Gear Review: Primary Arms SLx 1-6x24mm SFP Rifle Scope Gen IV

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Primary Arms has made quite the name for themselves. They’ve not only established an awesome retail website, but they design and produce a wide variety of optics at great price points, from red dots to prisms and LPVOs.

We have the latter in today’s review, and it’s a new model in their affordable SLx series. The new SLx 1-6x24mm SFP Rifle Scope features the ACSS Nova reticle and is part of the latest Gen IV series SLx LPVOs. Primary Arms provided the optic for this test and review.

I mounted the new SLx ACSS Nova on my Interarms Mark X Mini Mauser in 7.62x39mm. The optic provides a 1 to 6X magnification range and is a second focal plane scope.

The optic is like most in the SLx range. It’s affordable with plenty of features and fairly standard in size and weight. The optic is 10.4 inches long and weighs 17.9 ounces. Its generous eye relief of four inches is quite forgiving. A 30mm tube diameter makes it easy to find rings.

The ACSS Nova Reticle

The reticle is illuminated and has 11 brightness settings. The illuminated portion is fairly small. It uses a new fiber wire system to create an incredibly bright dot. Most affordable optics struggle with being daylight-bright and eye-catching. That’s not an issue here.

Primary Arms provides a fairly simple reticle system with the Nova. Below that big glowing dot sits a series of four MIL extensions. If you know your dope (or are trying to learn it in my case), then you can use these extensions to compensate for drop. ACSS, as a reticle brand, has been a multi-use system.

Those MIL extensions are designed to aid in rangefinding, and that’s why they get smaller as they descend. While there are four obvious extensions, the manual states a fifth mil extension is where the reticle tapers into a solid line.

The MIL extensions are designed to cover an 18-inch target from side to side at a particular range. Eighteen inches is close to the width of an average man with his arms at his sides and the width of an IPSC/USPA target. The first extension is 300 yards, the second is 400, the third is 500, and the fourth is 600.

The horizontal bar of the ACSS NOVA reticle also features six leads. The leads are designed for moving targets at a walk of three miles per hour, a jog of six miles per hour, and a sprint of nine miles per hour. The leads work best from 100 to 300 yards.

To be clear, as a second focal plane optic, the SLx’s MIL extensions only work at the 6X setting.

Adjustments and Zeroing

A set of marked, fingertip-adjustable turrets makes zeroing very easy. Once zeroed, you can reset the turrets to zero. Zeroing the SLx ACSS Nova LPVO was one of my easier zeroing experiences. It was a mix of a good optic and some good luck.

I only had to make some very minor adjustments to get dead-on target. The turrets provided very crisp adjustments, and they provide great tactile and audible feedback. Each adjustment is .1 MIL, and the adjustments were dead-on accurate. I zeroed the optic in four rounds total when you count the final round as a confirmation.

Punching Holes With the SLx ACSS Nova

The clarity of the SLx was impressive, especially for a $350-ish optic. At 500 yards, I could easily make out all manner of details on my target. I could differentiate trees, signs, and other various objects out at the end of the range. I could make out IPSC targets and large gongs and I can confirm the MIL extension is accurate for rangefinding on ISPC targets.

Also, at 200 yards, 7.62×39 drops seven inches, and some change and two mils equal 7.2 inches. This made it really fun to land headshots at 200 yards with the Interarms Mark X rifle paired with the SLx ACSS Nova rifle scope. Hearing the steel ding was a tons of fun. The ACSS Nova reticle isn’t busy or obstructive. It’s quite thin, and even at longer ranges, it’s easy to see and use.

That little red dot really is bright. The fiber wire tech they use is impressive. At 1400 in Florida, with a clear sky, the dot glowed brightly enough to overcome the sun at brightness setting level seven. Even setting 11 seemed like a bit too much for the brightest part of Florida spring.

The SLx comes with a nice throw lever. It’s handy and absolutely necessary. The magnification ring is surprisingly stiff and doesn’t move with ease. The throw lever seems necessary to ensure smooth manipulation between the different settings.

Primary Arms has produced another very solid optic with the SLx Gen IV, and the ACSS Nova reticle is quite nice overall. It’s a simple LPVO with plenty of extra features. The glass is surprisingly nice for the price, and it’s a perfect companion to my Interarms Mark X.

Specifications

Magnification: 1-6X
Focal Plane: SFP
Adjustment Graduation: .1 MIL
Eye Relief: 4 inches
Length: 10.4 inches
Weight: 17.9 ounces
MSRP: 339.99

Ratings (Out of Five Stars)

Clarity * * * *
Is it as clear as a 2,500-dollar optic? No, but for shooting out to 500 yards, you won’t have any complaints. You get a good, clear sight picture with the SLx and the ACSS Nova that makes shooting at typical carbine ranges and varying light levels easy.

Ease of Use * * * * *
The SLx is a feature-filled optic, but nothing is complicated or difficult to figure out. A quick peek at the manual is all you need, and zeroing is a snap. The turrets are fantastic, particularly for an optic at this price point.

Ergonomics * * * *
The SLx is mostly solid when it comes to ergonomics. It’s not fancy or super lightweight, but it’s very much in line with most military style optics. The only downside is the magnification ring and how stiff it is to adjust.

Overall * * * * ½
The Primary Arms SLx ACSS Nova is a great budget LPVO for an AR of any caliber, a bolt gun, or any other weapon you’ll be using within 500 yards or so. And for most of us, that’s every rifle we own. For the price, it’s surprisingly nice and well-made. Budget optics have come a very long way. Primary Arms has a lot to do with that and the SLx Gen IV is an excellent example.

 

 

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