It’s no secret that the crew at GOHUNT gets to test a ton of gear to only offer gear that they believe in and trust in the field during the most critical parts of the hunt. Steiner Optics is a relatively new optics vendor to the GOHUNT Gear Shop, and while not always at the top of most optics conversations in the hunting community, they have been very prevalent in the military and law enforcement space with some of their tactical lines of optics. Steiner Optics are made of quality German glass, and most of the hunting optics line were coming straight from Germany — until now.

The Steiner H6Xi riflescope was released mid-fall in 2023. After being able to hold them in my hands and mount one on a rifle, I was quickly impressed by the quality of the scope. What I love most is the American flag on the top of the scope, noting that it was Made in America. Steiner Optics’s USA HQ is located in Greeley, Colorado, and every single T-series and H-series of riflescopes are coming from that building.

I have many reasons that this has become my favorite riflescope in the Gear Shop, but my opinion on riflescopes is similar to that of boots and packs - it all comes down to preferences. Every hunter out there has their own personal preferences on all types of gear, and riflescopes are no different. Power range, objective size, glass quality, tube diameter, turrets, illumination, reticle, etc., are all features that I take into account when selecting the right riflescope for my hunt. The main ones I consider are scope power, reticle, glass quality, and turret functionality. The H6Xi checks every box for me.

In talking to those at Steiner about the design of the scope, we learned that it was specifically made for the western hunter and extensively tested in the West in places as extreme as Alaska. It was developed from the T6Xi and made to be lighter, more rugged, featuring a hunting-specific reticle while also maintaining certain T6Xi attributes like first focal plane, 6x optical system, and German HD glass.

The 30 mm tube is milled from a 6061-T6 aluminum, keeping it lightweight and waterproof, fogproof and shockproof, as well as compact in design. The scope also features a locking diopter and parallax adjustment from 25 yards to infinity, so you will always have the clearest sight picture when looking through the scope. The HD German glass is extremely clear, and the scope features 92% light transmission, allowing you to have a few extra minutes in those low-light shot scenarios.

Other than the American flag, my favorite feature of the scope is the turrets. They are just plain crisp. At first, they may even seem too stiff, but that is by design. Each click has an audible sound, and because of the stiffness, there is no mushiness or play in between turret clicks. This gives me the confidence that when the adrenaline is pumping, I will dial to the correct MOA value and not miss my shot on an animal. Further, the turret shape itself has grooves that make it very easy to grip, even in wet conditions. The elevation turret only has one full rotation, which results in about 28 MOA. But, when I am dialed to 28 MOA, my Browning X-Bolt chambered in 300 PRC, shooting Hornady ELD-X 212gr bullets hits steel accurately at just over 1,000 yards — well beyond the distance I am comfortable shooting at an animal.

Second to the turret system, the reticle is one of my favorites from any scope model. There are so many reticle options, and as I mentioned above, it all comes down to personal preference. I am a big fan of simple reticles with no extra lines or dots that clutter the sight picture. The Steiner MHR, or Modern Hunter Reticle, in first focal plane is a duplex crosshair and an illuminated center that features windage and elevation holds. What I like about first focal plane is that those holds are accurate at every magnification of the scope. The MHR reticle is simple and keeps that clean sight picture that I prefer.

There are currently three options for this riflescope:

I am a fan of big power because I enjoy practicing at the range at distances of 800+ yards with my Browning X-Bolt 300 PRC and the 30x scope is perfect for that. However, The 3-18x50mm scope might be the perfect scope for any western hunt because of the size, weight, and increased field of view. Coming in the later part of 2024 are new MIL options and an MOA Second Focal Plane scope design which, in talking about preferences, will provide a scope model for any hunter’s preference.

Steiner knocked it out of the park with this scope and, in my opinion, is the best scope available in the GOHUNT Gear Shop. The 5-30x50mm will be the scope I hunt with through all of the 2024 season and beyond. If you decide to do the same, I do not think you will be disappointed.