Scopes

As the flagship of the Bushnell Elite Tactical line, my expectations are high for the XRS II. I’m happy to report that Bushnell hasn’t failed.

As optics companies strive for ever better and cheaper scopes, a clear winner has emerged. The consumer. We live in the golden age of optics and weapons, as evidenced by this weeks test of the Leupold Mark 5. At a combined cost of under $4000 for optics and rifle, using .60 cent per round ammo, I was able to test a sub half MOA weapons system. Even 15 years ago, you would be lucky to match that at any price outside of a benchrest rig.

Vortex’s new contender in the 1X arena isn’t even a true vintage style Red-Dot sight at all. It is actually a small one power prismatic scope. It isn’t dependent on shining LEDs, lasers, or fiber optic transmitted light upon a lens to create an aiming point. It has an etched reticle that is present without artificial illumination, though it does have supplemental illumination to aid in low lighting conditions.

During the 2018 NRA Show in Dallas, Texas, Leupold announced six new models of their VX-Freedom line of scopes.  Here’s a quick rundown on why you should care:
The VX- Freedom line is replacing both the VX-1 and VX-2 line of scopes.
Leupold has figured out how to streamline the manufacturing process and you are essentially getting

SIG has come out swinging in the hunting optics arena this year, with the introduction of the all-new BDX line. The Ballistic Data Exchange, or BDX, is a family of range finders and scopes that work together for fast and accurate shots. Once paired, the rangefinder beams data to the scope, showing a holdover dot for a fail-safe firing solution. The illuminated dot in the scope is bright and unmistakable, and also features SIG’s anti-cant illumination dots on the left and right edges of the scope.

  In one of the most exciting stories of the year, at least for us long range nerds, Bushnell has launched the new XRS II. Bushnell has been one of my favorite optics brands, mostly because of bang for the buck. They have a tremendous reputation for durability, at a price that won’t break the [...]

Steiner has long been a leader in military optics and more recently has been establishing a presence in the U.S. civilian market. We had an opportunity to test several models this summer, and the clarity of glass and quality was outstanding. New for SHOT Show 2018, Steiner announced the M6Xi.

At range day, we got a chance to catch up with Night Force Optics, who had the new 1×8 riflescopes on hand. Night Force has been very quiet on the 1x front, for a very long time. This year, however, they have come back strong.

Leupold comes out of the gate this year with a new family of scopes, the Mark 5 models. All of these models will feature 5X zoom capability, starting with a 5×25 and 3.16×16. These scopes were designed with shooter optic interaction as the focal point. SPECS:  Weight: 30 oz. Linear FOV (ft/100 yd) Low — 20.5 Linear [...]