Even as an experienced shooter , I can attest that you don’t have to be a professional to understand the vital role a suitable scope plays in achieving accuracy and precision.
Whether it’s for professional shooting, hunting, or just plinking, the type of scope one uses makes a significant difference. Selecting the scope that aligns perfectly with your shooting style and rifle can be a challenging task. This difficulty is especially true when choosing a model from the 1-6x category.
Today’s 1-6x rifle scopes come packed with a wide range of features, from a mil-dot reticle to coated lenses and optimal eye relief. As an avid rifle enthusiast, I’ve put many scopes through their paces. To assist you in your decision-making, I’ve put together a list of what I consider to be four of the best 1-6x scopes.
I’m confident that at least one of these could be the scope you’re looking for! But before we delve into the specifics, let’s look at a guide on what to consider when choosing the best 1-6x scope.
How to choose the Best 1-6x Scope
Before you make a purchase, I believe there are certain things you should keep in mind:
Scope Construction
The construction of a scope is the first thing to look for. Any scope that isn’t shock-resistant or waterproof will eventually fail under the constant recoil of a gun, and this should be strictly avoided. As a seasoned user, I can tell you that rifles undergo rough use and are exposed to extreme weather conditions daily. The ideal scope should be able to withstand not only harsh weather but also rough handling.
The Lens
Following the scope’s construction, lens quality is the next most important consideration. However, unlike durable construction that suits universal use, the type of lens you opt for should meet your specific needs.
If, like me, you often use your rifle under low light settings or on unusually cloudy days, it’s best to choose a scope that maximizes light transmission. This can be achieved by selecting a scope with a coated lens. This feature reduces glare, ensuring that you won’t miss your target, regardless of how sunny or cloudy the day is. For those who subject their scopes to heavy use, a lens with a scratch guard feature may also be necessary.
Reticles
Reticles are the aiming points in your scope, which can either be wire or etched into the glass.
The current riflescope market offers a broad variety of reticles to choose from, so your selection will depend on your preferences and the type of rifle you own.
From dot reticles to German, duplex, BDC, illuminated, mil-dot, and originals, there is a vast category to pick from. I highly recommend that you study the different types of reticles and understand which one will best suit your needs before making a purchase.
You can also check which are the best 1-8x scopes.
The 5 Best 1-6x Scopes
1. Vortex Optics Viper PST Gen II 1-6x SFP
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If you’re in the market for a fantastic 1-6x scope, Vortex Optics’ Viper PST Gen II SFP Riflescope could be just the ticket. Here’s why.
My Feeling After Using This Product
For starters, this scope offers rock-solid performance and phenomenal light transmission thanks to its extra-low dispersion glass. The glass for the lenses boosts resolution and color fidelity, especially thanks to the XR coatings. In a nutshell, these coatings make light transmission as high as possible, while additional Armortek coatings provide ample protection. In my experience, these are some of the best lenses on the market.
The rest of the scope is also quite durable, featuring weatherproof performance. It’s all made out of a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminum, meaning I was able to use it in wet and foggy environments alike.
The windage and elevation turrets, similarly, were excellent. These are laser-etched turrets, providing top-tier performance and adjustability. They can be stopped and reset to zero with a touch of a button, and they include fiber-optic rotation indicators. When I used this scope, they made it easy for me to know what my positions were for each setting. An additional parallax elimination turret rounds out the set, and it operates similarly.
Product Highlights
However, the highlight feature of the Viper PST Gen II SFP Riflescope, for me, was the illuminated reticle. It features a variety of functional and intuitive holdover points. If you’re like me, this is great since it lets you estimate for bullet drop and bullet curve.
You can illuminate the reticle with 10 different settings, so you can always count on the reticle to be visible in any lowlight environment. More importantly, each of the illumination settings is distinct enough that it has a good hypothetical ambient light environment where it might be useful.
Common Problems and How to Deal with Them
The one downside? It’s an expensive scope, to be sure. The Viper PST Gen II SFP Riflescope is not budget-friendly in the slightest, so you’ll need some serious scratch in order to pick it up. That said, if you are a firearm enthusiast for whom price is no object, I can’t recommend the Viper PST Gen II SFP Riflescope enough.
Key Features
- 1-6x magnification
- 24mm objective lens
- SFP scope
Pros
- Excellent reticle
- Great lenses
- Durable construction
- Top-tier windage and elevation turrets
Cons
- Very expensive compared to other scopes
Basic Parameters
| Manufacturer | Vortex Optics |
| Weight | 22.7 oz |
| Eye Relief | 3.8” |
| Magnification | 1-6x |
| Field of View | 18.8’-112.5’ |
The Bottom Line
Overall, the Vortex Viper PST Gen II SFP Riflescope is the go-to 1-6x scope, in my opinion. Pick it up if you don’t mind paying a bit extra for top-tier quality.
My rating: 5/5
If you want just a bit extra magnification, see my Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8×24 review.
2. Primary Arms 1-6X24mm SFP Riflescope
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The Primary Arms SLX 1-6×24 SFP Rifle Scope Gen III has plenty of standout features and benefits, so let me take you through what the scope does best.
My Feeling After Using This Product
At its core, this is a phenomenal rifle scope featuring waterproof and fog-proof of functionality. Thanks to its aluminum body and matte black anodized finish, the SLX 1-6×24 SFP Rifle Scope Gen III is a durable piece of equipment through and through, and you can count on it to serve you well in any hunting environment.
However, I was also very impressed with the illuminated reticle as well. This illuminated partial red reticle has 11 different settings, and it’s powered by a very common CR2032 battery (you can easily find these at the grocery store). That reticle has a variety of holdover points to calculate BDC, moving target leads, and more. Depending on your preferences, this could be a bad thing.
The windage and elevation turrets, meanwhile, are tactile, audible, and very easy to adjust without becoming slippery. They aren’t marked, but it’s still a pretty good system for ensuring you can hit your targets at a distance. There’s a knob next to the elevation lever for you to adjust the illumination settings without taking your eye off the target.
Product Highlights
The most impressive feature of the SLX 1-6×24 SFP Rifle Scope Gen III, however, is the upgraded optical system, which comes with an integrated magnification lever. The magnification lever lets you swap between different zoom settings quickly and easily. This is actually an invaluable feature.
In my experiments, I was using it much more than I thought, and it helped me switch between different zoom settings to keep tracking my target without missing a beat. Once you get used to the lever, you’ll find that it’s much easier and better to use compared to a standard magnification scope ring, which requires you to perform a more complicated process when lying prone.
Common Problems and How to Deal with Them
The above-mentioned issue with the SLX 1-6×24 SFP Rifle Scope Gen III is the lack of markings on the windage and elevation turrets. This is an ultimately minor flaw, but it is something to think about. Without markings, you’ll have to keep track of your windage and elevation positions in your head, which requires a higher level of experience compared to more beginner-friendly optics.
Key Features
- 1-6x magnification
- 24mm objective lens
- SFP scope
Pros
- Integrated magnification lever
- Excellent reticle and lenses
- Good windage and elevation turrets for fast adjustments
Cons
- No windage or elevation turret markings
Basic Parameters
| Manufacturer | Primary Arms |
| Weight | 16.9 oz |
| Eye Relief | 3.3”-3.5” |
| Magnification | 1-6x |
| Field of View | 19.3’-110’ |
The Bottom Line
All in all, the SLX 1-6×24 SFP Rifle Scope Gen III is a good 1-6x scope thanks to its agility and responsiveness.
My rating: 4.8/5
If you are interested in scopes in different price ranges, check our guides on which are the best scopes under $300 and under $500.
3. Vortex Optics Razor HD Gen II 1-6×24 Second Focal Plane Riflescope
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As I looked for the best 1-6x scopes, I found yet another Vortex Optics scope that made the cut: the HD Gen II 1-6×24 SFP Riflescope. Let’s take a closer look.
My Feeling After Using This Product
The HD Gen II 1-6×24 SFP Riflescope is a tan scope featuring durable construction from start to finish. Special coatings protect the lenses, while argon purging and special seals ensure that the scope will work perfectly well in wet or foggy environments. I found this to be one of the most durable scopes I’d ever used.
Furthermore, the HD Gen II 1-6×24 SFP Riflescope boasts top-tier lenses in terms of light transmission. Those lenses are bolstered by a low-profile, locking illumination dial. That dial lights up the reticle with 11 different brightness settings. The reticle overall has a daylight-bright center dot, so it’s great for both long-distance and short-distance target shooting.
The windage and elevation turrets, meanwhile, are streamlined and zero resettable. They allow you to adjust for windage and elevation to a significant extent with every shift. They work well with the forgiving eye box and very generous eye relief. In my experience, these features helped me track my targets quickly, even if they were moving in and out of my field of view.
Product Highlights
The most impressive feature of the HD Gen II 1-6×24 SFP Riflescope is the APO optical system. In a nutshell, this special optical system has integrated lenses with multiple anti-reflective and durability-boosting coatings. More importantly, the lenses provided some of the best color contrast and brightness I’d ever experienced in my search for the best optics. Thus, the HD Gen II 1-6×24 SFP Riflescope is arguably the best 1-6x scope for daytime shooting.
Common Problems and How to Deal with Them
Earlier, one of the Vortex Optics scopes was a bit expensive. But this optic blows that price out of the water. You won’t get this scope for less than $1200, even from a private seller. Because of this, it’s only a scope for hunters and firearm fans who are willing to spend top dollar to get the top equipment.
As if that wasn’t enough, the windage and elevation turrets aren’t clearly marked. That’s something of an unexpected downside, given the cost of the scope overall. For a scope so pricey, I usually expect that kind of flaw to be nonexistent.
Key Features
- 1-6x magnification
- 24mm objective lens
- SFP scope
Pros
- Very good lenses
- Decent windage and elevation turrets overall
- Highly durable construction
- Has an illuminated reticle
Cons
- No windage and elevation turret markings
- Very expensive
Basic Parameters
| Manufacturer | Vortex Optics |
| Weight | 21.5 oz |
| Eye Relief | 4” |
| Magnification | 1-6x |
| Field of View | 20.5’-115.2’ |
The Bottom Line
In the end, the HD Gen II 1-6×24 SFP Riflescope is an expensive but highly effective optic I would recommend for the most quality-focused shooters.
My rating: 4.8/5
4. Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1-6×24 SFP
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Vortex Optics returns once again with this SFP rifle scope. It has a number of interesting features without being so expensive that it might break the bank.
My Feeling After Using This Product
The Strike Eagle SFP Riflescope caught my attention first because of the illuminated BDC3 reticle. Unlike other bullet drop compensating reticles, this one helps to focus your eye toward the target. When I experimented with the reticle, I found it to be engaging and intuitive to use, so it’s definitely a positive point.
In addition, the Strike Eagle SFP Riflescope features antireflective coatings on all the air-to-glass surfaces. That means better light transmission, better durability, and overall performance enhancements. The scope overall is quite durable, as it is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and is totally rated for water and fog-proof functionality. It’s even rated against recoil damage.
The windage and elevation turrets are tactile and offer audible feedback, though they aren’t marked. There’s also an integrated magnification swap lever near the top of the scope that lets you quickly switch zoom settings. This was a useful feature in my experience, although I also had to get used to the lever being somewhat in my way.
Product Highlights
The Strike Eagle SFP Riflescope’s primary feature is the fast-focus eyepiece dial. When I practiced with it, it helped me quickly and easily focus on the reticle. That’s an invaluable benefit when you hunt varmints or fast-moving creatures, especially at close range. It makes the rest of the Strike Eagle SFP Riflescope feel agile and adaptable for any hunting expedition you may take it on.
Common Problems and How to Deal with Them
The only issues with the Strike Eagle SFP Riflescope were those I’ve already mentioned: no markings on the windage and elevation turrets and the clunkiness of the lever. All in all, though, those downsides aren’t worth giving up the Strike Eagle SFP Riflescope thanks to its relative affordability and excellent features otherwise.
Key Features
- 1-6x magnification
- 24mm objective lens
- SFP scope
Pros
- Comes with a novel BDC illuminated reticle
- Excellent fast-focus eyepiece and dial
- Good durability and construction
- Relatively affordable
- Designed for resistance to recoil damage
Cons
- Windage and elevation turrets don’t have markings
- Magnification lever can get in your way
Basic Parameters
| Manufacturer | Vortex Optics |
| Weight | 18.5 oz |
| Eye Relief | 3.5” |
| Magnification | 1-6x |
| Field of View | 19.2’-116.5’ |
The Bottom Line
The Strike Eagle SFP Riflescope is a top-tier 1-6x scope, especially when you consider the value you get for the price.
My rating: 4.7/5
5. Leupold VX-6HD 1-6x24mm Rifle Scope
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Leupold’s VX-6HD 1-6x-24mm Riflescope certainly deserves special mention, although he warned that it is also among the priciest optics on the market.
My Feeling After Using This Product
When I started using the VX-6HD 1-6x-24mm Riflescope, I immediately found a lot to like. For starters, it’s 100% waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof, so it’s great to take on any hunting expedition you have in mind.
Then there’s the overall excellence of the windage and elevation adjustment turrets. Not only do these lock, but they can instantly be reset to zero. They are very clearly marked, too – many scopes don’t have any markings, but the VX-6HD 1-6x-24mm Riflescope makes it very simple for you to keep track of where you adjusted these dials previously.
The illuminated reticle is perfect for lowlight conditions. I really appreciated the reticle when combined with the Twilight Max HD Light Management System. This proprietary system is exclusive to Leupold scopes, and it gives you about 30 minutes of extra shooting light between dusk and dawn.
The edge-to-edge HD clarity also adds to the overall exceptional performance and visibility offered by this scope.
Product Highlights
The most important feature of the VX-6HD 1-6x-24mm Riflescope is, by far, the ZeroLock CDS-ZL2 or custom dial system. Simply put, you can order your scope custom from Leupold. Then, you’ll receive a scope with an estimate/targeting dial that is customized to your rifle and preferred ammo type. No longer will you need to rely only on holdovers or ballistic calculations.
I experimented with this feature. It’s expensive and takes some extra time, but it’s well worth it. When you pair your VX-6HD 1-6x-24mm Riflescope with your rifle of choice, you’ll experience shooting and familiar comfort unlike anything else.
Common Problems and How to Deal with Them
As mentioned earlier, the VX-6HD 1-6x-24mm Riflescope is quite an expensive piece of equipment, so it’s out of reach for more budget-minded hunters. However, you can always save up for this scope and treat it like an investment. Thanks to its durability, it should last you for a very long time to come.
Key Features
- 1-6x magnification
- 24mm objective lens
- SFP scope
Pros
- Can be custom ordered to fit a specific rifle and ammo type
- Excellent light transmission and lens clarity
- Gives you extra shooting light
- Durable and long-lasting
- Windage and elevation turrets are phenomenal
Cons
- Very expensive
Basic Parameters
| Manufacturer | Leupold |
| Weight | 13.4 oz |
| Eye Relief | 3.7”-3.82” |
| Magnification | 1-6x |
| Field of View | 20.3’-123.2’ |
The Bottom Line
In the end, the Leupold VX-6HD 1-6x-24mm Riflescope is a pricy but very much worth it 1-6x optic. I’d recommend choosing it if you want a scope that is custom-tailored to your favorite firearm.
My rating: 4.8/5
Frequently Asked Questions
What range is a 1×6 scope Good For?
It is suitable for shooting at near and medium range distances. It’s accurate and precise out to a distance of at least 300 yards. This scope is also functionally designed for its first focus plane reticle, which allows for easy reading of details regardless of magnification.
How far is a 6x scope?
A scope set at 6x will make a deer standing at 200 yards (600 feet) look like it’s just a bit more than 30 yards away (100 feet to be exact). It shouldn’t be difficult to aim at an animal that appears as though it’s at 30 yards—most of the time.
Is 6x too much for hunting?
In hunting situations, 6x will be too much long before it will be too little. 6x is about perfect for stand hunting. If it is what you like, go with it. Of course, with all hunting, you should choose what is most comfortable and easiest for you.
What is eye relief on a scope?
The distance between the outer surface of the eyepiece lens and the region where the exit pupil is created is known as eye relief (eyepoint). You can see the entire field of vision without vignetting when looking through binoculars from the eyepoint.
Why do I see black in my scope?
When the “primary image” of an object is produced in front of or behind the scope’s reticle (crosshair), parallax occurs. When you move your eye away from the scope, parallax occurs, which shifts the image in proportion to the crosshair, causing your aim to be off.
How far back should a 1-6x scope be mounted?
Three to four inches is a good starting point. On each new scope, you must focus the eyepiece (ocular lens) and hence the reticle. To see the reticle clearly, point the scope at a flat surface a few yards away.
What is scope shadow?
Any side of your field of view will have a shadow from the scope shadow. A full field of view is when the ocular lens has no scope shadow or when the scope shadow is uniform all the way around the ocular lens.
Are 1-6x scopes accurate?
The fact that 1-6x scopes are extremely accurate makes them ideal for target shooting. The user can use this scope to precisely aim at the target. It features a 1x magnification feature that makes it simple to aim items from a vast distance to a short distance. Scopes also have a lot of eye relief.
What is the difference between 1-6x and 1-8x scopes?
The size difference is the most noticeable; the 1-6x is 10.5 inches long, while the 1-8x is 10 inches long. As a result, 1-8x scopes are lighter and easier to transport.
What is the difference between a 1-6x scope and a red dot sight?
You’ll enjoy eye relief and better vision with a 1- 6x scope. You can achieve the most accurate hits if you combine it with the right reticle. The red dot, on the other hand, has merely a red dot to aim at the target, as the name implies. You won’t have any eye relief, so you’ll have to use it like a binocular. Furthermore, a red dot is frequently thought to be erroneous.
Final Thoughts.
When it comes to rifle shooting, you can never go wrong with a scope that can guarantee you both precision and accuracy. And it’s the 1-6x’s reliability that makes it so very popular
But picking the right 1-6x scope that can fit you the best is difficult, however, I hope that my guide today was able to help you with your decision.
Till next time!
You can also check which are the best scopes for M4 carbine, Mosin Nagant and rimfire rifles.
Mike Fellon was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He inherited his hunting passions after his father John – he was fascinated by his stories, hearing how much attention, focus, dedication and patience he invested in shooting every animal. When he was old enough, his father first allowed him to shoot some cans and bottles with his shotgun, and then took him hunting – it was love at first sight. Mike has never stopped pursuing his hobby ever since.