I definitely pulled my first shot on the center mass of the Champion LE Green Silhouette target, the nine 00 buckshot pellets striking high over center. High, but still a threat stopper.
My next round, a slug and it drilled right into the center area, followed by a last blast of the Federal buckshot clustering to the left of the slug’s hole.
Last, I fired off a three shot, migraine-producing group with the Fiocchi slug holes, the group measuring out at 2.2-inches center to center with two of the slugs holes touching, which told me my review optic and the shooter now had their program working together.
The optic was a Meprolight M22 Pro, a reflex sight which operates using fiber-optic illumination for daylight visibility and adds Swiss-manufactured tritium vials for nighttime clarity.
Oh, and it has a single CR2032 battery, too, which runs a factory installed power module that can add reticle illumination when you experience washout. But the battery is not needed for the optic to work. Which may sound a bit confusing. Yet in practical application, it all worked really well for me.
The M22 Pro is very much at home on a tactical shotgun or an AR-platform rifle. It features solid controls, a rugged housing and a generous sight picture. The M22 Pro can even be purchased with one of two reticle options and one of two color illumination options, and the unit is compatible with NVDs and magnifiers.
Based in Israel, Meprolight was founded in 1990, and the company is a prime supplier to the Israel Defense Force (IDF), outfitting IDF troops with red dots, other battle optics and various sighting system. In Israel, every citizen is required to serve in the IDF and therefore every Meprolight employee, from the top on down, brings first-hand battlefield knowledge to the job.
And that knowledge and background informs the duty-ready M22 Pro.
The optic features a height-over-bore at 1.5 inches and its elevation and windage controls operate at 1 MOA per click, with total adjustment for both controls at +/- 60 MOA.
Attaches Easily And Stays Put
The Picatinny rail quick release mount easily attached to my test firearms and is made of CNC machined 6061 aluminum. The afore-mentioned power module operated on one (1) CR2032 battery. Meprolight rates the battery at over 50,000 hours of use. The optic also carries an IP67 water resistance rating, meaning waterproof up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. The display window measured 1 inch by .8 inches. Reticles are available in red or amber and with a triangle reticle or a 3.5/40 MOA bullseye and ring. The M22 Pro’s housing is investment cast 365-T6 aluminum.
My M22 PRO featured the 3.5/40 MOA bullseye reticle, and I requested it in the amber option. Red usually flares for my eyes and I was glad to see that the amber didn’t flare at all.
I first ran the M22 PRO on one of Mossberg’s newer tactical shotguns, the 12-gauge 590 RM. The Magpul MBUS 3 adjustable sights folded down on the shotgun against the long rail and the M22 Pro mounted easily, setting up above both folded sights.
I zeroed the optic and shotgun at 20 yards from a rest using Fiocchi Exacta Aero-Slugs, weighing in at one ounce. First two slugs hit approximately nine inches low and five inches right. I clicked and fired and made my way into the bullseye within a half dozen shots.
Lighting conditions were bright cloudy to dark cloudy. Reticle illumination stayed constant and strong even as lighting changed thanks to the unit’s ability to auto-adjust based on ambient light levels.
Then I ran the rig with Federal Premium Force X2 00 Buckshot loads, at the same 20 yards but offhand. Using the Champion targets, I ran three shot strings of Force X2, Aero-Slug and then Force X2. I ended my shooting with a string to the center mass of the target, followed by three Aero-Slugs to the noggin, easily accomplished as the optic’s 40 MOA ring centered my aiming quickly and easily.
Plays Nicely With Rifles
Next, I mounted the M22 Pro onto a Bear Creek Arsenal AR-15 Complete 7.62x39mm rifle. For ammunition, I relied on Winchester Target and Practice 7.62x39mm rounds launching 123-grain full metal jacket bullets.
At 30 yards, the Target and Practice rounds drilled in high and left. Using the elevation and windage controls, I hit bullseye four rounds later.
At 50 yards, I needed a couple quick adjustments. Then, I fired off four, five round groups that averaged 1.8 inches. My best group came in at 1.3 inches.
At 100 yards, I knew my eyes would need help, so I mounted Meprolight MMX4 Micro Magnifier with a side flip mount behind the M22 Pro. They matched up perfectly. Had I needed it, though, the MMX4’s elevation and windage dials will provide precise field-of-view sight alignment. The 3.5/40 MOA bullseye reticle pretty much covered my aiming points at this distance, but the outer edges of the circle kept me in solid hits territory. Not great, but solid.
For example, I aimed ten shots at the target’s center mass, and they made a 3.2-inch group, with only one round slightly outside the center ring. Of the ten, seven hits were centered on the ring at just under 2 inches. Then I fired five shots that made a 2.6-inch group. All this shooting was done in full and very bright sun. The reticle never came close to washing out, aided by the factory installed light module that added illumination when the reticle began to fade.
The Meprolight M22 Pro proved itself a hard-working optic, capable of operating in most environments from daylight to well into dusk. It’s not inexpensive, but high quality rarely comes at a bargain price.
Meprolight M22 PRO Reflex Optic Specifications
- Reticle: Amber, 3.5/40 MOA bullseye (as tested)
- Power: One CR2032 battery
- Height Over Bore: 1.5 inches
- Windage/Elevation: 1 MOA
- Total Windage Adjustment: +/- 60 MOA
- Unit Dimensions: 3.9 inches x 1.9 inches x 2.7 inces
- Display Window Dimensions: 1 inch x .8 inch
- Mount: Picatinny rail quick release
- Water Resistance: IP67 rating
- Operating Temp: 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit
- Includes: Sight adjustment tool, field cover
- MSRP: $579.99
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