Ok, give me a minute to get my flame suit on...... Ok, ready.......

I recently spent some range time with my Axis 6.5 TCU. It was a brand new SS 223 and I replaced the Savage bbl with a McGowan SS tube. It's a great combo with almost no recoil and shoots an 85 gr HP at 2800 fps. I haven't even worked up a load yet, just using up the ammo I loaded long ago for my TC 14" silhouette gun.

I put a new Leupold VX-1 3-9X40mm (silver) scope on it, using silver Weaver Quad locks. I was happy but not thrilled with the target pictures at 100 yds.
Today, I took another, similar rifle to our private range and had a couple of shooting buddies do an A/B test of the optical qualities only, no shooting. I put some different colored/size targets at the 100 yd position.
Rifle #2 has a Mueller 4.5-14X40mm AO (silver) scope with the same Weaver rings.
I adjusted the Mueller down to 9X and let the guys look through them.
The Mueller won hands down. When I cranked the Mueller up to 14X, it really wowed them.

This is not my first Leupold. Of course, being the VX-1, it IS at the bottom of the ladder. I also have a few Muellers and have been extremely pleased with them.
I vowed long ago to never buy another scope without an AO, and I should have known better.

The Mueller is $100 less, and I just ordered another to replace the VX-1. Will it 'hold up' like the Leupold? Don't know, don't care. It's just a plinking gun and doesn't get that much use.

FWIW

ron