VECTOROPTICS Mustang GEN2 SCOC-29 Review

This time, I'll be reviewing the latest 2021 model of the VECTOR OPTICS Mustang 1-4X30 GEN II SCOC-29, a hidden gem of a lens, although it's a borrowed item.

The item I'm reviewing was lent to me by a friend who purchased it at 41PX in Akihabara in June 2021. The list price is 19000 yen, but I bought it for 15000-16000 yen (I think it was 15800 yen?) in 2021.

In the previous article introducing scopes, I used Tokyo Marui's NEW Illuminated Short Scope as a comparison point, but I found out that it's hardly available on the market.

Therefore, from now on, the benchmark for comparison will be the highly popular VECTOR OPTICS Forester GEN II scope.

If you're interested, please take a look at this page where we introduce the company's popular product, the Forester.

Now let's take a look at the Mustang Gen II.

Box and contents, exterior

Let's start by looking at the outer box.

Box and contents

First, let's look at the outer box, which uses the same design as other VECTOR OPTICS products.

The model name and reticle pattern are printed on the side of the outer box.

Next is the back of the outer box. A list of specifications is printed there.

Now, let's finally open the box.

The unit already had the mount attached and was wrapped in a plastic bag. The packaging was slightly simpler than that of their Forester.

Next, let's take a look at the contents as a whole.

While the company's Forester comes with mounting rings, they are not installed, and batteries are not included, so the Mustang is the one that can be used immediately in actual combat.

Next, let's take a look at the exterior of the device.

appearance

Let's take a look at the exterior. Compared to the company's Forester, it has a more rugged look.

The inclusion of mounting rings and Butler Creek lens caps feels like a great bonus. The mount is secured with an impressive 12-point clamping system.

Next is the side view.

It comes with various control systems.

Compared to the company's Forester, the lens diameter is larger, making the overall frame thicker. Incidentally, the height of the included scope mount is what's considered medium. Furthermore, it has plenty of rails.

Next is the side view from the opposite side.

This is roughly what it looks like from the outside.

Next, we will compare its exterior appearance with that of the company's Forester.

As expected, the Mustang version of this product has a larger lens diameter, making it noticeably thicker compared to the Forester version.

Usability

Let's take a look at its usability.

Let's take a look at the magnification adjustment mechanism. It comes with the adjustment rod that's standard these days.

Adjusting it requires a little force, but on the other hand, it seems unlikely to shift on its own. There are six magnification options: 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 2.5x, 3x, and 4x.

Incidentally, it also has a focal length adjustment function, but it's hidden by the Butler Creek lens cap and cannot be accessed directly. However, as I will explain in the image quality section, the great thing about this model is that the image hardly distorts even when changing the magnification, so there is almost no need to adjust it.

This magnification adjustment knob can be removed with a screw. Be careful not to lose it during gameplay. If possible, we recommend gluing it with threadlocker or similar adhesive.

Next, let's look at the illumination switch. Turning the dial with the VE mark on the side will turn it on. The battery is also located under the cover with the VE mark.

This product came with a CR2032 battery pre-installed. Incidentally, the turning mechanism is quite stiff.

Next, let's look at the elevation adjustment dial (for adjusting the vertical direction).

You can adjust it using the dial on top of the scope. To adjust it, simply lift the adjustment knob slightly (about 5mm) and you can move it.

Lifted state

The adjustment range is as indicated on the knob, but each click moves it by approximately $ \frac{1}{2}$ MOA. The adjustment range is sufficient, so you shouldn't have any trouble zeroing it in.

However, while most scopes offer 1/4 MOA increments with a single click, the increments are wide enough for airsoft gun range, so I don't think it will have much of an impact. Also, the adjustment knobs have a clear, satisfying click feel, which is very nice.

Incidentally, 1 MOA is a number representing an angle, which in Japanese is 1 minute of angle, or $ \frac{1}{60}$°, or about 0.017°. In other words, with this product, one click moves the reticle by about $ \frac{1}{2}$ MOA, so it moves by approximately 0.0085°.

Since you adjust it while watching the trajectory, it might not matter that much.

The vintage adjustment dial (for left/right adjustment) is located on the side using the same mechanism.

This is a summary of the control system photos.

Finally, we measure the weight.

It's a bit heavy, to be honest.

Forester's controls and weight

Next, looking at the Forester, which we'll compare it to, the controls are almost identical.

Although not visible in the photo, there is a focus adjustment mechanism on the front side (near the eyepiece).

重さです。

As expected, the Forester's lens, with its smaller diameter, is about 200g lighter.

Next, I will introduce some important aspects of how things appear.

Appearance

This post shows how the scope looks at different magnifications. However, I found taking photos difficult, and since I used an iPhone Xs camera, I'm not sure how accurate these photos will be. Focusing the camera is difficult, so please take them as a reference only.

The conditions are that we are observing a capybara clinging to a refrigerator at a distance of 2.5m.

How the Mustang looks at VECTOR OPTICS

Let's start by looking at a multiplier of 1x.

The image is very clear with minimal distortion. The eye relief is about 25cm, and there is a great deal of freedom in adjusting the distance between the eye and the eyepiece. The reticle has markings running downwards from the center. The company's Forester has a simple crosshair, so the Mustang has a slightly more elaborate reticle. Furthermore, the eyepiece is 30mm (Forester 24mm, Marui 32mm), making it very easy to see and giving the impression of a wide field of view.

Next is 1.5 times.

The eye relief is about 25cm, which gives you a lot of freedom in adjusting the distance between your eye and the eyepiece.

Next is 2 times.

The eye relief is about 25cm, which gives you a lot of freedom in adjusting the distance between your eye and the eyepiece.

Next is 2.5 times.

From here, the eye relief is slightly reduced to about 22cm, but there is still a high degree of freedom in adjusting the distance between the eye and the eyepiece.

Next is 3 times.

Eye relief remains largely unchanged at 2.5 times.

Next is the maximum magnification of 4x.

The eye relief is approximately 20cm, which means the distance between your eye and the eyepiece is a bit critical, and you won't see an image unless you consciously adjust the distance while looking through it.

Finally, let's turn on the illuminations and take a look at them at 3x magnification.

Similar to the Forester, the illumination is rather dim, so even at the maximum brightness setting, it's barely usable.

Next, for comparison, let's look at the company's Forester.

Reference: VECTOR OPTICS Forester's Visibility

1 times.

The eye relief here is about 25cm, and there's a considerable degree of freedom in adjusting the distance between the eye and the eyepiece. The image is slightly distorted.

Next is 2 times.

At this magnification, the eye relief is about 22cm, and there is a high degree of freedom in adjusting the distance between the eye and the eyepiece.

Next is 3 times.

At this magnification, the eye relief is about 20cm, and there is a high degree of freedom in adjusting the distance between the eye and the eyepiece.

Next is 4 times.

The image starts to distort rapidly at this magnification, and it becomes quite difficult to use without adjusting the focus. Also, the eye relief decreases sharply, and the sense of distance between the lens and the eye becomes critical at around 15cm.

Finally, we have the maximum magnification of 5x.

The photo happens to capture a good image, but in actual use, the distance between the lens and your eye becomes quite critical.

Summary of how it looks

The Mustang lens featured here is exceptionally good, producing a very clear image with virtually no distortion.

What's particularly noteworthy is that there is virtually no image distortion at 1x (life-size), which is considered difficult to achieve.

The eye relief distance is around 25cm at most magnifications, and there is a great deal of freedom in adjusting the distance between the eye and the eyepiece, so you can see the image even with a quick glance. Furthermore, the objective lens is 30mm and the eyepiece is 35mm, which is larger than that of the Foresta, making it easier to look through.

Compared to the Forester, the maximum magnification is lower, but the larger lens diameter makes it easier to view, and the narrow magnification range of 1-4 means that overall image distortion, including when changing magnification, is definitely less.

The small magnification range of 1 to 4x is appealing because it allows you to use all magnifications without adjusting the focal length (although at 4x, you'll need to adjust the focal length just a little to avoid blurring).

Comparison photos of eyepieces

In my personal opinion, the Mustang has less image distortion through its lens.

Conversely, the advantages of the Forester are its lightweight and compact design, wide magnification range, and extremely thin lens bezel. However, even with the Forester, 4x and 5x magnification are impractical because the image becomes blurry without focusing.

In any case, both are extremely high-performance scopes, making it difficult to say which is better.

Installation example

As an example of installation, we tried mounting it on the VFC MK18 mod.1, a popular electric airsoft gun in the M4 series.

It has a rather bulky appearance, but thanks to the overall balance, it doesn't feel excessively heavy.

This is a site picture.

It can be mounted in a position where your eyes naturally fall when you rest your cheek against the stock. However, if you are using a thick face guard, you may need to raise the mount height slightly.

Summary

Overall, considering the price, this scope is extremely high-performance and of high quality.

My impression is that VEVTOR OPTICS' Forester is by far the most popular, but I think this Mustang scope is also quite high-performance.

In terms of lens distortion alone, the Mustang definitely has less. Also, because the magnification is limited to 1-4x, distortion is minimal at all magnifications, and the eye relief is more flexible. Furthermore, it features a wide field of view due to the large objective and eyepiece lenses.

The popular Forester has a wide magnification range of 1-5x, but because the lens diameter is small, using high magnifications like 4x and 5x requires careful adjustment of the focal length and eye relief (up to 1-3.5x, there is more freedom in eye relief and no need to adjust the focal length). Also, even though the bezels are thin, the lens diameter is smaller than that of the Mustang, so the field of view is slightly narrower in comparison.

In any case, both products offer excellent value for money and are very good products.

Since they're almost the same price, you can't go wrong choosing based on design, weight, and reticle preference. The performance differences are mainly in magnification, and the Forester has a narrower bezel and is heavier.

I hope this will be helpful to anyone considering purchasing this product and still undecided.

Incidentally, I'm also interested in the company's recently released S6 scope, so if I get the chance to get my hands on one, I'd like to compare them (it's a bit more expensive).

If you're interested, please also check out the article about the Forester.

VECTOR OPTICS Mustang 1-4X30 GEN II SCOC-29
There's also a direct link to the famous 41 Military (41PX).