I just received mine from Atibal after I sent a Strike Eagle for trade-in. Here is my observation....
- To my eyes (YMMV), the glass is better
- Eye relief is a little more forgiving @ x8
- x1 looks more like x1.5 (not a big deal to me)
- Turrets are tight and tactile
- Diamond reticle is good and draws my eyes to the target
- Reticle illumination is good....I'd say on a sunny day setting #8 worked fine for me
- Optic finish is good, matte coating and I like that the turret cover are slim and the threads are brass
Sighted-in @50 yds, shot plates @ 200 & 300yds using 55g factory ammo. The reticle hash marks are accurate on the mentioned distance. Do I like it better than the StrikeEagle? Yes. Am I happy with it? Yes....I got a x8 optic at no extra cost and a good one at that. Before I sent in mine for the trade-in I did the numbers. Vortex will come out with a x8 as well but I think the price will be in the range of $400-$475. If I sell the StrikeEagle, I'd say the most I will probably get is around $275 since obviously its value will go down. Not wanting to shell out anymore cash, I took the gamble and won. Bottom line, I'm happy and satisfied with it and yes, it came with a free lever!