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Maven RS.5 Riflescope Review (Hands On)


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The RS.5 is part of Maven’s flagship RS series of Japanese riflescopes.

It has interesting specs and feature combos that I’ll get into, but when it comes down to its overall performance, it definitely has a demand in the market.

“What you’re getting with the Maven RS.5 is a very high-quality scope with a second focal plane, great glass, great construction, great magnification…and so on.” Check it out!

Quick Overview...

What We Like: Japanese ED glass

What We Don’t Like: SFP reticle

Best Uses: Big Game Hunting, Predator Hunting, Varmint Control, Close to Mid-Range, AR-15/AR-10, Light to Heavy Caliber Rifles, Illumination

  • Magnification: 4-24x
  • Objective Diameter: 50mm
  • Glass Type: ED
  • Tube Size: 30mm
  • Reticle Plane: SFP
  • Weather-resistant: Yes
  • Weight: 25.5 oz

Our Verdict: The Maven RS.5 is a well-made optic for those who need its very specific features. There is a lot to get excited about from its ED glass to its accurate and crisp adjustments, but more could be done to bring out its full potential at this price point, at least for competition use.

Who is the Maven RS.5 4-24x50 Best Suited to?

The RS.5 is a high-powered rifle scope with superb glass and accurate tracking. Given its limitations, I’d only recommend it for ranch guns, target range use, and hunting if you’re comfortable with an exposed elevation turret.

While it has a wide, high power range, 30mm tube, and on-the-mark parallax and adjustments, it’s limited by its SFP SHR reticle to see it effectively used for PRS competitions and extended long-range shooting.

For additional features best suited to matches and ranging targets, I’d recommend the Maven RS.4. It’s not to say the RS.5 doesn’t have any appeal as there are similar alternatives such as the original Nightforce NXS and the Leupold Mark 4.

In comparison though, it proves to be the more affordable alternative.

Maven RS.5 Video Review:

YouTube video

How Does the Maven RS.5 4-24X50 Perform?

The RS.5 4-24x50 shows a lot of promise for many applications but falls short for competition use which is what I would use it for. I put it through its paces on an AR-10 in .308 and was impressed by its simplicity and high-quality construction.

If you’re hunting, prefer the traditional use of an SFP reticle, and you’re not shooting competitively, you’ll find the RS.5 to be a good match. It has incredible glass quality and very responsive turret action.

There are a few things about it that are worth thinking about before you buy. I’m not a big fan of its 30mm tube although it’s not without its benefits. But with 34mm tubes, there is a significant increase in tube robustness and adjustment travel.

Having been designed for long-range shooting with 4-24x magnification, full potential and value could be maximized with a larger tube. The same can be said about the limitations of its SFP reticle.

Even with that said, it’s still a great SFP reticle on a high-end optic with distinguishable construction, glass, and magnification. You’ll just need to internalize what you want to use it for before you buy.

Features & Benefits

Maven RS.5 mounted on rifle
Image by Bill Maxwell (Own Work) for Target Tamers

Japanese ED Glass

The first feature that stands out and that I can appreciate is its Japanese glass. The RS series of scopes, including the optical systems and glass, are all sourced from and made in Japan.

You have that edge-to-edge clarity that ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass provides. There isn’t any chromatic aberration that is the color bloating and distortion around the edges of high-contrast targets – you know, the fuzzy stuff that distorts the image.

Excellent Scope Quality

The parallax turret is dead-on. The numbered references match with the distances that start from 10 yards/meters and range through to infinity.

The magnification adjustment ring has high-quality movement with the right amount of resistance. It’s not easy to accidentally overshoot it or get annoyed about trying to make fast power changes. But it would serve the PRS shooter and hunter more effectively if it had a screw-in throw lever.

Given the SFP reticle and wide magnification range, the lever would be extremely convenient and appropriate to have. Overall, it does have smooth action to eliminate most frustrations.

While moving components move accurately with audible, crisp action, the knurling on the elevation turret and power adjustment are aggressive. Some hands may have a hard time, but I suppose it’s good for when you’re wearing gloves or if you need that extra grip when you have sweaty palms.

Crisp Turret Action

mounting the Maven RS.5 riflescope onto rifle
Image by Bill Maxwell (Own Work) for Target Tamers

The Maven RS.5 tracks accurately. Its turrets, while very knurly, are positive and audible. You can hear the clicks over audio in my video and the crisp responsiveness with each adjustment.

It’s nice to see the oversized, exposed elevation has tool-less Zero Stop. The manual gives detailed instructions on resetting your zero and using the mechanical stop, so it’s relatively easy to get it done.

I’m personally drawn to the exposed, over-sized elevation turret and capped windage. Most people, including myself, hold for wind anyway, so there’s confidence in knowing that no unintentional action will interfere with it.

SHR Reticle

Maven SHR reticle on RS.5 riflescope
Image by Bill Maxwell (Own Work) for Target Tamers

The reticle reminds me of a TMR reticle. Maven calls it the SHR, and it comes in both MOA and MIL. I tested the MIL version that has the 0.1 MIL illuminated center dot that acts like a red dot for fast target acquisition. It takes a CR2032 to acquire illumination with the battery compartment and brightness settings on the same dial as the parallax.

While bright enough for most daylight use, it’s not “daylight” bright. It’s hard to be fully critical about that because most illuminated optics struggle with this. Even so, for the minute size of the center dot, I would have expected more power.

The reticle is in the second focal plane, so it doesn’t change size throughout the power range. While excellent for low to mid-range magnification platforms, it limits the long-ranging and competition potential of the RS.5. It’s visible, sharp, and easy to use, but my beef with it is outlined below.

Limitations

SFP Reticle

I rarely sit in max magnification, so it’s far from convenient to only have accurate holdovers at 24x power. Not only is it my preference but also objectively speaking, an FFP (First Focal Plane) reticle with the high magnification range that it offers would be a better fit.

If it had, say no more than 18x power with its ability to retain maximum FOV, then I would have zero issues with the SFP reticle.

The reality is, no one is recalculating subtensions when you can have an FFP reticle scope from the beginning. For PRS matches, the inability to have accurate holdovers regardless of the power range is a deal-breaker. 

While reticle crosshairs are sharp and visible, it doesn’t help that reticle subtensions seem random. You have incremental MIL references up to “3” and then it skips right to “5” with nothing in between.

It would make better sense to put a 4 MIL subtension in between for consistency. Plus, you get at least a little more on-reticle ranging capability for holdovers. You can dial in after that, but just stopping at 3 and then skipping right to 5 is strange in my opinion.

What is the Warranty on the Maven RS5 Riflescope?

The Maven RS5 comes with an unconditional lifetime warranty. You won’t need a receipt and you don’t need to be the original owner. It pays to remember that warranty claims can be expedited if you register with Maven, but it is optional.

Does the Maven RS.5 Come with Scope Caps?

The Maven RS scopes do not come with any included scope caps. Maven includes a branded quality-made neoprene scope cover instead.

Do the Turret and Reticle Adjustments Match?

The turret and reticle adjustments will always match when you buy a Maven RS scope. The RS.5 with an MOA reticle will have ¼ MOA turret adjustments. The MIL reticle will have 0.1 MIL turret adjustments.

Is the RS.5 Illuminated Reticle Daylight Bright?

The 0.1 MIL illuminated center dot is not overpowering for low-light conditions but is not daylight bright. It’s still visible but does not have the power to it that you would expect for a 0.1 MIL red dot.

Conclusion

The Maven RS.5 is a great scope when used within its capabilities. It would be an adept optic for hunting and taking care of varmints.

Milling targets and PRS matches – not so much.

But not everyone is shooting competitively or requires a bigger tube size or FFP reticle.

It really comes down to your needs and intended applications.

For what you’re getting between the glass, accuracy, tool-less zeroing, and construction quality, it’s a high-end scope with its bases covered.

Further Reading

Photo of author

Bill Maxwell

Bill lives & breaths guns, optics and all things shooting. Starting out at a young age & then joining the army Bill has gone from shooting guns to building them and making his own ammo. He recently started competing in PRS and is looking to grow as a shooter, handloader, competitor, evaluator and writer. Check out more of Bill's videos and Images on his Instagram & YouTube

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