Anyone with experience with Primary Arms scopes?

[cwlongshot]

Specifically looking at the 4x14x44 Orion scope as a hunting optic for the Howa 6.5 Grendel.

All reviews I find are excellent ...

http://www.primaryarms.com/primary-arms-orion-4-14x44mm-riflescope-acss-orion-pa4-14xffp-orion

CW

[dpete]

Send 98Z a PM. I know he has a couple of PA scopes on his rifles.

[mdram]

only issue i can think of is the warranty
its only 3 years. vs lifetime for most decent scopes

[mdewitt71]

It's nice... I have used the first version a bit. Turrets are OK for the $$$$, they are even better on the newer ARC-2 MOA model but, as mentioned....
It has 3 year warranty vs. other brands like the Athlon Talos 4-14x44 in FFP or the Diamondback HP 4-16x42 has a lifetime warranty; might be something to look at.
Even the Falcon 4-18x44 M18+ has a 10 year warranty and is pretty nice quality.

[jonny rotton]

i own several of them. 1-6x and 1-8x all with the acss reticle. i love them!!! the reticle is awesome!!! you sight it in then everything is done using the reticle. simple

[Crusty]

I just took one off of my rifle and I had no problems with it that weren't due to old eyesight. It's a little on the cloudy side but if you can see your target you can hit your target. The BDC reticle really isn't that useful and the ARC-2 is what I would choose if buying again along with a ballistics app on my phone for calculating holdovers.

The Vortex Defender flip covers fit this scope and are better quality than anything Butler Creek makes, plus once you know the ballistics for a round you can design and buy a printed custom insert at the Vortex website which snaps inside the ocular cover for a ready ballistics table for that round without using an app. The sun screen tube improves the sight picture.

There isn't a hard zero stop so you should always check that you're in the correct revolution when returning to zero. You can make a mod to it with nylon washers installed inside the turret which gives you a soft zero stop and if you're interested in doing this I have some spare special washers that I'll send to you to do it, but always check the revolution indicator even with it.

If you intend to get to the 1000 yard range with it you'll need a 20 MOA mount and I just purchased the Nikon Black 20 MOA mount for $130 and I think it's a real value in a good quality mount. Actually, after buying my first one I think I'll buy 20 MOA mounts from now on because they don't waste the lower 1/3 of the vertical adjustment range like parallel mounts do.

[cwlongshot]

I believe the gen 3 scopes are now lifetime.

CW

[Cotay]

Specifically looking at the 4x14x44 Orion scope as a hunting optic for the Howa 6.5 Grendel.

All reviews I find are excellent ...

http://www.primaryarms.com/primary-arms-orion-4-14x44mm-riflescope-acss-orion-pa4-14xffp-orion

CW

I have one and love it. The turrets are horrible but you aren't spinning them; the glass is acceptable for the price of the reticle.

If you get one, get it from Optics Planet. Right now they are throwing in a $25 gift card which you can use for a mount or whatever. You can also find readily available 10% coupons online to bring it down to around $234. If you go for the one on Primary Arms, be sure to link through TiborasaurusRex's review to get free rings and shipping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mrTZaIVrko

[cwlongshot]

Well,
I now have TWO of them!!

One is a 3X Prisym scope I bought used and turns out its a PA and I did not know that! its working well with the ACSS reticule.

The second is a 1x4 and it too is fast becoming a favorite!

CW

[Sinclair]

only issue i can think of is the warranty
its only 3 years. vs lifetime for most decent scopes

As my Grandfather used to say,"the only good warranty is the one that you never have to use." I have had cars, tvs, computers, you name all quit one month after the "extended warranty" that I paid dearly for ran out. On another forum, during a discussion of the best rifle scopes, a former military serviceman said, 'Don't kid yourself, they all break and usually when you really need the blankety, blankety thing to work'. I do my homework, buy the best quality and the most appropriate for my needs that I can afford at the time, treated it like it is the family jewels, and trust to luck. I have owned all manner of Craftsman tools over the years, most of witch broke and never once did I get a replacement. Always some technicality as to why the "life time warranty" did not apply in my case!

I have a PA4-14 x 44 FFP Milldot that I have yet to shoot. Dry firing the rifle over my kitchen table it is as clear as any other that I have had and better than most. The clicks are positive, crisp, and audible. The only con is that the magnification ring is a bit tight and hard to turn without demounting the rifle and making a deliberate effort to change the magnification.

P.S. Finally got to the range! The scope performed flawlessly. I could make single click (0.1 Mil) adjustments and the POI actually moved the appropriate amount and in the correct direction, never had a scope that would do that, they usually took two or more clicks before they would 'jump' to a new POI. The ffp is great. Some hate the ffp but I like being able to use the Mil Dot reticle anytime i need it (wind shift, etc.) and it will be correct at all magnifications.

[A5BLASTER]

As my Grandfather used to say,"the only good warranty is the one that you never have to use." I have had cars, tvs, computers, you name all quit one month after the "extended warranty" that I paid dearly for ran out. On another forum, during a discussion of the best rifle scopes, a former military serviceman said, 'Don't kid yourself, they all break and usually when you really need the blankety, blankety thing to work'. I do my homework, buy the best quality and the most appropriate for my needs that I can afford at the time, treated it like it is the family jewels, and trust to luck. I have owned all manner of Craftsman tools over the years, most of witch broke and never once did I get a replacement. Always some technicality as to why the "life time warranty" did not apply in my case!

I have a PA4-14 x 44 FFP Milldot that I have yet to shoot. Dry firing the rifle over my kitchen table it is as clear as any other that I have had and better than most. The clicks are positive, crisp, and audible. The only con is that the magnification ring is a bit tight and hard to turn without demounting the rifle and making a deliberate effort to change the magnification.

One of my first vortex scopes had that problem too, it didn't take long for me to send it back and have it replaced, if I was you and they would replace it I would.

Mag ring shouldn't be that hard to adjust, something is cross threaded are it got some trash in it somehow, either way it's a failure waiting to happen.

[monty]

I have a PA4-14 x 44 FFP Milldot that I have yet to shoot. Dry firing the rifle over my kitchen table it is as clear as any other that I have had and better than most. The clicks are positive, crisp, and audible. The only con is that the magnification ring is a bit tight and hard to turn without demounting the rifle and making a deliberate effort to change the magnification.

I have that same scope. I agree with you on the quality of the glass. I really like this scope. Illumination would be nice, but for the price it's a very good scope. The magnification ring on mine is not too tight . Actually, it moves more easily than my other scopes.

[cwlongshot]

As my Grandfather used to say,"the only good warranty is the one that you never have to use." .

Truer words have not been spoken...

Well I had to use that warranty and its as good as gold so far. I sent the 3X Prism scope back as I could see a "fleck" of something in the scope and the reticule appeared to be rotating... NOT GOOD tings to have found I'll admit. I just hope its a dud and not a sign of things to come. They sent a new one right out and I returned the other when it arrived. The new one is crystal clear. But I have not yet mounted or used it.

CW

[greaseywater]

I got the 6x acss rimfire scope a couple of years ago. About a year in, I found the reticle was rotating. It was subtle, but noticable. I might have used cheap rimfire rings that needed a good lapping. But PA replaced it straight away. No problems with the replacement, and I'm using better rings.

[LRRPF52]

A lot of the PA lower end scopes have had issues that are common to China.