Magnified, fixed-power riflescopes have not been particularly popular in decades; certainly since the dawn of the 21st century. Once the only choice due to technological limitations, variable-magnification scopes have long dominated the market for all pursuits, apart from 1X (zero magnification) dot sights and the occasional low magnification reflex sight like some models of Trijicon ACOG.
But, what if while embracing variable magnification, we forgot about speed? After all, turning the ring at the back of the scope takes time and some amount of dexterity to maintain a hold on target while moving part of the scope. Enter the Integrix iXF 4.5x28 mm Service Rifle Scope (SRS). Initially designed for Service Rifle competition, this fixed magnification scope is incredibly fast on target thanks to a wide (for a magnified riflescope) FOV, crystal-clear German Schott glass, an illuminated reticle and the simple fact that, when you shoulder the firearm on which it’s mounted, you are ready to go without having to touch the scope at all.
“We went hard designing this for the original target shooting community: Service Rifle shooters,” said Leapers’ Director of Product Marketing Margaret Ding. “Nick Till and James Fox are champion civilian shooters who have been helping us field test in competition, and based on their feedback, I am confident that this scope—not just its image quality, but also the reticle—will be a tangible advantage for expert shooters in competition and beyond.”
The reticle is an A4-pattern design consisting of three posts—two making up the horizontal axis and a single, half post coming up from the bottom. All three start thick and become fine about a third of the way toward the center, where a 6.5- or 7-MOA circle (model depending) surrounding a .875-MOA dot reside. The circle and dot are illuminated in both red and green in eight brightness settings, controlled by a button on the left side of the adjustment turret housing. This reticle combines speed and accuracy, as the circle can be used as a snap aiming point, while the dot can be employed when greater precision is required.
The benefit in competition is evident in Till and Fox’s results, but for hunters and those seeking an optic for a defensive rifle, there are also significant advantages to the scope. The speed factor makes a snap shot far easier, which can be the difference between a successful hunt or an animal that gets away—or worse in a defensive scenario.
I found the scope to be incredibly fast in my testing. Compared with an LPVO, I was able to engage targets much more quickly at varying distances from 50 to 400 yards using the Integrix SRS, without sacrificing much in the way of accuracy. Shooting offhand, 4.5X is about as high as I’d want to go anyway. The glass proved amazingly clear, with excellent edge-to-edge sharpness. I was able to identify hidden animal-decoy targets placed randomly in a wood line at ranges beyond 600 yards.
While the relatively low magnification does put a limit on how far you can accurately engage a target, that limit is around 600 or 700 yards, which, for practical purposes, is more than enough for hunting and defense, and even most competitive pursuits apart from some long-range-rifle events.
Does the Integrix SRS herald a new paradigm in riflescope design? No, as the paradigm itself is not new. Rather, it reinvigorates an overlooked option for shooters and hunters, and it does so with great success.
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