The Integrix 2-12X36 34MM FFP scope that I am testing.
This report covers:
- Time to evaluate
- HOWEVER
- Returned
- Sad BB
- It arrived!
- Description
- Expensive?
- Summary
I told you last Friday that I would have a surprise for you this week. This is it. I have the new Integrix IX6 2-12X36 34MM First Focal Plane scope to test for you. This scope is not available for purchase yet, but it should be soon. Until then I have one to test and evaluate, just for you. And I have more to tell you about than just this one model. Let’s get started.
At the start of April Leapers sent me the first of their new Integrix scope line. It was the LPVO 1-8×28 FFP scope.
Integrix 1-8X28 FFP scope.
You will recall that I saw the Integrix line of scopes at the SHOT Show in January, where I told you:
“THESE INTEGRIX SCOPES ARE GREAT! They are clear; they are bright and for their power they are small! But they ain’t cheap! The lineup I was shown at SHOT will retail between $1,400 for the 1-8 power up to $2,200 for the 4.5-27 power.”
The Integrix lineup so far. The 1-8 is closest to the camera and the 4.5-27 is in the back.
All Integrix scopes have 34mm tubes which gives them uncanny light transmission. And remember our discussion about the illuminated reticles killing your night vision? Well, these seem the same to my eyes, on or off.”
Now, you can’t look through a scope on this blog so you’ll just have to trust me. The field of view in all of these scopes is amazing — even at high power. At low power it’s like looking through a picture window! If it wasn’t superb it wouldn’t get out of the factory.”
One big “secret” is the German glass they use. Remember when I told you what glass like that costs? You don’t? Well several years ago it was $100 per lens blank — BEFORE GRINDING! And that’s just one secret.”
Time to evaluate
How much time did I have at SHOT to really examine these scopes? 50 minutes? Well, back at the beginning of this month, I received the LPVO 1-8×28 FFP scope that I told you about a moment ago. I wanted to test that scope so much for you — I really did!
Integrix 1-8X28 scope, in box.
Folks, the BOX it came in was made so well that I searched for reasonable ways to test the scope for you. I held it up to my eye and, like I said at SHOT, it is like looking through a picture window. The glass is crystal clear and the image is bright. The reticle is on etched glass, so it is razor sharp. It is first focal plane, so the reticle increases in size as the magnification goes up. But sadly there was a however.
HOWEVER
That particular scope model has its parallax set at 100 yards. There is no adjustment. Yes, the image looks sharp at 1X magnification, but when are you ever going to use that power? You all know we are going to crank up the power to 8X and when we do the image is no longer in focus at the typical airgun distances that I define as 10 to 50 yards.
I went through all kinds of machinations, trying to come up with a legitimate way to test that scope for you. I could have mounted it on an accurate centerfire rifle. Lord knows I have plenty of those. While I have tested some centerfires for you in the past, this line of scopes is too important to leave it at just that. Could I scope a big bore airgun and shoot at 100 yards? Again, yes. An AirForce Texan is fully capable of remarkable accuracy at 100 yards. But, would any big bore shooter put a $1,400 scope on a $1,310 big bore rifle? Probably not.
Returned
So sadly I returned that scope without testing it. The truth be told no airgunner is going to purchase a scope at that price point if it doesn’t focus at the ranges at which we typically shoot. I took that one picture of the scope in the box because I have never seen a riflescope packaged that well. That box has a magnetic closure! It’s like a jewelry box– a scope box people will keep even if the scope never goes back inside.
That scope is ideal for hunters of bigger game. The low magnification means a huge field of view that hunters can use for shooting at running game. And the greater-than-92 percent guaranteed light transmission puts several minutes of hunting time on both ends of the clock. And those fringe light times are the prime times for deer and similar woodland game to be out.
Sad BB
I was so sad, because I had plans that included a need for a great scope. Of course I always need great scopes, but my budget doesn’t permit it. I had hoped to mount a great scope on the Norica Omnia ZRS breakbarrel we have been testing, because the accuracy seems to warrant it. In fact right now there is a Bug Buster 3-12X32 in 11mm scope rings in my shop, just waiting to go on that rifle.
Then on Thursday (yes, last Thursday) I received an email from Nick Lee at Leapers. Would I like to test their new Integrix 2-12X36 scope? WOULD I??? I was about to mount a 3-12 Bug Buster on the Omnia and Leapers was offering to send me a 2-12 Integrix to test. Oh, and by the way, this one focuses down to 9 YARDS! Yes, please, send me that scope!
It arrived!
It arrived last Friday at 10:01 a.m. Reader Bill, I was referring to mounting this scope on the Norica Omnia ZRS when I said to you in the comments that the ZRS test is on schedule for next week (which is this week). However, when the scope arrived it was already mounted in a one-piece 34mm cantilever ring set that has a Picatinny base. Since I have no other 34mm scope rings, I have to use this set. Unfortunately the UTG Weaver to 11mm scope mount adaptors do not fit the base of this mount. There are extra locking lugs on the mount base that are in the way.
Therefore this base negates the possibility of mounting this scope on the Omnia, so back I go to the Bug Buster for that rifle. I tried to mount this scope on BBs Goldie. But this Integrix scope mount is fully mil-spec and BB’s Goldie (which is an Air Venturi Avenger with a Cerakote paint job) has a compromise base that is supposed to accommodate both 11mm and Picatinny rings. But it really doesn’t fit many scope rings well. So no dice there.
The bottom of the 34mm Accu Sync Quick-Release Cantilever Mount. See the additional locking lugs? They make installing the UTG Weaver to 11mm adaptors impossible.
You know what air rifle this mount fit? Ironically, it its fits the Sig ASP20, because Sig, being Sig, put a real mil-spec Picatinny base on their rifle. Of course they did. So, until I can acquire two-piece 34mm rings with Picatinny bases that fit on air rifles or rings that will accept the UTG Weaver to 11mm adaptors, this scope goes on the ASP20.
Description
This scope is 10.75-inches long. A Bug Buster 3-12 is 8.1-inches long. That means that this Integrix scope is on the smaller side for its power. Remember, I mentioned in the SHOT Show report that Integrix scopes are small for their power.
The scope tube is 34mm. That means I need the 34mm rings Leapers has included because until now 34mm isn’t a ring size I’ve had.
The reticle is one that Leapers calls an A2. It has MOA scales both horizontally and vertically with 10 MOA on the vertical line above and 60 MOA below the horizontal line. Left and right are an identical 30 MOA. This means instead of mils the markings are in minutes of angle. At 100 yards the difference is small, but it increases with the distance.
The A2 reticle has MOA scales in both directions. Because this is a first focal plane scope, the size of this reticle enlarges and decreases as the scope’s power is changed.
The eye relief is a fixed and very generous 3.94-inches. And I have tested it. It really is that long! That may not mean anything to you but it sure does to me! I specifically asked David Ding at the SHOT Show this year if he would lengthen the eye relief of his Integrix Bug Buster that I showed you and he told me he was working on it. This must be what he meant. Short scopes need longer eye relief because their shorter tubes mean they often have to be mounted farther away from the shooter’s eye.
The field of view at 100 yards is 57.2 feet at 2 power and 9.4 feet at 12 power. I wish you could look through it with me but until you can think of looking out a picture window. It’s that bright and sharp.
Expensive?
Yes, this scope also retails for $1,400, the same as the 1-8X28. I’m sorry about that, but there is no helping it. Given what goes into it I’m surprised they can do it for that and still turn a profit.
This is a scope with the quality of a Swarovski that retails for $2,500 to above $3,000. Integrix plays in a very exclusive sandbox and it costs to play. I want to report about things most of us can afford like the Dragonfly Mark 2, but when something special like this comes along, what can I do? Don’t forget, not everyone has a problem at this price point. Some people want the very best and this scope is ideal for them.
Summary
Right now my plan is to mount this Integrix scope on The ASP20 and test it there. If I can acquire some 2-piece 34mm rings that have plain Picatinny bases with just one locking lug and will accept the UTG 11mm adaptors I might also try it on the Omnia. But the ASP20 is next.
B.B.
Move over Meopta!
New top dog in town…..
-Y
Yogi,
I wandered about that. I think Integrix scopes are positioned a half notch higher than the Meoptas I have tested so far. Both are excellent, but there is no escaping the quality of this one.
BB
I read an article written by a retired guy in the glass lense business. he said a $1000 pair of glasses with the best lenses are no more then six dollars for the lenses. he said the best lenses in the world are cheap and they are making a lot of money on them. lenses are like diamonds cheap but with gigantic mark ups
mildot,
You can check this out for yourself. Look up what a German lens blank costs. Those made from Flourite cost well over $100 before they are ground.
Now, how much does it cost to grind a lens?
So take when you read and comment on that “guy” who said the glass in thousand dollar binocs cost $6.
By the way, he was right about diamonds. They are common and only the worldwide monopoly deBeers has on them keeps the price high. But as clarity color and size increase, so does the rarity.
BB
wayne von swoll the only honest gun writer wrote a piece 15 years ago testing scopes and said a $100 scope from China today is clearer then the top of the line scope 20 years ago.
“…when something this special comes along, what can I do?”
B.B.,
Yes, there is nothing else to do but test it, of course!
While the price may be high, it’s not outrageous.
And it focuses down to 9 yards…hence, it’s a real airgun scope.
This scope on the ASP should make for a most interesting report…thanks for doing it. 😉
Blessings to you,
dave
Dave,
It’s the best I can do, but it might also be the best for the rest of us.
BB
TG: Please test the scope on a magnum springer. At the price listed, we need to know if the thing will survive a malignant magnum springer. My RWS/Diana 350 Feurerkraft Pro Compact is a very good example of such a beast. It annihilated the supplied Diana scope (which was really rebranded Chinese), and even managed to put down an UTG Leapers TS 3×9 40mm IR scope.
All airgun scopes need to pass the muster of the double-recoil anger of a big springer (and that’s not the caliber but the SPRING). One would hate to plop down more than a grand for something that with have a rotated reticle within a couple of dozen shots.
That was annoying enough at an hundred-and-a-half, let alone ten times that amount.
LFranke,
The SIG ASP20 will do good job of breaking scopes even with the lack of torque although a KNOWN scope killing Magnum springer would be better if the were just compatible with MIL-STD-1913 rail as UTG has done. I’m really disappointed that so many companies/stores/retailers still don’t know that MIL-STD-1913 (PICATINNY) is a very strict STANDARD and not to call things that IF THEY ARE NOT TO the specification.
shootski
I was wanted to know more details on the scope so I went to the Leapers site. I am not sure but according to the site the parallax adjustment is only down to 30 yards. It may be that the website has early information and was not updated.
https://www.leapers.com/integrix-ix8-1-8×28-34mm-ffp-scope-a1-moa-ix801fa1-1.html
I checked the link since it states 1-8×28 not 2-12×36, but it takes you to the correct place. Leapers may not have all the links set properly.
Ok I checked again the description states the minimum parallax adjustment of 30 yards the specifications list has the minimum parallax adjustment of 10 yards which is close to what BB stated.
bmwsmiley,
Not 10 yards — 9. I will show it in the next installment.
Like all websites, the Leapers site needs editing.
BB
As always, it was probably a cut and paste error and the fact check missed that detail.
This is way more scope than any rifle I own, but I can always dream.
Happy Monday!
What a scope.
But what a price too.
Being a “springer” you will be putting the scope to more than just an accuracy test.
It’s been a couple of years since I shot the ASP 20 at the last Texas Airgun show before the world hit the pause button for a coupe of years.
So I don’t remember how the shot cycle was, but I do remember it being a great shooter, so it probably was smooth and will not challenge the scope.
They say it rated for at least a .338 Lapua Magnum, I am sure after the ASP20 test, you have some magnum springer hiding in a corner that kicks like the proverbial “Army Mule” to test the ruggedness of the Integrix.
I can’t wait for the next test.
Ian
Ian,
I can’t wait, either!
BB
As you have pointed out, this is beyond some of our budgets. I am doing good to afford the top-of-the-line BugBuster. I am afraid this makes the Hawke line much more attractive to me. I do really like that reticle though.
I also find that I personally do not have much use for FFP or variable power. Most often I will match the scope to the air rifle. I do not shoot FT, so I do not need 100X and as I live in fairly heavy wooded hills, 100 yards is a long shot. I had hoped that Leapers would put an etched reticle in the BugBusters, but I am afraid they have moved on to another market all together. Ah well.
I do have a question concerning this scope though. I am assuming (scary, is it not?) that the knob on the left is for parallax adjustment. It the reticle illuminated also?
Did I say I really like that reticle?
RR,
Illuminated? Yes. I haven’t covered that part yet.
BB
Tom,
For that kind of money a scope, no matter how awesome it is, should come with multiple mounting options in the box. It shouldn’t provide the buyer with frustration.
I am not someone who would be in the market for one of these, but I still hope they sell well as quality should be rewarded (as we’ve discussed recently). Nevertheless, I can’t help but think of the perils of a botched rollout (as we have also discussed).
Michael
Michael,
I understand where you are coming from but even that will not fix it for you. Because the airgun manufacturers and airgunners are only slowly realizing what a mess they have on their hands that is easily solved but might be expensive for old timers and vintage airgun buyers.
What UTG has done is provide a 34mm cantilever mount that ALWAYS works on a MIL-STD-1913 rail. Most of the UTG product purchasers are not airgunners but rather military (or wannabes) with AR this and Mil Spec that. That is why it will work on the SIG ASP20 because they know better than to put out STUFF that will frustrate folks.
TOTALLY unlike the rag-tag airgun World that thinks proprietary is the route to big profits. END of RANT.
Airgunners all just bobblehead at this point, Lol!
Thanks for the opening.
shootski
“Right now my plan is to mount this Integrix scope on The ASP20 and test it there”
Oh boy! This is going to be fun.
Deck
I might sound like a hypocrite saying I don’t shoot at anything important enough to need such an expensive scope. Especially after spending around two grand on a Western Airguns Sidewinder PCP.
My thoughts? The Sidewinder has every option I have been waiting for in a pellet/slug airgun, for over 10 years, and more! A Tactical select-fire high powered accurate pellet rifle.
This scope has everything I ‘already have’. It’s just more refined and expensive and won’t really help me much for the kind of shooting I usually do.
Perhaps it may help with long- or short-range competition shooting.
BB-
I checked the Leapers website and didn’t find this scope but did find a scope with the A1 reticle. Leapers indicated that the A1 is entirely MOA based and not a combo milliradian/MOA as you are indicating. ?? As I decipher the included blog photo, I also think it is MOA. Thanks.
Paco,
You may be right. I will look intro it and if I am wrong I will correct it.
BB
B.B.,
UTG uses A-n to designate a moA reticle. They use M-n to designate a Mrad reticle. The best i can tell they never cross mix MOA and MRAD Reticle and Turret selections like some manufacturers do.
FYI: They also offer a 30% of MSRP to Military/LEO/First Responders on many items in the USA ONLY.
shootski
PS: UTG says they use German and Japanese optical glass. Either countries glass CAN be top notch.
More than likely, these scopes will not be sold alongside Red Rider BB rifles in a big box store or be a big money maker compared to more affordable ones. Sound familiar? How can one company justify a costly high-quality product and another cant, as in Sig?
Strange that the ASP20 winds up being matched with this particular scope.
Why is that? Could it be that Sig had to ramp up production of a firearm to fulfil a contract and it required utilizing all its resources to do so?
Bob,
Possibly, however Sig let a considerable section of their staff go at the same time. It happened following the departure of the Airgun Division VP, so perhaps lacking a champion at Sig isn’t a good thing.
BB
Tom
After reading so far, do you think that a blog about balance between guns and their equipment would be worth doing?
I suppose you understand what I mean but if not I will be happy to explain myself better.
Bill,
I know what you mean. Let me think about it. Okay, I’m done.
Yes, a blog about balancing an airgun with a scope (for instance) makes a lot of sense. I could write it today.
BB
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier) and Bill, I like that idea. A lot! 🙂
Soo many variables with airgun-scope combinations. I’m still trialling and erring about what really is best, for me. 🙂
My current pet preference is, low weight up high, over great magnification, ie I like a lightweight scope, especially on my relatively heavy springers.
Would that fit in with the “…balancing…”? 🙂
hihihi
I think that all this is a very personal issue. On my heaviest airgun I(D54) I use the heaviest scope plus bipod. Since it’s really heavy from start I wouldn’t gain anything by degrading its equipment. Balance also has to do with money spent on them and this is what got me started. Should we use a multi hundred scope on a three hundred gun? Or, if we have the money, we buy a better gun with a lower price scope?
Many questions with even more answers. Let’s wait for Tom.
I cannot make sense of scopes on low powered airguns such as HW30S or Diana 240. However, they make lots of sense to me on a TX200 or an HW98.
Fish, maybe scopes would make more sense if they were considered as an aid to see a target, ie not an accessory for any particular pellet- or bb shooter. 🙂
There are exceptions of course. For example, I chose to fit my HW30S with a scope, because I struggle with it’s open sights, which is a similar situation to those airguns made without any sights.
So, for me, the main reason for a scope is:
by letting me see smaller- or more distant targets, it increases the variety and number of things to plink at. 🙂
Why do you experience difficulties with 30S’s sights? Is the cheekpiece too high on the stock?
Fish, yes, my Weihrauch HW30S stock elevates my line of sight above the open sights, especially noticeable at the rear sight of course. As this seems ideal for a scope, that’s how I plink with it now. 🙂
I am a very, very handsome man, and I have the same problem with my face. I am not chubby or anything, but with high cheekpieces, for some kind of reason, it’s hard for me to level my sight with open sights.
I had no issues with Diana 27, Hatsan 95, and Adult Red Ryder (this one was on the edge a bit). I’ll keep the list with air guns only.
I’d never buy a Weihrauch springer before travelling to Phoenix and holding one. 30S’s sights look like sitting quite high actually, but still, I cannot visualize my face comfortably leveling my eye with them. I guess 30S’s cheekpieces were not meant for handsome faces. 😉
There are also the cheap springers sold as combos; I don’t know about the weight balance question or anything, but I bet they ruin the balance in many airgunners’ heads. 😉
If the buyer is a seasoned airgunner, the first thing he’ll do is throw away that cheap combo deal scope and use one of his. If the buyer is a beginner / novice airgunner, then the last thing he’ll need is a scope, especially if it’s a cheap one like the ones on those combo deals.
I wonder if any customer has ever returned a springer and complained about the absence of a scope in the package. 🙂
Sometimes, PA sells quality scopes as combo deals with quality air rifles. I’m excluding them from this friendly rant.
Instead of selling springer combos, sell springers with proper iron sights.
B.B.,
YES, go ahead and wave that RED flag! SNORT! Snort! PAW, Paw, paw!
“But, would any big bore shooter put a $1,400 scope on an $1,310 big bore rifle? Probably not.”
You betcha so!
I hope the Integrix scope holds up on the SIG ASP20. I was out shooting at 20M (His yard MAX) at a friend’s place who has some battle damage and can only shoot from a bench. Took my DOA bench, Sinclair Target Rest, and rear bag along. He shot about 100 shots at a 50′ Smallbore and kept them in the black; he was happy! Especially as i got to be his Gun Bearer cocking and loading. Then he got tired and said, “You should shoot some.” I put my first four into a nice small round hole AND THEN the holes started walking to the right! Until they were out of the black! (Censored thoughts!) Well the SIG supplied rings have Finger/Wrench type base nut and bolt; i didn’t bring a wrench and the rear nut was loose! After i tightened it up the POI went right back to that little group. I started checking for loose base every shot after that. Lol!
It was a great time shooting the .177 AA 10.3 Heavies are still one of the very best out of my .177!
shootski
Bob M,
“Strange that the ASP20 winds up being matched with this particular scope.”
Not strange at all! See my response to Michael up above for why both UTG and SIG AIR use(d) MIL-STD-1913 rails and bases.
shootski
PS: 30% of UTG MSRP for LEO, First Responders, Military (A,V,and R) onmost of their stuff.
Shootski
Actually, I was trying to point out that one was a new expensive item that just came to market and the other was a new expensive item that just got pulled off the market. Not a likely combination going into the future … Sort of speaking.
Not that they would not work well together. Probably will.
BB,
Have you ever checked out the Element Optics line of scopes?
I have been using their 6-24×50 (30mm) Helix scopes for a couple of years and recently picked up a 5-25×56 (34mm) Titan scope. Think they are excellent value. I haven’t checked out the Element Optics higher end models.
Mechanically and optically I’m very pleased with the quality for the price. There is MOA, MRAD, FFP, SFP and a couple of reticles as options. The glass is nice, reticles are fine, turrets and zoom operate smoothly. Scopes include a sunshade, removable zoom lever, flip-up hunting lenses caps and a rubber slip-on lense protector.
With stainless steel turret inners, positive detents and zero-stop the scopes are “dialing ready” – something I wanted for my longer range airguns.
/brands/element-optics?mid=403
So now in addition to dovetail/picatinny and 1 inch/30mm tube sizes, we have 34mm to contend with!
I’m guessing the folks who spend that much on a scope won’t bat an eyelid at another few hundred for some rings though
We, fortunately, also have 35mm and 36mm scope tubes to enjoy. It’s a blessing that so many manufacturers like spuhr, tier one (they also make the zeiss rings), APA, hawkins, etc. give us options of scope rings in these sizes.
The scope looks good but at that price it should have an adjusment for parallax. What were they thinking? You would need it at some point even with a firearms.
Mike
Big Iron-
The left side turret is the parallax adjustment.
pacoinohio,
On at least one model the 1-8 it is 100-Infinity Parallax free with no side turret/knob or AO. It looks to be purpose built for a Battle Rifle so that would make sense most of the time.
shootski
BB,
What is the weight of this scope? I assume that as you were going to test it on an ASP20 that it is springer rated? Too much times I see “airgun rated” which means nothing
Ton,
This scope weighs 29.7 oz. (842 grams).
It’s rated for a .338 Lapua Magnum, which is about equivalent to a .375 H&H Magnum. I may have to test it on a hard-recoiling spring-piston air rifle.
BB
BB
Noticed a lot of blog replies to me do not make it to my email as a notification. It’s on and off.
Is there any particular reason? I realize its above and beyond expectations and I appreciate it.
Just curious and I would hate to think people believe I am ignoring them.
Bob M
So much for my all-out effort to catch up on overgrown property and needed car repairs after the rains here in CA. Ran into a hidden gopher mound with my push mower going uphill and put my back out joint 🙁
Bob,
Ouch on the back, I feel your pain. I also do not get any emails to posts so if you are getting some that is a good thing, the email response has been not working for some time.
Mike
Mike
As long as we all know not to expect a reply, especially on older blogs, I guess we could live with it.
I once received an email from an unknown person commenting on the expensive scope I had on my Winchester M14 CO2 plastic airgun and how ‘Uncool” it looked. It was actually a cheap Airsoft scope that came with another Airsoft rifle. Well, the blog was years old and I could not find his comment to reply to.
Turned out that my email address made it onto a customer’s photo I submitted to PA and he simply sent me the comment directly.