By Evolog
We received a request from Tsubomi Trade Company for the short scope OPSL22 VICTOPTICS S6 1-6×24 , which has similar characteristics to the Vector Optics Forester, so we will review it.
OPSL22 VICTOPTICS S6 1-6×24 comes in two color variations, black and brown, but the one I borrowed this time is brown.
As I mentioned at the beginning, the characteristics of this product are very similar to those of the VectorOptics Forester series short scope, so I would like to introduce the parts that can be compared with the VectorOptics Forester 1-5x24mm GEN2.
The contents include the scope, flip-up cap (pre-installed on the scope), manual, warranty card, scope mount ring, throw lever, and cleaning cloth.
The included mount ring is made by Vector Optics and the height is medium size.
The photo below shows how the flip-up cap is open.
It’s nice to have such accessories.
You don’t need to measure the size of the scope before choosing a third-party product, and above all, if you buy a flip-up cap separately, it costs 2 to 3,000 yen.
In this review, in order to check only the performance of the scope body, we will review it with the flip-up cap removed .
So here is the VICTOPTICS S6 with the flip-up removed.
The objective lens side looks like this.
It’s a simple shape, nothing special.
The tube diameter is 30mm.
The housing has an elevation dial and a windage dial. And these dials have a zero-lock function, when pulled, they unlock and can be turned.
When rotating, the dial has a solid click feeling, and it is possible to move 1/5 MIL with one click and move up to 50 MIL .
In addition, it also has a zero reset function , and it is possible to remove the knob part with a coin screwdriver.
Zero lock and zero reset are installed from Forester GEN2, so the specifications around here are similar.
I think it’s really amazing that the products in this price range have such functions.
On the left side of the housing is the brightness adjustment dial for the illumination reticle.
The illumination can be switched between red and green, each of which can be adjusted in 5 steps .
To use the illumination, you need to remove the brightness control button cap (the part with the VICTOPTICS logo) and insert a CR2032 battery.
Batteries are not included and must be purchased separately.
The power knob looks like this.
It has a moderately sized non-slip design and is easy to operate.
There is a screw hole for attaching a throw lever at 3 times the magnification knob, and the attached power knob is screwed here.
The power knob is a type that has a wide interval from 1 to 3 times, and narrows after that.
The power knob points straight up when the power is 3x, so I think it’s easier to operate if you use 3x as the standard.
The VICTOPTICS logo is on the side of the eyepiece, and the 1-6 x 24 and +/- dioptric adjustment marks are on the top.
The eyepiece side looks something like this, with a diopter adjustment knob.
It’s a design similar to the Forester series, with the lens side narrowed.
I have the impression that more and more products with this kind of design have been incorporated into scopes in the recent popular price range.
Lens coatings and reticles
So, as usual, let’s look at lens coatings and reticles.
First of all, the objective lens and the eyepiece are like this.
Both are full multi-coating, but the objective lens seems to have different coatings, such as green rather than blue, and yellowish-green to greenish eyepieces .
I don’t think it’s possible to generalize, but from my experience, I have the impression that objective lenses with bluer coatings tend to produce dimmer images than greener ones.
It looks like this when you look at it at 1x.
A little darker than the naked eye.
The reticle seems to be named Etched glass VI-CTSIX, with a dot in the center and a horseshoe around it.
The amount of information this reticle can tell is insanely large.
I think that the reticle shape is extremely versatile, as it can cover all of your needs, such as shooting with a quick stance at close range, calculating the trajectory of a distant target and aiming firmly, and shooting a moving target.
The reticle is SFP.
Scopes in this price range have a simple cross reticle and there are few products that are particular about the reticle shape, but the VICTOPTICS S6 uses a very interesting reticle.
I think that being able to use such an interesting reticle in this price range is one of its strengths.
In addition, the eye relief is about 90mm to 140mm, which is quite long, and the eyebox is quite wide, so you can see through it even if you hold it roughly.
This is what it looks like when you increase the magnification .
However, the eye relief is 95mm to 120mm at 3x, and 95 to 110mm at 6x, so it gradually becomes narrower and shorter.
If you put it roughly at a position of 100mm, you can see clearly at any magnification.
As you can see from the photo, the image becomes darker and darker as the magnification increases.
When the illumination is turned on, it looks like this, only the central dot and horseshoe glow.
In addition, the brightness is low, but it shines beautifully without bleeding.
Lens distortion and parallax measurements
As usual, look at lens distortion and parallax.
The magnification of the scope is 1x and I am looking into the display 2m ahead. (I can’t focus at this distance, so it’s a little blurry, but please understand.)
The lens seems to be quite unreasonable in order to expand the field of view, and there is some distortion.
The distortion is similar to Forester GEN2.
The big difference is that it is slightly enlarged even at 1x (Forester GEN2 was reduced at 1x)
When you move the viewpoint up and down, left and right, it looks like this.
Although it is barely within the circle, the image is distorted quite a bit.
This is also similar to Forester GEN2, but I feel that it is better than Forester GEN2.
I took a peek outside
I took it outside and had a look.
Location: Operation Freedom Shooting Range.
Even at maximum brightness, the illumination was only faintly colored, and on the contrary, it lowered the visibility of the reticle, so I turned it off.
First of all , the distortion that I was worried about when measuring the distortion at 1x becomes better when the distance is close to 20m, but there is distortion to the extent that you can inadvertently notice that it is distorted when you move the viewpoint. (Distortion comparable to Forester GEN2)
However, I think it’s quite good that the edges of the scope are clearly visible without blurring.
By increasing the magnification, the distortion of the image can be improved considerably, but the blurring of the image, which I didn’t notice much at 1x, started to bother me.
The same thing is happening in the Forester series, including Forester GEN2.
3x Magnification
This is what it looks like at maximum magnification.
The blurring of the image becomes even clearer, and if you look closely, the center area is beautiful, but you can see that the blurring increases.
6x Magnification
I think it’s easier to understand if you compare the 45m targets lined up above and below.
The lower part of the 45 sign near the center of the reticle is clear, but you can see that the upper and lower 45 signs are blurred in red and blue on the top and bottom.
Also, the 40 and 50 billboards on the side are the same.
This image blurring often occurs when the lens performance is low, so I feel that the price is appropriate for this area.
The scope refracts the light in various ways, but when the light that should originally converge in one place in the process of refraction does not converge, this kind of bleeding occurs.
As for the darkness of the image when the magnification is increased, I don’t mind at all if the weather is fine.
However, in a dimly lit place, it is clearly darker than with the naked eye and visibility is reduced.
That concludes the review of the Vector Optics OPSL22 VICTOPTICS S6 1-6×24.
Every year new scopes in the popular price range appear in this industry, but I think that this Vector Optics OPSL22 VICTOPTICS S6 1-6×24 is also a product that has sufficient specifications as a product in the popular price range.
Under such circumstances, I think the strength of VICTOPTICS S6 is its unique reticle shape.
After that, the magnification is up to 6x, so one of the strengths is that it is 1x more than the Forester GEN2.
Even if you increase the magnification, it’s not so difficult to look through, so it’s practical enough, so it’s good that it’s not an inconvenient high magnification.