Monstrum B.O.P.

[Razzle]

Let me preface this post by saying that I'm not a big Monstrum fan, but...

I was surfing the net and stumbled upon the Monstrum B.O.P. shotgun red dot. It looks a lot like the Vortex Viper SG...except for the price. Whereas the Vortex dot runs about $350 on Amazon, the Monstrum version is only $100. That got my attention. So I checked my credit cards, and found that I had accumulated $45 in cash back rewards. So with tax, the Monstrum would only be about $65...so I decided to take a chance.

I'm planning to test it on both my Shockwave and 500.

I'll let you know how it turns out after it arrives and thoroughly test it.

 

[Bobster]

I couldn't vouch for the BOP but I have a Raven on my S&W M&P 15-22 I use to shoot steel. It is a 1.5x prism with circle/dot black reticle. It could also be red/green but I don't even keep a battery in it... It was about $55 to my door a few years ago. Once I got it sighted in I haven't had to mess with it except for minor zeroing with a new batch of ammo. I DID have to grind the screwdriver nub off the top cap because it was chewing up my scabbard but there is another on the side I can use, if necessary.



I've thought of getting another Raven for the AR-9 (they still have "refurb/open box") but will probably keep the 15yo Tasco ProPoint on it...

 

[Razzle]

Hmmm...I just checked out the Raven. Seems pretty nice. Kinda makes me wish that I would have waited before buying the two Vortex Sparc Solar dots. I just hope that the BOP is as durable as your Raven.

 

[Razzle]

It arrived today, but it's raining and I can't test it.

However I've found some things I like about it:

First, it does fit well on the Shockwave (with the Crimson Trace Laser Saddle). Monstrum included enough screws in the box to supply a small hardware store, so finding the correct fit was easy. I can see where this optic (if it holds up) could be immediately beneficial in target acquisition speed and accuracy with a Shockwave.

Next, I read somewhere that the "shake awake" feature turns itself off after being idle for an hour. I found that it's closer to 40 minutes...which is good as this provides less drainage on the (common) CR2032 battery. The feature is also fairly sensitive, as I couldn't pick up the Shockwave without the BOP turning on.

Also, It seems well-made for a $100 shotgun red dot. I will test the durability in a few days with some slugs and buckshot, but it looks promising.

Finally, the reticle is bright and the unit is simple to use. I like the adjustable brightness levels and the two buttons on the side are easily accessed.

There's one thing that I don't like about it: to change the battery, I have to use the included Torx tool to remove the battery cap. I think a simple screw-on cap would be a better option, but it's only a slight inconvenience.

When I get a chance, I plan to put about 50 round through it to see if it holds zero or has problems with the reticle. Although I mainly use minishells, I want to test it with some stronger loads; if it holds up under the recoil from full-sized slugs, it will hold up from minishell recoil.

More to come...

 

[Razzle]

 

[Razzle]

 

[sethlarney]

Enjoy the specific first impressions

That would be a decent purchase, at least, of around 100 dollars (or 65 in your case) with the shake awake and the good level of brightness. The fact that the Shockwave fits is also a great advantage as those systems are often difficult.

Holding zero full-power slugs will certainly be the real test, and your proposal in that regard is not in vain. Should it survive that, it is likely that it will be able to carry lighter loads such as minishells.

The only thing that would matter in the long-term would be durability versus something such as Vortex, but at that price, one may not complain too much in the event that it lasts reasonably.

Looking forward to your range report--particularly how it is going to recoil, and whether the zero is going to move at all.

 

[CaddmannQ]

My worst experience with these sights is with a cheap one, bought for $90 twelve years ago. (Not a Monstrum)

It used to push its own buttons during recoil. Settings would change from shot to shot, and it could eventually just turn itself off.

It might still work on my air rifle, but it sits in a drawer.

 

[Razzle]

Sorry for the delay in updating this thread with my results. But here's what I've found:

I scraped up 19 3" magnum rounds (5 slugs, 5 defensive 00 Buck rounds, 9 turkey loads) to test the BOP on my 500 I didn't have the guts to test these loads on the Shockwave. Anyway, it held up better than I did. Once I got it zeroed - or as close as my shoulder would allow me to get it - I ran the rest of the rounds...and the BOP held zero. I fully expected it to fall apart, but it didn't. I was definitely happy with that. Of course, it might crater tomorrow, but so far, it's hanging in there. For now, it's a winner.

 

[Jmm14534]

Razzle,
Great subject matter. There is an underlying question here that needs to be part of the evaluation. I’m not trying to be an a-hole. I’m just interested. The question is this.
Are you more accurate with the BOP than with the bead sights for what you want it to do?

 

[Razzle]

Razzle,
Great subject matter. There is an underlying question here that needs to be part of the evaluation. I’m not trying to be an a-hole. I’m just interested. The question is this.
Are you more accurate with the BOP than with the bead sights for what you want it to do?

Not yet. But I didn't expect to be. I've been shooting open sights for almost 45 years and I haven't gotten used to them yet. Same goes with my VP9. I'm just learning how to use it properly. I think, given my poor eyesight, that these things will help - once I get the hang of using them.