The Maven RS.1 is a 2.5–15×44 rifle scope purpose built for hunting. It’s part of Maven’s ‘RS’ line of premium optics. This scope is designed for hunters who need a low magnification range plus some more power to reach out all in one optic. It offers a little more power than an LPVO and the wide mag range makes it easy to switch from close quarter shots in bush to longer shots on open terrain.
At 2.5×, the field of view is wide and bright. At 15×, it still shows targets sharply. The RS.1 has a classic look with a black matte finish and knurled adjustment turrets.
Maven @ PrecisionRifle
I own a lot of Maven gear as I like the quality materials they use and their design. I was fortunate to get hands on with the RS.1 at the range recently and decided to put together my thoughts. I am bias in that I already own and run the Maven RS1.2, a slightly different version with uncapped turrets. The RS 1 has a first focal plane (FFP) reticle, which means the reticle markings stay accurate no matter the magnification level the scope is on. It comes with either a MOA-based reticle or a simple holdover reticle (called SHR-W). The glass features extra-low dispersion (ED), so images are very clear and true to life.
Side by side with my RS 1.2 I couldn’t see much difference between the glass. Looking through the scope I noticed that colours looked natural and bright even in low light. It was good to see the RS.1 retains this quality I have come to appreciate in both my RS.4 and RS1.2. The scope is waterproof and fog proof, so it will hold up well in rain and mist. It’s a 30 mm tube and has a 44 mm objective lens.
It’s 14.1 in (36 cm) long and weighs around 24.5 oz (695 g). For me, that weight feels balanced on a typical hunting rifle, not too heavy, but solid enough. The eyepiece offers 86–100 mm of eye relief at all zooms, so it’s comfortable to use even if I shift my cheek weld a bit.
The parallax can be adjusted down to 10 m, which I find handy as many scopes start a lot further out. When I dialled parallax to a close range, the reticle came into sharp focus quickly. On distant shots the parallax stayed steady. The parallax turret is on the left side, it’s a bit stiff which I’m used to from Maven gear but its precise. I have come to like the stiff parallax because it doesn’t accidentally move when bumped. Overall, the image was high contrast and I could tell it was good Japanese glass being used.
The elevation and windage turrets on the RS.1 are smooth and feel similar to my RS1.2. I dialled the magnification ring up and found it smooth yet firm also. The windage and elevation turret clicks are in ¼ MOA steps. Each click was audible and had good feedback. Mindful of taking over my mates rifle setup for too long and burning through his ammo, I did a quick box track test.
The scope returned to zero where it should be and I’m happy to report there was no shift of impact. That gave me confidence in the accuracy of the internals. The turrets are capped (screw caps cover them), which keeps the turrets safe in the field. This is ideal when hunting to avoid accidental changes in impact location and is the main difference between the RS.1 and RS1.2.
The scope also comes with a handy protective neoprene cover. When I strap my hunting rifle to my pack, I attach a neoprene cover. I find it does a good job of protecting the optic when taking the pack on and off. It’s a small thing but handy when carrying it in the field. The finish is matte and the coating resists scratches well. Overall I felt like it was a quality piece of kit in line with Mavens other offerings.
I’m a big fan of the reticle options that Maven offer. Being first focal plane, the reticles scale with magnification changes. That means the hash marks or dots stay accurate at any zoom. If I mark 4 MOA below the centre, it’s 4 MOA at both 2.5× and 15×. My mate had the MOA reticle version in the RS.1. It has evenly spaced dots and little diamond shapes at 10, 20, and 30 MOA offsets. I found those diamonds handy as extra aiming points to have looking downrange. They’re exactly in the centre of the spacing, so I could use the small diamond point as a reference without covering the target.
The other option is the SHR-W reticle (a simplified holdover style), which has heavy outer bars at 10, 20, 30 MOA too. Either way, the etched reticle stays crisp across the power range. At 15× the lines are fine and easy to see. There is no illumination on the RS.1, so in low light there’s no option to light up the reticle.
For comparison with Maven’s other range of optics the RS.1 sits in the middle. The newer RS1.2 model is a direct upgrade. The RS1.2 adds an illuminated reticle, a real mechanical zero-stop on the elevation turret, and has a MIL-based reticle option. It costs about $200 more and is a bit heavier (26.4 oz). If you want those features. But if you don’t need illumination or prefer capped turrets, the RS.1’s simpler design keeps weight down and price at about $1000 USD. On the other end of the scale, Maven’s CRS series offer more budget friendly options.
For example, the CRS.2 is a 4–16× scope that costs around $500 USD, but it’s in the second focal plane and lacks some of the quality you find in he RS series. The RS.1 is more durable and has better glass than the entry level models. There is also the RS.2 (2–10×38) which is smaller and cheaper if you don’t need as much magnification. This puts the RS.1 in a middle position, more magnification and features than the basic models, but lighter and more affordable than the high-end RS.4 or RS.5 scopes.
Overall the Maven RS.1 is a high quality hunting scope that’s a little more trimmed down version of the RS1.2. The biggest limitation to keep in mind, is the lack of illumination. It does however have the wide magnification range with great glass. The price tag attached isnt cheap but given the Japanese ED glass and build quality, it offers excellent value. If you need a versatile little scope the RS.1 is a safe choice.
PRECISIONRIFLE