You probably know Meprolight for their pistol and rifle red dot sights. The Israeli company has been about 35 years and sights like their MCP Pro and M32 are built like tanks to work in harsh, demanding conditions. Earlier this year, before SHOT, Meprolight announced that they were jumping into the magnified optic business with three, well thought-out rifle scope models designed for the three primary purposes most of us want in a good rifle scope.

Their MVO (yes, Meprolight Variable Optic) line is comprised of a 1-8X LPVO, a 6-36X long range precision scope and what I consider the Goldilocks of the group, the MVO 3-18x44 FFP. All three have MRAD adjustments and reticles and are first focal plane scopes.

It's clear that when the product managers at Meprolight decided that magnified optics was the next logical extension of their product line, they wanted their scopes to more than just perfunctory models that ticked boxes so they could say that they offered rifles scopes. As the 3-18x44 makes clear, Meprolight has designed their three scopes with first-rate features and specs that make them instantly competitive with some of the best scopes in their respective niches.

Everything about the MVO 3-18x44 FFP says quality. From the two-color illumination of the reticle to the cracker-crisp clicks of the turret adjustments to the butter-smooth throw of the magnification ring and the ultra-clear, tack-sharp German glass.

The turrets look standard and they mostly are. Parallax adjustment on the left, elevation and windage.

The turrets are adjusted by pulling them out, dialing the necessary adjustment and then pushing them back in to lock them. Again, the clicks are clean and sure. While it's not a good idea to adjust by counting clicks, if that's your practice, you won't have any problem doing that.

Reticle illumination is handled with the button on the outside of the parallax adjustment turret. Here's Meprolight's illustration of the M3 Mil reticle at minimum and maximum magnification.

You can choose between either green or red illumination. As these pics show, green is usually the color of choice in low light situations. The human eye is about six times more sensitive to green light than it is to red.

You can cycle up and down among eight brightness levels for each color with a push of the same button. There's also 12-hour auto shut-off feature to save your battery.

Edge-to-edge clarity is exceptionally good. You might even say it's perfect in terms of both sharpness and brightness consistency thanks, no doubt, to the excellent German glass Meprolight's used in the scope.

Meprolight has packed a 6X magnification range into a relatively small, compact package. The MVO 3-18x44 is only 11.9 inches long. That kind of magnification range requires more internal room for components which means you'll need 34mm rings.

The 3-18X mid magnification range, though, is incredibly versatile and perfect in a variety of scenarios. The MVO 3-18x44 is right at home for hunting, in a DMR-type role, or even in competition. While it's absolutely at home on an AR, letting you hit anything out to the practical limit of 5.56 ammunition, I've liked shooting it more on a bolt gun.

While my range only extends to 600 yards, the MVO 3-18x44 is more than up to the task. I don't doubt that it's very capable of doing good work out to 1000 yards.

Meprolight's also designed the MVO 3-18x44 to be durable, able to deal with a range of conditions. They rate its temperature range capability between -40 and 160 degrees. I don't have a way to verify that, but I put it in my garage freezer for a couple of days, re-mounted it, and it was still dead-on.

It also has an IPX-8 waterproof rating. That means it should be able to take 30 minutes of submersion at 1.5 meters. I put it in a bucket and left it for two hours and it was none the worse for wear.

As for tracking, I did the standard box test to make sure that it returns within reason to its original zero point after dialing the turrets up, right, down, and left again at 100 yards. The MVO 3-18x44 didn't only return within a half MOA, that fifth hole was touching the original hole. In short, the scope tracks as well as any scope I've ever tested.

Finally, there's the matter of price. The Meprolight MVO 3-18x44 FFP has an MSRP of the $1799 and retails right now about $100 less than that. No, that's not inexpensive. But if you shop around, you'll find that other similarly equipped scopes of similar quality will cost you between $700 and $1600 more. Or still higher. That makes the Meprolight a relative bargain given what it does and how well it does it.

Meprolight also ships the MVO 3-18x44 FFP with everything you'll need including a screw-in metal sun shade, an extended throw level for your the magnification ring if you want a large one, and front and rear flip-up caps.

To sum up, the Meprolight MVO 3-18x44 FFP is one of the best designed, best put-together, best performing all-around rifle scopes I've ever used. It's compact, has an incredibly useful zoom range, gives you two illumination color options and performs really well in low light conditions. In short, this is unquestionably one of my all-time favorite rifles scopes.

Specifications: Meprolight MVO 3-18x44 FFP Rifle Scope

Magnification: 3 to 18X
Objective Lens: 44mm
Focal Plane: First
Glass: Multicoated, German
Reticle: M3 Mil, red and green illuminated, 12 hour auto off
Click Value: 1/10 MRAD, zero reset
Adjustment Range: 32 MRAD elevation, 10 MRAD windage
Tube Diameter: 34mm
Eye Relief: 3.94 inches
Length: 11.9 inches
Weight: 29.7 ounces
Waterproof Rating: IPX-8
Made In: Taiwan
MSRP: $1799 (about $1699 retail)