ZeroTech Vengeance 1-6x24 rifle scope
Vernon Cogswell of Wild Safaris was pretty happy about shooting this big boar. He used a ZeroTech 1-6x24 scope (Dylan Smith photo)

Review: ZeroTech Vengeance 1-6×24 rifle scope


A compact, low-range variable scope is one of the most useful hunting optics you can put on a rifle for hunting in the Australian bush, and ZeroTech’s Vengeance 1-6×24 fills the role well with its perfectly suited illuminated reticle.

I tested this scope on a four-day hunt in typical Aussie terrain, with a mixture of open and forested country as well as flats and steep hills. I always had the option of carrying the rifle with the 1-6x or one with a 6-24x, but the only time I took the larger scope was when I specifically went hunting pigs on open cropland where shots would be longer than 200m.

ZeroTech Vengeance 1-6x24 rifle scope
The ZeroTech Vengeance 1-6×24 rifle scope is a nice, compact optic. Note the throw-lever mounted on the magnification ring; it can be removed

The rest of the time, the 1-6x provided exactly the right range of magnification — especially at the critical moment when I shot a buck just 20m away in the forest. I later watched someone fail to get a shot at bucks in dense scrub with the 6-24x, while I knew I could have taken one there with the 1-6x.

A low-range scope is often under-estimated by hunters who think they need to see the whites of the eyes of their quarry, when the truth is that all you need to do is put the crosshairs on a relatively large vital zone and squeeze the trigger. Even a 1-4x is a good proposition for big game up to 200m away or more. 

The Vengeance line is ZeroTech’s entry-level series at a lower price point but it’s no cheapie. The $699 price is nothing particularly high these days but the specifications of this scope are a long way from base-level, with a 30mm main tube providing an ample 80 MOA of reticle adjustment, a first focal plane reticle, illumination, capped turrets that can be re-set to your rifle’s zero and more. 

Naturally, the lenses are fully multi-coated and the scope is well sealed and filled with argon to ensure it’ll keep water out and not fog up. The view is very clear and there is nothing to complain about on that score. 

ZeroTech Vengeance 1-6x24 rifle scope
The scope’s turrets are capped for protection

The objective lens may be small but in a low-power scope like this, even wound up to 6x, the exit pupil is 4mm wide, allowing plenty of light through to your eye in daylight and not becoming overly critical for your eye’s position behind it. 

Even when the light does fade, winding back to 4x is about as far as you’ll ever need to go to get maximum light transmission. 

The reticle, being in the first focal plane, grows as you increase magnification, and it has been designed so that it functions well right through the range. 

At low magnification, the thick outer bars taper to points, pointing your aim towards the middle of the reticle. The clutter of lines, bars and numbers in the centre is small enough to blend into a shape that continues to draw your eye centre-ward, and the broken circle around the central dot further helps you. 

ZeroTech Vengeance 1-6x24 rifle scope
The RAR reticle in the first focal plane works well at low magnification and has useful graduations for high-magnification shooting

The circle is 12 MOA in diameter. The circle and the middle dot light up red, getting brighter as you rotate the left-side turret’s dial. 

I would prefer the circle to be complete because when aiming quickly, almost instinctively, the optical illusion of distortion provided by the broken circle fooled me into aiming low. Once I realised what I was doing I corrected myself and had no trouble.

At the other end of the range at 6x, the reticle is enlarged to the point that the lines, bars and numbers in the middle are clearly legible and very useful. The aiming point’s dot is a .75 MOA circle that’s not big enough to obscure a target unless you’re rabbit shooting at 300m-plus, and if you’re doing that with this scope you’ve probably missed the point. 

The lines and bars have specified widths and thicknesses in MOA, detailed in the owner’s book and online, and they are accurate at all magnifications because of the FFP design. It’s ideal for estimating sizes, ranges and holdover. 

The more I used the scope, the more I liked the reticle, which is very well designed for its role in a 1-6x FFP scope. 

ZeroTech Vengeance 1-6x24 rifle scope
Low turrets are clearly marked for adjustment and can be reset to zero after sighting in your rifle

The turrets are capped to avoid being knocked about. Remove the caps and you can make adjustments in 0.5 MOA increments, which are clearly marked on the scales. With a Allen key, you can turn the scales back to zero after you’ve sighted in your rifle. You can of course use the turrets to dial in any holdover you may need for longer shots but it’s quicker and easier to use the well-marked reticle instead. 

ZeroTech supplies a screw-in throw lever that you can attached to the magnification ring. It works fine and some people will like it but I preferred to do without the protrusion; you don’t need it to turn the ring.

The diopter can be adjusted for focus by loosening a lock ring and turning the whole housing. It guarantees the focus won’t be inadvertently moved. It’s not quite as convenient as a fast-focus setup but the difference in clarity from 1x to 6x isn’t that great and I didn’t feel handicapped. 

The very generous 100mm of eye relief is particularly good if you’re planning to fit this scope to a hard-kicking big game rifle like a .375 H&H or larger. 

ZeroTech Vengeance 1-6x24 rifle scope
Diopter focus is fixed using a lock ring

ZeroTech’s quality is good and its backup is excellent. These things have become a point of pride for the Australian company and have won it many followers. 

The Vengeance 1-6×24 is spot-on for mounting on a quick-firing rifle for close shooting as well as any rifle you’re going to use in medium to thick bush. Never under-estimate a low-power variable scope, especially one as well specified as this ZeroTech. 

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Manufacturer: ZeroTech (Australian owned, Chinese made)
  • Magnification: 1-6x
  • Objective lens: 24mm
  • Reticle: RAR, FFP, illuminated
  • Lenses: Fully multi-coated
  • Tube diameter: 30mm
  • Adjustments: ½ MOA increments, 80 MOA range
  • Field of view: 31m-5m @ 100m
  • Exit pupil: 24-4mm
  • Eye relief: 100mm
  • Length: 244mm
  • Weight: 588g
  • RRP: $699 
  • Website: ZeroTech
  • Distributor: TSA Outdoors

 

 

 


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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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