Tract Toric UHD 30mm 2.5-15x44 FFP MOA Scope
Some days it seems as if there are more manufacturers of riflescopes than rifles. And maybe there are. This is a good thing because, even though it makes selecting a best buy scope more challenging, it raises the quality while simultaneously lowering prices.
Competition drives progress.
One of the highest quality scopes at one the best prices just might be Tract’s Toric 2.5-15x44 FFP with MOA turrets and reticle. This is arguably the perfect balance of power and reach in a dual purpose hunting/precision target shooting scope. And while not bargain basement cheap, at $1,094 it qualifies as a best buy in its class.
As the attached video shows, I was asked by Tract to test this scope and give an honest review, no holds barred, no punches pulled. So I don’t have to fudge or pull the wool over your eyes. This tool really is as good as I say it is. Maybe even better. Optically superb with a flat field and edge to edge sharpness rivaling some of the best scopes and binoculars I’ve tested. Sharp, bright, high contrast images. Crisp, sharp reticle.
Mechanically I found all controls tight, smooth, easy to manipulate, and repeatable with no backlash. This scope feels and sounds as tight and durable as it looks. And the reticle returns to zero regardless how far I dial up, down, left or right.
The only thing I can’t vouch for is its durability because I didn’t have ten years to drag it from the desert sands of Namibia to the soggy muskeg of Arctic Canada. But if I did I wouldn’t bet against it. I did throw it in a bucket of water and it didn’t even request a towel when it came out.
This doesn’t mean I’m ready to propose and live happily ever after. I find the unit heavier than I prefer. But then I’m an ultralight mountain rifle nut. On a traditional weight rifle meant for hunting flatter country, sitting in a stand, or doubling as a long range target clanger, no problem. Along these same lines I’d prefer a slightly smaller elevation turret, one closer in size to the windage turret. I’m guessing a smaller turret, however, wouldn’t handle the 100 MOA adjustment range.
For most of my hunting I like a simpler reticle because I usually set up for Maximum Point Blank Range which frees me from needing 30 MOA of range adjustment on the vertical wire. But this does nothing for my long range target shooting, so that won’t work on a dual purpose scope like this. But a Christmas tree reticle with 10 mph windage hashmarks would be a useful addition.
Then there’s that First Focal Plane reticle. This is the type that shrinks and enlarges with magnification, just like the target. This is ideal for maintaining a consistent relationship between hash mark subtensions and target size. You don’t have to worry about your power setting. If the range calls for holding the 5 MOA hash dead on, it works from 15X through 2.5X. What doesn’t work so well is seeing the 5 MOA hash at 2.5X. For me the limit was about 4X. I could easily spot the 10X and 20X numbers etched at those hash marks, but spotting the wider 5 MOA hashes among the line of one MOA marks was a challenge.
In the real world, however, this isn’t really an issue because who sets up for the kind of long range shot in which you need a 5 MOA or higher aiming point at 4X or even 5X? For shots beyond 300 yards most of us crank up the power because we feel we need it for a better sight picture and because we generally have time to do it, the game ignorant of our presence. Merely placing the center crosshair on target at 2.5X is easy, the dual thickness reticle leading the eye to the sticking place.
The last of my negative comments is this: if I’m going this heavy I think I’d throw in an illuminated reticle. Not a biggee, but what the heck… That’s maybe cutting it too fine.
Minor gripes aside, this is a remarkably capable scope selling for less, and sometimes significantly less, than comparable competitors largely because it is factory direct, manufacturer to buyer. No middle men. The unit is made in Japan, not the USA, but then few scopes are made here. If the likes of Canon, Nikon, and Sony can make some of the highest quality photographic lenses in the world, why not riflescopes?
All things considered I rate the Tract Toric UHD 30mm 2.5-14x44 FFP MOA scope five stars and a Best Buy.
To sum up my video assessment, here are the pertinent statistics: