Since I am pathologically late on everything, I figured I should release at least a summary as I try to put the final video content together.  I plan to do a livestream as a wrap up as soon as I organize all the data.  Below is a run down of a few categories.  Let me know if I missed something and I will add more detail.

I mentioned the whole reference standard idea about six months ago: https://darklordofoptics.locals.com/post/4249701/coming-soon-to-the-mailbox-near-you

The plan is to select a few scopes as my reference standards in a few categories and make sure I keep them on hand for at least the entire calendar year.  If they move on somewhere, I have to designate something else as the reference standard in that category.  There might be a couple of reference standard designs in each category to split them by price range.

Since I just went through the riflescope category exercise https://darklordofoptics.locals.com/post/5212669/riflescope-type-classification (the "reference standard" idea is one of the reasons I did that), let's stick with roughly the same framework.

Do keep in mind, that some categories I am not as well versed in as I'd like to be.  Also, there might be scopes in each category I consider exceptional, but do not have on hand.  Reference standard has to be something I have here and will use as a basis for comparisons.  I will endeavor to use optics that I believe to be at the top of their category, but it is not always possible.  Natirually, these will lean heavily toward mrad designs.  I avoid MOA like the plague whenever possible.

Fixed 1x
For prismatics, this has to be Primary Arms SLx 1x Microprism.  https://bit.ly/3uLqu0E I have a few different 1x prismatics on hand, but SLx is the only one that has been here long enough to be the standard for 2024.  For now.  There are some really interesting options in this range.

Fixed mag small prism
This can go in a variety of different directions depending on personal preferences and price.  It is not practical to have a reference standard for every magnification and with compact prismatics I do like 3x as a good compromise magnification.  These scopes are a step up from people who have been using red dots with magnifiers and want a better experience at distance.  This one will also go to Primary Arms.  Technically, I like GLx 2x more than SLx 3x, but 2x is such a unique magnification that it is not a very good yard stick for comparisons.  SLX 3x Microprism it is, then.  https://bit.ly/4bMMclz

Fixed mag large prism

Somewhat oddly, with large prism scopes, I start leaning toward higher magnifications.  I want these in 4x or 5x.  I view these differently.  These are, to me, alternatives to LPVOs and spiritual successors of old general purpose 4x and 6x fixed power scopes, except more compact and with wider FOV.  There a couple of good options and, unsurprisingly, my favourites are Element Immersive 5x30 https://bit.ly/3NjJ4mJ and the discontinued Elcan Spectre OS 4x.  The dual power Spectre DR is still thriving, as expensive as it is.  https://bit.ly/4bQpwAN  I have the single magnification 4x and it is a very good yardstick for what a high end prismatic should be.  With the Element, I am clearly biased since I designed the reticle for it.  In other words, I got to put a reticle I could not get other people to make into a scope I like.  You should not be terribly surprised to see it here.

LPVO

This one gets tough and there will be several options here.  Keep in mind that I like FFP LPVOs once we get up in price.

With budget LPVOs, for now, it is Primary Arms SLx 1-6x24 with Nova reticle. https://bit.ly/40LeLdt It has some competition this year, but until I spend more time looking through it, PA takes it.

On the mid-range, it is a battle between SAI6 1-6x24 with mrad reticle https://bit.ly/49Nomo4 and PA PLxC 1-8x24 with meters BDC reticle. https://bit.ly/3Bn3951  With PA, I am not a fan of their other reticles, but I like how light and short it is with an excellent eyepiece.  With SAI6, I like the whole reticle line-up but lean toward the mrad designs for general purpose use.  The X-Wing style high visbility feature is not for everyone, but it works for me.  I suppose I will keep both here.  

If you go up in price, my basic opinion has not changed.  Vortex Razor Gen3 1-10x24 is the one to beat if you want a nuclear bright reticle.  https://bit.ly/3w1Ah2T

This leaves a little of a "no-man's land" with LPVOs that are designed to be true general purpose designs, like the side focus equipped March Shorty 1-10x24 and Delta Stryker 1-10x28.  They are a little too different to serve as a useful yardstick for anything but each other.  For now.

Dangerous Game

I may have to skip one because I do not really have anything on hand right now that fits the description and I have had long enough to make it a reference standard.  I do have some ideas, so stay tuned.

MPVO

For the time being, the one to rule them all is the dual focal plane March 1.5-15x42 https://bit.ly/4bjm15X  This category, almost by definition, is the one where compromises are made for the most flexibility.  This March is not perfect, but it is the best we currently have.  On the budget end, the yardstick should be Athlon's excellent Helos BTR Gen2 2-12x42, but it is sitting on top of a friend of mine's rifle two states to the West.  It can't be a reference standard if it is not here.  In the meantime, the old reliable SWFA SS 3-9x42 will do.  I have a couple of them.  https://swfa.com/swfa-3-9x42-ss-hd-mil-quad-reticle-30mm-tube-1-mil-clicks-ffp/

Tweener

I do not like to use a discontinued scope as a yardstick, but Razor HD LH 1.5-8x32 has got to be it.  It is not a common scope category, so we will hoble along like this until I come up with something still manufactured (that fits the profile and I like).  On the low-ish end of the price range,  I do like SWFA 2.5-10x32 Ultralight and have a couple of them.  https://swfa.com/swfa-2-5-10x32-ss-ultralight-msr-556-bdc-reticle-1-tube-25-moa-clicks/ 

Crossover

For once, this one is easy and I'll keep it all within a sane-ish price range.  Vortex Razor HD-LHT 4.5-22x50 https://bit.ly/3KEbZyA and Delta Stryker 3.5-21x44 https://annexdefense.com/delta-stryker-hd-3-5-21x44-rifle-scope/ are the purest expressions of the crossover idea I have seen to date, this side of Tangent TT315M that you will see a couple of categories down.

Traditional Hunting

This get difficult again because it is not a type of a scope that is common around these parts and the ones I look at do not stick around too long.  I simply happen to be an FFP guy.  However, some hunting scope articles are very much overdue and I do have an excellent Delta Titanium 1.5-9x45.  In sticking with sane prices, let's add Tract Toric 2.5-15x44 with illuminated reticle to this list.  https://tractoptics.com/toric-uhd-30mm-2-5-15x44-ffp-illuminated-mrad-mrad-hunting-rifle-scope

These two should give me a decent ability to compare.  On the high end, there are several real interesting options, but I do not have any on hand since the two categories bracketing this one fill that role for me.

General Purpose Practical Precision

Given how much this crosses over with, oun intended, crossover designs above, I could have merged them into signle category.  It would make too much sense so here we are.  Tangent Theta TT315M 3-15x50 is still it to me. https://bit.ly/41dz6c8

In the less eye-wateringly expensive world, the current range of 4-25x50 (or thereabouts) designs from LOW seem to offer a lot for the money.  Tract's version is a good example.  https://tractoptics.com/toric-4-25x50-34mm-mrad-elr-rifle-scope

Moving further down in price, I think Burris XTR3i 3.3-18x50 takes the cake https://bit.ly/48ViwQX  I really like how capable it is at very near to $1k, so it will be here for a while.

Long Range Practical Precision

I might catch a lot of flack for this one, but so be it.  

High end: still Tangent Theta 5-25x56 https://bit.ly/3ORWU0n

Best bang for the buck on the high end: Vortex Razor Gen3 6-36x56  https://bit.ly/3VcAXJD

Mid-range: Delta Stryker 4.5-30x56 (there is a bunch of simlar scopes in this category and I happen to have this one)  https://www.edgunwest.com/store/delta-optics/item/delta-stryker-4-5-30x56/

Low-mid range: Meopta Optika6 5-30x56 (again, there are several to choose from that are similar, but this one is on hand) https://bit.ly/3Ia4QX9  and Delta Javelin 4.5-30x56.  There are some similarities between them, but these are not identical scopes  https://annexdefense.com/delta-javelin-4-5-30x56-rifle-scope-ffp-smr-1-do-2470/

Short Range Target: I'll have to skip this one for now.

Long Range Target: Ditto.  It is not a category I look at much, so I do not have anything on hand that will fit.  I will rectify that.  Until then, the best paper shooting scope I have and intend to keep is March 5-42x56.  It bridges several categories nicely since it is FFP, but it pulls target shooting duty for me.  If I decide to do a comparison review on target scope, this Marhc will serve as the reference standard.  https://bit.ly/3TdABox

Field Target: I do not have a Field Target setup, so this category is going to be skipped for now.  Hopefuly, not for too long.

Continuing with the overview of the mounts I have on hand...

To date, I have talked abotu a good number of different single piece mounts.  I really liked Reptilia AUS and Area 419 mounts.  Badger Unimount is probably my choice if you want to be under $200.  Someone told me they are discontinued, but there are still a few out there (OpticsPlanet, Inc - 4355).  Seekins MXM and its Vortex equivalent have been very solid in my practice.  There are a couple of simple inexpensive mounts out there from Brownells and SwampFox that work surprisingly well, but I have to admit I have not tried them with precision scopes.  Going back to the higher end of things, I have a 34mm Era-tac Adjustable slope mount that will be a subejct of a future article.  I also have an M-Brace mount from ARC.  It is generally a good mount, but I naturally have a couple of reservations.  I will cover that in the future as well.  Another mount that I have not talked about a lot is Wanre Precision MSR.  I am reasonably happy with it though on balance, I think I like Reptilia a little more.

My original favourite was the Aadmount and in terms of the clamp design I think it is still the best (Seekins is somewhat similar conceptually, I think).  Unfortunately, they are not made any more.  I hope they will come back eventually.

If there are other mounts out there I should be looking at, please let me know.  Once I am done with these, I'll be ready to explore something else.

The subject of this article is Griffin's SPRM mount.   I am sure the name of the mount is not accidental.  The version I have is the one specifically intended for the S&B Ultra Short 5-20x50.  That scope does not have much of a maintube to work with and the original version had the illumination knob right in front of the eyepiece.  Normally, SPRM mount has six screws on both rings.  This version has six screws up front and four in the back because there was not enough space.  I no longer have the S&B I got the mount for, but the very short March 1.5-15x42 is back here, so I used the mildly pornographic SPRM mount with it.

The plan is to put this scope onto my 8.6Blackout Fix.  It should be a good match there.  For all the subsonic shooting I do, it would be better to have a mount with slope, but it will do in the short term.  March has 40mrad of adjsutment and a tree reticle, so it will take my subsonic 8.6 loads a bit past 500 yards.  

Eventually, I'll replace it with something lighter.  For this application, I am not hugely concnerned with accessory mounting.

The SPRM mount is, by modern standards, comparatively inexpensive at $200 for the base mount https://bit.ly/4aF7jpr

It is machined out of 6061 aluminum.  All the different cross sections seem fairly stiff.  In terms of ring half stiffness, it is not bad.  The ring gaps on two sides are offset in order to allow additional accessory mounting points.  That means on one side the screws are pointing up and on the other, they are pointing down.  It is a little bit of a pain in the ass, since there is some interference with the screws on the clamp.

It is generally a somewhat awkward mount to set up.  The picatinny clamp is a long sinle piece, which I do not like.  There are four cross screws that also serve as recoil lugs.  The clamp screws are not recessed, which is also a somewhat odd decision.  You have to be a little careful with how you tighten the clamp or you will have a wondering zero.

The accessory mounting depends on the friction between the accessory rail and the mounting area.  Two 8-40 screws hold the accessory plates in place.  It is not a great way to go.  You want interface geometry to define all the positoning, not surface friction.  There are quite a few different availabel itnerface plates.  I have the offset picatinny and RMR plates.They work well enough until they shake themselves loose.  A little sleeve-type (green?) loctite would probably help keep them in place.  In other words, I do not think it is the cleverest mounting interface in the world, but that is resolvable.  Area 419 and M-Brace use much better approaches, but cost a lot more.

Despite being fairly solid, the mount is not terribly heavy.  Still, I can shave off three ounces if I switch to the Reptilia or something like that.

If you pay attention and tighten everythign carefully and evenly (and with a torque wrench), it seems to stay zeroed.  It does not return to zero all that great in my experience and I suspect it has something to do with the geometry of the clamping bar.  Still, once set up, it stays that way.  All fasteners are T15 which makes for reasonable convenience.

I am also not crazy about six screw rings.  Unless you are preparing for some truly massive recoil, it is not clear to me what the reason behind that is.  This is not unique to Griffin, of course.

All in all, it is a serviceable mount, but not my top choice.  The appeal is that you get a mount set up for accessory mounting for comparatively less money than a lot of the other brands out there.  The accessory mounting interface, however, is a little suspect.