Sig Sauer Tango 6

Sig Sauer’s Tango 6 riflescope is a top specification optic for long range precision shooting. Although available in alternate 1-6x24, 3-18x44 and 4-24x50 specifications to highlight the versatility of a 6x erector tube system across hunting/shooting formats. This high powered 30x magnification unit pushes the optical capability of the glass to it’s limits and will soon show up weakness, especially in poor light conditions. A 56mm objective lens accepts light entering before it’s progression though the 34mm one-piece maintube, the larger size enabling both larger glassware inside as well as greater mechanical travel to reach out on target.

The anodising is matt black which I far prefer to the older grey hues Sig used and although not super smooth, doesn’t seem to scrape all the skin dust from your fingertips when in use. A central spherical saddle house the usual controls in a simple effective layout we are all familiar with. Illumination control within the parallax dial on the left, elevation up top and windage to the right side. The scope’s 364mm overall length exhibits 50mm in front, 58mm to the rear of the saddle for scope mounting and with an overall weight just exceeding 1200-grams, it is certainly no compact lightweight number. Further rearward shows one of Sig’s personalised design touches with a 24mm wide collar wrapping the ocular body with plentiful shape graduations as well as knurling to enable grip at all times. A handy pair of fibre optic pins also border the magnification indicator to make visual checks a little easier from the shooting position, all the way left for low mag, all the way to the right for 30 powder in a 180-degree arc. A 43.5mm diameter fast focus eyepiece nestles within the ocular body’s 46mm so won’t get trapped or damaged when using an aftermarket scope cover, elasticated lens caps are supplied in the meantime.

First things

This is a first focal plane model with a clear mRad reticle to precisely match turret adjustments. MOA versions are also available but here, 10 mRad of hash marks are etched all four directions from centre, all of which illuminate when in use and being first focal plane, as you increase magnification, they grow in visual size but remain exactly equal to their mRad subtensions on target. Aim off or dial off, there is no difference and the possibility of confusion, needing to use an exact magnification setting is negated. No further additions clutter the clear reticle other than half mRad markings in each gap with 0.2 mRad intervals further out for more precise measurement on target, if you use them. I like this as it removes visual confusion from the centre where you may well want clarity to see bullet splash on impact for which you can immediately aim off and fire again. There is a small floating centre dot and I’m pleased to say no sparkle or blur on the crisp red illumination will irritate you. The left dial shows nine brightness levels with no intervening off positions but here again, the “Electro” part of Sig Sauer’s Electro optics branding shines through. The (MOTAC) illumination system is motion activated so turns off after six-minutes of inactivity yet immediately re-illuminates the moment you move the gun, conserving battery life.

Of course, if the gun is being carried it will stay live, so a complete power down is best but at least it won’t burn out the CR2032 battery sitting inactive on a firing point.

The second handy function is what Sig call “LevelPlex” Digital Anti-Cant System. This uses an integrated digital level to detect reticle cant at +/-0.5° or +/-1.0° sensitivity, displaying a small orange marker at either side of the reticle if your rifle is not correctly aligned vertically on target (staying on for two minutes). These systems are not gimmicks, they are genuinely helpful aids on a scope for this intended usability and I liked them both.

On the turn

Moving back to the turrets, each show lift to turn locking outer dials with 120 10mm@100m clicks per rotation. That gives 12 mRad per revolution with the elevation turret showing a Vernier style turn indicator to accommodate the 23 mRad overall travel available, some of which will likely be used at when zeroing. The “LockDown” Zero System is complemented by simple (supplied) 2- and 1.5mm Allen key setup without undue complication. The outer dial is slackened or removed with three grub screws to align zero elevation or windage and with it completely removed, secondary steps laid out clearly in the instruction manual show you how to remove the inner brass collar and set the zero stop without any worrisome clicks sounding out. Windage is marked 6 mRad left and right of centre, more is possible and there are no stops so just be careful not to get `lost` in rotations.

Generous travel per turn on the turrets mean the clicks are necessarily close together so overrun is a little more likely, but a realistic engineering compromise. Thankfully the hand-filling 41mm diameter means you are never really gripping tightly or forcing delicacy, so they are pleasing with good tracking. Parallax goes down to 30-metres on the smoothly rotating dial, showing no backlash for a crisp target image without reticle shift. Plentiful O-Rings are visible when the dials are dismantled to reassure as to the IPX7 waterproof rating of the optic and in detail, they don’t all start falling out when you dismantle approved components for setup. This is in stark contrast to some brands where any kind of disassembly highlights components made simply to be assembled once, not actually lived with and used long term in the field. Well done Sig Sauer for that!

East and west

The scope is engraved “designed in Oregon” with “Assembly in Japan”, slightly open to interpretation but, frankly, regardless of the source of the components, there is some great glass coming from many locations in the Far East these days. That glass is often let down by poor design and assembly, so I’m pretty confident a brand like Sig will succeed, as the US market has huge power and will not tolerate failure on a product designed for a lifetime of use at high initial cost.

Conclusion

I found the Sig visually relaxing to use with no real hassles. The 97mm of eye relief combined with adequate free space on the 34mm tube allowed easy mounting with no difficulty finding full field of view without tunnelling or vignettes, even on the high mag settings. The eye box was generous in size allowing easy retained alignment through the firing cycle across the flat field of view showing no aberration or halo effects even when facing towards diminishing evening sunlight.

As always, realism has to be accepted when buying this much mechanical capability at a certain price point because you don’t get the ultimate low light performance yet thanks to the uncluttered reticle deign, I found the scope far more usable than a competitor’s more expensive product (perhaps resting a little upon their laurels). Dropping down to 15 power still showed a well-balanced reticle versus target picture. Some scopes go very `milky` when wound beyond a certain seemingly defined threshold in the magnification range, the Sig did not, it followed a linear path of diminishing brightness as zoom was increased yet retained clarity regardless of chosen setting.