TFB Review: Trijicon Credo 1-10×28

Once upon a time, the “low power variable optic” (LPVO) was a 1-4x scope. Then along came the 1-6x, then the 1-8x, and now the 1-10x. A top-end with 10x magnification is hardly “low power,” particularly when that was the standard magnification for USMC sniper rifles for many years. The Trijicon Credo 1-10×28 First Focal Plane (FFP) scope combines a 1x low end with a 10x top end and FFP reticle

Trijicon @ TFB:

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Disclosures: This is my first review of a Trijicon product. I don’t have a preexisting relationship with the company (but I do have a very high opinion of my ACOG).

Specs & Features

The Credo 1-10×28 is set up like a traditional LPVO, with an eyepiece larger than the main tube. A 34mm main tube is the heart of the scope. The objective lens is 28mm, so it gathers light a little better than the 24mm objective lenses found in LPVOs with a 30mm main tube.

The elevation turret is uncapped, with a zero stop. It is a non-locking design. The windage turret is (wisely) capped; this type of scope is not meant for dialing in wind calls. Opposite from the windage turret is the brightness control. It has five brightness settings each for red and green illumination. An off position sits between each brightness setting.

Trijicon includes a short throw lever for the magnification ring. This kind of scope should always include a throw lever from the factory. The tension on the magnification ring is just about right, not too tight and not too loose. The same goes for the diopter adjustment, which stayed put at the correct setting for my eye.

One unique feature of the Credo 1-10x is the illumination, which has settings in both green and red. The red is noticeably brighter than the green throughout the power range. This is also a nice feature for retailers who don’t have to stock multiple SKUs to have green and red available because one scope can do both. Red tends to be more useful because most shooting is done in proximity to green things like grass and trees, but situationally it can be nice to have green available as an option.

Showing the view through an optic is always imprecise; the added lenses and software that capture an image never do a perfect job at showing what the human eye would see while looking through the scope. These images should be taken with at least several grains of salt for that reason. But they do show the relative size and spacing of the reticle and how it shows up against various backgrounds, so take them for what they are worth.

Video above: a short clip of the reticle moving from 1x to 10x and back on the maximum red brightness setting, with the reticle off, and with the maximum green brightness setting.

On maximum brightness, there is some bleed from the illuminated portions onto the rest of the reticle. This is only noticeable on maximum brightness settings in a darker situation. I would call the illumination noticeable in bright environments, but not “red dot bright.” These images were taken in full sun on a cloudless summer day in Utah to show what the reticle looks like in brighter conditions.

On The Range (Bolt Action)

The first gun I ran the Credo on was the Steyr Scout Mk II (review forthcoming, but that is an awesome rifle). Scout rifles and LPVOs have a lot in common. Both are meant to do everything well enough without being really specialized in any one thing. My first outing was zeroing at an indoor 100-yard range. It was 105 degrees outside that day and it was entirely too hot to enjoy zeroing a scope outdoors. Zeroing the Credo 1-10×28 FFP was simple, and the turrets tracked correctly. I used a zeroing target with bullseyes at each corner and dialed in the requisite adjustments to move the impacts from corner to corner around the box with the point of aim always on the same bullseye. It came right back to the initial group at the end of the box.

Outdoors (once the temperature eased off a bit) I really put the Credo to the test. The Scout Mk II is a light and nimble rifle, meant for what I would call “functional accuracy.” It won’t win an F-Class or Benchrest match, but it can hit just about anything it is pointed at regardless of shooting position. One of my friends is an experienced shooter but far from a Scout rifle adherent. He tried out this scope and rifle combo from the standing position on a spread of steel targets from 150-200 yards away. I had to pry the rifle away from him after many rounds fired with very few missed shots. The generous eye box, simple reticle, and wide field of view (116 feet at 100 yards on 1x, 11.7 feet at 100 yards on 10x) made it easy to transition between widely spaced targets. The high magnification was also sufficient for working at 500 yards, the longest shots we had available.

On The Range (Semi-auto)

I also used it on my trusty Mk 12 Mod 0-ish rifle (it is not a perfect clone, but it is close enough for me). Because the Mk 12 uses an extended rail secured to both the upper and the handguard I did not need to move the scope into a cantilever mount, the standard scope rings fit perfectly. The “clone correct” scope for this rifle would generally be a Leupold 3.5-10x40mm Mark 4. The Credo 1-10×28 FFP is a product of a different era, but with the same top-end magnification and the addition of a 1x bottom end, it makes a lot of sense on a designated marksman’s rifle.

On one range outing I had access to targets from 100 to 500 yards. Hitting all of them was a breeze, and the additional windage holdover lines were very useful when wind conditions were shifting. The Credo 1-10×28 does not have adjustable parallax, which some might view as a handicap. I don’t think it is that big of a deal on this kind of scope though. With parallax fixed at 100 yards, it works well enough from close quarters out to the effective range of the gun. It also is one less thing to forget to change when moving from one shooting situation to another, which is something that happens to me regularly.

I also had the opportunity to run the scope through an interesting course of fire. The rifle portions of the drill included flipping all plates on a dueling tree from a barricade, shots on close targets while moving, and rollover prone under a vehicle. The longest shots were only at 75 yards and I ran the Credo 1-10×28 on 5x for those, then switched to 1x for the remaining shots. Even while moving quickly or trying to line up on targets underneath a shot-up SUV with flat tires, it was easy to see the reticle and line up my shots.

The most severe test of the image quality was spotting hits for other shooters at 500 yards in fading light, with substantial haze in the air from wildfires. It was close to sunset, with tall mountains surrounding our shooting position. On 10x I could distinguish hits and misses on steel before hearing the impact. I also was able to call some hits and misses at 300 yards with a .22LR, which was a little surprising. Trijicon’s glass quality is excellent and it showed in these conditions, but as the light faded I backed off to around 8x to brighten up the image.

Pros & Cons

There are a few things I would change about the Credo 1-10×28. The first is the elevation turret. I strongly believe that all LPVOs should have capped or locking turrets. While the Credo does have a zero stop, it is far too easy to move an unlocked turret on an application like this unintentionally.

The reticle would benefit from some heavier tapered lines outside the current reticle design. There are already some heavier stadia lines pointing at the middle of the reticle. But they do not extend to the edges of the visible area and are still relatively thin. Placing even heavier lines extending out at the 3-, 6-, and 9-o’clock positions would help the scope move a bit faster on 1x.

Like any 1-10x scope, the Credo’s image suffers somewhat at the highest magnification. That is an inherent trade-off in this kind of scope and not unique to the Credo. Some shooters may opt for something like a 2-10x scope instead to get a larger objective lens and a brighter image through the glass at higher magnifications. But others may opt for a more compromised 10x image to gain the fast, both-eyes-open shooting on 1x without needing to use an offset red dot. The eye box is tight on 10x but still usable in deliberate firing positions.

So with all of that discussion about features and performance out of the way, it is time to talk about price. The Credo 1-10×28 FFP has an MSRP of $2,150. As we all know, actual retail prices are generally below MSRP and that is also true of the Credo. At both MSRP and actual retail prices, the Credo 1-10×28 comes in well below competitors like the Vortex Razor 1-10×28 and Nightforce ATACR 1-8×24. The better comparison optics by price point are the EOtech Vudu 1-10×28 FFP or Primary Arms PLXc 1-8×24. Those are both highly-regarded scopes and the Credo 1-10×28 FFP fits among them well.

Conclusion

The Credo 1-10×28 FFP is a great scope. I have a few complaints, like the lack of a locking elevation turret, but they are minor compared to the high points like the glass quality and eye box. The best use case for this scope is on a rifle that needs to make precise shots at varied distances but needs to retain the ability to shred on 1x for close and fast work. Shooters may need to back off of the 10x when the lighting conditions are unfavorable or if the shooting position does not allow for perfect cheek weld. But the 8x is still extremely functional in those limited situations, and having 10x on tap when conditions allow is a nice bit of extra horsepower. Trijicon’s glass quality is noticeable, and combined with the larger 28mm objective lens the Credo is much easier to live with than more compromised LPVOs. A 1-10x LPVO is not the right tool for all jobs, but if you are outfitting an accurate rifle that needs to also work at close range, the Credo 1-10×28 FFP should be one you consider.