It is, for those reasons, a limited application scope. I would not use this scope on a light, or even medium weight gun. I like it on my 9.3x62 as it helps to slow the recoil of my relatively light, McMillan stocked CZ 550; I am looking to buy another 1.8-5.5 for use on a CZ 550 458 Winchester magnum, where an extra 180z of scope weight can be a good thing
All in all, I view scopes as one part of the rifle "system." Depending on the use I intend to put the system to, the individual components will be required to perform different functions at different weights and sizes.
This is why it pays to try as many scopes as possible. I've had ten different optics on the 9.3x62 in the past three years (Leupold 3x, 4x, 2.5x, 1-4x, 1.5-5x; Trijicon 1.25-4x, 3-9x; Aimpoint Comp 9000L, Comp 9000L 2x; Burris 1.5-4), all are quality optics and my decision to move them from this gun had nothing to do with how they work in isolation, but rather how they interacted with the stock, the load and my intended purpose for the rifle.
So complaints about the size and weight of this scope are natural, but I don't see its weight as a drawback given the intended uses I've outlined.
