Vixen 1-6x24 Rifle Scope Review
07-22-2013, 10:51 AM
#1
Vixen 1-6x24 Rifle Scope Review
We recently took the opportunity to become a dealer for Vixen Optics, and the best part of picking up new product lines is getting to handle some cool stuff. This is honestly one of the best parts of being a dealer.
Background
Vixen Optics is another one of those names that is sort off off the radar when it comes to sport optics. They have been a trusted name in astronomy for decades, but it's only been the last fifteen years or so that they've started marketing their rifle scopes, binoculars, and spotting scopes. All the Vixen rifle scopes are manufactured in ***an.
The company also recently updated their warranty to a lifetime, no fault, transferrable replacement warranty. That means that if you're the second or third owner of a newer Vixen scope and you drive your truck over it, you'll get a replacement.
The Vixen 1-6x24 reviewed here is designed for tactical and dangerous game, and thus far has been extremely popular in Europe, where it competes with the big European names. The true 1x magnification is perfect for quick targeting, and the highest magnification is suitable for reaching out and touching something. If you're looking to put a scope on a competition AR or you're tracking cape buffalo, this is a scope you'd be looking at.
Construction
There's a certain standard that you expect when you're looking at a scope that costs over $1,000. The obvious features such as full waterproofing and inert gas purging are here, and I wouldn't expect anything less. Then again, at this price point, they have done their quality testing and I don't feel the need to submerge a $1,200 scope in a tub of water. Not that it wouldn't be cool, but it's pointless in this case.
The 1-6x24 has a 30mm main tube. Most are used to 1" main tubes, but as we've written about before, there really is little practical difference between the two. The internal lenses are the same size, and there is no difference in light transmission. See here for more information: http://opticscamp.com/content/10-dif...-1-inch-scopes
The 1" vs 30mm debate is based purely on personal preference. I personally prefer 30mm scopes (as do many others) because they just look better when mounted. Keep in mind that nobody is getting short-changed if they go with a 1" tube instead.
Weight with battery is 18.5 ounces (a full 4 oz more than the manufacturer specs, odd). From front to back with the focusing ring all the way in, the scope is just under 11 inches long. Not tiny, but still small enough to look good on the top rail of an AR or dangerous game rifle.
The one piece aluminum body on the Vixen 1-6x24 is very well done. At this price point, you can expect the anodized aluminum body to hold up to inspection. A lot of cheaper scopes claim to be anodized, but their finish won't hold up. This appears to be of the same quality as we've seen on alpha quality scopes.
The moving parts are perfect, and provide just the right amount of resistance while not exhibiting any rough spots or excessive resistance. Focus and magnification mechanisms are very precise.
The turret covers fit extremely well. One area that is often overlooked in manufacturing, no matter the price point, is the cleanliness of the threads on turrets and covers. A lot of scopes, regardless of price, have turret cover threads that will begin to produce shavings after being removed and reapplied several times. Most hunters won't notice this on any scope because the caps only come off when zeroing in, and are usually not touched again. We've had the covers on and off this scope several times so far and have not noticed any shaving, which is actually quite surprising. Very precise.
The turrets on this scope are pretty cool. Most of the scopes we carry that utilize a reindexing feature require an allen wrench, coin, or empty shell casing to lock/unlock the turrets. On the Vixen 1-6x24, all you have to do is pull up on the turret, reset to zero, and push back down to lock. The turrets themselves are indexed perfectly and the hash marks still line up perfectly even after a full rotation. Nice audible and tactile clicks as well. Not too tight, not too loose. The adjustments on this scope are 1/4 MOA (1/4" @ 100 yards).
Aesthetically, the scope is pretty nondescript. The Vixen logo is painted on one side, and the 1-6x24 marking on the front of the scope is well done; clean and nonintrusive. The markings on the magnification rings are at 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, and 6x.
Optics
We were told by the marketing guys at Vixen that we'd be impressed with their scopes. At first, we figured this was the line they give everybody to fluff them before the scope arrives - you know, standard marketing stuff. Well, they weren't lying. We've seen a lot of excellent glass, and this is way up there on the scale. The first scope we unpacked was the 1-4x24, and we were quite impressed, but I think the Vixen 1-6x24 is even better.
Before looking through the scope, I thought the $1,199 price tag was a little high. But after looking through it, I think it's actually quite the opposite; this is Swaro-like quality.
On both low and high magnification, there is zero chromatic aberration. Sharpness continues right to the edge of the sight picture. Light transmission is excellent. There is the slightest hint of rolling ball, but this is subjective. I can find absolutely no fault with the optical quality on this scope, and I feel that even the most hardcore optics geeks would have a hard time telling this apart from one of the Big Three in a blind test.
The lowest magnification (1x) is a true 1x at 3.75 inches of eye relief. Those who say otherwise do not have the scope correctly mounted, the correct eye relief matters, and this goes for any 1x scope. Closer or further away will cause the image to appear slightly above or below 1x.
This particular model features an illuminated mildot reticle. The illumination on this scope is not like a lot of other scopes. Instead of having 10 seperate brightness settings, the illumination is more of a "constant adjust", meaning the reticle will illuminate more and more the closer you get to ten, and there are no stops for each setting. The highest setting is more than visible in daylight, and the lowest is just barely visible in complete darkness. This is exactly what you should be looking for, as too bright a reticle will ruin your low light vision.
The mildot option is perfect for advanced shooters. Those looking for a more traditional option will be pleased to know that a plex reticle is also available.
Gripes
The Vixen 1-6x24 includes a set of plastic lens covers attached with elastic, which is pretty standard. I'd like to see a Scopecoat or equivalent at this price. Aside from that, the first language in the manual is German and I have to flip several pages to find English.
Overall
I've handled Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica, and a good number of their competitors, and it's my personal and professional opinion that Vixen is of the same breed, at a much more realistic price. Combine that with the lifetime, transferrable, unconditional, replacement warranty, and you've got to admit that these scopes look pretty attractive.
Images
Side view. Not tacticool, but clean.
Focusing ring and magnification adjustment.
The 1-6x24 marking on the front of the sight.
The turrets and illumination knob with turret covers attached.
Turret covers removed. Each has mark lines up perfectly with the line under the turret - its hard to see here.
Ocular and focusing ring.
Alternate view of turrets and illumination knob.
Another view of turrets and illumination. Side turret cover sports Vixen logo.
Background
Vixen Optics is another one of those names that is sort off off the radar when it comes to sport optics. They have been a trusted name in astronomy for decades, but it's only been the last fifteen years or so that they've started marketing their rifle scopes, binoculars, and spotting scopes. All the Vixen rifle scopes are manufactured in ***an.
The company also recently updated their warranty to a lifetime, no fault, transferrable replacement warranty. That means that if you're the second or third owner of a newer Vixen scope and you drive your truck over it, you'll get a replacement.
The Vixen 1-6x24 reviewed here is designed for tactical and dangerous game, and thus far has been extremely popular in Europe, where it competes with the big European names. The true 1x magnification is perfect for quick targeting, and the highest magnification is suitable for reaching out and touching something. If you're looking to put a scope on a competition AR or you're tracking cape buffalo, this is a scope you'd be looking at.
Construction
There's a certain standard that you expect when you're looking at a scope that costs over $1,000. The obvious features such as full waterproofing and inert gas purging are here, and I wouldn't expect anything less. Then again, at this price point, they have done their quality testing and I don't feel the need to submerge a $1,200 scope in a tub of water. Not that it wouldn't be cool, but it's pointless in this case.
The 1-6x24 has a 30mm main tube. Most are used to 1" main tubes, but as we've written about before, there really is little practical difference between the two. The internal lenses are the same size, and there is no difference in light transmission. See here for more information: http://opticscamp.com/content/10-dif...-1-inch-scopes
The 1" vs 30mm debate is based purely on personal preference. I personally prefer 30mm scopes (as do many others) because they just look better when mounted. Keep in mind that nobody is getting short-changed if they go with a 1" tube instead.
Weight with battery is 18.5 ounces (a full 4 oz more than the manufacturer specs, odd). From front to back with the focusing ring all the way in, the scope is just under 11 inches long. Not tiny, but still small enough to look good on the top rail of an AR or dangerous game rifle.
The one piece aluminum body on the Vixen 1-6x24 is very well done. At this price point, you can expect the anodized aluminum body to hold up to inspection. A lot of cheaper scopes claim to be anodized, but their finish won't hold up. This appears to be of the same quality as we've seen on alpha quality scopes.
The moving parts are perfect, and provide just the right amount of resistance while not exhibiting any rough spots or excessive resistance. Focus and magnification mechanisms are very precise.
The turret covers fit extremely well. One area that is often overlooked in manufacturing, no matter the price point, is the cleanliness of the threads on turrets and covers. A lot of scopes, regardless of price, have turret cover threads that will begin to produce shavings after being removed and reapplied several times. Most hunters won't notice this on any scope because the caps only come off when zeroing in, and are usually not touched again. We've had the covers on and off this scope several times so far and have not noticed any shaving, which is actually quite surprising. Very precise.
The turrets on this scope are pretty cool. Most of the scopes we carry that utilize a reindexing feature require an allen wrench, coin, or empty shell casing to lock/unlock the turrets. On the Vixen 1-6x24, all you have to do is pull up on the turret, reset to zero, and push back down to lock. The turrets themselves are indexed perfectly and the hash marks still line up perfectly even after a full rotation. Nice audible and tactile clicks as well. Not too tight, not too loose. The adjustments on this scope are 1/4 MOA (1/4" @ 100 yards).
Aesthetically, the scope is pretty nondescript. The Vixen logo is painted on one side, and the 1-6x24 marking on the front of the scope is well done; clean and nonintrusive. The markings on the magnification rings are at 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, and 6x.
Optics
We were told by the marketing guys at Vixen that we'd be impressed with their scopes. At first, we figured this was the line they give everybody to fluff them before the scope arrives - you know, standard marketing stuff. Well, they weren't lying. We've seen a lot of excellent glass, and this is way up there on the scale. The first scope we unpacked was the 1-4x24, and we were quite impressed, but I think the Vixen 1-6x24 is even better.
Before looking through the scope, I thought the $1,199 price tag was a little high. But after looking through it, I think it's actually quite the opposite; this is Swaro-like quality.
On both low and high magnification, there is zero chromatic aberration. Sharpness continues right to the edge of the sight picture. Light transmission is excellent. There is the slightest hint of rolling ball, but this is subjective. I can find absolutely no fault with the optical quality on this scope, and I feel that even the most hardcore optics geeks would have a hard time telling this apart from one of the Big Three in a blind test.
The lowest magnification (1x) is a true 1x at 3.75 inches of eye relief. Those who say otherwise do not have the scope correctly mounted, the correct eye relief matters, and this goes for any 1x scope. Closer or further away will cause the image to appear slightly above or below 1x.
This particular model features an illuminated mildot reticle. The illumination on this scope is not like a lot of other scopes. Instead of having 10 seperate brightness settings, the illumination is more of a "constant adjust", meaning the reticle will illuminate more and more the closer you get to ten, and there are no stops for each setting. The highest setting is more than visible in daylight, and the lowest is just barely visible in complete darkness. This is exactly what you should be looking for, as too bright a reticle will ruin your low light vision.
The mildot option is perfect for advanced shooters. Those looking for a more traditional option will be pleased to know that a plex reticle is also available.
Gripes
The Vixen 1-6x24 includes a set of plastic lens covers attached with elastic, which is pretty standard. I'd like to see a Scopecoat or equivalent at this price. Aside from that, the first language in the manual is German and I have to flip several pages to find English.
Overall
I've handled Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica, and a good number of their competitors, and it's my personal and professional opinion that Vixen is of the same breed, at a much more realistic price. Combine that with the lifetime, transferrable, unconditional, replacement warranty, and you've got to admit that these scopes look pretty attractive.
Images
Side view. Not tacticool, but clean.
Focusing ring and magnification adjustment.
The 1-6x24 marking on the front of the sight.
The turrets and illumination knob with turret covers attached.
Turret covers removed. Each has mark lines up perfectly with the line under the turret - its hard to see here.
Ocular and focusing ring.
Alternate view of turrets and illumination knob.
Another view of turrets and illumination. Side turret cover sports Vixen logo.
Last edited by OpticsCamp; 01-06-2014 at 07:25 AM.
07-23-2013, 09:35 AM
#3
1-4x24: Duplex (illuminated)
1-6x24: Duplex, Mildot (illuminated)
1.5-6x42: Duplex (illuminated)
2-8x32: Duplex
2.5-10x50: German #4 (illuminated, side focus)
2.5-10x56: German #4 (illuminated, side focus)
3-12x40: Duplex
4-16x44: Duplex (side focus)
5-20x50: Duplex, Mildot (illuminated, side focus)
6-24x58: Duplex, Mildot (illuminated, side focus)
It's worth noting that the only illumination on the Duplex is the center dot, much like Swarovski's illuminated plex. I don't have any German #4 reticles here to check, but I assume it's the same.
I'm sure that, eventually, nearly the entire line will have all three reticle options, but that's speculation and I have no way to be sure. Time will tell, I suppose.
