Steiner is known for its precision optics for hunting, tactical and military uses. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Shooting Illustrated selected the Steiner P4Xi for their Optic of the Year award. The 2018 NRA Golden Bullseye Award will be given to the P4Xi at the upcoming NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Dallas Texas.
Historically, scopes for tactical uses were either red dot sights or high magnification optics. The red-dots were and are usually affordable but do not offer magnification.
The high mag shooting optics were something like a 5-25x scope which ripped a huge hole into your pocket. Over the last years, new optics have entered the tactical market that offers reasonable magnification at a much more affordable price point.
Both scopes are excellent choices for tactical uses. Depending on your requirements you can choose a close-quarter or longer range scope that is rugged and offers excellent imagery. They are waterproof, fog proof and shockproof and built to withstand a rough environment as you’d often experience for tactical uses.
If you are looking for a tactical scope today you can find a good range of optics for short and medium distances. They offer magnification as well as high-quality glass and optics. Modern tactical scopes like the Steiner P4Xi also offer illuminated reticles combined with superb clarity packed into a lightweight yet sturdy scope.
P4Xi 1-4×24
The P4Xi line offers two models. The 1-4×24 is lightweight and has a 1-4 magnification with a 24mm objective lens. It features clear and quick target acquisition for low to medium range distances. This scope realistically works well for closer ranges out to 400 yards or so.
The 1-4x version predestined to be used for law enforcement and self-defense applications. It’s built compact yet sturdy and measures around 10 inches in length. The tube measures 30 mm in diameter allowing a lot of light to come through for a vivid image.
P4Xi 4-16×56
The other model is the P4Xi 4-16×56. This scope is clearly made for medium to longer distances under more challenging conditions.
The magnification combined with the outstanding clarity of the target image makes it easy to use that scope for long range shooting. Yet, the price is that the scope is certainly substantially larger than its smaller sibling. It measures nearly 15 inches in length and sports a 34 mm main tube.
Reticle
The reticles on the scopes are illuminated with 11 brightness settings. These are designed to offer you 5 daytime levels, 4 low light settings and 2 night-vision brightness levels. There are off positions between each setting on the dial making it easy and convenient to adjust the brightness levels or switching the illumination off to save battery.
The reticle on the 1-4 model is on the second focal plane while the 4-16 model has the reticle on the first focal plane. This offers the best targeting performance based on their intended use.
On the 1-4 you can get the illuminated P3TF reticle while the other model has a Special Competition Reticle (SCR) which is only available on Steiner scopes. The higher magnification version of the P4Xi also offers side parallax adjustments due to being used for longer distances.
Technical Specs
| P4Xi 1-4×24 | P4Xi 4-16×56 | |
|---|---|---|
| Magnification | 1-4x | 4-16x |
| Reticle | P3TR | SCR |
| Objective Lens | 24mm | 56mm |
| Focal Plane | 2nd | 1st |
| Tube Diameter | 30mm | 34mm |
| Field of View at 100 yards | 110 – 27.5 | 27.5 – 6.9 |
| Length | 10.3 in | 14.6 in |
| Weight | 17.3 oz | 30 oz |
| Elevation Range | 100 MOA | 30 MIL |
| Windage Range | 100 MOA | 16 MIL |
| Windage/Elevation Click Value | .05 MOA | 1 cm |
