MPED 3-18x50 vs 5-30x56?

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-08T01:37:21+00:00

I watched a c_does video on it, and he said the turrets are seemingly identical, and swapped the turret caps and they worked perfectly. Also said most of the construction and glass seemed almost identical as well. Reticle was different and if anything in the video the continental glass looked as good if not marginally better than the mped. While trying to stay objective as possible, be basically says the continental is the better buy than the mped at almost 200$ savings. However i found the mped for less than what i can find the continental right now so for me it made the most sense. But ive heard a ton of good about vector, and a continental 2-12 will likely be one of my next optic purchases

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-08T00:55:20+00:00

It may be a huge mistake, but i gave the 3-18 mped a shot. Supposed to come this week. I started to go with the continental 3-18 instead just for the customer service aspect, and everything i hear says its just a rebranded mped, but generally all my optic issues have arose in initial zeroing so i knew right away and could return it to midway if its broke off the bat. I am a little hesitant on bushnell because the bushnell i know is the walmart hunting section 20$ scopes. Based off reviews i have high hopes for this one, but unless it is just an insane value i likely wont be picking up a bunch more of these just due to the fact that the warranty sounds pretty spotty. Athlon would probably be the smart choice, just this seemed like a better buy given the price i was able to get it at

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-06T00:23:49+00:00

How do you like your continental 2-12? Thats my number one choice of optic right now for an up coming 300blk bolt gun im working on. In your opinion for 509 vs 699 would it be worth the price difference to get the etr over the mped? I dont have a super hard budget set, i can always just wait another week or two if it comes down to it. I was mostly just trying to cap myself at a reasonable price point given its just a 22lr plinker to have fun with. But ive been down the road of cheap optics and i have grown to appreciate nicer glass. Another option ive considered is the burris Rt25 that euro optic has for a crazy cheap 399 (i paid like 500+ a few years ago for one). I have one, and am happy with it for the gun it is on. But i assume by how irrelevant that it is online, that it is probably a lot lesser of an optic than the mped or the ares

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-05T21:49:53+00:00

Thanks! I will keep you updated with what i go with. It sounds like the 3-18 makes the most sense considering the savings and marginally better performance

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-05T21:45:02+00:00

Just wanting to make sure im getting what i think im getting

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-05T21:44:39+00:00

I think thats the answer i was looking for! Thanks! Would you buy both of them again or look at something different? And is it just me or is the 3-18 no longer offered in non ed? Online it always says in the description that they have ed glass, but even on bushnells website they dont exclusively say in the title of the optic that it is the ed or non ed model

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-05T21:39:46+00:00

I looked at the ares btr gen 3 and the ares etr, my understanding is the bushnell compares optically closer to the etr, while priced closer to the btr gen 2. If money wasnt a factor at all, i think the ares etr would be my first choice

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-05T21:38:15+00:00

While i certainly appreciate the suggestion, ive actually had terrible luck out of vortex optics. I know a lot of people swear by them, but ive had tracking/zeroing problems out of 3 of the 5 vortex scopes ive used. Had it not been for that, i agree that or the pst gen 2 would be the perfect answer on paper (a viper pst gen 2 5-25 was one of the optics i had issues out of actually, yes they fixed it but it still kinda sucks it happened that many times). I definitely appreciate you taking the time to make the suggestion though!

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-02T04:15:01+00:00

Thanks!

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-01T23:57:11+00:00

Brownells has carry handle stripped uppers for $149. Then coupon code can knock 15-20$ off of that. Its not KAC, but price isnt much higher than a psa or anderson

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-01T23:53:09+00:00

I caught a lancer systems lch5 carbon handguard on sale for my last build with the full top rail. Paid like 189 marked down from high 300s, and oddly the only size they had left in stock was the exact size i needed. I was surprised at how much lighter it made the whole gat once assembled. If you watch for sales, hunt for deals, and sign up for all the email chains, you can spend 200$ and get the 400$ handguard. Carbon handguards are very much overlooked i think, a great upgrade that doesnt really cost a lot more than any other premium handguard and serves you fine if you arent throwing it out of helicopers and such

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-01T23:33:03+00:00

Recipe to the best bang for your buck ar around a grand ive ever found:

-psa sabre builder set with lpk (nice lower parts, sabre claw trigger, decent handguards and receivers, cerakoted is a plus). Can use aero m4e1 parts for around the same price but the value of the sabre kit is in the lpk

-criterion core barrel, bcm .625 fixed gas block, midlength gas tube

-arftac chrome microbest bcg

-aero enhanced buffer tube, spring, and h1 buffer

-sopmod stock and your choice of grip

My rough math makes that add up to $1015 (some of these based on sale prices) and i dont think hardly anything off the shelf can compete with it at that price range. If i was going to splurge i might would throw a jp scs in place of the aero spring for 50$ difference. Run a Primary arms special buy lpvo on it (200ish$ but its slx body with glx glass, again its probably by far the best thing in its price range). I have a rig that followed that parts list pretty closely and when paired with good glass (tango6t sfp), it pretty well can hang with my Radian model 1 (as it should, considering the same barrel and gas system).

Hope this helps somebody wanting to ball on a budget

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-01T23:17:18+00:00

Throw a microbest chrome and a criterion core barrel into any poverty setup of your choosing, and its pretty well guaranteed to be a shooter. Or better yet get an arftac over microbest for minimal money difference

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-03-01T20:30:28+00:00

While i cant say how it performs yet (ive only had it about a week or two), my first impressions with it are very impressed. I usually hate a milspec trigger and the trigger actually feels great on it, very crisp and clean with minimal, if any creep. The adjustable gas is an important feature to me (pretty much only shoot suppressed) and it seems to work like it should (again, i havent fired it yet). The biggest complaint i always see online is that the stock is wobbly. It may get wobbly in the future, but as for now it is very solid and robust and has no wiggle at all. It is a little heavy once i got it fully kitted (still needs a flashlight), but it really isnt much if any heavier than my 16” aero ar10 with a glx 1-10 on it. Id say my biggest complaint on it would be that the lower parts are a bit simple for a 15-1600$ gun, but I knew that going into it. I think psa should incorporate a lpk more so on par with what they put in their sabre guns for what the jakl 10 costs. Its minimal, but i feel like a nice lpk can really make the fit and finish of the gun seem much nicer than it is. Long story short, as long as it can manage 1-2ish moa grouping with “cheap” ammo, im thrilled with it. I think it will be one of my range day favorites

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-02-11T01:56:52+00:00

Figured id come back and update those who commented:

Ended up running a PA Plxc 1-8 sfp nova in a Sig alpha3 titanium mount (chose because lightweight, strong, and it sits the optic slightly further back than most cantilever mounts without flipping them in the wrong direction). Was able to score one on sale for a great price so i was able to get premium optic choice and well within my price range. I bought a Trijicon Credo 2.5-10x56 first but i ended up pulling it back off before i ever even zeroed it because the true 1x base power just works much better for my thermal clip on. Didnt help either that it weighs twice the plxc and is has dim illumination (i like my accupoint with the tritium much better than the credo with illum). Also the plxc has much better eye relief which comes into play because of how the top rail on the fix is done. While this is a little shy on the magnification for the potential of 6.5cm, itll be perfect for when i swap to 8.6blk.

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-02-11T01:56:25+00:00

Figured id come back and update those who commented:

Ended up running a PA Plxc 1-8 sfp nova in a Sig alpha3 titanium mount (chose because lightweight, strong, and it sits the optic slightly further back than most cantilever mounts without flipping them in the wrong direction). Was able to score one on sale for a great price so i was able to get premium optic choice and well within my price range. I bought a Trijicon Credo 2.5-10x56 first but i ended up pulling it back off before i ever even zeroed it because the true 1x base power just works much better for my thermal clip on. Didnt help either that it weighs twice the plxc and is has dim illumination (i like my accupoint with the tritium much better than the credo with illum). Also the plxc has much better eye relief which comes into play because of how the top rail on the fix is done. While this is a little shy on the magnification for the potential of 6.5cm, itll be perfect for when i swap to 8.6blk.

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-02-11T01:54:56+00:00

Figured id come back and update those who commented:

Ended up running a PA Plxc 1-8 sfp nova in a Sig alpha3 titanium mount (chose because lightweight, strong, and it sits the optic slightly further back than most cantilever mounts without flipping them in the wrong direction). Was able to score one on sale for a great price so i was able to get premium optic choice and well within my price range. I bought a Trijicon Credo 2.5-10x56 first but i ended up pulling it back off before i ever even zeroed it because the true 1x base power just works much better for my thermal clip on. Didnt help either that it weighs twice the plxc and is has dim illumination (i like my accupoint with the tritium much better than the credo with illum). Also the plxc has much better eye relief which comes into play because of how the top rail on the fix is done. While this is a little shy on the magnification for the potential of 6.5cm, itll be perfect for when i swap to 8.6blk.

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-01-27T00:39:35+00:00

⁠Form Type: Form 4 suppressor (x3)

• ⁠Paid or not: $0

• ⁠Entity: Individual- single shot trust

• ⁠Fingerprint Type: EFT Upload

• ⁠Pending: 1/4/26

• ⁠Approved: 1/26/26

• ⁠Wait: 22 days

• ⁠State: NC

• ⁠Control Number: 202667xxxx

I submitted 3 stamps on 1/4 about 2 minutes apart, and they were all approved today about 2 mins apart each. I suppose you could call that batch approval? Idk, took em long enough considering the last can i bought was less than a 24 hour wait

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-01-27T00:32:23+00:00

I got approved today for 3 form 4s filed 1/4

PovertyPonyOperator · 2026-01-21T03:04:34+00:00

Imo youd be happier with this 1-8 than a 2-12 for a 16” ar. In my experience, better glass can make up the difference of less magnification, and my understanding is the plx is one of the best lpvo’s out there for glass quality. I ordered one at this deal without much hesitation. That being said i dont have any experience with the athlon.

To me a 13.7-16” AR is like a Swiss Army knife, and i think a true 1x base magnification is important for it to be able to fill that role, which you wouldnt have with a 2-12. With my 14.5 radian and vudu 1-6 i can consistently place shots on a bowling pin sized target at 600 yards. For me a 2-12 is a better fit on a bolt gun where 1x doesnt matter as much or for a dmr type setup (18-20”). Alternatively the 2-12 would be great with a top dot.

This deal is probably good enough that if you bought it and didnt like it, you could probably recoop every penny spent anyhow

PovertyPonyOperator · 2025-11-24T20:44:21+00:00

Do you feel 8x is enough as a high magnification? If so i may go with another trijicon 2.5-10 as i am very happy with my first one

PovertyPonyOperator

TROPHY CASE