As 3 Gun shooting becomes more and more popular, people are demanding more out of their guns. However, without the proper optic, the shooter can only ask so much. The Atibal X is a 1-10 power optic that can do it all for shooters that appreciate a run-and-gun style while demanding performance both up close and personal as well as out to 500-600 yards or more, making this optic perfect for recreational shooters and law enforcement alike. Because of the 10x power range and true 1X base power, a shooter can turn the daylight bright illuminated reticle on and gun down close targets on 1X as if they were using a red dot. On the other hand, the power can be cranked all the way up to 10X and either dialed for distance, or the holdovers in the reticle can be used to hit targets at extended ranges. This speed and versatility make the Atibal X the best optic for this application. There are only 2 other LPVO (low power variable optics) FFP 1-10 power optics out there to my knowledge, and you are going to have to pay a LOT more than $800 for them. So that only leaves one question for me to test: does the Atibal X perform?
Yes. The Atibal X performed well, handling a ridiculous amount of abuse with repeatable tracking. I didn’t want to wait to give you this verdict because I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an LPVO that can do it all at a reasonable price. This said, stick around for the supporting information to my claim.
Interesting Features
The Atibal X utilizes an FFP (first focal plane) reticle design in order to create an optic that is user-friendly to operate because the holdover values will be accurate across the power range. The other advantage of the FFP design is the ability to use it in two completely different ways. When on 1X, the lighted up interrupted diamond reticle encompassing the crosshair draws the eye to the center of the optic for use similar to a red dot. On the flip side, you can crank the power to 10x and you have a fine reticle with a floating center dot and mil holdovers which are very precise for long-range shooting. The illumination setting on the X range from night vision friendly to a true daylight bright with 6 total settings that have an off position in between each illumination adjustment.
Because the Atibal X is an LPVO, there is no parallax adjustment. However, because of the physics involved in having a large 10x power range, there needed to be a way to focus the optic. This is accomplished with a fast-focus eyepiece that has a more-than-normal amount of adjustment. I set mine for around 300 yards on 10X and found that I wasn’t needing to adjust it for shots beyond 100 yards, but this will likely vary due to differences in people’s eyesight.
The turrets on the Atibal X are very user-friendly and idiot-proof with their clear markings and locking system. To me, the most important feature that I want in an optic is some way to keep accidental adjustments to the turrets from happening, and these fit that bill. To adjust both the elevation and windage turrets, simply lift up on them to unlock them, turn to the desired adjustment and then push the turret back down to re-lock it. On top of this locking system, the Atibal X has very tactile turrets that click clearly at each adjustment, making it easy to dial to the desired position without looking.
This optic is made to fit any niche that the purchaser has in mind, so the integrated throw lever on the magnification ring makes it extremely easy to make quick, deliberate adjustments in a run and gun situation. The other small details that add to the quality of this scope include a 35mm main tube, an add-on honeycomb kill flash or sunshade, low dispersion ED glass, and Atibal’s amazing Full Lifetime Warranty. If your optic breaks or is defective for some reason that affects the performance of the scope, they will replace your optic that is covered with the lifetime warranty; no questions asked.
Performance in the Field
When do you buy a product and get more value than what you paid for? When you buy an Atibal X! Because it is the cheapest option out there for a 10x zoom and a 1-10x power range, I expected that to reflect in the glass clarity, but I was very wrong. This optic is extremely clear across the whole power range and on 1 power, it functions similarly to a red dot because there is no edge distortion and the image behind the scope is transferred at a perfect 1x to the eye.
I found myself using the illumination in the Atibal X a lot more often than I thought I would. Even in bright, direct daylight, I would strike up the illumination on the highest setting and could still see it perfectly, drawing my eye to the center of the scope. When using the optic in this manner, it benefited me most when I was shooting for speed. On paper or steel targets, I would ignore the crosshair and center the illuminated interrupted diamond around them and pull the trigger. Also, because of the extremely large eye relief, I was able to keep a solid sight picture in even the most uncomfortable positions. This versatility makes this optic perfect for a DMR type platform.
I really started testing the abilities of the Atibal X by slapping it on a long-range rifle. As extreme as my testing was for this optic by doing this, I feel that it is worth the while to know how it tracks. I am currently building a braced, bolt-action pistol that I want to shoot long range with; and the Atibal X would be the perfect, light and small package to complement this build. However, I wanted to test its capabilities first. After slinging dozens of rounds downrange, I found this optic to be extremely repeatable, always returning to my correct zero. Because of the easy to use reticle and tactical-style turrets, making my adjustments were simple and effective. It seemed to track well throughout my shooting, but that would be quantified by the next test.
Turret Tracking Accuracy
As with all of my rifle optics tests, I checked the most important aspect of the Atibal X 1-10×30 (in my opinion) using a tall target test in order to determine the scope’s tracking accuracy. The first step in this test is to mount the optic on the gun using a bubble level and plumb bob. This has to correlate to a rifle mounted bubble level which will be used in the field to level the optic. Next, I prepare a gridded target with some measurements. This helps me level the target while in the field for the test. It is important to use a precise rifle for this test to minimize any kind of error. For this purpose, I used my Savage target rifle with criterion barrel chambered in 308 Winchester. For ammunition, I used some hand loads pushing 185 grain Berger juggernaut OTM tactical projectiles, Lapua brass, and Varget rifle powder.
Next, I set up my shooting position about 100 yards away and then laser rangefind the distance with multiple rangefinders to confirm the range. For this purpose, I use a Leupold RX2800 TBR/W and a Leica 1600 B. I determined the distance to be 100.0 yards this way. This distance will then be used later in my math to determine the tracking accuracy of the optic.
From here, I shoot. In this test, I fired 3 rounds at my point of aim at the bottom center of the target. Next, I dialed up 10.0 mils on the turret and fired a 3 shot group while aiming at my original point of aim, all while keeping the gun level. Immediately after, I dialed back down 10.0 mils and fired a 3 shot group in a similar fashion. The distance between these two groups will be used to check the tracking accuracy of the elevation turret of the Atibal X. Any deviation from my vertical line will also be noted in the test.
In this same string of fire, I then dialed the windage to the left 5 mils and fired a 3 shot group. Immediately after I dialed back to the right to meet my original zero and fired another 3 shots at the original point of aim. Again, this distance between these two groups will be used to test the tracking accuracy of the windage turret and any deviation under or above the horizontal line will be noted.
In my test, both the windage and elevation groups were rotated about the origin in the clockwise direction an equal amount. I will attribute this result to a slightly incorrectly mounted bubble level. This result then shows that the elevation and windage turrets both track true in the y and x-direction respectively.
The formula that is used to draw my conclusions from this test is as follows:
***Distance from target x MRAD value dialed x MRAD to inches conversion factor = expected point of impact in inches***
After measuring the distance between the reference group and test group on the X and Y axis, I found the distances to be 20.3125” and 36.875” respectively. Using the equation, I found that I should expect the elevation’s distance of travel at 100 yards (confirmed with 2 different rangefinders) to be 36” which means that the elevation turret tracked with 97.6% accuracy in my test. Given the number of variables that I cannot control, this is great performance shown by the Atibal X.
***100 yards x 10 mil x 0.036 inches/mil*yard = 36 inches***
Using the same equation, I calculated the expected distance between the reference group and test group on the X-axis to be 18”. Given that the experimental distance is 20.3125”, this means that the windage turret tracked with 88.6% accuracy in my test.
***100 yards x 5 mil x 0.036 inches/mil*yard = 18 inches***
Final Verdict
The Atibal X has taken the 3 gun world by storm, and for justifiable reasons! This optic is extremely rugged, repeatable and versatile with its 10X power range. The fact that it can basically be used as a red dot and a long-range optic at the drop of a hat makes this one of the most well-rounded optics on the market, especially at its obtainable $799.99 price point. I tested the turret tracking accuracy to the extreme for what this optic is, quite frankly, and it still performed well in the elevation range. With my particular optic, I would still shoot long range with it on the right platform, but I would most likely hold wind values in the reticle. That said, another feature that makes this optic great is its FFP setup, allowing you to use accurate holdovers on any magnification setting. Overall, I would definitely recommend this product to someone who was looking for an optic that performs in these areas that the Atibal X shines.
Specifications and Features
- Lifetime Warranty
- Daylight Bright Illumination
- 0.25 MIL center dot with BDC of 5 MILs of drop
- 6 illuminated reticle brightness settings
- ED glass with a fully multi-coated lens
- locking target turrets for windage and elevation adjustments
- Fog, Water and Shockproof
- 1-10x magnification
- 30mm objective lens
- 3.6-5.5″ eye relief
- Field of View: 101ft @ 1x – 10.1ft @ 10x
- 35mm main tube diameter
- 1/10 MIL click adjustments
- 54 MIL max elevation adjustment
- 52 MIL max windage adjustment
- 21.1 oz weight
- 10.1″ length
- 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum construction
- MSRP: $799.99
