Pictured at the end of testing; some cosmetic damage but no degradation of performance or integrity. The Riton is a tank.
Bottom Line Up Front
Riton Optics has jumped into the 1-10 LPVO market with their 5 Tactix 1-10×24 low power variable optic. BLUF: the Riton is a solid, both literally and figuratively, 1-10 LPVO and serves as a legitimate contender in the high-end 1-10 LPVO marketplace.
Setting the Stage
With the short answer out of the way, there must be some ground work laid to truly understand and appreciate where this optic fits into the market space.
Low Power Variable Optics (LPVOs) are generally thought of as an attempt to find the “one optic to do everything.” It would be even more appropriate to think of this attempt as “one optic to do most things fairly well.” As far as my experience and those whom I have spoken with, there is no optic setup that does everything extremely well; compromise is baked into the cake. What determines whether or not an optic setup is the “right” one for you is understanding which aspects of performance you are willing to compromise in order to gain in other facets that matter more for your use case. And herein lies the point that must be stressed in not only this specific Riton 1-10 review but all 1-10 LPVOs on the market currently: they are, particularly so, a series of compromises for the end user to deal with and employ.
And the Riton 5 Tactix 1-10 walks this fine line of compromise quite nicely.
Out-of-the-Box Impressions:
The packaging of products really matters not as far as the functionality goes but when done right, it is a nice addition to the overall appearance and brand quality. Riton’s box and the artistic aspects knocked the appearance aspect of things out of the park.
Outside of the packaging, upon picking the optic up you notice immediately that the “L” in LPVO couldn’t possibly be for “Light” for this scope weighs in at 1.6 lbs/26 oz. That is without a mount. Whether or not this is a “con” is up to the consumer to determine. More on this later.
The quality of a scopes glass is of the utmost importance and on this Riton delivers. This is immediately noticeable right out of the box and continued to be a much-appreciated trait of the scope throughout use.
The fit and finish of the turrets, tube, and pretty much everything is top notch. You are getting a very high-quality scope if you choose a Riton 1-10.
Field Use / Firing Regime
This optic first found a home on my 16” Aero Precision 308 gas gun. When I think of 1-10 LPVOs, two types of use-cases pop into my mind. One being a 308 “Designated Marksman Rifle” type of build. The other being a “General Purpose Rifle” in 556, with a slight favoring of mid/long range engagements. This is by no means an all-encompassing list of uses for this optic, just what I thought it particularly applicable for.
Zeroing the scope was a breeze. With the mil-based reticle and .1 milliradian adjustment value, the rifle/optic/ammo was zeroed to the recommended by Riton (as by myself as well) range of 100 yards. With this process complete, the real testing got underway.
After approximately 300 rounds of 308, I transferred it over to a 16” ar15, fulfilling that GPR rifle role. I put about 800 rounds of 556 downrange with this setup. With both rifles, targets were engaged from 5 meters to 400 meters. The engagements from 100 meters and out consisted of about a 50/50 split between firing from the prone and tripod/unconventional shooting positions. This is where the rubber really meets the road for an optic such as this.
Close-Range Shooting
When using the LPVO at close ranges (25m and in), 1x works quite well. The reticle was certainly conducive to multiple rapid shots on multiple targets. This is a difficult needle to thread for a first focal plane scope with such a wide magnification range like this Riton.
Like pretty much every LPVO on the market however, this one would benefit from being brighter during day-light bright shooting. All the same, while I found myself wanting more brightness, this does not mean that the scope suffered from an overwhelming lack of brightness, it was definitely sufficient to get the job done. I just wanted more. Again, this is a trait of nearly every LPVO.
Rifle-Range Shooting
Being a first focal plane reticle, the shooter is pretty much forced to start using that lovely magnification ring once past 25 meters. A phenomenon was noticed beginning around 50 meters. If left on 1x, the image began to look “de-magnified”, or to put it differently, “negative zoom” took effect. A true reflection of reality in the image of the scope could be obtained when shifting the magnification to 1.75x-2x, depending upon the range. However, I did not really find this to be an issue, for an increase in magnification is necessary to use the reticle anyway.
The reticle proved to be a great combination of usability but not over-saturating the shooter with data like some Christmas tree style reticles. As far as illumination of the reticle goes, the entirety of the reticle does illuminate. That being said, during normal day time conditions, only the center aiming component and thickened portions of the “T” post are visible. And this is fine with me. When using a reticle such as this, I am nearly always using zero illumination and counting on the etched reticle to get a proper sight picture and hold.
By the Numbers
Cost – 3.5/5 The MSRP comes in at $959.99 so it is on the upper end of the “mid-range” 1-10s. While the price is nothing to scoff at, you do get your money’s worth. Riton has carved itself out a bit of a niche with a high-quality optic for less than the price of other high-quality competitors.
Comfort – 4/5 This category may seem like an odd one for a scope but let’s talk user interface: turrets, controls, and eye box. The texturing of both the turret caps and the magnification ring is very good. When adjusting the elevation/windage turrets, clicks are definitive, loud, and spaced close enough together to make multiple clicks rapidly but far apart enough so as to not blow through them. On the lower magnifications, the eye box is exceptionally good. Kudos to Riton for making this happen. Once cranked onto the upper limits of the magnification, that eye box shrinks down tight and a shooter must be sure their position is solid and stable. Not at all uncommon for optics in this class.
Durability – 5/5 If a scope is going to be heavy, it better be tough. The Riton has definitely proved to be so. It has been dropped a few times (intentionally and unintentionally), banged around in the back of a UTV, and slammed into barricades, vehicles, and conexs. Apart from cosmetic scratches on the exterior, there has been no zero shift or any defect in component integrity.
Functionality – 3.5/5 Understanding the context in which 1-10 LPVOs find themselves is key; compromise is the name of the game. This optic compromises on the low magnification range so that the mid-range (3x-9x) can really shine. 10x is by no means unusable, however lack of parallax adjustment is really felt above 8x magnification.
Weight – 3.5/5 As covered in “Durability”, the scope is the heaviest in its class. Whether or not this is a positive or a negative is really dependent upon you the shooter. In this case, what is gained in ounces is also gained and made up for in robustness.
Overall Rating – 4/5 Good
Final Thoughts
The 1-10 LPVO game is an odd one. Riton Optics blends together the series of compromises necessary to make a usable product in a very good way. If purchased, the buyer would be getting a high-quality optic for an upper-mid range price. Not a bad deal. The glass, reticle, and build quality are all major positive traits to this scope. So, if you are in the market for a 1-10 and those factors are important to you, definitely consider the Riton.
Material Disclosure
I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.
The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.