Primary Arms 5X Prism Scope Review

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Primary Arms SLX Compact 1x20 Prism Scope - ACSS-Cyclops

Silver-rated by the NTOA!
Glass etched reticle that works with illumination on or off
Partial reticle illumination with 11 brightness
CR2032 battery provides up to 13,000 hours of reticle illumination at medium settings
Forgiving eye box with nearly 4” of eye relief, and a bright 13mm exit pupil

Primary Arms 5X Prism Scope Review – Affordable Stylish and Reliable Riflescope

When you plan to purchase a riflescope you tend to end up in one of two places – the affordable ones around the $300 segment or the high-end ones above $1000. But it’s a common misconception you have to spend a huge sum if you want to get reliable optics. The perfect example is this Riflescope from Primary Arms.

We’ve taken a look at the Primary Arms 5x prism scope and broken down in detail for you below. The skinny of it is, great scope, that would suit all types of shooters.

With this one, Primary Arms have come up with a riflescope that is light in your pocket and light on your weapon. The fixed magnification means this is not for every shooting occasion, but this is nothing new with prism scopes. It makes a great scope for the AR platform. Without any complicated assembly requirements, this one is very convenient for first-timers, and comes ready with a mounting base installed. It’s always nice to have it out of the box and mounted on your rifle without too much fluffing around and reading manuals.

Not only that, the scope is a joy to use. This one does pack some great optics, easy controls and a lot more. It’s definitely one of the best prism scopes at this price point.

Features and Specs

Weight – 17.6 oz
Front and back covers for the optics
Easy to use rotating dioptre adjustment on the focal piece
Red and green illumination options and each with 5 brightness levels provided
Capped turrets for elevation and windage adjustments
Second focal plane design
Battery required -3V CR2032 Li coin battery
Audible clicks with click value ½ MOA
Magnification level fixed at 5x
Standard Picatinny rail mounting option provided with the base that comes

Is the Primary arms 5x prism scope the best affordable riflescope for medium range shooting?

This is pretty compact and lightweight in comparison with other riflescopes. The well-machined sturdy build feels nice and solid when you first grab it out of the box. The streamlined design with a matte finish on the exteriors is visually appealing and would also make your rifle look great.

The textured surface of the dials is a thoughtful design detail. It doesn’t just look good but also offers a functional advantage. When you try to operate the knobs with sweaty hands the texture provides a nice grip and so you would find it easy to use. In many more ways, this riflescope would end up surprising you with its simplicity and build quality.

A thoughtfully done design

The Primary arms 5x prism scope design is dotted with some tiny details that are very much useful when you start extensively using the riflescope. The dials are spaced out just enough so that you do not make erroneous changes, while also occupying little space. And the dial sizes are also done right and they are neither too big nor too small. So they are pretty convenient to use. We’d say it’s one of the best prism scopes in terms of design. One other such detail is the threads provided in the front of the objective lens to allow you to install a flash kill if required. It’s impressively designed for a scope at this price range. You can see more close up photos on Amazon.

Build quality

It is pretty tough inside out. The screws and the turret caps all have been made to complement the solid body. But then the front and back lens caps alone might appear cheap in comparison with the rest of the scope. Given the price, you can easily get them replaced if you want. But they do fulfill their job perfectly and prevent dust and dirt from damaging the lens.

Patented ACSS reticle

If you see some of the top model riflescopes from Primary Arms they come with the special patented ACSS reticle, short for Advanced Combined Sighting System. These are designed to be versatile reticles that perfectly blend the benefits of the various types of reticles that are already available in the market. This one doesn’t come with conventional crosshairs. There is a horseshoe that makes it easy to acquire your target. This also comes with bullet drop compensation that comes in handy for extended range applications. One of the most noted specialties of the ACSS reticle is the ability to adjust windage and capture moving target with the same accuracy and ease. And finally, the range estimation process is also automated so as to avoid errors. This is why the ACSS reticle has been one of the most popular and dependable choices.

Optics that you would be pleased with

One of the features that stands out in this prism scope is the crystal clear optics. For the given fixed magnification you would be able to view really sharp images without having to meddle with the controls to get a clearer view. The 18.80 ft of the field of view at 100 yards is decent enough for you to view the ambiance around the target and plan your shots. If you’re after a Prism Arms 5x hunting scope, we think you’d find this suits you perfectly.

As there are no parallax adjustments provided with prism scopes this one comes without any parallax issues in the range covered. The brightness of the image might appear slightly duller with the illumination turned on, in bright daylight. But then it doesn’t affect the clarity a bit. And details are also captured perfectly. With the illumination turned off, you would still have the dark black circle to help you focus and this does appear contrastingly sharp and easy to view.

Pros

This is a riflescope that comes with etched markings on the reticle. This is a very handy feature you would not find in many riflescopes. It comes in handy when you wish to save power and turn off the riflescope. So the markings are still there even without the illumination.
The dioptre adjustment is very easy to access provided conveniently at the focal piece. It feels rigid and so setting the right level is pretty easy.
The caps for the turrets are also made of aluminum and these are tethered. And they fit on the rings really tight.So there is no risk of losing them. And the turns feel solid and can be adjusted only with a screwdriver. This means that you would not be accidentally changing the settings
Mounting the scope is so simple that it takes hardly few moments. Place it in a position where you want it and tighten the screws and you are good to go.
The riflescope holds zero perfectly and this is something you would notice and like about this scope once you start using it more.
To mount this riflescope on other rifles that do not support Picatinny rails there is the option to remove the default base. It can then be used along with QD, ACOG and other standard aftermarket bases as well. There are carry handle screws provided and can be used if you wish to add AR15/M16 carry handles.

Cons

The rear cover of the lens feels a bit lose when you open and shut the tethered cap. You could also buy separate covers for the lenses if required.
The gap behind the dioptre dial is a place that catches dust. It doesn’t really affect the performance or get anywhere near the lens though. You could purchase rubber rings to be fixed in this ridge to prevent your scope from getting dusty.
There is a mild play in the dial for brightness adjustment but that doesn’t bother your operation.
The eye relief is something that not everyone would like. You would have to get real close to get a better view and this might sometimes be a problem as it would restrict the position where you mount the scope on your rail. And the eye relief on this one is not very forgiving. But this is something you can get used to once you start using the scope
The glass tends to fog slightly when the weather gets cold and this might blur your view, especially at the edges.

You might also like our articles Vortex Spitfire 1x, Vortex Crossfire II 2-7×32 review and Vortex Crossfire II 3-9×40 review.

Conclusion

Primary arms 5x prism scope is best suited not just for the hunters but also for the recreational users. The ease of using this would impress anyone looking for a riflescope that can give them a repeatability that helps improve the precision in their shooting. And for the price tag, it bears there has been no compromise on the quality nor the features. So this is definitely a steal deal, something that is hard to find in a market where the top riflescopes would require you to spend thousands of dollars.

Besides all the unique aspects that this scope has been fed with it also carries some of the standard features you would find in the expensive models, like the rugged construction quality, waterproof design and more. When you get all of this plus the advantage of adding more sights and lights on your Picatinny rail, you would definitely find this to be a valuable addition to your rifle accessories collection.

Primary Arms 5X Prism Scope Review – [Pros & Cons]