Last updated on August 3rd, 2024
This Maven Optics review looks at my experiences with some of their best optics including rifle scopes, binoculars and spotting scopes. Spending a lot of time with bino’s, scopes and spotting scopes out hunting and at the range, I’ve developed a strong interest in finding the best value optics on the market at specific price points.
Maven Optics have been on my radar ever since my mate bought a whole set of them on a hunting trip (photo below) where the glass quality and build of their gear impressed me. In this Maven Optics review we will look at the best value gear in each of their rifle scope, binoculars, and spotting scope sections. I didn’t know at the time but my mate showing off his new optics set led me down a path of Maven Optics becoming one of my favorite optics companies.
What I find most appealing Maven Optics is the high contrast Japanese glass used in their entire optics range. For those unfamiliar, Maven are a Wyoming based company who are truly underrated in the optics world. Of late they are becoming more popular amongst the sporting and hunting community, especially here in Australia.
Maven is a direct to customer company, meaning that you won’t find them on display at your local gun shop, instead they are available directly through their website. The pro for this is that it keeps the cost down not having a retail markup, the negative is that it limits their exposure to the general user.
For all the optics listed below I either own them or have spent significant time with them from friends that have them.
Maven Rifle Scopes
RS.3 5-30×50 Rifle Scope: Long Distance Hunting Pick
Designed for the long-distance hunter the RS.3 5-30×50 is a high-quality hunting optic designed for those needing a durable scope with a high magnification range with extremely impressive glass.
Compared to the hunting specific Steiner Predator 8 series, the Maven RS.3 offers very similar performance in a much more compact optic. High magnification being put into a short body can be a difficult task, however Maven have overcome the constraints and made a high performing scope.
Some hunters may want a locking windage turret and an illuminated reticle however these aren’t priorities for my hunting optics and isn’t a deal breaker for me when selecting a hunting scope. I much prefer to priotitise glass quality in my hunting scopes. The RS.3 from Maven exceeded my expectations and it certainly outperforms other optics in the price bracket I have used. If you are looking to buy a high-quality hunting scope for long range hunting, the RS.3 deserves serious consideration.
RS.4 5-30×56 Rifle Scope: Hunting & Target Crossover
A true cross-over optic that suits the long-distance hunter as well as the target shooter. It’s rare to find an optic capable of fulfilling both roles but the RS.4, slightly heavier than the RS.3 brings an illuminated reticle, a bigger objective lens and larger turrets to help the target and competition side as well.
For the competition shooter the glass quality in the RS.4 is just under that of the Austrian made Kahles glass in performance but coming in at half the price point. This quality of glass is really where Maven’s price point provides great value for money.
It’s a compact scope measuring 325mm/12.79in but packs a huge magnification range as well as the large 56mm objective lens which helps provide the exceptionally clear, bright, and high contrast image. A great optic for the long-distance hunter or target/competition shooter.
HIGH END ALL ROUNDER
Maven RS.4 5-30×56
A true crossover scope suitable for both hunting and target shooting
CRS.2 4-16×42 Rifle Scope: Lightweight Hunting Scope
Cheaper and more slimline that the RS.4 and RS.3, the CRS.2 is a more affordable scope from Maven designed for hunting. Its capped turrets, light weight, and simple reticle are all highly attractive features for a hunting optic. The price is kept low with no illumination being included and the reticle being in the second focal plane. There is however still a zero-stop function for quickly returning to your desired zero after dialing up as well as parallax adjustment. The CRS.2 is similar in features to the Vortex Razor LHT hunting scope, however its half the price.
The simple reticle allows for a good view of the target with minimal obstruction. The 4-16x magnification is housed in a 1″ main tube which is a popular magnification choice for hunting. The 44mm objective lens is also a good size for capturing light and keeping the optic compact.
The strength of the optic, like the majority of optics on offer from Maven is the glass quality and features for the price which offers great low light performance. The bright, high contrast and clear image in the CRS.2 is where this optic shines. If it’s in your budget range, this made in Japan scope is a winner.
Maven Binoculars
B 1.2 10×42 Binoculars: Perfect All Round Set
Just upgraded my hunting bino’s to the Mavens B1.2’s. I run these each hunt and they come with me from the hot western Queensland bush to the snowy covered mountains in New Zealand. When looking at all the options on the market around this price bracket, the best value set landed me with the B 1.2’s. From looking at other contenders, these are most comparable to the rugged construction and glass quality found in the Vortex Razor line. The biggest difference is that these are a few hundred less but still come with a great warranty and made in Japan glass.
These are best suited to the hunter wanting to spend a little extra to get a tough set of bino’s with great glass quality. Weighing in at 26.8oz/759g I’ve found these sit well in my Kuiu bino harness. Haven’t had any problems running these in the mountains as they are fog-proof and waterproof. The lifetime warranty also adds confidence in spending the cash on them.
C1 10×42 Binoculars: Best Value Set
The C variant is the mid-range version, they are made cheaper by using slightly less quality glass compared to the B series. Even with slightly less quality glass than the B series these are still an impressive set of bino’s. I have friends that run these hunting here in Aus and swear by their performance in the field. These are very similar to the Vortex Viper bino’s in glass clarity and build quality, but they run around one hundred less in price. This is largely due to the direct-to-consumer model that Maven operate on, where there no retail mark up.
The Maven C1 10×42 binoculars come with a neoprene neck strap, lens caps and double-layered microfiber storage bag. Weighing in at 24.5oz/694g these are a compact unit able to be comfortable unit able to be carried for long periods. Just like the B1.2’s these are waterproof, fog-proof and have a lifetime warranty.
B.3 8×30 Binoculars: Compact Pick
If your biggest concern is the size and weight of your next set of binos, the B.3 8×30 is the best choice from Maven. This compact set is ideal for those traveling light and wanting a small set capable of being easily stowed away. The B.3’s glass is extremely high quality and that’s where these will impress. The B.3’s feature a good depth of field, a wide field of view, and an easy to adjust focus wheel.
Weighing in at 16.6 oz/470g the light weight combined with the compact housing and glass quality make these a great set of high quality binos. The set includes a neoprene neck strap, lens caps and double layered microfiber storage bag.
COMPACT PICK
Maven B.3 8×30
Lightweight and compact design. Easy to store in a pack or for in the vehicle
Maven Spotting Scopes
S.1A 25-50×80 Spotting Scope: High Magnification Pick
I use spotting scopes all the time for long distance shooting where I need to read wind and see bullet splash. The other major use I have for spotting scopes are in New Zealand where the high magnification is needed to see detail for trophy Tahr and Chamois in the mountains. There are angled and straight versions of these spotting scopes but my experience has been with the angled versions so I’ll be focusing on those variants and my time with them.
The S.1A is one beast of a spotter, the massive 80mm objective lens coupled with Mavens premium line of glass makes this one of the best spotters on the market. If you are looking at a premium spotting scope with edge to edge clarity this should be considered. It comes with a large price tag but you are getting very high quality glass which provides exceptional low light performance and the great high contrast image that I love about Maven gear.
For hunting its a chunky optic at 64oz/1800g but performance and high magnification are needed to pick out trophy animals so its the one area in my ultralight hunting setup I compromise on. For the shooting range its not an issue at all as its not traveling too far from the range.
HIGH END SPOTTING SCOPE
Maven S.1A 25-50×80
One of the best spotting scopes on the market. The quality of glass and build is hard to beat
CS.1A 15-45×65 Spotting Scope: Compact Hunting Pick
I had a great week in the mountains of New Zealand with my mates CS.1A. Its a compact little unit coming in at just over 11 inches/27cm and weighting in at 40oz/1100g. The magnification range of 15-45×65 was perfect for glassing the mountains and getting a closer look at animals compared to 10x magnification in binos. Its easy to store in the pack and made me appreciate the benefits of a compact spotter when climbing mountains.
The CS.1 is built using the same glass in the C Series bino’s. Its a great value mid range spotter for hunters wanting a reliable setup without compromising on glass quality. It comes with a microfiber protection case which I ran the entire time and gave me confidence it was protected when stored in my pack. Like all the above optics from Maven its waterproof, fog proof and comes with a lifetime warranty. This is a neat compact spotter and one of my favourites from Maven.
Conclusion
The strength of Maven Optics are their direct to consumer model coupled with the fantastic glass and build quality. If you get the chance, take a look through their optics and I can guarantee you will be impressed with the image, especially at the price point.
HIGH END ALL ROUNDER
Maven RS.4 5-30×56
A true crossover scope suitable for both hunting and target shooting
HUNTING BINO’S PICK
Maven B 1.2 10×42
High build quality and epic glass. A true high end pair of binos
COMPACT PICK
Maven B.3 8×30
Lightweight and compact design. Easy to store in a pack or for in the vehicle
HIGH END SPOTTING SCOPE
Maven S.1A 25-50×80
One of the best spotting scopes on the market. The quality of glass and build is hard to beat