i will hopefully deal with new Venom i got next week. size wise it is same as the 3-15 - it is 15" long. weight wise - in between of 3-15 and 5-25 pst2. a crazy good 3-18 razor is much heavier.
56mm lens gives noticeably more light in compared to the pst2 5-25x50. turrets are comparable at the first impression, but, i will need it checked at the range to understand better.
all in all, if they would make a 3-15x venom, that would be my ideal choice, but, there is no such scope, so, this one will do, for now. i understand on some sales it was possible to get 3-15x pst2 for $599, but, i do not see it nowhere at such price. therefore a $499 venom actually fits just fine.
like i posted above, it will go on the 20moa burris mount, 34mm, so in some potential future scenarios, if i will get extra cash i can put there a 3-18 razor. but, i kinda doubt that.
as of having 3x or 5x at the wide end - for that 20" rifle it goes onto it will not be a huge issue. 16" will get 1-10x arrowhead and 1-6x pst2 will be kept in reserve for now.