Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed a revolution in the long-range shooting world. The market is now flooded with budget-friendly, first focal plane rifle scopes that offer features once reserved for optics costing thousands. Yet, while names like Arken, Athlon, and Vortex have dominated this space, the truth remains: you often get what you pay for. Compromises are made in build quality, glass, or reliability. Oddly, one of the best scopes to challenge this norm has received almost no fanfare. The Primary Arms SLX 5-25×56 has been criminally under-marketed, with hardly any videos discussing its core features like internal adjustment. Intrigued by what it offered on paper, I decided to put it through my paces on my range guns and in several NRL 22 matches. Here’s my honest breakdown.
From the moment you unbox the SLX, the fit and finish feel incredibly premium for its price point. The one-piece 6061-T6 aluminum body and generous 34mm main tube feel solid in hand, providing a crucial platform for a massive 30 mils of internal elevation adjustment. To put that into perspective, that’s enough to dial a 6.5 Creedmoor out to well over 1,200 yards without a canted base. The control dials themselves have a satisfying bevel and texture, giving you the grip you need without being overly aggressive like on some scopes from brands like Element Optics. While the adjustments are a little on the stiffer side, they are smooth and consistent throughout the entire range, including the parallax that adjusts down to a mere 10 yards, a huge plus for rimfire shooters.
Optically, the SLX is a masterclass in balanced design. Its generous 4 inches of eye relief provides a comfortable and consistent position behind the gun, which is essential for rapid target acquisition in competition. The 56mm objective lens provides a clear, bright image, and the field of view shows in the scope’s resultant eyebox. While some competitors like the Vortex Strike Eagle or Arken EP5 might boast a slightly larger field of view, they often do so at the cost of a shallow eyebox. This is a huge problem when shooting from props or awkward positions. The SLX finds a great balance, making it incredibly easy to get behind and remain behind the scope.
The reticle and illumination also stand out in this price bracket. The ACSS Athena BPR MIL is a feature-packed, tree-style, first focal plane reticle. A signature feature is the Primary Arms chevron center point, which I found provided a very precise aiming point in NRL 22 matches. The illumination is a major selling point, with the entire reticle being illuminated (minus the thick outer stadia lines), and it remains sharp with very little light crossover. This is in stark contrast to many competitors that have sloppy illumination or only a tiny illuminated center dot. While I personally find the reticle a little too busy, especially at higher magnifications, it’s loaded with features like holdovers and ranging capabilities that a newer shooter will love on paper.
When it comes to image quality, the SLX performs on par with its price point. In good daylight, most shooters would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between it and a scope costing thousands more. As you push the magnification past 20x, you do begin to lose a bit of sharpness and brightness, and you may notice some slight purple fringing in high-contrast situations. These are normal trade-offs you would expect with a scope under $1,500. However, the SLX’s strengths lie in its practicality. While other scopes like the Element Helix and Burris RT-25 are excellent and have great reticles, their 30mm tubes offer significantly less internal adjustment. This is a crucial distinction, as a large amount of internal travel is a necessity for rimfire shooting.
Ultimately, the Primary Arms SLX 5-25×56 is an incredible value and a powerful contender in the budget optics space. It’s for the gun owner who wants a versatile, high-performance workhorse built on a rock-solid foundation. With its huge internal adjustment, forgiving eyebox, and outstanding illumination, it’s a balanced and refined product that doesn’t compromise on the features that truly matter. The final peace of mind comes from the company itself; Primary Arms is a large company, and I feel confident they will stand behind their product for years to come. If you’re looking for a scope that over-delivers, this is it. You can check it out and even get a free optic mount with your purchase by using the affiliate links below.
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