination in bright daylight.

The markings are cut for 550 yards.  That’s more that I’m capable of with an AR, even the 3g.  But I know shooters who have no difficulty with that distance.  The horizontal lines are marked for holdover points at 100 yard intervals.  The vertical hashes are designed for calculating wind compensation or for leading moving targets.

Sighting In

I’ve been impressed with the way the Stag runs with iron sights, and have been looking for an optic that will allow for the most accurate use of the long barrel and 1/8 twist rate.

The T-30 requires tall mounts.  The big front lens needs some serious clearance.  While I prefer one piece mounts over a riser, I had to make do.  (I visited brick and mortar gun stores all over two states looking for a decent set of two-piece cantilevered mounts, but nothing.  I had to settle for a set of high rings on a riser.

The Konus needs three inches of eye relief.  That puts it above the receiver.  Ideally, I’ll end up with the optic farther back with the cantilevered mounts, but I can move close enough to the eyepiece and still maintain a good cheek-weld.  The height (with the riser scooted forward) is just tall enough for the eyepiece to clear the Magpul rear sight, which is an absolute necessity on any tactical rifle.

And the lines are clear and crisp, especially when they’re illuminated.  But they’re easy to see, even when the illumination is off.

The dials on the T-30 are click adjustable in 1/4 minute increments.  We sighted in the Stag in a CTK Precision Gun Vice.  It makes the whole task remarkably easy.  I had the T-30 zeroed and running reliably in 14 rounds.  I took it off and put it back on several times, and it returned to zero each time.

Conclusion

The only thing I can find to criticize about the T-30 is that the dials are really stiff.  I’m sure they may loosen up after a break-in period, but I haven’t hit that point yet.  While the dials aren’t going to move accidentally, I’d prefer that I could move them without taking my eye from the reticle.  But that’s not that big.  Not when an optic is this new.

MSRP for the T-30 3-12×44 is $439.99.  It isn’t widely available, yet.  Where it is, the T-30 is selling for closer to $230.  That’s a steal for a scope that’s this solid.

And with the guarantee, I think Konus is going to take a huge bite out of the higher priced competition.  Scope and mounts,…you can top your AR with a kick-ass optic for close to $250.  And you can have confidence in the optic’s durability.  No excuses, now.

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