As long-range shooting and hunting continues to gain in popularity, optics makers keep rolling out new long-distance scope choices. Among the newest offering is Trijicon’s AccuPower 5-50x56 Extreme Long Range Riflescope, a second focal plane optic with two-color reticle illumination options built in.
Yes, the AccuPower 5-50x56 Extreme Long Range Riflescope is large, heavy and expensive. Fortunately, those factors are not buying barriers for long-range shooters and hunters, who in fact prefer their glass full-sized and rugged, and who expect to pay a premium price — as long as the glass in question works extremely well.
The good news for Trijicon and retailers carrying the AccuPower line? The AccuPower 5-50x56 Extreme Long Range Riflescope does deliver exceptional clarity and light-gathering ability, precise adjustments and will give your customers the chance to reach out and touch a target many, many hundreds of yards distant.
While a retailer isn’t likely to sell dozens of these particular AccuPowers week to week, these scopes can be moved to the right clientele — if your staff knows how to sell these long-range optics.
First Impressions
I received a new AccuPower 5-50x56, mounted it on a Remington 700 Magpul chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor and headed to my local shooting range.
I first zeroed the scope at 50 yards and then moved to the 100-yard range — the longest my facility has to offer — and fine-tuned my zero for the added distance. The zeroing process was easy, as the elevation and windage clicks on the AccuPower 5-50 are tactile and audible; the clicks also move the strike of the bullet noticeably.
I shot several three- and five-shot groups with Federal’s Whitetail 6.5 Creedmoor firing a 140-grain soft point bullets, then I switched to Federal’s Gold Medal Berger ammunition with a 130-grain open tip match bullets. The zero held.
I shot a number of sub-MOA three- and five-shot groups with the rifle and AccuPower set up, at magnifications from 8x to 15x, and a couple at 20X. My best five-shot group came in at 0.709-inch with a pair of three-shot groups measuring just 0.30-inch.
I decided to “shoot the box” to test the controls. On a new target, I drilled two shots into the bullseye at 100 yards, then I gave the windage knob 15 clicks to the right, fired a round aimed at the bullseye, then adjusted the elevation 15 clicks up, fired, then 15 clicks left on windage, shot, and then 15 clicks down on elevation and shot.
With the last shot, the AccuPower 5-50 had returned exactly to my previous zero, and the six holes in my target outline a nice, precise box.
Reticle Options
The AccuPower 5-50 is available with two reticle options: a red/green MRAD dot crosshair reticle; and a red/green MOA crosshair reticle. Mine was the MOA variety, which should appeal to the longer-range shooters who prefer the relatively uncluttered look of the MOA sub-tensions. Bench shooters and long-range competitors will, no doubt, opt for the MRAD reticle for the milrad precision.
In either reticle options, the AccuPower 5-50 scope is an illuminated scope with five settings for a red reticle and five for a green one. Green works better for my eyes and the green reticle shows up well in dim, morning light. When it is bright though, both the red and green wash out. Of course, when the natural outside light is quite bright, illumination really isn’t needed.
The click rate on my scope was 0.125 MOA (1/8 MOA) at 100 yards. The MRAD reticle has 0.05 MRAD per click adjustments. That precision also means a good deal of adjusting for zeroing, and many turns of the elevation knob when distances change.
But the scope provides a 100 MOA elevation adjustment range and a return to zero feature, and 50 MOA windage adjustment range with optional windage restrictor. The MRAD is adjustable to 29.1 MRAD elevation adjustment range with return to zero and 14.5 MRAD capped windage adjustment range with optional windage restrictor.
The illumination control is superimposed on the parallax control, and both are on the left side of the scope tube. It is a “busy” set up, with a knurled ring for the parallax set closest to the tube, a ring for the illumination a bit farther out and a third knurled ring to open the battery compartment located at the very end.
This “busy” control set up actually provides a big plus for precision shooters. With very little practice, a shooter can identify the parallax and illumination rings by touch. There’s no need to come off the scope if a shooter needs to make a quick adjustment.
The images I viewed through the AccuPower 5-50 were crisp and clear, at the center of the lenses and all the way to the edges. With my rangefinder, I found potential targets out to 500 yards, and the targets appeared very clean and sharp edged. All I had to do was find the best magnification for a particular distance and light conditions, set the parallax accordingly and fine-tune the eye piece at the rear of the scope.
I’ve used the “Little Brother” version of the AccuPower 5-50, the AccuPower 4-30x56mm in the field. The 4-30 is essentially the same scope with lower magnification — with the same glass and lens coatings — and the 4-30 pulled in enough light that I could see and engage targets right up to dark, and then almost 15 minutes beyond dark. Objects I couldn’t see with my naked eye at 300 yards in the dusk popped out when seen through the 4-30, and the 5-50 model will no doubt preform at the same impressive level.
The 34mm tube of the AccuPower 5-50 is made of aircraft-quality, hard-anodized aluminum to withstand hard use. The scope also comes with a 3-inch sun shade attachment, a flip cap set to protect the lenses, a lens cleaning pen and an operating manual.
How to Sell It
All well and good, but how does one sell this pricey glass?
John Fink, Trijicon’s product manager for magnified optics, suggested that a retailer start the process by talking up the Trijicon brand.
“Focus on the Trijicon history of reliability and dependability,” Fink said. “Trijicon was founded on producing the most durable, battle-proven optics available and the ACOG was and is the tangible proof of that.
“The AccuPower line was developed to many of those same exacting standards, which are critical in a scope designed for long-range precision. This includes the precision and repeatability of the adjustment controls, the scope’s ability to hold zero, and of course, the quality of the glass and all internal components.”
To show off the AccuPower line, Trijicon offers displays that dealers can use to position Trijicon riflescopes inside their showcases. Consider mounting the 5-50x56 AccuPower on a chassis stock or a precision-style rifle to make it easy for a purchaser to shoulder and look through the scope. Set up several smallish targets on a spot along a far wall and let customers work the magnifications and other controls to see for him- or herself just how sharp and clean the images present themselves.
“For this particular line of long-range AccuPowers, Trijicon also ships each riflescope in premium packaging that includes a line drawing of the scope inside the box highlighting the main features,” Fink noted. “This line drawing is a helpful aide for retail associates when explaining the key selling points to consumers. Take a box and open it up, and point out these features to customers.”
Additionally, Trijicon dealers can work with their Trijicon sales rep to obtain Trijicon branded marketing items including catalogs, floor mats and signage.
One More Thing
Also, don’t let AccuPower customers leave without at least offering them a high-quality set of scope rings and bases. Stress the importance of a rock-solid scope attachement for precision shooting and the need to protect the investment of a high-end scope with durable, top-quality rings and bases.
As far as marketing the AccuPower Extreme Long Range scopes, Fink noted that several reviews of the 4-30 and 5-50 models had already appeared in print and online, and more were coming out during 2019.
“Trijicon was also honored to help sponsor the Guardian Long Range Competition in 2018 by donating the new line of long-range scopes to matches throughout the year,” Fink said. “The team at Guardian is a fantastic group that matches raised funds for the non-profit Bethany Christian Services, the country’s largest Christian non-profit organization devoted to orphans and foster children.”
Trijicon has also gotten the new AccuPower into the hands of several well-known shooters on the long-range competition circuits, and Fink anticipates a strong social media campaign for the optic through the 2019 competition season.
SPECS: Trijicon AccuPower 5-50x56 Extreme Long Range Riflescope
Reticle: Second focal plane, MOA crosshair (as tested)
Adjustments: 0.125 MOA per click
Illumination: 5 red, 5 green illuminated settings
Tube: 34MM, aircraft-grade hard-anodized aluminum
Objective lens: 56MM
Ocular Lens: 36MM
Field of View at 100 yards: 21.2 to 2.1 ft
Dimensions: (LxWxH) 16 x 3.6 x 2.9 in
Waterproof: To 10 feet
Parallax Adjustment Range: 10 yards to infinity
Battery: 1 CR2032 Lithium
MSRP: $2,700
www.trijicon.com
