Low Power Variable Optics (LVPO’s) have been flooding through the firearm market for years now, likely due to the proliferation of medium-range carbines. It didn’t take long for shooters to realize the value of variable low power optics, but what makes an LVPO shine over another?

Sig Sauer has long been a big name in the firearms industry, I’ve been a big fan as long as I’ve been a gun owner. So it came as no surprise several years ago when Sig brought their own line of optics to market. What was a surprise, at least to me, was how invested I would get.

My first Sig optics was a Tango 6 5-30, a high powered riflescope with all of Sig Sauer’s bells and whistles. It has been a great scope for several years, and still enjoys its place on one of my favorite rifles.

The 6T features Sig’s high quality, clear lenses for which they are well known. The 1-6 power 6T features a 30mm tube and a front focal plane 5.56/7.62mm/300 Blackout Horseshoe Dot ballistic reticle with illumination. There are a couple of different configurations for the 6T, the one I ordered came in Flat Dark Earth only. It also features a line lengthwise down the side of the tube, which eases the scope’s mounting by giving a reference point. This allows users to evenly seat the scope in the rings. A “cattail,” or clamp-on handle, gives the user better purchase when adjusting the magnification setting.

I mounted the Tango 6T in the Strike Industries ASM mount, an adjustable scope mount that can cantilever the optic out to several different positions. After mounting the scope, it was time to zero it — an easy task using the finger adjustable turrets. When not in use, the turrets are capped. I installed the CR2032 battery into the illumination turret and lit up the Horseshoe reticle. The 8-position rheostat has an off setting between each number and a push-pull lock to avoid accidental adjustment.

On the Range
My first impression on the range was the image. My eyes were swept from their sockets by the crystal clear and bright image. I am more of a 1-8 fan than a 1-6, but this 1-6 is so beautiful I would have a hard time turning it down for more magnification. The Tango 6T has parallax set to 150-meters, so shooting targets further out isn’t a problem.

This was very convenient because I ran the Tango 6T on two different rifles, both capable downrange performers. I first mounted the scope on the Armalite M-15 Comp Rifle, a match-grade competition rifle built specifically for 3-Gun. I found the M-15 to be very accurate, and with the Tango 6T mounted, it was a nearly unstoppable setup. The low power setting of the Sig made closer targets easy to engage accurately with both eyes open. Zooming in to 6X gave me enough magnification to pick out distant targets, while the Horseshoe reticle offered handy hold points for those distances.

I never expect ballistic reticles to match perfectly. It’s nearly impossible unless you are shooting the same ammunition in the same conditions as those who designed the reticle — the same goes for custom scope turrets. The good news is that it’s pretty close. Modern flat-shooting cartridges have a fairly similar trajectory so drop points on the reticle are close enough to be useful.

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