Maven RS3.2 Scope Review | Perfect Long Range Hunting Scope By Maven Optics?

Maven Optics has built a cult-like following in the last few years, but do the Maven RS3.2 scope and Maven Optics warrant such a following? Over the years here at Backwoods Pursuit, we’ve had the pleasure of testing a wide range of their optics, and we were big fans of their second focal plane Maven RS.5 rifle scope. That being said, it can be tough to excel at building both first and second focal plane scopes.

Maven Optics offers the widest variety of scope options in First Focal Plane (FFP), so I figured this RS3.2 5-30×50 rifle scope would be top notch, but I’ve also learned that nothing is a given when it comes to gear. Assumptions are a dangerous way to live when it comes to gear, and that holds particularly true with the optic you choose to mount on your favorite rifle.

Deciding on a Scope – Narrowing it Down

There are a myriad of things to consider when selecting the best rifle scope for hunting and the needs you have when in the field. A couple of things will help you greatly narrow down the search. Among the most critical factors are:

• Price range
• First of second focal plane
• Magnification range
• Turret style
• Reticle style
• Objective size
• Overall weight
• Main tube size

If you systematically go through each of these possible features, you’ll quickly narrow down your search to something much more manageable.

What’s the Difference Between FFP and SFP Scopes?

Much has been written about this subject, so we won’t reinvent the wheel here, but a quick and easy way to to remember the difference between them is simply that with First Focal Plane (FFP) scopes, the reticle grows and shrinks in size along with the magnification. At minimum magnification, the reticle will appear much smaller (sometimes too small to see it very well) than at maximum magnification. Conversely, in some FFP scopes, the reticle gets too big at maximum magnification, which can make picking a small target more difficult at long ranges.

First Focal Plane – Subtensions

Some folks hate this about FFP scopes and it’s a very valid argument. That said, the benefit (and it is HUGE) to First Focal Plane scopes is that they keep the reticle subtensions (hash marks, dots or whatever that particular reticle uses) at a consistent and known value throughout the magnification range. This makes your wind and elevation holds SO MUCH EASIER. While I don’t love how the reticle can get too small or too large on some FFP scopes, there are certainly some FFP scope out there that find a very usable balance, and the Maven RS3.2 is one of them.

Second Focal Plane – Subtensions

Alternatively with Second Focal Plane (SFP) scopes, the reticle stays and looks the same throughout the magnification range; however, the subtension values change depending on what magnification the scopes is at. This can be a benefit to the hunter as you will never pull up your rifle for a shot and find the reticle either too large or too small. I actually prefer the sight picture of a SFP scope for hunting situations. However, at the same time, the downfall to SFP scopes is that the subtensions are typically only accurate at maximum magnifications.

This can be extremely problematic if you don’t want or need to be at the scope’s maximum magnification for those very common shots between 200 yards and 500 yards, but do need to adjust for wind. This range can easily be shot without zipping your scope up to its maximum magnification (particularly if the scope has a maximum magnification of 20-30x). You may be forced to perform extra math in your head on the fly in a pressure situation, and if not very well versed in that equation, this could cost you your shot opportunity, or worse, cause a bad hit on an animal.

At the end of the day, I still go back and forth between the two, but I definitely lean towards FFP myself as the value of the subtensions being a fixed value is more important to me than the reticle staying the same size and wondering if I’m on the right magnification to trust my subtensions.

Maven RS3.2 Review – Specs

The Maven RS3.2 rifle scope boasts some impressive specs, particularly given its wide magnification range and light, compact build.

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Now before we get into the details of the Maven RS3.2 rifle scope, the perspective for this review is coming from a hunter rather than a match or competition shooter and from someone who enjoys shooting longer ranges but ultimately uses the optic for hunting purposes. We tested this scope on one of my hunting rifles to see how it performed for that application.

Maven RS3.2 Review – The Glass

Featuring Maven’s premium Extra-Low Dispersion ED glass, the Maven RS3.2 5-30×50 rifle scope gives you the superb image clarity you need when it counts, as well as the magnification you need to make those extremely long shots, but it also allows you to dial it way down to an impressive low end 5x magnification for closer shots.

Maven RS3.2 Review – Best Uses

The Maven RS3.2 rifle scope was built for the hunter that may need to extend the range out a ways. From the reticle designs, to its compact size and light weight, to its small and low profile turrets, to the premium glass for those low light situations, the Maven RS3.2 scope is a serious contender.

THE MAVEN RS3.2 WAS BUILT TO EXCEL AT:

• Low light performance
• Long range hunting
• Compact & lightweight design (for what it is)
• Rugged, waterproof build
• Hunting reticles with enough subtensions for long range hunting situations

Maven RS3.2 Review – Reticle Design

I appreciate the design and thought that Maven put into the reticle for this scope. They stayed true to their purpose in providing a reticle that is great for hunting but not overly cluttered with unnecessary features. If you shoot long range, you are likely to dial for distance and hold for wind, and this reticle pairs perfectly with the capped windage turret. Sure, some people prefer to dial for wind, and a manufacturer cannot please all the various preferences, but I think they captured the majority of the hunting crowd with these designs.

Make sure to check out our other gear reviews and the Backwoods Pursuit YouTube Channel to help you decide what gear will help you stay out in the field longer!

I’m personally a huge fan of the floating center dot that these reticles offer, and they give you plenty of information for hunting purposes. If you want a scope with more a “Christmas Tree” style reticle you have an option as well in the CFR-MIL variant.

Maven RS3.2 Review – Turrets / parallax / Illumination / Zero Stop

The Maven RS3.2 scope features nice low profile and compact turrets. They are clearly designed for hunting compared to the likes of the Zeiss LRP S3, and even the Leupold Mark V HD, which are quite large. The smaller turrets offer a nice defined and positive click, making it easy to dial to your desired elevation call.

Maven RS3.2 Turret Features:

• Small and compact
• Zero stop
• Tool-less indexing adjustment
• Exposed, non-locking elevation turret
• Capped windage turret
• Super smooth parallax adjustment
• Non-illuminated reticle (and no corresponding activation button on a turret)

Maven RS3.2 Review – Zero Stop

The zero stop on the Maven RS3.2 scope is incredibly easy to adjust by removing the turret cap (no tools needed), loosening a couple screws on the “barrel”, turning the “barrel” to index to the zero position, tightening the screws and reinstalling the turret cap at the zero position. I’ve had zero issues with this system and it was worked flawlessly for me so far.

Maven RS3.2 Review – Image Quality

While image quality isn’t the most important factor in a scope (in my humble opinion), it sure is nice when a scope delivers a crisp, clean image, particularly on longer shots or in low light situations.

The Maven RS3.2 is no slouch in this department as it gives you excellent resolution and fantastic color contrast. While I can say it’s not quite on par with the likes of the Zeiss LRP S3 and Leupould Mark V HD that we tested alongside this scope, it’s not far off. That’s not really a fair comparison though as the Zeiss LRP S3 is a completely different design with more of an emphasis on the competition shooter than hunting (and more expensive), and the Leupold Mark V HD is nearly $1,400 more. It is worth mentioning, though, that there was a small notable difference in image resolution.

IMAGE RESOLUTION BETTER THAN:

• Zeiss Conquest V4
• Tract Toric UHD

IMAGE RESOLUTION NOT AS GOOD AS:

• Zeiss LRP S3
• Leupold Mark V HD

Maven RS3.2 Review – Durability

The Maven RS3.2 passed all durability testing that we did, albeit we didn’t perform a “drop test”. It handled the recoil of several different rifles, being mounted several times, being hauled around in the field strapped to a backpack, and all “normal” in the field use you’d put a hunting scope through.

Maven RS3.2 Review – Tracking

To test the tracking on the Maven RS3.2, we performed a box test, working our way from the center of a target, then moving 5 MOA in each direction and taking another shot. Each time we returned the scope to zero, and moved to the next side of the “box”. The scope performed well within the limitations of the gun it was on.

Maven RS3.2 Review – What I Liked

• Huge magnification range
• Crisp, clean turret travel
• Small, low profile turrets
• Held zero and tracked well
• Lightweight (for what it is)
• Short & compact

This is a great scope for lightweight builds like the one above. Its short 13″ length is perfect for this setup while not adding too much unnecessary weight.

Maven RS3.2 Review – What I Disliked

There wasn’t a lot to dislike about this scope, but I did find a couple things I thought could be better:

• Only 80 MOA / 14.8 MIL of elevation travel
• Did NOT work with Zeiss Precision rings
• No illuminated reticle
• Not my favorite reticle – limited reticle options

RINGS ISSUE: While no fault of either the scope or the rings, I found it odd and interesting that every Maven scope I’ve tested does NOT like Zeiss Precision rings. For whatever the reason, Maven scopes slide when using Zeiss rings. I tried contacting both Zeiss and Maven about this issue and remounted the scope 3 different times with the same result. I tried various torque amounts each time (within manufacturer recommended torque specs), but to no avail. Finally, after having the remount the scope 3 times and re-zero the gun, I finally just changed rings to the Iota Triad ZL rings I had and the problem was solved.

LIMITED ELEVATION ADJUSTMENT: While I personally like a scope with more than 80 MOA, the reality is that I’ll never use anywhere close to that much in hunting situations, especially if I put a 20 MOA rail on the gun, which would give me approximately 60 MOA of elevation travel….far more than I’ll ever utilize.

Conclusion – Maven RS 3.2 Scope Review

After using the Maven RS3.2 for over a year I can say that this scope is one that deserves serious consideration, particularly if you are someone who likes to stretch the range out a bit and may have need for some extra magnification. The compact build is great for keeping your rifle from getting bulky, and the weight of just 27.9 oz is impressive for this kind of scope. It offers a great value being direct to consumer and gives you plenty for everything from the field to the range. Just don’t try to pair it with Zeiss rings or you’ll end up frustrated like I was.

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