Tag Archives: LPVO

Shooting Sports

SIG Tango6T 1-6x LPVO

In 2019 the US Army selected the SIG Tango6T as the optic for their HK Designated Marksmen Rifles and for use by Special Forces. The model I tested is the civilian version, differing in its markings but effectively identical to the Army version. I have read conflicting articles stating that the DMR rifles is an SFP version of the Tango6T but I can not confirm this. Of the two Tango6T samples I tested, one lent to me by Monstrum Tactical and another was the personal optic of a friend in law enforcement.

The Tango6T is finally built with subtle body details that speak to extra time milling. The Tango6T has an Flat Dark Earth (FDE)/burnt bronze flat anodized finish specified by the Army. Its control surfaces have fine diamond checkering pattern for grip.

The scope came pre-installed on a SIG Alpha4, a high quality cantilever mount with convenient printed torque specs. Contrary to internet scuttlebutt, the Alpha4 is not a Geiselle mount (though superficially similar in look). The Alpha4 was designed by SIG for the Tango6T, fabricated in California and assembled at SIG’s factory in Oregon.

I had an opportunity to compare the newest model of this LPVO to a pre-DOD selection model of this optic. Superficially it appears identical save for a slightly darker shade of FDE which appears more burnt than bronze. After contacting the folks at SIG, they were very helpful in giving a historic background on the various versions of this LPVO. There are a number of configurations available from SIG, the current Mil and civilian reticle is the Hellfire DWLR-556 reticle.

The Tango6T has 11 levels of brightness on its illumination, 9 visible settings and 2 which are night vision compatible. It has a unique illuminator locking ring on which prevents the knob for changing or turning on or changing setting when engaged. The reticle appeared daylight bright though not quite the “red dot bright” intensity found on the Nightforce ATACR or Vortex RAzor. The unit is powered by a common CR2032 coin battery.

It has capped turrets which are wide diameter but low profile; the down side is that the area only allows for small font numbers which may be hard to read for some folks. Each click is 0.2MIL and is audible and tactile positive so you can infer your changes by click feel if you can’t do so visually.

The Tango6T’s DWLR6 is a BDC design with a Christmas tree of holdovers for long range shooting beyond 500yrds. As with most FFP LPVO’s the 1x seems to be an afterthought, feeling a bit too thin and easily lost against a dark or complicated background. The bright illumination makes up for this. It’s central horse shoe of death is intensely illuminated with a slight outline on the rest of the stadia elements.

Optically the LPVO had excellent brightness, and clarity. Even though it had noticeable chromatic aberration, I was still able to resolve detail at 6x that would only see in LPVOs that were 10x. At 1x the image was flat and much better than Razor or Riton FFP LPVO’s I’ve tested. This scope is world’s better than SIG’s similarly named Tango MSR 1-10x LPVO which I was underwhelmed by a few months ago. Save for it’s thin 1x reticle this is one of the best LPVO’s I’ve tested.

AFFILIATE RETAIL LINK

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3V2A5ug

Optics Planet: https://shrsl.com/4ja69

RESOLUTION

@50yrs: Element 1 / Group -1

SPECS

Focal PlaneFirst
Magnification1-6x
Objective Lens Diameter24 mm
ReticleDWLR-556
Adjustment Increments0.2 MRAD
Weight22.1 oz.
Maintube Diameter30 mm
Travel Per Rotation20 MRAD
Parallax Setting300 m
Field of View High/Low (@100yds)105.8/17.7 ft.
Eye Relief High/Low4.1/3.9 in.
Exit Pupil High/Low11.4/4.0 mm
Diopter Adjustment Range+/- 2.5
WaterproofingIPX 8
Ocular (Rear) Outer Diameter1.81 in (46mm)
Objective (Front) Outer Diameter1.18 in (30mm)
Internal Gas PurgeArgon
Illumination Settings9 Daylight/2 NV
Total Elevation Travel31 MRAD
Total Windage Travel31 MRAD
Battery(1) CR2032
IlluminationRed
Shooting Sports

Daylight Bright LPVO’s real or hype?

Not a few years ago, when a scope’s illumination was described as “daylight bright” that just meant that you could see a color cast on the reticle on a cloudy day. With advances in technology, daylight bright really means you can see it in daylight. Engineers embedded a fiber optic thread inside a reticle cross hair. This projects dot to in the center of the reticle that can be as bright as a red dot.

This fiber optic reticle was first rolled out on premium optics but in short order, budget tier optics like the Monstrum Banshee now offer daylight bright reticles. Some premium LPVOs like Vortex and Nightforce have developed a way to illuminate floating FFP reticles so that it is also daylight bright at 1x. This brightness does come at a premium with the Razor and ATACR costing around $2000. If a you don’t need a FFP reticle, a daylight bright budget fiber optic LPVO can be had for less than $200.

These optics are available on Amazon through these affiliate links which support my channel:

Banshee https://amzn.to/424Kfwz

Viper PST Gen2: https://amzn.to/48DwR4X

Shooting Sports

Will a Monstrum Banshee Hold Zero?

I’ve tested the Monstrum Banshee and discovered it was a surprisingly good for a budget LPVO. No, it’s not just as good as a Leupold, Vortex, or [INSERT YOUR FAVORITE PREMIUM OPTIC BRAND HERE]. But optically, features, and performance it checks the boxes, especially for a street price under $200.

One most common question about the optic is, does it hold zero? Over the course of five months, I’ve put the Banshee through hundreds of rounds of 5.56mm and .22LR and it’s held zero. And it’s not just me, regular viewers of my channel have posted similar results shooting the Banshee on their .308 AR10s. Regardless I still get the occasional doubter challenging the number of rounds shot or the caliber of the rifle used.

To address doubters I proposed a torture test. I asked my buddy Mark on the GD Boomer Channel if he would try a Monstrum Banshee on his Barrett M107A1 rifle to see if it could handle the recoild and hold zero after 10 rounds of 50BMG. I contacted Monstrum Tactical and they agreed to sponsor the video to reimburse GD Boomer for the ammo he would use. Monstrum ordered a brand new Banshee 1-10×24 from Amazon and shipped to him directly.

At his local rifle range, GD Boomer zero’d out the scope at 100yrds and set up a two targets. He was able to print a decent 5 shots group on the first and a similar sized 5 shot group on the second, with one flyer on the 9th round. He was shooting military surplus rounds so nothing close to match grade or hand loaded cartridges, or user error jerking the shot, or both. Ok, it was user error.

Hopefully this test will satisfy most folks that the Monstrum Banshee is capable of holding zero on their rifle.

AFFILIATE RETAIL LINKS

Monstrum Banshee 1-10×24 BDC (B1 reticle) on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WN08Hi

Monstrum Banshee 1-10×24 BDC (C1 fiber optic reticle) on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WIo9iF

Monstrum Banshee 1-10×24 (MX1 MOA reticle) on Amazon: https://amzn.to/44MZ7ku

Monstrum Banshee 1-6×24 BDC (C1 fiber optic reticle) on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wO337O

Recoil testing, conducted at a rifle range, courtesy of GD Boomer. Ammo sponsored by Monstrum Tactical: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwZssTN1oGs&t=1s

Shooting Sports

Monstrum Panzer 1-6×24 FFP

The Monstrum Panzer, is named after the famous German WW2 tanks (“panzer” is the German word for “armor”). The Panzer sports tank tread inspired design to its turret caps and magnification ring that provides a useful grippy surface beyond its unique aesthetic. Monstrum showed me the prototype of the Panzer 1-6x at SHOT Show 2024.

The Panzer is Monstrum’s first focal plane (FFP) line of LPVO. Externally it is nearly identical to the Panzer 1-10x that I reviewed previously save for a 1″ shorter tube making it a few oz lighter. The trade off to the top end of magnification is that the 1-6x has a slightly more forgiving eyebox but the differences is subtle. One could argue that the difference in practical clarity between a 6x and 10x to the typical shooters ability to hit targets is similarly subtle. The biggest object difference is the $30 lower price of the 1-6x.

The Panzers come with a user replaceable fin on the magnification ring which can be swapped out for the included throw lever. In addition, the package includes a quality, high-recoil, cantilever mount and basic flip up caps. The turrets are capped and resettable with a hex key.

The Panzer now offers two choices in FFP reticle. The Panzer 1-6x I tested has their new CM3 reticle which has a tactical style BDC reticle with a tree style set of windage holdovers below a circle dot. I previously tested the CM2 reticle which is an MOA range finding reticle. Both reticles are illuminate only the center circle dot with a selection of 5 intensities in both red or green. The illumination is low light / CQB bright but not true daylight bright like Monstrum’s BDC-C1 Banshee.

Recoil testing, conducted at a rifle range, courtesy of GD Boomer. Ammo sponsored by Monstrum Tactical: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwZssTN1oGs&t=1s

AFFILIATE RETAIL LINK

Amazon https://amzn.to/3UzK9cC

RESOLUTION (50yrds)

Element 6 / Group -2

SPECS

Magnification: 1-6x, 1-10x

Objective Diameter: 24 mm

Tube Diameter: 30 mm

Max Windage Adj: ±70 MOA

Max Elevation Adj: ±70 MOA

Adjustment Increments: 1/2 MOA

Eye Relief: 4.0-4.5 in

Weight: 17 oz

Length: 11 in

Lens Coating: Full Multi-Layer

Materials: 6061 Aluminum

Shooting Sports

Panzer 1-6x FFP: SHOT Show

I got a first look at the upcoming Panzer 1-6x LPVO. This is a lower power version of the 1-10x which I previously reviewed back in 2023. That LPVO impressed me with how well it compared to the Razor 1-10x at a 1/10th of the price.

All things being equal, a 1-6x power should offer the same sharpness as a 1-10x with a slightly smaller length (and weight). In some cases some 1-6x even offers slightly better eyeboxes. But it’s actual performance remains to be seen. I just received an early release sample and will be testing it soon. Be sure to Subscribe and press the Notification “bell” icon on my YouTube channel to be updated when it posts.

You can also get early access to all of my upcoming videos when you become a paid Member of my channel.

Shooting Sports

Monstrum Banshee 1-10x BDC-B1

When I compared the new Monstrum Banshee 1-10x to the SIG Saur Tango the Banshee outshone the Tango in most aspects, save for one: its reticle. The Tango’s MSR reticle is a bullet drop compensating (BDC) reticle similar to the Primary Arms ACSS. But within weeks of completing my video, Monstrum released a new Banshee with their own BDC reticle: the BDC-B1.

The Banshee’s image quality is bright and clear with very no chromatic aberration (the 1-8x and 1-10x models have ED glass). The image is flat and with very little edge distortion. The eyebox and eye-relief are decent for an LPVO, especially for a 1-10x which are notorious for their unforgiving eyeboxes.

I’ve been using this Banshee for a few months now on my H&K G36/22 and it’s held zero and been an exemplary optic for action shooting matches. I sent a Banshee to my friend Mark on the GD Boomer channel. He mounted it on his Barrett .50cal rifle and confirmed that it would hold zero even under 50 BMG recoil.

The Banshee BDC-B1 is physically identical to the original version that I reviewed, save for the MX-1 reticle. The turrets are clearly audible and tactile positive. The BDC-B1 has a circular Donut of Death graphic with windage holdovers and a BDC vertical crosshair bar. It is significantly more tactical and faster to aim than the MX-1 but it is not perfect. That said, the Banshee is probably my favorite Monstrum LPVO and this BDC-B1 version is the best variant.

I do have a few suggestions for Montrum. Make the illumination brighter and truly daylight bright. The aiming donut should be both smaller and thicker, while the central aiming dot should be a smaller 0.5 MOA dot. In short, do a better job copying the Primary Arms ACSS like SIG did.

AFFILIATE RETAIL LINKS

Amazon https://amzn.to/3QpDGA3

RESOLUTION

50yrds: Element 3 / Group -1

SPECS

Magnification: 1-10x

Objective Diameter: 24 mm

Tube Diameter: 30 mm

Eye Relief: 4.0-4.5 in

Lens Coating: Full Multi-Layer

Materials: 6061 Aluminum

Length: 11 in

Weight: 17 oz

Shooting Sports

Hi-Lux CMR LPVO

Hi-Lux is best known for making replica antique optics for 19th century and early 20th century firearms. After visiting their booth at SHOT Show this year, they showed me their newest optic that is decidedly 21st century: their new CMR (Close to Medium Range) 1-8×24 LPVO.

The CMR has capped 1/2MOA turrets and a removable throw lever. It has a 30mm tube and an overall typical design for an LPVO. The package contains the scope and lens covers but like most non-budget scopes, ships without mounts.

Hi-Lux sent me a CMRB which has a SFP ‘B’ullet Drop reticle that utilizes fiber optic illumination. This provides a true Daylight Bright dot in the center of the reticle. In my testing the dot remained bright and visible even looking into the sky in bright noonday sun.

Optically the image is bright and sharp at 100yrds with a bit of chromatic aberration. But at 1x the scope exhibits edge distortion and parallax shift. This is disappointingly not uncommon even with premium scopes costing twice or even three times as much as the CMR.

The Hi-Lux is a mid-tier optic at just under $400 retail. With a lifetime warranty from a US company, this scope is a good contender against similar scopes like the Vortex Venom. Its the scope for those that don’t want to put out a grand or more for a daylight bright LPVO but want a boojier brand than an Athlon or Primary Arms.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

AFFILIATE RETAIL LINKS

Amazon https://amzn.to/3U230gm

RESOLUTION

8X @ 50yrds
ELEMENT: 1
GROUP: -1

SPECS

Magnification: 1-8X

Objective Lens Diameter: 24mm

Eye Relief: 3.8″

Field of View: 119.3′ – 15.7′ @ 100 yards

Tube Size: 30mm

Length: 10.4″

Weight: 18.7oz

Exit Pupil: 10.5mm – 3.2mm

Adjustment Value: 1/2 MOA per click

Illumination: True Daylight Bright

Battery: CR2032

Battery Life: 300hrs

Shooting Sports

Nightforce ATACR & NX8

Nightforce is one of the most highly regarded combat optics used by Special Forces and Law Enforcement officers. Their ATACR and NX8 are 1-8x LPVOs with truly daylight bright illumination. Moreover, the NX8 is one of the shortest FFP 1-8x you can buy. And while they’re over a thousand dollars, professionals say they’re worth every penny.

These LPVOs are available through my Amazon affiliate links
NX8 https://amzn.to/3SWJ4Mq
ATACR https://amzn.to/3SEfABJ

Shooting Sports

What is ED glass?

Some scopes and binoculars advertise the fact that they use: ED Glass. And no this is not short for ‘erectile disfunction’, ‘Dept. of Eduction’ or ‘Edward’. ED stands for Extra low Dispersion glass, a special type of glass that has been formulated with chemical compounds that are designed to reduce chromatic aberration.

Chromatic aberration is a prismatic effect caused by light passing through a highly curved lens or lenses; such as in scopes with a high magnification factor. With 1-10x LPVO’s chromatic aberration is all too common. The light is refracted and slightly separated into its component colors like in a prism. ED glass compensates for this refraction, producing a clearer image that is in register.

So why don’t all scopes use ED glass? There are some trade-offs. ED glass is more expensive, can be more brittle, and has a little less light transparency. The practical benefits of ED glass can outweigh these trade-offs in many use cases. For long range precision, having a scope that is slightly darker but clearer would arguably be better than a scope that’s better in low light but blurrier.

The scopes in this video are available on Amazon through these affiliate links which support my channel:

Panzer https://amzn.to/3NZUk8e

Razor HD Gen iii: https://amzn.to/3tZSP2K

Shooting Sports

Monstrum Archangel 1-6x FFP LPVO

At SHOT Show, Monstrum showed off a concept optic named the Archangel. This LPVO has the internals of their upcoming 1-6x Panzer FFP LPVO but with a radically different body. It has a very angular futuristic body design that reminds me of video games like Halo or Mass Effect. Their Marketing Director told me they took inspiration from Vortex’s Next Generation Squad Weapon system optic being developed for the US Army and Marine Corp.

This is still a concept design. I am puzzled by the utility of a piggy back red dot on an LPVO? This would be more practical on an MPVO. Post a comment in the YouTube video if you would like Monstrum to move forward with producing this eye catching optic.