The 5 Best 1-6x Scopes of 2020 for Hunting or the Range

4.7/5

Selecting from the 5 Best 1-6x Scopes of 2020

Many shooters today prefer to put a high-powered scope on their rifle even if it does need such power. These shooters do not realize that using the best 1-6x scopes will give their rifles far more power than they realize.

People who are still new to shooting typically get a low-powered scope that will help them easily learn the scope’s fundamentals. For the veteran shooters, lower magnification can increase the field of view, acquiring targets at the moderate range a lot better, and engages faster than powerful optics. In tactical situations, using the best 1-6 scope will be a perfect choice. Regardless of your reason in getting the best 1-6x scope, let us look at the scopes that you are considering to purchase.

Best 1-6x Scopes Products

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MODEL

PRICE

RATING

Our Rating

Top Rated 1-6x Scope

5/5

The Leupold Mark VI, 1-6×20 mm scope, is extremely compact, accurate, easy to use, and lightweight, making it a game-changer for military forces around the world and elite law enforcement units at home. It is easy to manipulate but is also tough. You can drop it or run over it, and this scope is still drop-dead accurate.


The Twilight Max Light Management System lets you see bright, vivid, and clear target image in a wider variety of low and bright lighting conditions. The combination of premium edge-to-edge lens clarity, glare management, and full visible-spectrum lens coating provide an extra 20 minutes of shooting light.


The Leupold Mark VI, 1-6×20 mm scope, uses a 34mm tube, which is the largest diameter in common usage. It allows the lightest transmission to give you the greatest field of view through the scope, but it means that the scope weighs a ton. This 1-6x scope is heavier than the Mark AR Mod 1 2.5-4 scope, but it is nowhere near some of the long-range optics. The light transmission is very helpful in low light scenarios such as during nighttime or cloudy day shooting. The low light capability makes a huge difference in being able to see the target, especially when it is far away. It also means that the scope is a bit taller than the other options, but it does not make much of a difference in competition shooting.


The scope is adjustable in 2/10 MIL adjustments or ½ inches per click at 100 yards. The turrets have Leupold’s new locking system. You need to push a button to make the turret turns, which locks back in place after a full revolution. You can zero the turrets and have them locked in place for travel and normal usage, but when you need to turn them, it will be an easy button press to get them rolling. 


The glass itself is crystal clear and etched into the first focal plane is a BDC reticle. The reticle lines up with the proper holds for the projectile of choice. There is also a TMR-D mil-dot reticle.


The horseshoe in the middle of the scope is illuminated by a red LED. If you are shooting at close range, it will turn your scope into a red dot. Unlike other 1-6x scopes, the etching is clear and crisp, and the illumination does not bleed into the rest of the field of view. In some other 1-6x scopes, the entire field of view practically glows red when you turn it on, but in this scope, it only illuminates the horseshoe.

Features

The Leupold Mark VI 1-6×20 Rifle Scope is a small and nimble 1-6 scope that meets the performance needs of tactical, and sports shooters, as well as law enforcement. The 1×6 magnification range is perfect for close-range operations because of its wide field of view, pinpoint precision at longer ranges, and fast target acquisition. It uses professional-grade lenses to use the Xtended Twilight Lens System for edge-to-edge clarity while the DiamondCoat2 lens coating is exceptional at light transition and scratch resistance.

The low profile Zerolock locking elevation and windage turrets come complete with audible and tactile 2/10th mil per click movement. This scope is equipped with an illuminated reticle on the front focal plane visible under any light settings with the right position on the 7-setting brightness adjustment. This small, light, and fast rifle scope is a versatile tool for any kind of job.

Highlights

  • The scope is 100% waterproof, shockproof, and fog proof.
  • M6C1 Turrets with tactile and audible 2/10 MIL per click dials and 11 mill radians of elevation travel per single revolution.
  • It has Front Focal Plane reticle - The reticle magnifies along with the image allowing you to estimate range at different magnification settings.
  • The lenses are scratch-resistant because of the extreme military-standard scratch resistance for added protection.
  • It uses the Twilight Max HD Light Management system that adds up to 30 minutes of shooting light.
  • It has a lightweight design because of ultra-lightweight construction.

Our Rating

4.7/5

Famously recognized as almost indestructible because of the MIL-STD 810G testing standards, the Trijicon VCOG 1-6 24 rifle scope provides users a first focal plane reticle that allows subtensions and drops, so it remains true at any magnification level. It has superior glass quality and light-gathering capabilities with zero distortion.


This product can be correctly described by the following words: precision, durability, accuracy, and dependability. This model gives you 1-6x magnification to provide you with a clear picture of the targeted object’s actual size. This Trijicon device the ideal for serious hunters and shooters who know how to appreciate optical quality and performance. The scope weighs only 23.2 ounces and is 16.1 inches long.


The Trijicon VCOG is a rugged rifle scope with variable power that features an LED illumination first focal plane BDC reticle. The VCOG is designed to be extremely durable and features superior glass quality. The magnification range allows CQB as well as long-distance marksmanship. The VCOG is a MIL-spec grade optic that is useful enough for any application.


The VCOG uses one AA battery that can easily be found worldwide and has six adjustable settings of brightness for the LED reticle. It boasts a considerable battery life of 700 hours at setting 4 when it uses a lithium AA battery. A built-in dial fin can be used for easy rotation through the different range of magnification, and a fixed eye relief requires no adjustments of the head or stock position.

Features

This 1-6x scope has the first focal plane reticle. It uses very high-quality glass and a rugged aluminum-alloy housing. The scope has an adjustable brightness setting. There is a bullet drop compensating and ranging reticle. This scope has quick magnification adjustments. The eye relief is constant. This scope is waterproof up to 20 meters.

Highlights

  • It has a thumbscrew mount.
  • This scope uses a Lithium AA battery.
  • It has a 1-6x magnification.
  • It has bullet drop compensation.
  • The reticle color is red for both daytime and nighttime.
  • The constant eye relief is at 4 inches.
  • The housing material is forged aluminum.

Our Rating

4.5/5

Trijicon VCOG rifle 1-6x scopes are LED illuminated first focal plane BDC reticle. These rifle scopes have variable power with a rugged design that is ideal for combat. The VCOG is designed for extreme durability and built with aluminum-alloy housing with superior glass quality. The magnification range easily allows for long-distance shooting, while also accommodating CQB. This 1-6 24 BCOG rifle scopes are a MIL-spec grade optic that is robust enough for any type of application.

The new Segmented Circle has a fine ballistic reticle for use at higher magnification surrounded by a thick segmented circle for use at lower magnification. When it is coupled with the VCOG illumination system, the reticle works as a red dot optic at 1x and a precision arrangement when set at 6x. The Segmented Circle is tightly centered for red dot use and moves to the periphery to free up the center of the scope for high magnification work. The other reticle pattern available for the VCOG is the venerable Horseshoe Dot that is popular with the ACOG line. It works following the same principles as the Segmented Circle, but the inverted horseshoe is located tightly around the dot in the center. The result is a red dot that is more visible at 1x, and the horseshoe more visible at 6x.

Trijicon uses in VCOG, a glass that is the same as the one utilized on the flagship TARS 3-15x, which is extremely clear and will work well in limited light scenarios.

The constant four inches of eye relief is another feature that separates VCOG from other variable-power scopes. The eye relief makes the scope usable when shooting from field positions. With VCOG’s generous eye relief, you have some distance to play with. It gives you a lot more positional flexibility than the 1 1/2 to two inches found on other optics. There is also no need to move your head into different positions as you change the magnification setting.

Features

The Trijicon VCOG riflescope has superior quality glass. The multi-coated lenses of this scope provide exceptional clarity and the capabilities to transmit light capabilities without any distortion. 


Quick magnification adjustments are available. The integrated dial fin allows for easy rotation through the magnification settings. 


There are adjustable brightness settings. The illuminated reticle is powered by a single battery.


The dual-purpose reticles let the shooter to accurately and quickly estimate range and apply the correct hold using the bullet drop compensating and ranging reticle.


This 1-6x scope is waterproof up to 66 feet. It is filled with dry nitrogen to eliminate fogging.

Highlights

  • The red horseshoe reticle matches with 55-grain 0223 loads.
  • 700 continuous hours of runtime at setting 4 or 6 when using a lithium AA battery.
  • The first focal plane allows the ballistic reticle to be used at any magnification.
  • Full 90 MOA of elevation and windage adjustment is available in ½-inch/click increments at 100m.
  • The scope is waterproof to 66 feet.
  • The scope’s illumination electronics are MIL-Spec tough.

Our Rating

4.1/5

The Zeiss Conquest V6 riflescopes combine glass quality with all the main features and the bells and whistles that long-range shooters have come to expect in an exciting line of rifle scopes that took many years to make.


Zeiss has been doing the same things for the past 170 years – design, innovate and manufacture some of the best optics on the planet. The company has a strong history of optical expertise but has missed the mark on providing a long-range scope that will be liked by the hunters and shooters until now. The release of the new Zeiss Conquest V6 line of riflescopes lets Zeiss get it right finally.


The Zeiss Conquest seems to be following the trend in the US, where more shooters prefer FFP and MIL, although there will always be those who like MOA and the second focal plane.


The Conquest V6 1-6x scope is designed to please competitors and hunters for close up, fast acquisition style of shooting, especially when configured with the hunting style turrets with caps and the simple duplex reticle style called Zeiss’s #60 reticle. It also has a configuration option with serious windage and elevation turrets for dialing up longer shots with Zeiss’s ZMOA-4 reticle, which have marks on the horizontal and vertical crosshairs. The turrets feature ½ MOA click value for fast adjustments. This model does not use a parallax adjustment system, so the maximum effective range is about 500 yards.


It is in close range work where the 1-6 24 scope excels due to the outstanding glass with a forgiving eye box and a wide field of view, allowing the shooter to acquire targets confidently and quickly. There is a bright and pinpoint illuminated dot that uses a brand new fiber-optic illumination system designed by Zeiss to enhance target acquisition further. This scope features a battery power management system that will automatically turn off the illuminated dot each time the gun is tipped away from the usual shooting position and will automatically turn on when brought back to the shooting position.

Features

The Zeiss CONQUEST V6 1-6×24 Rifle scope has a wide field that keeps everything insights when hunting. It has a maximum 6.5x magnification that will guarantee the required flexibility during a hunt, and the intuitive handling allows for quick responses. The 1-6 24 lets you focus on the hunt and not on your equipment.

This rifle scope combines the technology and quality of Zeiss with a proven design into a useful package within easy reach of a serious hunter. It uses six-layer multi-coated FL lenses throughout together with a wide field of view. This scope delivers the best quality image and clarity, even under the harshest conditions and the most difficult environment. An aluminum housing protects this sophisticated optical package. The LotuTec lens coating protects against rain, dust, snow, dirt, and fingerprints.

Highlights

  • The scope uses a 24mm objective lens.
  • It uses a second focal plane.
  • There is an illuminated ZMOA reticle.
  • There are BDC/adjustable turrets.
  • The scope is waterproof and fog proof.

Our Rating

4/5

This is one of the best 1-6x scope offered in FFP and SFP with various options for the illuminated reticle. The HellFire electronic-illuminated reticle system uses advanced fiber-optic technology to provide variations to the light intensity of the central aiming point under any type of light condition. 


The HDX optics extra-low dispersion glass works together with high transmittance glass to provide industry-leading light transmission and optical clarity even in low light conditions and inclement weather. A bright scope allows for clear eye relief.


The Motion Activated Illumination powers up when motion is sensed, and it will power down when nothing is sensed. It provides maximum safety of operation and improved battery life.


The capped elevation turret is ideal for close quarters. Also included is the throw lever for the power select ring. 


This rifle scope is highly dependable because it is rated for complete immersion up to 1 meter of water. It is also fog-proof.

Features

The Zeiss CONQUEST V6 1-6×24 Rifle scope has a wide field that keeps everything insights when hunting. It has a maximum 6.5x magnification that will guarantee the required flexibility during a hunt, and the intuitive handling allows for quick responses. The 1-6 24 lets you focus on the hunt and not on your equipment.

This rifle scope combines the technology and quality of Zeiss with a proven design into a useful package within easy reach of a serious hunter. It uses six-layer multi-coated FL lenses throughout together with a wide field of view. This scope delivers the best quality image and clarity, even under the harshest conditions and the most difficult environment. An aluminum housing protects this sophisticated optical package. The LotuTec lens coating protects against rain, dust, snow, dirt, and fingerprints.

Highlights

  • HellFire electronic-illuminated reticle system using advanced fiber-optic technology to vary the light intensity of the central aiming point in any light condition.
  • HDX optics extra-low dispersion glass combined with high transmittance glass provides industry-leading light transmission and optical clarity for low light situations.
  • Motion-activated illumination turns on when it feels motion and shuts down when it does not. Provides for maximum operational safety and improved battery life.
  • Elevation turret with cap for close quarters.
  • Power select ring throw lever included.
  • Dependable waterproof and fog-proof performance.

What is a 1-6 power scope?

The kind of scope you are using plays an important role in achieving precision and accuracy when you shoot. The 1-6x scopes are highly popular because they meet with ease these shooter’s expectations. Plenty of competitive shooters, hunters, and other tactical rifle users now prefer these kinds of scopes whenever they decide to get one.


There are plenty of 1-6x scopes that you will find on the market today. These riflescopes do not work the same because some are good, while others have poor design, which makes it very difficult for someone just to pick up what he deems to be the best scope to take home.


If you do not want to waste your money on an expensive scope that will not work as you expected, consider a few things. 


The following should give you an idea on the best scope to buy:

1. Construction

A great quality scope and the quality of materials used in the construction will determine its quality. People who often use their primary arms in the toughest conditions need a high-quality scope. The scope must endure the harshest conditions and still work well even when roughly handled. The best 1-6x scopes use aircraft-grade aluminum in its construction. This type of scope is strong, rugged, but light in weight.

2. The lens

The importance of the quality of the lens cannot be over-emphasized. A coated lens maximizes the transmission of light while reducing glare to make sure that you will not miss your target. The best lens is multi-coated as a protection against scratches and damages that a sensitive lens usually comes across. It should allow the shooter to have eyes open as they shoot, with a clear eye relief for comfort.

3. The reticles

The reticle is your scope’s aiming point, made from either wire or glass etched. You can find various types of reticles on the market. The one you will buy should always be based on your preference. You can choose from original, dot reticles, duplex, German, BDC, illuminated, mil-dot, and others.

You can always rely on the best 1-6x scope to guarantees your precision and accuracy. The best 1-6x scopes are considered to have the best accuracy, functionality, and best precision. 

The 1-6 scope Magnification

You will notice when you check rifle scopes the numbers in the titles and descriptions. Those numbers mean something.

Magnification

The main function of a riflescope is to magnify the target to make it easier to see. Magnification or the number of times the image is magnified is one of those numbers that you see. There is just one number if the scope has a fixed power or magnification. Five power means the image will be magnified five times or will appear four times larger than when you are not using a scope.


A scope with variable powers will have two numbers that are separated by a dash. The first number is the lowest power or magnification, while the second is the highest power or magnification. A 1-6 power scope means that you can adjust the magnification or power between 1 and 6 times.

Objective lens size

In the description of the scope, there is a letter X, such as 1-6x 24. The number following X is the objective lens’ size in millimeters. Our example scope has a 24 mm objective lens. The objective lens is the lens farthest from the shooter but closest to the target. When your objective lens is large, it will let more light pass through and brighten the image. If you set the magnification higher, the more light will be needed for the image to appear clear. A 1-6×50 scope will be bright at all power settings, while a 1-4×24 will get darker when you increase the magnification.

In a 1-6×24 scope, the 1 means 1 power or 1x of magnification. This means that the image you see through the scope appears 1x closer (or no difference) than when you look at it with your naked eye. The 6 means 6 power or 6 times closer than when you look at it using your naked eye. The 24 is the diameter in millimeters of the objective lens. 

This example of a scope is a variable scope as the scope’s magnification may be varied from 1 to 6, allowing you to stop anywhere in between 1 and 6. You can describe the scope as “one by six by 24.”

Conclusion

The 1-6x 24 is not a very large scope. Most large scopes are in the 34-50mm range. However, it does offer several advantages over larger scopes. Primarily, it is smaller and also lighter. It may be darker than 50mm scopes however, most shooters don’t hunt at night, nor do they go to the firing range in the dark or during a rainstorm. A long gun, a rifle, or any primary weapon becomes heavier to carry the longer that the shoot goes. Having a smaller and lighter scope helps.

Most 1-6x 24 scopes are designed for AR series primary arms. These are relatively short rifles with an effective range of 300 yards. The 6x maximum magnification helps reach up to 500 yards, which is longer than the range of most rifles. Some of the best 1-6x 24 scopes also do not perform well in low light or night situations. To compensate, some of the scopes double as red dot sights.

Many top of the line rifle scopes usually have 1-6x magnification. Sights and lenses are a product of compromise. The 24mm front lens leads to dark sights at maximum magnification, however, the 6x power is also a long reach for some rifles. What the shooter can do with the primary arms or the sight capability is a matter of preference and practice. For most instances, the Leupold Mark VI 1-6×20 Rifle Scope is regarded as the best 1-6x scope.