Built to Go Long and Win

If the world of optics had to be summed up in one word, it would be “choices.” There was a time when the number of serious players in the glass world could be counted on one hand. Now the American capitalistic system and market demand give us a variety of good choices. Many of those choices come at a price point that won’t make you reach for your heart when you see it. One of the best examples of that is Sightmark and its Latitude riflescopes.

Sightmark Latitude 6.25x25x56 PRS Riflescope

The company, introduced at SHOT Show 2007, provided a response to the growing popularity of the modern shooting market. The goal was to provide state-of-the-art optics and accessories to make the modern sporting rifle, shotgun, and pistol as accurate as possible. In 2011, a new 33,000 square-foot headquarters was completed in Mansfield, Texas, combining the company’s corporate offices and a large warehouse to handle the increase in sensitive material and technology being produced.

Currently, Sightmark represents leading markets growing in more than 40 countries and many quality retailers in every state. In short, they are successful because they know what they are doing. At the last Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous I had the chance to visit with my longtime friend at Sightmark, Kevin Reese. Kevin, like myself, is managing an addiction to long-range shooting. It was during one of these discussions that a specific optic kept coming up. It was the Latitude 6.25-25×56 PRS Riflescope, and it was exceptional. I played the friend card and in short order one was on its way for me to test.

Going After the Gamers

The Sightmark Latitude line is actually composed of five long-range scopes. With magnification ranging from 25 to 40, they have applications in PRS (Precision Rifle Series), F class shooting and Bench rest. I was looking for something a little more flexible in application, which is why I went with the 6.25-25×56 PRS Riflescope. The Latitude is an optic built for hard use on the PRS circuit. In these competitions, shooters engage very small targets under time pressure at different distances. The distances are between 10 and 1,200 yards, with many being set at unknown distances. They shoot from a variety of positions, and it is as enjoyable to watch as it is to shoot. It is fast paced and can be hard on gear. The Latitude is built to not only survive in this setting but thrive.

The Latitude comes with oversized turrets for quick and easy adjustments. It includes a solid zero stop that I found to work well. Elevation and windage adjustment of the reticle is done in steps of 0.1 MIL with a distance-friendly adjustment range of 31mils of elevation and 20 mils of windage. This is a first focal plane optic with a PRS reticle etched into it. It also has red/green illumination on the reticle to make them easier to see. The illumination has six different brightness settings.

Field-Proven Features

A feature I really like is the Latitude’s locking, fast-focus eyepiece. It keeps the focus set so I can concentrate on shooting instead of readjusting the focus. While some may blow this off, my experience is that when you add lens caps, they tend to move your focus ring if they are not tight. Maybe it’s my OCD kicking in, but I notice it, especially at high magnification. The Latitude is rugged and is IP67 waterproof, able to withstand up to .50 BMG recoil and built with a single piece 34mm tube. It is constructed from aircraft grade aluminum with a hard anodized finish. The lens is multicoated and scratch resistant and it is also fog proof. Overall, it is a very feature-rich piece of glass.

I was excited to get one in for review and made short work of getting it mounted. For this test I mounted it on a Remington 700 SPS Tactical chambered in .308 WIN. A quick zero and we were off to the races. I would be using a bipod as well as a sand sock in the rear of the gun for stability. I did take the time to set the zero stop, which was very easy to do. Once you have the optic dialed in, you simply spin the zero-stop ring upwards to the bottom of the turret. At that point just install the small screws and it is done. I like this design because it is robust and absolutely the same each time. The biggest challenge I see in any optic is its inability to tract correctly and ultimately return to zero.

Precision for Precision

In the hyper precision world, we want 1 mil to be 1mil. The test I have been using forever is a version of the box scope tracking test. This test uses a fairly large target to accommodate all of our various shots. The one I use is 40 inches x 24 inches. I place a black aiming point near the bottom of a carefully drawn center line of the target. This test is set with marks indicating specific projected impact points. Layout can vary, but there are multiple points that have the shooter run the turrets up and down as well as left to right. Because mils and inches do not exactly match, I shoot this test at least twice to confirm consistency.  

The Latitude 6.25-25×56 PRS Riflescope passed this test with flying colors. This particular gun shoots Federal 175-grain Gold Medal Match really well, so that was the round of the day. All shots were extremely close and in the same spot when repeated. If shot indoors on a mechanical bench I believe the shots would have stacked on top of each other.

Glass & Clarity

Overall, I was impressed with the construction of the scope as well as the clarity of the glass. It has a 56mm objective lens which obviously serves to bring in a ton of light. A feature I found very nice was an adjustable eye relief. Most people mount their scopes and then still need a touch of adjustment. The Latitude allows the eye relief to be set from 4.7 inches to 4.2 inches. This makes super fine tuning a reality. The field of view was decent, and the reticle stayed crisp in all magnifications. While I did my best to dial for my shots, the reticle is designed to allow you to shoot on the fly.

Upgraded Reticle for Precision Shooting

For someone who grew up on old school crosshairs, the Christmas tree of hashes and lines used to cause a pause. That lasted until I discovered just how fast this reticle is in getting follow up shots. Take a few minutes to learn the different hash sizes and in short order you will be shooting at a variety of distances without touching the turrets. When I did run the turrets, I found them to perform well. They provided a good audible and tactile response at each click. There is no question that you clicked or did not click like we see on some other scopes. The parallax adjustment on the side was very smooth and had no play. In my opinion it is a bit on the thin side and could use a little more real estate.

I ran the scope both dialing and holds from 100 yards to 800 yards and the Latitude worked well. When you factor in the price, then the Latitude hit it out of the park. In fact, I found the Latitude to outperform other scopes at much higher price points. This is not just a relatively inexpensive scope. This is a scope the performs far beyond what the price point may tell you. I think the Remington has found its new glass and there is no reason to change it out. If you are looking for a good performing long-range scope but don’t have Elon Musk money, you need to look at the Sightmark Latitude 6.25-25×56 PRS Riflescope.

The Sightmark Latitude 6.25x25x56 PRS retails for $699.97. For even more info, please visit sightmark.com.

Sightmark Latitude 6.25x25x56 PRS Riflescope Specs

• Reticle: PRS
• Reticle, Type: Etched glass
• Illuminated: red/green
• Reticle Brightness Setting: 0-5
• Magnification: 6.25-25
• Diameter, Objective Lens: 56 mm
• Objective overall dimension (mm): 2.4 / 61 in/mm
• Diameter, Eyepiece: 1.81/46 in/mm
• Diameter, Exit Pupil: 9.6-2.4 mm
• Eye relief (in/mm): 4.7-4.2/120-107 in/mm
• Diopter Adjustment: +2 to -2
• Diameter, Tube: 34 mm
• Adjustment Value: .1 MRAD
• Elevation adjustment range (MIL): 31 MIL
• Windage adjustment range (MIL): 20 MIL
• Travel Per Rotation: 10 MRAD
• Maximum Recoil: 50 BMG Caliber
• Focal Plane: First
• Finish/Color: Matte black
• Body Material: Aluminum
• Length (in/mm): 13.77 / 350 in/mm
• Width (in/mm): 3.54 / 90 in/mm
• Height (in/mm): 2.95 / 75 in/mm
• Weight: 33.1 oz.

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