For this review, we tried out the new Primary Arms SLx 1-6×24 Gen IV LVPO scope with the NOVA reticle.
This scope won the 2024 ICA award for the scope of the year. Yes, scope of the year. And better yet, it has an affordable price.
So obviously, it must be good, right? We took it through the paces at the range to see for ourselves.
Keep reading to find out if this scope really is that good, even though it has a budget price tag.
Primary Arms SLx 1-6×24 Gen IV Scope Review
The Primary Arms SLx 1-6×24 Gen IV family of scopes is the fourth generation of the SLx level of scopes. The SLx family (or Silver level) is the more affordable level, while the GLx (Gold) and PLx (Platinum) are the premium versions.
I love how Primary Arms continues to make improvements in the features and value of their optics. Instead of just milking a product for as long as they can, they listen to their customers and improve on what they have. This scope is no different, and it has something that no other scope in this price range has.
Here is a quick rundown of the specs on this scope:
- Model: PA-SLX-1-6×24 NOVA
- Overall Length: 10.4 inches
- Weight: 17.9 OZ
- Tube Mounting Diameter: 30mm
- Magnification: 1x-6x
- Focal Plane: Second Focal Plane
- Objective Lens Diameter: 24mm
- Exit Pupil: 10.6mm-3.8mm
- Eye Relief: Up to 4 inches
- Windage/Elevation range: 120 MOA
- Field of View @ 100 Yards: 120 feet to 20 feet
- Illumination: Red – 11 levels
- Zero Adjustment: 0.1 MIL per click
- Warranty: Lifetime
- MSRP: $339.99
LPVO (Low Power Variable Optic) scopes typically have a variable magnification range that the user sets with a lever on the back of the scope. The range starts at no magnification (1X) and increases to 6 or even 10 times magnification (6X or 10X).
This scope is quickly adjustable between 1X and 6X. Plus, it has an illuminated dot in the center of the scope that can be used similarly to a red dot for quick, close-range shots.
Initial Impressions
This is a good-looking scope. I like the design of the turrets and the brightness adjustment knob. It also comes with flip-up lens covers to protect the scope glass when not in use.
The finish looks great, and the logo design is subtle. It feels robust and well made, not cheap looking at all. It goes well with any mil standard black receiver.
The manuals that come with the scope are laid out well, and a lens cleaning cloth is also included. One manual explains the setup and operation of the scope, and the other explains the reticle in detail.
It does not come with a mount, as most scopes do not, so just keep this in mind.
The throw lever to adjust the magnification immediately felt a little short to me. I added the Primary Arms Slide Mount Magnification Flip Lever to give me a little more leverage when adjusting it. Plus, it flips down out of the way when I don’t need it.
Mounting
This scope has a standard 30mm tube, so any standard 30mm mount will work. I like a cantilever style mount for AR platform rifles since it makes mounting easy. Plus, they look great and are robust as well.
I went with the Primary Arms SLx Cantilever 1.5” 30mm Mount and mounted it to one of my budget AR-15s just to get the feel of a full budget-minded setup.
Mounting it was easy; I just made sure my rifle was level and then leveled the scope in the mount. I torqued the screws with my Real Avid Torque Wrench and headed to the range.
Features
There are a few features that stand out to me:
- Diopter Adjustment
- Zero Adjustment Turrets
- The NOVA Reticle
The end of the scope that you look through has a lens that is adjustable, called a Reticle Focus/Diopter adjustment, that allows the user to adjust the scope to their vision. Since everyone is different, this is a great feature to have in a budget level scope.
This allowed me to get the reticle clear and crisp. It was interesting because as me and Blake tried it, we both readjusted it, so it is helpful. The manual has good instructions on how to set it by looking at a neutral background while opening and closing my eyes.
I also like the zero-adjustment turrets. Each one has an aluminum cover that screws into place. This keeps dirt and water out of the adjustment knobs. They felt robust when tightening them, and it didn’t feel like I was going to break them if I torqued them too hard.
Adjusting zero is easy to make without any tools, and there is a nice click I could feel for each increment. The adjustment increment (in this case 0.1 Mil per click) is marked beside the turrets so I don’t have to remember it or refer to a manual.
The best feature is the ACSS Nova reticle…
The ACSS NOVA Reticle
Primary Arms has designed some of my favorite reticles in the past.
(Take our favorite concealed carry red dot, for example, the Holosun 507C with the ACSS reticle.)
This reticle takes the best from longer-range reticles and combines it with the best short-range optic, the red dot.
Overall, it is a simple crosshair design with a single illuminated dot in the middle. The dot can be turned off or adjusted with 11 different intensity settings with the knob on the side of the scope.
I like the simplicity of the crosshair. It immediately draws my eye to the center, and it is not cluttered with other circles and such.
But it is much more than just a crosshair. It has a series of stadia and hash marks.
Below the crosshairs are ranging hash marks. There are three sets that allow me to judge the distance to a target that is approximately 18” wide (full silhouette steel target or shoulder width).
The first line, or MIL Stadia, is the width of an 18” target at 300 yards. The second line is 400 yards, the third is 500 yards, and the fourth is 600 yards.
With this feature, I don’t need a separate range finder to determine the distance to my target. Plus, depending on how I zero my rifle, I can use these as direct holds to hit my target at long ranges.
To the left and right of the crosshairs, there are three hash marks for moving target holds. Each mark away from the center is for 3, 6, and 9 MPH (walk, run, sprint) and is most accurate with targets between 100 and 300 yards.
Keep in mind that this is a single-focus plane optic, which means that the hash marks and MIL Stadia are only accurate at full 6X magnification.
The illuminated dot in the center is what really sets this scope apart from the others. When I set the scope at 1X magnification, it effectively becomes a red dot for short range shooting. This makes it a great option for a multi-use rifle since it has both short and long-range capability.
Shooting with the Primary Arms SLx 1-6×24 Gen IV Scope
Me and Blake took this scope to the range mounted to our BCA AR-15.
(You can read more about it here in our Bear Creek Arsenal AR-15 Review.)
When we first looked through the scope, the glass was very clear. There is some slight distortion when I look at the outer diameter of the scope, but it is barely noticeable.
We zeroed it at 50 yards initially just to get a feel for it. We were off paper a bit, so I dropped in my laser bore sight to get it on paper.
Zeroing this scope was easy. I just unscrewed the turret caps and turned the adjustment knobs. After a few three shot groups, we had it zeroed.
We first took a few precision shots at 50 yards to see how tight our groups were. While we are certainly not long-range competition shooters, I think this group is pretty good.
We then took it to shorter ranges to see how we shot with the illuminated dot at 1X magnification.
The advantage of using a red dot on a rifle is you can quickly acquire targets by just putting the dot on the target.
Red dots have the advantage here since they are very easy to see. The length of most red dots optics is very short compared to scopes. This results in them being more forgiving when aligning my eye to look through them.
Scopes have a certain amount of “eye box,” meaning that to see through the scope, my eye must be aligned with the scope to see “through” it. This scope is almost 11 inches long, so it is not very forgiving here compared to a red dot.
When my eye is not completely aligned, I just see black and can’t see the reticle.
However, when I keep both eyes open like I am shooting a traditional dot, I can see the dot in this scope before I can see through the scope and the reticle.
This makes picking up and shooting targets much faster than other LVPO scopes since I just look for the dot.
This scope is almost as good as a red dot at close range. It’s not quite as good as a Primary Arms MicroPrism or a Sig Romeo5, but it’s still pretty good.
What we Like
There is a lot to like about this scope.
- Price: With an MSRP of less than $340, this is a great price for a variable scope with an illuminated reticle. Primary Arms often has sales that make this scope even cheaper (keep an eye on our Deals Page.)
- Warranty: This scope comes with a lifetime warranty, so there is no worry about durability or wasting money on a cheaper scope.
- Reticle: The reticle is clean and uncluttered but still has useful ranging and moving target leads built in.
- Dot Brightness: The innovative “Fiber Wire Reticle” is daylight bright even on a sunny day. It is similar in brightness to a red dot.
- Versatility: We were able to shoot at targets over 100 yards away and then transition to targets at close range with the aid of the dot with the same scope.
What We Don’t Like
There are a few things that we didn’t like:
- Magnification Lever Shape: The included lever is short and not very easy to use. The extended flip lever that we installed is a must-have.
- Stiffness of Magnification Lever: Adjusting the magnification does take quite a bit of torque. The extended flip lever does help with this as well.
- Not Compatible with Night Vision: This scope does not have night vision compatible brightness levels. Not a huge deal for us but could be for you.
Our Thoughts on the Primary Arms SLx 1-6×24 Gen IV Scope
Overall, we really like this scope as a “do it all” option. While, typically, scopes are not good for short ranges, and red dots are not good at longer ranges, this scope bridges the gap.
We found that we could easily engage targets at 100 yards, and then dial it back and use the dot for quick close-range shots. It also works great for targets in the 25 to 50-yard range with or without the dot turned on.
If you are looking for an optic that will work at longer ranges but is also very capable at short ranges, this is the scope for you. Considering the budget price and lifetime warranty, it is hard to recommend anything else as a “do it all” option. It is also one of our favorite scopes in our Best Home Defense AR-15 Setup guide.
It would make a great option if you plan to build a budget AR-15 as well (see our Budget AR-15 Build Guide for some money saving strategies).
We would like to thank AmmunitionToGo.com for providing the ammo that we used to test this rifle at the range. We used Fiocchi M193 5.56 ammo for most of our testing since it is a standard NATO round.
Now, take a look at our other Self Defense Guides and Reviews for more AR-15 related guides.
