Introduction
Steiner has been manufacturing high quality optics since shortly after the most recent world war. Built in Germany for decades, Steiner has become well known for their high quality binoculars and in more recent times their rifle scopes. After some modern partnerships, Steiner has also started manufacturing some of their products here in the US. I have always been happy with the Steiner products I’ve used, which led me to our topic today; the Steiner Optics H6Xi 2-12x42mm riflescope. The H6Xi line is focused on hunters, particularly those that take their shooting very seriously.
Besides the 2-12 we are looking at today, Steiner also makes a 3-18 and 5-30 version of the H6Xi line. Which gives hunters an excellent option to chose regardless of their magnification preference.
The Steiner Optics H6Xi 2-12×42
As it is built for the hunting public, it comes as no surprise that the Steiner H6Xi comes on a 30mm tube. This tube size has become basically the standard, and its ideal for hunters as it offers great size for internal travel and lens structures. And it does this without weighing as much as 34mm scopes likely would.
With its 42mm objective, the little Steiner can be kept closer to the barrel. And again the weight of a 42mm objective will be lower than a 50mm. Some of the more interesting features are the first focal plane reticle, and a single rotation elevation turret. It definitely gives the vibes of a scope meant for hard and heavy hunting while keeping things simple as possible at the same time.
Additionally, the turrets of the Steiner H6Xi are configurable. The windage turret come with a cap, but obviously could be left open if you like. It also came with an extra undersized elevation turret that can replace the standard one, as well as a cap that will cover the smaller elevation turret. So you can run this scope completely exposed turrets, or completely covered. Another handy included accessory is a throw lever that you can install for faster magnification adjustment. The H6Xi can be had in either MRAD or MOA, with associated reticles.
Specifications
| Magnification | 2-12x |
| Objective Lens | 42mm |
| Tube Diameter | 30mm |
| Focal Plane | First Focal Plane (FFP) |
| Reticle | STR MIL |
| Illumination | Rotary dial |
| Illumination Levels | 11 brightness levels with off positions |
| Field of View | 55–8.5 ft. @ 100 yards |
| Eye Relief | 3.85–3.52 in. |
| Exit Pupil | 9.8–3.8mm |
| Diopter Adjustment | +2 to -3 |
| Parallax Adjustment | Side focus |
| Parallax Range | 25 yards to infinity |
| Click Value — MHR | 0.25 MOA |
| Elevation Range — MHR | 70 MOA |
| Windage Range — MHR | 70 MOA |
| Click Value — STR MIL | 0.1 MRAD |
| Elevation Range — STR MIL | 20 MRAD |
| Windage Range — STR MIL | 20 MRAD |
| Light Transmission | 92% |
| Glass | HD glass |
| Construction | 6061-T6 aerospace-grade aluminum |
| Waterproof / Fogproof | Yes |
| Shockproof | Yes |
| Nitrogen Filled | Yes |
| Operating Temperature | -13°F to +145°F |
| Battery | CR2032 |
| Length | 11.8 in. |
| Weight | 23.2 oz. |
| Country of Assembly | USA |
| Warranty | Steiner Heritage™ Warranty |
Unboxing and Mounting the H6Xi
As usual with Steiner products, the H6Xi came in a nice white box with a few accessories. Quality packaging always gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, knowing the product got here in one piece.
I lifted the scope from the box, and inventoried its contents. The extra turret and cap I mentioned, as well as the throw lever. There was also a set of flip caps to protect the lenses, as well as a battery and some documentation.
I’d also gotten some of Steiner’s H-Series 30mm rings, which would be perfect for mounting the scope on its first host rifle; the Seekins Havak PH3. The rings fit perfectly onto the 20 MOA canted picatinny rails on the rifles receiver. It was then time to level the scope and torque down the rings carefully. One thing I did notice is that the front portion of the tube between the erector and the objective is pretty small. This made it a touch sensitive to where the rings could go, but for this rifle it was perfect.
Initial Impressions
With the scope mounted, I spent a good deal of time just looking through it and getting a fell for it. Low magnification scopes like this usually look pretty good, as the magnification doesn’t show off flaws as much. But the Steiner H6Xi with its HD lenses looks particularly good. According to Steiner, the scope has a 92% light transmission which makes the image quite bright.
I quickly found several things about the scope that I quite like. Among those was the locking ring for the diopter at the back. I really dislike it when you put a scope up to find it slightly out of focus, because the diopter got rubbed against a pack or something causing it to turn slightly. The locking ring on the H6Xi prevents that from happening. The low profile of the turrets is also nice, to help avoid snagging on hunting gear. And the whole thing has that Steiner quality feel to it.
Shooting in the Field
Our first trip out with the Steiner Optics H6Xi 2-12 was to a rifle range, to get a solid zero and check some tracking performance. Bore sighting the scope was easy, and in no time we were on paper shooting groups. The 7mm PRC Havak shoots quite well, which made it a good host to test the functions of the Steiner.
Later we would take the rifle into the high country of the Rocky Mountains to evaluate its performance in the exact kind of places where it would be used for hunting. Looking across deep canyons and valleys, picking out small details and targets is a great way to get comfortable with a scope.
Optical Clarity
The HD lenses of the Steiner H6Xi make a great looking image through the scope. Across various scenarios we inspected all kinds of things through the scope. Full sunshine, rainy and cloudy days, as well as early morning during sunrise. I found the Steiner to provide a great image of my targets, and clear presentation of the area around the target as well.
Reliability
With it simplistic function, the H6Xi doesn’t have a lot to go wrong. The ability to run both turrets either exposed or capped can remove the possibility of inadvertent turret movement if thats a concern for you. And its single turn elevation will prevent you from ever getting lost in the turns. The 180 degree throw of the magnification ring requires only one motion to adjust. And the throw lever makes it fast and easy to do as well. I also mentioned the lock ring for the diopter to prevent that from being turned accidentally which I wish other scopes of mine had.
The only thing I was a bit concerned with was the reticle illumination. The knob to change the brightness settings of the reticle has lower friction than I would like. I could see it possibly getting turned accidentally, resulting in a dead battery.
Accuracy
Again I’ll mention the simplicity of the H6Xi, a single turn elevation turret means there are fewer things to go wrong. And with 12MRAD of elevation on the single turn, you’ve got enough to cover most shots that hunters will make. For example at my density altitude; The 7 PRC test rifle we used for this review only needs about 8 MRAD to reach a 1,000 yards.
The repeatability of this little scope made it an excellent candidate for a precision hunting rifle. It always returned properly to its zero setting, and it tracks true to its indicated reading.
Value
The Steiner H6Xi is not an entry level scope for sure. Its MSRP is just over sixteen-hundred dollars, which might scare some folks off. The street price for this scope is usually between $1100 and $1300 depending on where you look. While that is better than sixteen-hundred, it is still enough to cause some to think hard about the scope. Steiner optics come with not just a warranty, they come with some rugged prestige as well.
You can find other 2-12 power scopes, probably some that are even comparable to this one for less. But we all have our tastes, and preferences. And if my choice is between German parts assembled in Colorado and something made in Asia, I’ll take the Steiner every time. “Nothing escapes you” is their slogan, and one many people trust in.
Pros and Cons
| Great Image Quality- HD lenses | Low Friction Illumination Control- easy on |
| Robust Construction- built like a Steiner | Smaller Mounting Real Estate on Tube |
| Simple Design- fewer things to go wrong | |
| Configurable Turrets- capped or not, your choice | |
| Throw-Lever Included- for enhanced control | |
| Locking Controls- stay where you want them | |
| First Focal Plane- for fast shots and corrections | |
| Not Particularly Heavy | |
| Great Parallax Adjustment- fine tuned focus | |
| American Made- the assembly part anyways |
Conclusion
I have quickly grown quite fond of this little Steiner, it packs a lot of quality into a compact scope without weighing a ton. Its excellent for its purpose which is a precision hunting scope, giving hunters a sharp image with clean parallax adjustment. And simple hold-over operations that will allow for perfect shot placement at extended shooting ranges.