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Old 09-22-2013, 7:03 PM
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awiner awiner is offline
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I spent the past two days putting the 1-6x ACSS through its paces from 50-700 yards here in Southern California. The weather was pristine for the first of fall. 68 degrees on Saturday and 77 degrees today. Winds were nil at the time I was shooting. Elevation was approx 2,000' above sea level with 32% humidity.

Having used some pretty nice scopes from Leupold, Vortex, etc., let me start by saying that this scope is really really nice and when you factor in the price it shines. Nothing else comes close to the bang for the buck.

But the real story is how well does it work?

My ACSS is mounted on one of Aero Precisions new ultra light 30mm scope mounts.



The Aero Precision is mounted a 20" SS barreled upper with a 1:8" twist. Finishing off the barrel crown is a Battle Comp 1.0 matte stainless break. Time was taken to carefully level the mount to the upper receive base, then level the scope to the scope mount. A true level is important in order to have accurate shot placement especially at distances greater than 400 yards when using a BDC type reticule or a mil/mil dot hash system.

I then mounted and leveled a Flatline Ops 30mm Scout Accu/Level (Anti Cant device) to the scope tube in order to assure the rifle is perfectly level when precision shots need to be placed. I like the Flatline Ops Accu/Level since I can place it on the scope tube and quickly visually check level using my left eye as I line my right eye up with the scope. I shoot nose to charging handle and this setup got me adjusted very comfortably.

The glass is surprisingly very clear for a scope in this price range with good clarity and resolution through all the range of magnification. The reticule once adjusted by the dipole yields a clear sharp generous field of view even at 6x.

Take time to make sure the eye relief is set so that your FOV is maxed out. This may mean you will need a extended scope mount depending on what kind of system your running as well as your desired shooting/cheek weld position.

The illumination adjustment is very nice with off settings between each level of illumination. Personally in the sun light I find that illumination is not needed. The etched reticule shows up clear on this glass and I will leave the illumination for sunrise/sunset scenarios. I found the feel and rotation of the illumination adjustment to be tactful and positive in nature.

Initial Ammo used was Federal M193 55gr factory 5.56

I bore sighted the scope to set the initial zero. The turrets have a positive feel and audible click. They are not Leupold/Swaroski quality but then again this scope is a tenth of what a Leupold/Swaroski would cost. With that said, I find nothing wrong with the feel of the turrets. They work plain and simple. The turrets are labeled and easy to read. Resetting zero on the turrets is simple, but be very careful with the small set screws that need to be loosened. You DO NOT need to remove these setscrews (there are three of them on each turret). Just loosen, zero the turret and tighten the setscrews.

The rifle was benched on a bag front and rear to help steady each shot.

Bore sighting easily got me on paper at 50 yards. I then adjusted zero on paper and verified and adjusted zero at 100 yards. While I could have started at 100 yards, I generally make sure I am hitting paper first at 50.

After zero was established at 100 yards to the center dot, I began to shoot distance increments every 100 yards. 200 yards was dead on at the bottom of the center dot. I then moved out to 300 yards and went prone. I continued to shot prone at anything over 300 yards. At 300 and 400 yards I was getting hits repeatedly. 500 yards and up I switched to 69g .223 Prvi Partizan match ammo.

500 yards I was getting hits but not as repeatedly as 400 and under. At 500+ trigger control, breathing, etc. all come into play as well as reading the wind if any.

At 600 and 700 yards I got hits as well so I am confident this reticule is calibrated correctly. I need to spend more time with this system and practice. I may also try some 75g .223 match ammo for distances 600 yards and greater.

I did take pictures but need to download, crop and adjust them. I will update this post when I have the time to do that.

The magnification adjustment ring on my unit felt perfect. It was not too tight nor too easy to rotate. The etching on the units body was crisp and clear providing detailed marks and information. I had no issue, however if I was shooting 3 gun with this scope I would like some sort of longer lever option on the magnification ring.

I am extremely happy with this scope when you take into consideration what you are getting for the price. Would I shoot better with a Leupold Mark 6 1-6x? Probably not. The ACSS reticule is a true winner and the scope Primary Arms has mated the ACSS reticule with is absolutely no slouch. Made in China? Certainly but very robust. Time will tell how it holds up. I don't throw my rifles around, I don't go into combat with them. If I did, I would probably choose a scope with known history. For a range gun I foresee no issue with setup and would recommend it to anyone that wants a great system that has the ability (shooter dependent) on making hits out to 700 yards.

Wind dots and ranging tests next session

More to follow soon.

Last edited by awiner; 09-22-2013 at 7:15 PM..
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