Primary Arms 1-6x Scope Review: A Budget Friendly Optic

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This is our review of the Primary Arms 1-6x Scope.

I’ve been fortunate to review a few Primary Arms scopes. During this time, I have also researched the Primary Arms 1-6x Scope to help you see if this scope is right for you.

I found the Primary Arms 1-6x Scope to have excellent quality for its budget-friendly price. It improves upon Gen II with its lower weight, shorter length, and additional internal adjustments.

Primary Arms strives to provide affordable yet high-quality products. Whether you’re a professional shooter, serviceperson, or firearms enthusiast, you can benefit from the incredible optics that this company provides.

This comprehensive scope review will discuss the features of the Primary Arms 1-6x Scope. We will show you customer reviews and potential alternative scopes as well.

Keep reading to learn more about the Primary Arms 1-6x Scope.

Primary Arms designed the Gen III 1-6x Scope as a follow-up to the Gen II. Released in 2017, this scope serves as a more compact alternative to the previous iteration.

Compared to the Gen II, the Gen III scope has a chevron center aiming point, an improved Advanced Combined Sighting System (ACSS) reticle, ten more minute-of-angle (MOA) of internal adjustments, a shorter length, and lighter weight.

Overall, the Primary Arms 1-6x Scope is a high-quality optic. This second focal plane scope has a silver rating from the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA), ensuring its excellence. You can aim at your target with ease by using this scope.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the features of this scope.

Advanced Combined Sighting System (ACSS) Reticle

Primary Arms’ proprietary ACSS reticle works well for close-quarters combat and long-range holdovers. The instinctive sighting system features wind holds, bullet drop compensation, range estimation, and moving target leads.

At a range of 0-300 yards, the sight adjusts rapidly. Between 300 and 800 yards, you retain high accuracy. It is easy to use this sighting system, even for beginners.

This scope utilizes the illuminated ACSS 5.56/5.45/0.308 reticle. It is a ¾ circle reticle that has a pointy chevron. Compared to a dot center aiming point, the chevron shape allows for higher accuracy at close distances.

Partial Red Reticle Illumination

The Primary Arms 1-6x Scope has partial red reticle illumination. A CR2032 battery provides the lighting. You will get a spare battery in the windage turret cap. 

There are 11 settings to bring the illumination up to daylight brightness. However, the brightest illumination is typically not strong enough to use during the day. It can prove distracting and hurt your eyes.

During the daytime, we’ve found the plain black reticle to work best. During dusk and dawn, you can use partial red illumination to help. The illumination also suffices on rainy days and in other low-light conditions.

Furthermore, the illumination dial is a bit challenging to move. You cannot hear a click between settings, so it’s easy to miss the ending point. In between settings, the illumination turns off.

Overall, the illumination isn’t bright, and you need to stick to the lower settings to avoid distractions. The higher settings have some light bleeding.

Second Focal Plane (SFP) Reticle

The reticle is SFP, so it remains the same size at 1x as it does at 6x. You can adjust the target distance by moving the reticle up and down. As you look through the scope, you will see the reticle changing its position based on your distance from the target.

The SFP reticle lets you aim accurately at long distances without losing accuracy at closer ranges. At lower magnifications, you get quick acquisition. As you approach the higher magnifications, you will benefit from the advanced functionality of the reticle.

This feature keeps the scope more compact, which helps with cutting the manufacturing costs to keep it cheap.

Adjustable Elevation and Windage

The adjustable elevation and windage offer you the freedom to adjust your scope. You need to turn the knob until you reach the desired setting and lock it in place. 

These knobs are near the illumination dial, and they have the same audible issues. Furthermore, you may struggle to find them under caps.

While the many caps indicate the compromises necessary for the lower cost, they do not impede your experience that much.

Compact Design

This compact scope fits readily with almost any rifle. It takes up little space due to its design and shape. The specs are as follows:

While it weighs less and has a shorter length than the previous generation, it is still fairly heavy due to the materials used. It features a Type II Aluminum 6063 alloy construction, which has a density of 0.0975 pounds per cubic inch.

Body and Lens Coating

The Primary Arms 1-6x Scope’s aluminum body has an anodized matte black hard coat. This hard coat increases the thickness of the natural oxides to make the part more durable, corrosion-resistant, and smooth.

The lens itself is fully multi-coated to maximize light transmission. These coatings prevent light from reflecting inside the lens, which could harm your eyes and disturb your vision. 

Waterproof Construction

This scope is IP67, which protects the scope from contact with harmful dust. It also protects the scope from immersion in 3.3 feet of water for half an hour.

This waterproof rating means you won’t have to worry about getting some water in your rifle. Also, it stays protected from fog, dirt, and rain. You can use it with ease in an outdoor hunting scenario.

Nevertheless, you shouldn’t try to shoot underwater with it.

Ocular, Diopter, and Power Rings

At the rear end of the scope is the ocular ring that you look through. Underneath it is the diopter ring, which adjusts the reticle focus from +3 to -3. You use the power ring to adjust the magnification.

These rings are easy to adjust. They are lightweight and maneuver readily, but they do not feel fragile. You can rest in-between settings here, so the silent motion does not pose an issue.

Here are some alternatives you might want to consider if the Primary Arms 1-6x Scope isn’t what you’re looking for.

Primary Arms GLx 1-6x Scope

If you aren’t on a budget and want a mid-tier rifle scope, consider the Primary Arms GLx 1-6x Scope. This low-power variable optic performs well, with higher speed and precision than the above option. It has a high-strength Aluminum 6061-T6 body, premium glass, steel adjustments, and a first focal plane reticle. This product uses the ACSS Griffin M6 instead of the ACSS 5.56/5.45/0.308.

Bushnell 1-6x Scope

Another option if you prefer a different brand would be the Bushnell 1-6x Rifle Scope. This budget-friendly option has similar features, such as:

• Second focal plane reticle
• Six brightness settings
• Capped turrets for windage and elevation adjustments
• 30-millimeter tube
• Aluminum composition
• Fully multi-coated optics
• Waterproof and fog-proof surface
• Lifetime warranty

It does have a dot sight rather than a chevron, and it weighs a bit more. Nevertheless, it provides similar quality for slightly less money.

Leupold VX 2-7x Scope

The Leupold VX 2-7x Scope offers greater magnification with ¼ MOA clicks, so you can adjust it more precisely. It is waterproof, fog-proof, and made from aircraft quality Aluminum 6061-T6. It has low-light illumination and excellent durability. It is a bit bigger than the Primary Arms option, but it will get the job done.

If you want a budget-friendly scope with excellent features, you will like the Primary Arms 1-6x Scope. It has a sturdy composition, compact design, top-notch proprietary sighting system, clear glass, great range, and easily adjustable rings. At this price range, it doesn’t get any better.

You should know that you need to act fast if you want to buy this product. There are only a limited number of these available, and they sell out quickly. While we cannot recommend the Primary Arms 1-6x Scope more for this particular budget, you could opt for one of the alternatives if your price range allows you to spend more or you cannot find this product.

After reading this Primary Arms 1-6x Scope review, we hope you consider giving it a test.