I know what you mean okodaka. I still use a VariX III and a Monarch Gold on 2 of my crossbows. It makes a big difference in clairity and brightness. Far better than any crossbow scope and the Holo that I use too. Up to this year that's all I used on crossbows, just bright rifle scopes. I've found that anything up to around 3.5X great. The better rifle scope are far more tough as well, withstanding more shock from knocks and drops. The best thing about Excal scopes is their lifetime warranty vs the price. Adapting to the Excal scopes is really easy and happens pretty fast.