courtesy Trijicon

In the realm of those who loves guns, the concept of long-range shooting tends to have wildly varying definitions. To some shooters “long range” means anything beyond 250 yards; to others it means 1000 yards and beyond. And, of course, finding the space to make truly long range shots can be difficult for many gun owners. But if you are fortunate enough to have access to some wide open spaces you might be in the market for a solid precision long-range scope or long-range hunting scope (which are really quite similar things).

Enter the Trijicon Accupower 5-50×56 Extreme Long Range Riflescope.

courtesy Trijicon

Trijicon is one of my preferred scope manufacturers.They’ve hit a few home runs as of late, at least by my standards, so I was interested in trying out the new scope. The newest Accupower offers a variety of features designed to assist shooters in acquiring and engaging targets at greater distances than standard scopes allow. It isn’t just for PRS precision rifle guys, either, it’s geared toward long-range shooters both in the hunting and precision worlds and should definitely appeal to them all.

The optic’s aluminum body is manufactured from aircraft-quality, hard-anodized 6061-T6 aluminum with a matte black finish. This is a durable optic capable of withstanding scrapes and bangs on hunts or at the range; if you accidentally bounce your gun off a tree or platform, the Accupower is highly unlikely to fail. I’m not suggesting you drive over it with your truck, only saying it’s well-made, tough, and rugged.

courtesy Trijicon

As for optics, this Accupower has multi-coated glass extra low dispersion glass to reduce glare and increase light gathering. It has a 56mm objective lens, too, meaning light transmission in low-light conditions is truly superior. What you see through the glass will also remain true to color thanks to the Extreme Low Dispersion glass.

The MOA reticle has 0.5 MOA and 1.0 MOA stadia heights to facilitate speed ranging targets and 1/32 MOA stadia lines (stadia lines are the crosshairs and stadia height refers to the distance between lines). Each click is 0.125 MOA.

This is a second focal plane optic which basically means the reticle remains the same size as you bump up magnification thanks to its being placed closer to your eye, behind the magnification lens. That also means you cannot use holdover like you would with a first focal plane optic with the upside being you do have the ability to make more precise adjustments and will have a clearer, uncluttered view of your target. As with any skill, long-range shooting with a second focal plane optic requires practice.

courtesy Trijicon

So, how does it function while shooting? It seemed appropriate to mount it to the Palmetto State Armory .224 Valkyrie. Long story short, I’ve run it out to 1250 yards with fantastic success; say what you want about PSA but their Valkyrie has proven itself as one of the most capable models chambered in that cartridge currently on the market.

The Trijicon Accupower 5-50×56 Extreme Long Range Riflescope has exceptional clarity and a fantastic field of view. The company reports FOV – field of view – as being 21.2 to 2.1 feet at 100 yards which translates to a broad FOV, making it easier for hunters to see what’s coming and track movement of potential targets with minimal shifting.

It also has an illuminated reticle, a feature I love, and has five red and five green brightness settings. Those options allow you to adjust illumination to suit your specific needs rather than being stuck with only “on” or “off.”

courtesy Trijicon

This scope will add some weight to your gun; without the sunshade the optic weighs 38.4 ounces, a not-inconsiderable size (and of course I want the sunshade). Trijicon has won me over in the past with heavy scopes, though, with my skepticism at weight giving way to being impressed by the optic’s performance. This is another one of those times. Yes, it’s a bit heavier than some of its counterparts, but in this case it’s worth adding a few ounces to your load. As for specific measurements this optic is 16”x3.6”x2.9”.

Other features include eye relief of 3.5″ to 3.9″ and a parallax adjustment range of 10 yards to infinity. It also has Return to Zero, a feature that comes in quite handy.

courtesy Trijicon

How important is your long-range optic? It’s wiser to spend more money on a quality scope than on your rifle. Your rifle can be more budget-friendly; pour your cash into the glass.

Although it’s possible to nail longer shots with budget glass it can be exceedingly difficult. I’ve certainly done it, spent hours on end peering through sub-par glass and still rung steel past 1000 yards, but I don’t recommend it. If you want to be a top-tier shooter and/or a successful, ethical long-range hunter, you need high quality glass.

This particular optic is well worth the expense. If you’re unfamiliar with second focal plane optics it doesn’t take long to become accustomed to it; if you are familiar, well, there you go. I want exceptional clarity and FOV from a long range optic plus easy zero and an ability to hold zero over time. Oh, I also want adjustments to be simple and magnification that enables me to acquire targets quickly and accurately. Those might sound like basic requirements, but they aren’t as easy to fulfill as you might think.

courtesy Trijicon

For distance shooting the Trijicon Accupower 5-50×56 delivers. I’ve been pleased with it and look forward to using it at greater length including on a hunt (or two…or three…). If you want to ring steel at 1250 yards consistently, this optic will get you there. If you want to drop a muley at 750 yards, you can do that, too (assuming you have the skills for a single-shot, clean kill). Personally, I love long-range hunting, but that’s a debate for another day.

Bottom line? This is a stellar optic. If you’re a serious long-range shooter looking to invest in a high-quality, durable optic with precise milling, etching, and machining, you should take a closer look at this one.

Specifications: Trijicon Accupower 5-50×56 Extreme Long Range Riflescope

Model Number: RS50-C-1900030
Magnification: 5-50x
Objective Size: 56mm
Weight: 38.4oz (1,088.6g) without sunshade
Illumination Source: LED – 1 CR2032 Lithium Battery
Reticle Pattern: MOA Crosshair
Day Reticle Color: Red/Green
Night Reticle Color: Red/Green
Bindon Aiming Concept: No
Eye Relief: 3.5 – 3.9 in (89-100mm)
Field of View: 4.04° – 0.41°
Field of View @ 100 yards: 21.2- 2.1 ft @ 100 yds (7.1 – 0.7m @ 100m)
Adjustment @ 100 yards (clicks/in): 0.125 (1/8) MOA per click
Tube Size: 34mm
Housing Material: 6061-T6 black hard coat anodized
Batteries: 1 CR2032 Lithium Battery
Focal Plane: Second
Adjustment Range Elev.: 100 MOA Windage Adjustment (total) 50 MOA
Illumination Settings: 5 red and 5 green
Dimensions (LxWxH): 16 x 3.6 x 2.9 in (405.8 x 91.4 x 73.6mm)
Waterproof: 10ft (3m)
Parallax Adjustment Range: 10 yds to infinity
MSRP $2700.00

Ratings (out of 5 stars):

Quality: * * * * *
Trijicon’s quality control and manufacturing processes are undeniably superior.

Durability: * * * *
This optic is designed to withstand all manner of abuse and use. It has not been on the market long enough for me to put it through a true torture test (I’ve only had it for a short time). It is a rugged, well-made optic, though.

Glass: * * * * *
Crystalline clarity and stellar light transmission.

Reticle: * * * *
The MOA reticle and second focal plane design work well together for long-range use. The reticle does not hamper your ability to identify targets and stadia are clear and easy to use.

Overall: * * * * *
This is the third time Trijicon has released an optic I find absolutely fantastic recently. If you’re a long-range shooter or hunter this optic is a worthwhile investment.

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

21 COMMENTS

  1. Last time I tried a 56MM obj lense, a 5.5-22 power scope, it was way too much scope for me.

    99% of shooters would be best served by a 1-5X or a flavor of 10X

    • 1-5 or 10x is not a good choice for long range. Scope choice is dependent on use.

      I use 5-27x for 100 yard shooting

        • What works for you, doesnt work for others. Just because you cant use the scope doesnt mean i cant, etc..

  2. 2700 for a second focal plane otpic is going to be a tough sell outside of the F class and bench rest crowd

    • Saw one of these at a local shop for under $2k (plus tax of course). MSRP is almost always lots more than what you will actually pay.

  3. Well it’s only 6-3/4 times as expensive as the most expensive scope I’ve ever bought. Perhaps they could make a 10-40x for half the price?

    The Valkarie will never be a Creedmoor.

    Personally I’d consider ‘long range’ to be 300-1000 yards and over 1000 yards to be ‘extreme long range’. Most anybody can guesstimate drop and windage at 300 yards, so that’s ‘short range’. I guess you could call 300-500 yards ‘intermediate range’.

  4. Trjicon magnified scopes are excellent scopes. The glass is superb. The Accupoint/Accupower 2.5-10×56 is an excellent choice for hunting or target shooting. They can be had for under $800 (Accupower is cheaper as it uses a battery instead of tritium) The glass is superb and crystal clear. Not sure

  5. What a seemingly pointless optic. First of all, it’s second focal plane which is absolutely emetic for any scope meant to be used in a long range setting. Secondly, it has an unnecessarily high level of magnification. I’ve made hits out to 1000 yards on a 20″ plate using an 8x scope in the past, and my eyes are by no means good. If we follow the “1x per 100 yard” rule of thumb, we have an optic meant to be able to shoot out to 5000 yards which is not only currently impossible, but, should you choose to use this scope, would be actively detrimental, as it only has 100 MOA of overall elevation adjustment AND can’t use its reticle with any degree of certainty outside of either 5x or 50x. It seems to be an utter waste of resources to have this optic used anywhere outside of bench rest shooting or F Class. I might be looking at it from a very critical light, but it feels like a beginning long range shooter’s Spinal Tap-fueled wet dream. IT GOES UP TO 50!

    • It’s my understanding that the downside to first focal plane sco pes is that the cross hairs are magnified as well as the image so that in a 10 to 1 zoom ratio the cross hairs would be 10 times thicker at 50x than at 5x. That would make them invisible at 5x and way too thick at 50x.

      • Which is why I consider this magnification range to be useless. Hell, anything above 30x and the point of those scopes becomes increasingly difficult to get.

        • It’s good for seeing how much you’re shaking your point of aim.

          I don’t suppose a 1000 yard target appearing as though it was 100 feet away would be that much harder to hit than if it appeared to be 60 feet away.

  7. The heck is it with all the crappy links to words like “hunting” and “shooting”? I heard Farago sold this place, is it in “milk it for money mode”? Very tacky.

  8. I have never used this scope but I have used Night Force scopes at very high power such as the vari power that goes up to 42 power and I can tell you that in target shooting you can see aiming error that you cannot see with lower power scopes and or budget priced scopes. Believe me my scores when up dramatically using it at 42 power as it was crystal clear and absolutely breathtaking to look through and use. I was previously using scopes in the $450 dollar range and they were not even in the same ball park.

  9. I am shooting a tikka tac a1 6.5 cm . Using the 4.5-27×56
    Vortex razor hd gen 2. This is an moa reticle in first focal plane. The nice feature to a first focal plane is the moa subtensions are always correct at any zoom power
    This scope also has a very small but OPEN center at the cross hair. So if your target is small a.k.a. a ground rat. The cross hair doesn’t cover it up. No you cant see just behind the front should of a ground rat at 500 yrds but sure helps quessing whats behind the cross hairs. If im reading the redicle on the trijicon 5-50×56 even though its second focal if it is set at 40x the subtensions are also correct for hold overs and wind drift. BUT ONLY ON 40x I think it said .8 at 50x. If not set to 40x the distance from line to line will be off. The crosshair suntensions are MADE to be correct at 40x. I just wish this had the small open center like my razor. Id like to put it on a 50bmg. And with it long range starts at 1250 to the horizon.

  10. I’d never heard of Trijicon. Thought it might be a knock-off of some other brand. Turns out they’ve been made in Michigan since the 80s. (Shows what I know.) [Wanders off to check out more by Trijicon.]

    • Enjoy checking out their stuff. Trijicon is legendary. They have a lot of military contracts with optics such as the ACOG being used by the Marines. In the civilian world, they also have a big following as their products are super-rugged and yet boast top-tier quality and finesse. They are a good firm, even known to put Bible verses encoded on some of their stuff. Awesome company.

      The drawbacks of Trijicon are price and that you will usually end up owning more than one of their products as they do not make do-it-all solutions. Instead of making jack-of-all-trades products, they design products that to be master of one area. You can get a Trijicon product that is among the best-in-class for any specific use and application, but a jack of all trades solution.

      Example, Eotech HWS are jack-of-all trades solutions when you throw a 3x magnifier in. But I feel the Eotech combo is vastly inferior to a Trijicon ACOG 4x coupled with a Trijicon 1x red dot solution to match on top. For many applications, the military agrees with that assessment as they put their money in it. They just have deep pockets!

  11. Thanks for the Review. I’m looking for a higher magnification scope (currently using an Athlon Cronus 4.5-29×56) for target shooting from a bench with 1/8 MOA adjustability.

Comments are closed.