Underrated, but not perfect - SIG SAUER Tango4 1-4x24mm Rifle Scope, 30mm Tube, First Focal Plane (FFP)

RETICLE: Let's get this out of the way. Yes, at 1x the reticle is quite fine, and illumination is necessary to pinpoint the center against a dark or busy background. Still, assuming you have good vision and know how to work a focus, it's much more usable than many reviews would have you believe, and the illumination is likewise brighter than sometimes described (see below). And once even partly magnified you get an excellent BDC, the details bold enough at the high end to be usable in most conditions despite going unilluminated. But there's no question this would have been better off as a SFP.

ILLUMINATION: The illumination has proven quite good, generally daylight bright and always daylight visible, and it roughly imitates a red dot at 1x. The dial also includes off clicks between brightness settings. Note, though, that under magnification you also get a reminder of why illumination is meant to highlight the etched reticle, not to be used as a reticle itself -- if you're not perfectly in the eyebox the illumination will pull off center and kind of dance around the real horseshoe, BUT it still does its job of clarifying the etched element you should actually aim with. A more genuine issue, though, is that when the illumination is turned on, even at a modest brightness, the glow creates a red flash which is very visible when looking at the scope from the front. If you're the kind of user who worries about the emitter being visible in red dots, this is not for you.

BODY AND CONTROLS: Being only a 1-4x this scope benefits from an abbreviated form factor, with the result that it feels slightly lighter than it is, and that it's less likely to crowd your grip if you run a bare foreend. The construction is also quite satisfactory, with everything from the capped adjustment turrets to the focus eyepiece sporting an impressively tight fit. This does make for slightly stiff controls, but nothing is hard to use. In addition to the off clicks on the illumination wheel, the battery cap has been sized to avoid accidental loosening when running it. Finally, the magnification throw has been shortened from the usual 180 degrees to something more like 140 or 150, speeding manipulation. However, the ring itself does exhibit a touch of front-to-back play on my sample, but this has yet to cause an issue.

GLASS AND VISUALS: This Philippine-made optic features very good glass, if not on par with the premium stuff. Light transmission is excellent, the yellowish tint is barely noticeable, and object detail at range is respectable if not outstanding. The eye relief is on the generous side, and especially at 1x the eyebox is absolutely one of the better ones to be found on a respectable LPVO. The downside is some very noticeable fisheye, which further demands a (reasonably) centered eyeline if you want to avoid distortion.

*BONUS POINT: If you're someone with future military plans (esp. Army), this might be exactly what you want for practice. Its bigger brother, the Tango 6T FFP, is rolling out to combat units as the Direct View Optic (DVO), an all-in-one replacement for the familiar hodgepodge of red dots, holos, and prisms. While not quite the same experience -- the 6T is an improved designed and has a higher zoom range -- this model is going to be an extremely good analogue at a fraction of the price.