If there’s something that the Texas-based Sightmark brand is very good at, is to recognize and follow the global market trends. And when it comes to optics, global market trends currently see fixed magnification prism sights and red dot or reflex sights combined with flip-to-side magnifiers fall out of favor among sport shooters, hunters, and professionals alike, being replaced by low-power variable optical sights – or LPVOs for short.

Much shorter and lighter than your average long-range shooting glass, LPVOs allow for a longer-range accuracy with hunting, sporting, and patrol rifles, and offer quick transition capabilities and versatility for engagement at mid-to-close ranges.

The Sightmark Presidio 1-6×24 CR1 SFP riflescope is a perfect example of a modern LPVO. With its second focal plane CR1 reticle, complete with ballistic drop compensation marks pre-set for 55gr .223 Remington and 5.56×45mm ammunition, the Presidio 1-6×24 also performs well on various types of weapons, such as the lever-action .44 Magnum you see in the pictures.

The Sightmark Presidio 1-6×24 is built around a matte black hard-coated, Nitrogen-purged, single-piece 30mm lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum alloy body; with a 35.5mm eyepiece and a 25mm objective, and multi-coated optical glass lenses and optical components to protect against fogging, scratches, and dirt while at the same time maximizing light transmission. Standing in at barely 266 mm / 10.48” in length and weighing in at 510 grams (10 oz), the Sightmark Presidio 1-6×24 will not add too much weight nor mass to any firearm it’s mated to.

The chemically-etched, second focal plane reticle is illuminated in red only; the illumination dial, which also dubs as the seat for the single CR2032 3V commercial battery that powers it, is located on the left side of the tube and provides a choice of six different brightness levels. Depending on the selected level, a single battery can offer from a minimum of eighty to a maximum of 1000 hours of continuous runtime; so far, our tests have led us to believe that the most realistic runtime for a single battery goes from a minimum of 150 to a maximum of 500 hours in most conditions.

The six-position zoom dial is located on the eyepiece, and features a threaded slot for a factory-issued screw-on throw lever. Elevation and windage can be adjusted through the turrets located on top and to the right side of the scope tube, both on a 140-MOA range. The two capped, tactile, low-profile turrets provide for a relatively easy manipulation when wearing gloves or in the dark, with positive feedback on the clicks, while at the same time remaining protected against unwanted loss of zero, which won’t be caused by excessive recoil either as the Sightmark Presidio 1-6×24 – despite being specifically conceived for .223/5.56mm – is rated to withstand recoil up to and including .338 caliber.

With its excellent field of view and eye relief (respectively 33,89 to 5,59 meters @ 100 m, or 111.2 to 18.33 ft @100 yards; and 72 to 85 mm, or a maximum of 3.9”, depending on the selected magnification level), its IP67 certification for water, fog and dust resistance, and its extreme levels of operating temperatures (-29/+71°C, or -20/+160°F), the Presidio 1-6×24 – just like most, if not all, Sightmark products – may not be a super-fancy, super-high-grade riflescope, but falls perfectly within the range of performance, features, reliability, service life and price that will satisfy the daily needs of a vast majority of users, from hunters to competition shooters, down to local law enforcement agencies.

The Sightmark Presidio 1-6×24 CR1 SFP is available on the US market at a MSRP of $299.97, and in Europe at a MSRP of €399,99.