I bought a P4Xi yesterday for a new rifle.  It was between the RT-6 from Burris, the Burris MTAC 1.5-6x42 and this.  The MTAC with the 42mm lens might have killed it, but the P4XI might handle better and with the Steiner name an expectation of some reasonably decent quality glass is my hope.  With Steiner I don't have to play games and dance around to target- AKA using the comparable MTAC range an IPSC center ring and then hold 200, range a target bracket to bracket on the center scale and hold 300.  The P4XI has the no-nonsense 19" stadia lines- hold, fire- combat effective.  

Every carbine optic should have a rapid range/BDC reticle.  I didn't want to grab an ACOG because the mounts and adjustments in my military experience were just not as durable as conventional ring mounts and conventional scope adjustments.  The TA31F reticle is bad ass.  It would be cool if Trijicon offered a 1-6 FFP with that reticle in a conventional scope with conventional mount compatibility at a price of sub $1100.  

The major problem with scopes in this category is that quality can be so hit and miss.  You could spend $500 on something like the Leupold VXR patrol, or $399 on some lesser known entity and it could be total garbage and a complete waste of money.  The VXR patrol, unlike the overpriced Mark 6, has a reticle that is to me value-less- almost like Leupold couldn't give you what Steiner is giving you here for that price because they feel some need to deprive the customer of that value.  The Mark-6 CQBSS has the CMR-W which is great, but you have to pay $2200 to get it which seems like a price that is $1000 higher than it should be, given the market competitors.  

I used to be a strictly Leupold Customer-  They used to make good stuff for affordable prices, but I just don't see the value there with the huge rift between the Budget VXR and the Mark 6's which I see as really optics that should be in the Mark 4 lineup and should be priced like Mark 4 scopes.


The Mark 4 line is aging, the Mark 8's should be priced like the Mark 6's, Mark 6's should be priced like Mark 4's (that way the customer looks at the competition and says, "I'll take a Leupold"). When I look at Mark 6's and 8's I think why not buy an S&B?   And maybe the military did too, the CSASS rifles appeared to be sporting S&B's.

Got the scope- it came with the free power change ring, and was sold under the mount promo.  The glass is probably Leupold MK4 quality.  The reticle illumination is very bright.  Nice off positions, the fast focus eyepiece is a nice touch.

Pretty happy with it.  I like the capped turrets- that way there is some confidence nothing slipped.  The magnification at 4 is a little light, but I think I'd put it up against or probably take it over a MKIV M2 SPR 1.5-5.    The reticle should be really fast to use.  very functional.

I put the Vortex covers on it.  I'll have to zip tie those to the tube, the rubber is too soft to stay put when the caps are actuated.