Did Steiner just quietly build the MPO we have all been asking for? H6xi

If Nightforce would just put the FC-DMX in the 4-16 ATACR, you would be out of a job.
If only a company as big as prestigious as NF was able to figure that out on their own. Without having a small channel like mine constantly break their balls about it in every video I make that brings up that subject.
 
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@C_Does you should compare the Steiner to an Ares 2.5-15. The Ares reticle is .06 mil thick. Still has a 100mph reticle but it’s a thick ruler. I’m on the fence of buying one.
The Ares line up feels substantially lower quality materials wise and control wise then a lot of its competition. Optically its good, as is the setup and reticle. If you want to up the budget (by about double) the Maven RS1.2 and Trat toric 2.5-15 are IIRC both Japanese and offer a substantial bump in those departments. Im trying to get a Maven in to test, and I am inches away from just buying the Tract. Most of their products havent WOWed me, but I think they are good, and I hope that the 2.5-15 will put me over the edge.
Thanks!

I enjoyed the amount of info in the video.
Much obliged! Happy you liked it.
Thank you, C, that was one hell of an undertaking!
Appreciate the information, very helpful.
Thank you kindly! Im glad you thought so.
 
Agree, and I was crossing my fingers for the FC-DMX in the NX8 2.5-20
This would be great, as the FFP offerings for the 2.5-20 all fail miserably at low magnification. I could see a slight modification with some additional, finer, stadia near the center for use when on high mag.
 
Looking forward to when Vortex, PA, or NF make an updated 2-12x in 2025/2026 that also falls short of the ever moving goalposts of the audience that’s requesting it in the first place
That goal post has been in the same place for a couple of years now, manufactures know exactly what it is, they just don't believe it will be profitable.
 
I'm starting to think they actually are paying attention to these forums. Seeing that there is no winning with the people who want it. Some want this and some want that. Weight, size, reticle, ffp/sfp, zoom range etc.

There is no winning.
 
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I'm starting to think they actually are paying attention to these forums. Seeing that there is no winning with the people who want it. Some want this and some want that. Weight, size, reticle, ffp/sfp, zoom range etc.

There is no winning.
How hard is it to benchmark a decade old LRHS that everyone here loved and update the feature set to 2024? It's not.

I am telling you, I've had in depth conversations with 3 different manufacturers multiple times over the past few years and they simply don't believe the category will sell. They may very well be correct.

It's like trying to get a camera manufacture to go backwards in pixel count. Those that understand optics will understand the advantages, but we are the minority. Those that don't understand optics want extreme erectors and high magnifications because the assumption of the masses is that more is better.

That's exactly what's going on here and the market research says if you want sales, keep pushing the edges.
 
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I made warning to its length at the beginning! I just happened to go 50% over that estimate lol

The MHR looks 'ok'. I like how the posts at 3,6,9,12 taper down towards the middle. Being easier to pick up on the outside it should help focus your eye to the middle. The reticle itself looks decent, I am a fan of a KISS setup for hunting rolls, run a combat zero and use the rest of the drops if needed for extended ranges. Of course that would depend greatly on the distance, caliber, and shooters preference. It still looks a bit too fine at the center for my tastes. Im sure some people will prefer it. Overall I think its an interesting choice, and I wouldnt mind experimenting with one. Id prefer that reticle for the 2-12 over the STL for sure.
Its a great video dude. A ton of information and you broke it down well.
 
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What I don't understand is we already have the LPVO's/1-?x?s with thick reticles, already have the 3-4x?s with thin reticles, then the higher magnification FFP which 99% of us already own which aren't great on low mag and pretty heavy. So why come out with FFP 1.5 to 2.5x?'s in which you can't hardy see the reticles on low magnification to begin with?? Now we have to suppliment with a RD, or resolve ourselves to stopping on whatever lower magnification we can still see the reticle on, which is limiting how wide your FOV is, which is "also" a big part of why we bought a IPVO or MPVO.

Until people get over the mentality thinking that somehow you can't hit stuff, or see misses, in a FFP IPVO(in honor of C_does) or MPVO, having a "thicker" reticle, this scope sillyness will likely continue.

See what I mean when you look through a March 1.5-15 and it costs how much?! That's why I didn't buy one because I experienced the same funkyness in my 1-10 DFP shorty, which can sometimes be very annoying. These are well built scopes that could be absolutely fantastic if not so compromised optically by being so short when combined with such high mag ratio.
 
The innovation that people seem to be looking for in 2-10 / 2-12 optics appears to be happening more and more in the 3-18x range.

How many of you prefer to use a 3-18x (like the H6Xi 3-18x, MK5HD 3.6-18x, or even NF ATACR 4-16x) on 5.56 setups compared to 2-10/12x?

There is an argument that at the expense of 3-4oz and a slightly longer scope, you end up being able to use the middle of the magnification range in 10-15x range on the 3-18s instead of maxing out the scope out constantly at 10-12x on the lower mag models.
 
Have several MPVO scopes that just don't quite hit the mark, not pictured are a couple VX5HD 3-15's. Trying to find the one still.

A upgraded nxs 2.5-10x42 with better glass and maybe in 3-12 would be tits.

Screenshot_20241216_210436.jpg
 
Nightforce needs do a Nx5 series, 2.5-12x, and a 4-20. Good eyebox and depth of field. Essentially a 5x nx8 line that doesn't suffer the plagues of high erector ratio/short body syndrome. I have a 2.5-20 and a 4-32, but in actual field non bench situations, they both run 8-12x range 90% the time.
 
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How hard is it to benchmark a decade old LRHS that everyone here loved and update the feature set to 2024? It's not.
Agreed, Bushnell had something special but struggled to gain as much interest as they hoped, LRHS (Long Range Hunting Scope) and G2H "Hunting" reticle were designed for the crossover market but struggled (I'd posit to say it was likely the 4x erector and length of the scope at a time when everyone was pushing for more magnification and shorter and shorter).
I am telling you, I've had in depth conversations with 3 different manufacturers multiple times over the past few years
You're not alone...
and they simply don't believe the category will sell. They may very well be correct.
This is exactly what has been going on unfortunately. Outside of SFP hunting scopes, mfr's don't trust the consumer marketplace. Mil/LE is what drove FFP it would seem, and then dynamic shooting sports began to catch on to the numerous benefits of FFP which further pushed the market, now we have a proliferation of FFP HPVO scopes from 5-25 and now to 6-36 and 7-35's.
It's like trying to get a camera manufacture to go backwards in pixel count. Those that understand optics will understand the advantages, but we are the minority.
I think you're right, we are the minority unfortunately as most sport optics consumers are somewhat ignorant to what really makes a good scope perform... good.
Those that don't understand optics want extreme erectors and high magnifications because the assumption of the masses is that more is better.
Similar to the myth that you need lots of magnification to effectively shoot at ELR distances.
That's exactly what's going on here and the market research says if you want sales, keep pushing the edges.
Yep, push the extreme and make it cheap is what sells a lot. What we're asking for is somewhat niche. Ask the majority over on BARF.com if they'd rather have a 1-8/1-10 LPVO on their SPR/DMR or a 2-10/2-12 MPVO and I'd venture to guess at what the majority response would be.
 
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Have several MPVO scopes that just don't quite hit the mark, not pictured are a couple VX5HD 3-15's. Trying to find the one still.

A upgraded nxs 2.5-10x42 with better glass and maybe in 3-12 would be tits.

View attachment 8571096
I'm guessing you are just wanting something the weights as little as the VX5hd but FFP and Mil in the 3-15 mag range?

That seems like the only thing missing from your collection.
 
The innovation that people seem to be looking for in 2-10 / 2-12 optics appears to be happening more and more in the 3-18x range.

How many of you prefer to use a 3-18x (like the H6Xi 3-18x, MK5HD 3.6-18x, or even NF ATACR 4-16x) on 5.56 setups compared to 2-10/12x?

There is an argument that at the expense of 3-4oz and a slightly longer scope, you end up being able to use the middle of the magnification range in 10-15x range on the 3-18s instead of maxing out the scope out constantly at 10-12x on the lower mag models.
I don't really care what the mag range is 2-10/2-12/2.5-10/3-12/3-15/3-18, if the FFP reticle isn't easily usable on minimum magnification then I'm not interested.

And by usable I mean thick enough to see under all lighting conditions without illumination. None of this "oh yeah, it's not too bad, illumination definitely helps though" nonsense.

The Vortex PST 2.5-10x32 is 100% usable at all mag ranges. I've shot a few 22lr matches with mine where I've mostly stayed on 5-8x. Unlike most newer FFP scopes where the reticle only starts being clearly visible at 5x, and realistically usable at 10x.

20oz, FFP, Mil in any of the above mag ranges would be fine.
 
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I don't really care what the mag range is 2-10/2-12/2.5-10/3-12/3-15/3-18, if the FFP reticle isn't easily usable on minimum magnification then I'm not interested.

And by usable I mean thick enough to see under all lighting conditions without illumination. None of this "oh yeah, it's not too bad, illumination definitely helps though" nonsense.

The Vortex PST 2.5-10x32 is 100% usable at all mag ranges. I've shot a few 22lr matches with mine where I've mostly stayed on 5-8x. Unlike most newer FFP scopes where the reticle only starts being clearly visible at 5x, and realistically usable at 10x.

20oz, FFP, Mil in any of the above mag ranges would be fine.
Have you looked at the maven rs1.2 with mil reticle? It's usable at 2.5X, small enough center dot for moderate precision work. Glass is good enough, good turrets with zero stop, capper windage, decent eyebox.
 
Agreed, Bushnell had something special but struggled to gain as much interest as they hoped, LRHS (Long Range Hunting Scope) and G2H "Hunting" reticle were designed for the crossover market but struggled (I'd posit to say it was likely the 4x erector and length of the scope at a time when everyone was pushing for more magnification and shorter and shorter).
I had the G2H LRHS, loved it. Really only sold it because it's length prohibited clip-on use on my particular platforms. The only other gripe I had was the non-locking elevation turret. There was a guy at my NRL Hunter match back in March running one on what appeared to be a standard 700 with a cheap composite hunting stock. The dude was nasty with the platform. I want to say he was second behind either Jon Pynch or Matt Alwine n his class. It was clearly an Indian, not the arrow, situation but thought it was awesome he was shooting at the top with that scope which most would say was too thick or laugh at it's lack of 2/10th hashes. Sometimes in the world of optics we don't know what we got until it's gone.
 
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The innovation that people seem to be looking for in 2-10 / 2-12 optics appears to be happening more and more in the 3-18x range.

How many of you prefer to use a 3-18x (like the H6Xi 3-18x, MK5HD 3.6-18x, or even NF ATACR 4-16x) on 5.56 setups compared to 2-10/12x?

There is an argument that at the expense of 3-4oz and a slightly longer scope, you end up being able to use the middle of the magnification range in 10-15x range on the 3-18s instead of maxing out the scope out constantly at 10-12x on the lower mag models.
My belief is that if my primary optic is so powerful on the low end that I need to run a piggy back red dot for close-in targets / speed, then I may as well run a 5-25x for my primary optic (assuming I am not using night vision and therefore optic length isn’t a concern).

The 3-18x range, for a semi-auto, seems like the worst option available as it is too powerful at the low end to be useful close and quick, and only tops out to 18x on the high end so spotting impacts with tiny 5.56mm bullets may still be a challenge depending on the backdrop.

So for me, it is a 2-10 which prioritizes speed over spotting impacts or a 5-25 which prioritizes impact spotting over speed and requires a red dot.

-Stan
 
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I'm guessing you are just wanting something the weights as little as the VX5hd but FFP and Mil in the 3-15 mag range?

That seems like the only thing missing from your collection.

The ffp isn't a deal breaker as long as it's got a usable reticle at the bottom end.

The vx5hd were nice but both mine didn't tract true. So far the nxs is the best all around for me for a hunting optic. I do wish for just a little more power and better glass. I was sitting watching a few bucks feeding and walking around at 500yds. I could find the buck I wanted in my spotting scope, but really struggled to pick him out from the others through my rifle scope.
 
The obsession with 2x on the low end isn’t my cup of tea. I use 4X in the woods hunting and have zero issues tracking animals.
IMG_2867.jpeg


At 320 I’ll be on 6 or 7
IMG_4853.jpeg


In between will be 6
IMG_9238.jpeg


Farthest deer kill is 540 yards and my fragile, gonna break if you touch it, IOR 4-14 was on 10x just because the image looked perfect. I didn’t look at the setting, I just turned the ring until it looked about right.

Shooting 8”x8” steel at 550 yards I was on 14X because my spotter said I was close but he couldn’t tell me how close my first 2 shots were and this setting allowed me to see the leaves on the ground move from the 55gr fmj impacting( first time shooting 55gr fmj over 350 yards) I used the reticle. I wasn’t under a time constraint and the G2B did just fine and it’s .05 mil thick. A tree would have been nice but not needed in this scenario. If I was hunting the odds of getting a second shot in my area are extremely slim.
IMG_2279.jpeg


Moral of the story is I “need” a 4-16 with a decent reticle down low meaning a duplex thickness for the close stuff and something without a 100mph reticle. Easy to bracket down low and easy to see in the midrange. Hybrid meaning hunting (not just out west where it’s sunny and clear 90% of the time) and target shooting. I don’t need to see the whole battlefield to pick out the bad guys and observe. Manufacturers are taking the easy way out using competition/mil reticles and telling us it’s close enough. Some are close like Athlon and ,gasp, Leupold even if the TMR is dated.

I ramble. Hate me if you want to 🤪.
 
What I don't understand is we already have the LPVO's/1-?x?s with thick reticles, already have the 3-4x?s with thin reticles, then the higher magnification FFP which 99% of us already own which aren't great on low mag and pretty heavy. So why come out with FFP 1.5 to 2.5x?'s in which you can't hardy see the reticles on low magnification to begin with?? Now we have to suppliment with a RD, or resolve ourselves to stopping on whatever lower magnification we can still see the reticle on, which is limiting how wide your FOV is, which is "also" a big part of why we bought a IPVO or MPVO.

Until people get over the mentality thinking that somehow you can't hit stuff, or see misses, in a FFP IPVO(in honor of C_does) or MPVO, having a "thicker" reticle, this scope sillyness will likely continue.

See what I mean when you look through a March 1.5-15 and it costs how much?! That's why I didn't buy one because I experienced the same funkyness in my 1-10 DFP shorty, which can sometimes be very annoying. These are well built scopes that could be absolutely fantastic if not so compromised optically by being so short when combined with such high mag ratio.
Your a man after my own heart, Steve.
 
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Your a man after my own heart, Steve.

Back at yuh bro!

By observing your demeanor and honesty in the video I can tell you're a good guy that's not a Co brown noser which is much appreciated.

Also knowing your stuff and telling it like it is - is what we need to make the best purchasing decisions we can. You're likely saving people $100's of thousands of dollars worth of = Arrg THIS ISN'T the scope I thought it would be, so now what.

Thanks for that.
 
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Yep C_DOES is about as good as it gets. I just have salty grapes because I’ve put the 2-12x42 H6Xi on a bit of a pedestal.

Truthfully his feedback did make me re-evaluate the 3-18x50 model and it does appear that Steiner designed their STR-Mil reticle specifically for that mag range. The Christmas tree is perfectly aligned at max mag 18x power.

At 27oz and a more usable 3x min, it might be a good competitor to the MK5HD 3.6-18x
 
My belief is that if my primary optic is so powerful on the low end that I need to run a piggy back red dot for close-in targets / speed, then I may as well run a 5-25x for my primary optic (assuming I am not using night vision and therefore optic length isn’t a concern).
A lot of guys will piggyback an LPVO simply because the RDS is easier (better) in CQB scenarios. Some think redundant but for others not at all, also easier (better) to get behind with NODs. So if an operator is already willing to piggyback an LPVO then why not piggyback an MPVO and gain the advantages of better IQ, mag range, low light ability (for sans NODs), and eyebox.
The 3-18x range, for a semi-auto, seems like the worst option available as it is too powerful at the low end to be useful close and quick, and only tops out to 18x on the high end so spotting impacts with tiny 5.56mm bullets may still be a challenge depending on the backdrop.
I don't think 3x is too much for close and quick if the reticle is right. But yes, most of the existing 3-18ish range options have poorly designed reticles for low end use. I can see splash with 5.56 at 300 yards pretty easy with 10x given normal conditions.
So for me, it is a 2-10 which prioritizes speed over spotting impacts or a 5-25 which prioritizes impact spotting over speed and requires a red dot.
For some maybe, for others it's more of a combination of size and weight, a lot of guys don't want to put a 3-18 on their SPR let alone a 5-25 beast. Also a lot more guys are considering clipons and the shorter length of the MPVO is definitely an advantage as well as the lower magnification, ask most of the night hunters here and they prefer to stay under 3x at the low end when using clipon thermal.
 
I can get 20+ mil on my Mk5 2-10 in a 20moa mount. Mount came with optic, if it had not I'd be using a 0moa mount.

Speaking of the Mk5 2-10, the non-illuminated TMR pairs so well with small frame ARs. Paired with a dot and I'm confident it'll cover everything I need.
 
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For anyone that has the 2-12 or 3-18 zeroed, how many mils are you able to dial on this? It was surprising to hear C_DOES could only get 7mils. I’m hoping with a 20MOA mount to get to at least 10 mils

I currently have a 2-12 on hand, zeroed at 100 yds in a 20 MOA Badger Unimount gets 11.4 mils of elevation
 
Back at yuh bro!

By observing your demeanor and honesty in the video I can tell you're a good guy that's not a Co brown noser which is much appreciated.

Also knowing your stuff and telling it like it is - is what we need to make the best purchasing decisions we can. You're likely saving people $100's of thousands of dollars worth of = Arrg THIS ISN'T the scope I thought it would be, so now what.

Thanks for that.
You humble me, Thank you for that. I aim to please, and with that, steer as many people towards a better buying decision that will best fit their wants/needs. Im very thankful for the love on this superb forum.
Yep C_DOES is about as good as it gets. I just have salty grapes because I’ve put the 2-12x42 H6Xi on a bit of a pedestal.

Truthfully his feedback did make me re-evaluate the 3-18x50 model and it does appear that Steiner designed their STR-Mil reticle specifically for that mag range. The Christmas tree is perfectly aligned at max mag 18x power.
At 27oz and a more usable 3x min, it might be a good competitor to the MK5HD 3.6-18x
My main gripe with it is that it Should be better than what it is. With some minor tweaks it could be Really Good. And thats what I cannot stand. Its laziness like that which prevents something from reaching its maximum potential. The 3-18 definitely makes more sense with that reticle, or a 5-whatever. Id actually really like that reticle in the T6Xi 3-18x56. That would be a nice package.

I currently have a 2-12 on hand, zeroed at 100 yds in a 20 MOA Badger Unimount gets 11.4 mils of elevation
That math checks out then. I run zero cant mounts and my zero is roughly 50y. So push that back to 100y and add 5.5ish mils and thats as near as makes no difference, exactly what I got. Im glad It wasnt a fluke with my findings.
 
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I did the same, saw the distortion my first time out with it at the range after I thought I'd dialed it in correctly. After fiddling with it more at the range on a sunny day, I found a better setting that removed the distortion I was seeing. I think it was a combination of parallax and diopter.
 
I did the same, saw the distortion my first time out with it at the range after I thought I'd dialed it in correctly. After fiddling with it more at the range on a sunny day, I found a better setting that removed the distortion I was seeing. I think it was a combination of parallax and diopter.
Oh, that's good to know, I'll play with it some more and report back.