GPO Spectra 6x 45-27x50 PLRi review

Review: GPO Spectra 6x 4.5-27x50i PLRi rifle scope


The GPO Spectra 6x 4.5-27x50i PLRi rifle scope is a well-designed and precisely engineered long-range scope full of desirable features, from its FFP reticle to its fast controls. 

With the growing popularity of six-fold magnification ranges in rifle scopes, the 4.5-27x size has become a staple for good reason, providing a wide enough view at 4.5x for anything you’d expect a long-range rifle to be pointed at, and at 27x, extremely precise aiming at targets well past 1000m.

GPO Spectra 6x 45-27x50 PLRi review
The GPO Specctra 6x 4.5-27×50 is a dedicated long-range scope that provides excellent precision

It’s arguably the best spec for practical long-range shooting and GPO, with this Spectra 6x, has fielded a scope that well and truly fits the role.

This Spectra 6x uses a 34mm main tube, enabling GPO to fit a larger erector with more range of adjustment for the reticle. 

The adjustment allows more than enough elevation range to fit a 20MOA (roughly 6 MRAD) rail, although with its total of 32 MRAD of both elevation and windage adjustment a flat rail will suit everyone except the most extreme long-range fans.

After zeroing, you can reset the turrets to zero without tools. Inside the elevation turret, a zero-stop mechanism can be set in moments using a 1.5mm Allen key. 

GPO Spectra 6x 45-27x50 PLRi review
Setting the zero stop takes moments and only requires a 1.5mm Allen key after removing the turret top by hand

The turrets move in or out as you wind them, and are quite tall, protruding about 35mm from their zeroed positions. They’re bigger than I’d want on a walk-around rifle but their size is a benefit for grip and rapid adjustment — perfect on a rifle you are lying behind or have mounted on a rest.

They remain locked and immovable until you pop them out slightly, so accidental adjustments won’t occur.

The clear, white markings on the black body are easily read and the scale enables you to quickly pick the 0.1 MRAD markings between the main 0.5 and 1.0 increments, so you land quickly on the required aiming adjustment. 

The click adjustments are dependably accurate. The round-the-square shooting test used 1 MRAD of adjustment each time and the bullets all hit 1 MRAD apart (ie, 10cm at the 100m range), plus or minus 0.1 MRAD, which is well within the accuracy potential of the rifle and ammo combo I was using. 

GPO Spectra 6x 45-27x50 PLRi review
Testing showed the adjustments are perfectly accurate and repeatable, and they match the scale on the reticle

In addition, the reticle’s hash marks overlaid the square perfectly. It’s particularly gratifying when the clicks match the marks so accurately.  

The PLRi reticle is a great all-round long-range design with a cascading tree of windage and elevation holdovers below the crosshairs, clear and consistent marks spaced at 0.5 MRAD increments on the main crosshairs and 0.25 MRAD on the lower horizontal wires. 

Its central dot floats in 0.5 MRAD of space between the ends of the wires and is small enough that it doesn’t obscure a rabbit-sized target at 400m. 

The scales remain consistent at all magnifications, of course, because the reticle is mounted in the first focal plane, and it doesn’t shrink too much for quick aiming at 4.5x magnification. 

GPO Spectra 6x 45-27x50 PLRi review
The PLRi reticle. The blue broken circle indicates the view at 27x magnification

The red illumination lights up everything except the outer wires, on a continuously variable reticle rather than steps. It’s not bright enough to stand out against a light background on a sunny day, when the reticle still appears black, but as soon as you scan into a shaded area it’s perfectly lit up to reveal the details. Shooting into highly contrasted scenes, I liked to have it lit up to full brightness to take advantage of this: it was never too bright and aiming point was always clear.

The 50mm objective lens creates an exit pupil of just 1.85mm diameter at full 27x magnification. It’s a factor of the scope’s dimensions, not its quality, and all similarly sized scopes are affected the same way. 

It will limit you if you’re varmint shooting in low light, but it is rare to be shooting competitively as the day is fading to night, so light transmission is not really the issue there, it’s more the ability to get your eye quickly lined up with such a small aperture. 

GPO Spectra 6x 45-27x50 PLRi review
The turrets have clearly marked scales that are easy to follow

All that means is it’s more important to have the scope mounted in the right place and your rifle set up to naturally put your eye in line with it; ensure your rings are the right height, the length of pull is correct and the comb is exactly where it needs to be to cradle your cheek properly.  

Depending on the available light, reducing the magnification will improve the visible light as well as reduce the critical positioning of your eye. Even on an overcast day, if there’s a few seconds to set up your shot, the big Spectra can be used very effectively if you remind yourself you don’t always need full magnification to shoot effectively. 

This is helped by the excellent, and above-average, light transmission of 92%.

The lenses and their coatings are beautifully clear, too, all the way to the edges. The benefits of sharpness right at the edge was highlighted during the test when I was looking for rabbits in blackberries 180m away and almost didn’t see one except that I noticed a hint of its rump and tail in the shadows. It was right on the outside of the view, just before I was about to scan the other way.

Overall, the optics are excellent. 

GPO Spectra 6x 45-27x50 PLRi review
The throw lever is bang in the centre of the adjustment range and facilitates very quick adjustment

The magnification ring comes with a throw lever fitted, but you can remove it if you wish. I’d leave it; it speeds up adjustment and, being mounted so it’s vertical in the centre of the adjustment range, it gives a tactile and visual reference of were you are in the scale from 4.5x to 27x. 

You have to throw it a bit less than 180° to get all the way. This is another feature of a well designed long-range scope. 

From the large range of reticle adjustment to the very accurate graduations of both the reticle and the erector; the very practical 4.5-27x magnification to the quick-throw zoom; the side-mounted parallax to the big, easily-gripped turrets, it’s a scope that gives you plenty of help to shoot quickly and accurately. 

The one thing it is not designed for is very low light but at all other times it’s spot on. 

GPO Spectra 6x 45-27x50 PLRi review

The GPO is designed, engineered and quality-controlled in Germany, with parts and glass sourced from GPO’s Asian sources. This helps keep the price lower, and while the 4.5-27×50 isn’t cheap at a recommended $2420, it sits competitively in its market segment where it’s easy to spend much more for this level of performance, design and quality.

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Manufacturer: German Precision Optics
  • Magnification: 4.5x to 27x
  • Objective lens: 50mm
  • Light transmission: 92%
  • Reticle: PLR illuminated, FFP
  • Adjustments: 0.1 MRAD, total 32 MRAD
  • Exit pupil: 1.9-9.5mm
  • Field of view: 1.3-7.4m @ 100m
  • Eye relief: 100mm 
  • Parallax adjustment: 25m to infinity
  • Tube diameter: 34mm
  • Length: 361mm
  • Weight: 880g
  • RRP: $2420
  • Distributor: Red Earth Distributions

 

 

 


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Mick Matheson

Mick grew up with guns and journalism, and has included both in his career. A life-long hunter, he has long-distant military experience and holds licence categories A, B and H. In the glory days of print media, he edited six national magazines in total, and has written about, photographed and filmed firearms and hunting for more than 15 years.

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