A Rifleman's Optics

For full disclosure – I am a huge fan of Trijicon optics and have some good friends there whom I deeply respect. Some of my favorite rifles hold Trijicon scopes that are used frequently while hunting varmints or Texas hogs. That said, I also strive to remain as objective as possible while reviewing products for this column. Trijicon is a company of engineers. The company’s founder, Glyn Bindon, is an engineer who is passionate about shooting and hunting. This quality is reflected in everything they manufacture, from their breakthrough fiber/tritium technology to the first red dot optics tough enough to be mounted on handgun slides and the combat-proven ACOG.

Trijicon products are ultra-tough, an important factor for shooters like me who don’t exactly baby their equipment. Trijicon optics undergo extensive testing well beyond military protocols; including shock testing from -20 to +140 degrees Fahrenheit, zero testing for up to 5,000 consecutive rounds, plus drop and vibration trials.

The Tenmile HX 5-25x 50mm long-range riflescope is the latest release from Trijicon. Its design is engineered for extreme precision and all-weather performance. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $2,190. The Tenmile HX 5-25x 50mm is a first focal plane (FFP) scope with an MOA ranging reticle that provides quick and accurate ranging holds at any magnification. This reticle is backed by exposed turrets for those who prefer to dial corrections. The elevation turret includes a solid zero stop that allows quick returns to zero without taking your eyes off the target. Customized Kenton Industries turrets are also offered to meet any specific load or environmental factors, without the need to convert click values at various distances. Our test sample included a stock MOA turret with standard ¼ inch at 100-yard clicks.

Like all Trijicon optics, the Tenmile HX 5-25x 50mm includes a fully multi-coated, broadband, anti-reflective glass that excels in exceptional light transmission, sharp detail and true color fidelity, with zero distortion and edge-to-edge clarity. The scope provides clear viewing in any lighting condition, with exit pupils from .26 inch (5 power) to .08 inch (25 power). This configuration also provides a field of view from 4.46 degrees/23.3 inches to .89 degrees/4.7 feet, lowest to highest magnification, to make getting on target easier.

The one-piece, 6061 aluminum 30mm tube gives the Tenmile HX 5-25x 50mm increased correction range and proves Trijicon tough and watertight. The exposed elevation turret provides 50-MOA of total correction range, the windage turret provides 40-MOA of adjustments. The toolless turrets include no side set screws, making them return to zero easy – unscrew a threaded cap, pull the turret up to the desired position, return, then reinstall the top cap and tighten. The elevation turret includes a crisp, just-right tension; ensuring no accidental shifts in zero, such as when pulling a rifle from a soft case, while the windage turret is capped for protection from unintentional movements. The scope received a satin-black finish.

The parallax wheel is sandwiched beneath the user-selectable LED illumination dial. I found the parallax quite stiff, though that is sure to loosen with use. The parallax is marked from 10 yards to infinity, with yardage marks located at the 10-, 20-, 50-, 100-, 150-, 200-, 300-, 500- and 1,000-yard positions. Five red and five green illumination intensities are provided, with off positions located between each brightness level, to save battery life while keeping a desired brightness level readily available. Trijicon promises 68 hours of battery life from the CR2032 power source. The magnification ring includes two taps to position the rounded/knurled throw lever to best accommodate a particular rifle configuration or shooting position, with a filler screw provided for the tap not being used (a spare is supplied if you wish to eliminate the throw lever altogether). All controls include sufficient knurling for improved manipulation in wet weather or while wearing gloves, but not so aggressive as to snag or scrape.

The test scope arrived with a 3½-inch sunshade, spring-loaded Tenebraex flip caps, protective neoprene Scopecoat dust cover, 3mm and 1.5mm hex keys for any necessary adjustments or installation, and a CR2032 lithium coin battery to power the illumination system. The box also contained a quick reference guide, a warranty card and  vinyl sticker of the Trijicon logo.

The scope measured 14.25 inches long without the sunshade or lens flip caps installed, 3.2 inches wide from the windage turret flat and parallax/illumination controls, and 2.4 inches from the top of the elevation turret to the bottom of the erector assembly. It weighed 28.9 ounces (about 1.81 pounds) without sunshade and lens covers. The Tenmile HX 5-25x 50mm provides a generous 3.03 (25 power) to 3.62 (5 power) inches of eye relief, a welcomed detail when shooting magnum cartridges from the awkward positions often encountered in the PRS and NRL competitions that this scope is suited for.

I mounted the Tenmile HX 5-25x 50mm scope in Trijicon four-screw steel rings atop my Ruger Precision Rifle chassis outfit chambered in 6mm Creedmoor and sighted it to center at 100 yards. With a ballistics chart for my preferred rockchuck load (Lapua SRP brass, 105 Berger VLD Target bullet, 45 grains of Shooters World 4350 for 3,100 feet per second velocity) in tow, I visited a clear-cut tenanted by abundant Columbia ground squirrels. Before I’d completed a 3-mile loop, the 6mm Creedmoor had accounted for maybe 20 squirrels, taken at ranges from point-blank out to 367 yards. My time-tested ballistics chart correlated perfectly with the Trijicon’s corrections, even allowing a couple  of hits off the bipod with only the burrowing rodents’ heads showing above a stump edge out to about 250 yards. This certainly wasn’t stretching the abilities of a scope designed for 1,000-plus yard shots, but ground squirrels and especially squirrel heads, make much more challenging targets than 8-inch steel plates.

I really would have loved to stretch this outfit’s abilities to 1,000 yards, but those opportunities are rare in the heavily forested regions of northern Idaho timber country. But considering the targets, and the ¼-inch margins afforded, I’d say the Trijicon Tenmile HX 5-25x 50mm riflescope is up to the most demanding assignments.