ATN’s offerings are quite different from the traditional optic. They have a number of features and capabilities like custom reticles and recoil-activated video recording that set them apart. We’ve been using the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro on an AR for a number of years, but are taking our first look at the ATN X-Sight 5 5-25x with laser range finder!  

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About the ATN X-Sight 5 LRF 5-25x

This scope is available in 3-15x and 5-25x, both with and without the built-in laser rangefinder (LRF).

It’s also much slimmer than its predecessor, the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro! (It’s important to note that electro-optics are not bound by the same constraints as traditional optics.)

From ATN:

• • LASER RANGEFINDER: YES 
  • SENSOR: ATN 4K+ 4056X3040 30/60/120 FPS 
  • MAGNIFICATION: 5-25X 
  • FIELD OF VIEW: 6.3° (11 M / 100 M) 
  • CORE: ATN GEN V QUAD CORE 
  • MICRO DISPLAY: 1280X960 
  • EYE RELIEF: 90 MM 
  • VIDEO RECORD RESOLUTION: UP TO 4K UHD (30/60/120/240 FPS) 
  • BALLISTIC CALCULATOR: YES 
  • WIFI (STREAMING, GALLERY & CONTROLS): IOS, ANDROID 
  • BLUETOOTH: YES 
  • 3D GYROSCOPE: YES 
  • 3D ACCELEROMETER: YES 
  • RAV (RECOIL ACTIVATED VIDEO): YES 
  • ELECTRONIC COMPASS: YES 
  • SMOOTH ZOOM: YES 
  • RADAR: YES 
  • RETICLES: MULTIPLE PATTERNS & COLOR OPTIONS, USER CUSTOM RETICLES 
  • RETICLE EDITOR: YES 
  • MICROPHONE: YES 
  • MICROSD CARD: 4 TO 64 GB (V30 CLASS) 
  • USB, TYPE C: YES 
  • MOUNT: 30 MM STANDARD RINGS (INCLUDED) 
  • BATTERY LIFE (LI-ION): UP TO 14 HOURS 
  • WATERPROOF RATING / IP RATING: WEATHER RESISTANT 
  • OPERATING TEMPERATURE:  -20°F TO +120°F / -28°C TO 48°C 
  • DIMENSIONS: 15.2″X3″X2.2″ / 385X76X56 MM 
  • WEIGHT: 2.2 LB /0.99 KG 
  • WARRANTY: 2 YEARS

What’s in the Box

Aside from the scope and LRF module, the box included 30mm standard rings, scope cap, neoprene scope cover, manual, IR illuminator and mounts, IR battery and charger, two Allen keys, rear eyepiece, USB-C charging cable and lens cleaning cloth. ATN really created an all-in-one package, including accessories that don’t typically come with a traditional optics purchase. The IR illuminator also has some updates from the X-Sight 4K Pro— it comes with a rechargeable battery and USB charger. 

Mounting

I mounted the X-Sight 5 LRF on a 6mm ARC barreled BAT action in a Foundation Centurion stock.

I did elect to use Athlon 30mm rings over the included ones, though if I were to do this again, I would use mounts or a rail with approximately 25 MOA built-in to extend the scope’s range. (As is, I had no issues reaching out to 400 yards.)

The objective diameter of this scope is a bit smaller than that of the X-Sight 4, which makes lower rings an option. Once again, electro-optics are very different from traditional optics, so the smaller objective scope diameter doesn’t have a negative effect. It’s also critical to remember to charge the optic. (You do not have to remove the scope to do this.) 

Shooting

I started off sighting in at 100 yards with the help of ATN’s “one shot zero” feature. 

I took one shot, saw where the shot landed, and moved the crosshairs over the impact. A few clicks later, my zero was set, which I confirmed with a few more shots. Though I’ve occasionally had to make some micro adjustments, I’ve had good luck with this feature. It’s really a matter of how precise you want to get. What I really wanted to see was how this scope would perform on rock chucks. Now fall turning to winter, there aren’t many, if any, wild rock chucks roaming the ridgeline. I instead decided to use the steel rock chucks crafted by D-M Targets for the Rock Chuck Olympics. Successfully engaging these targets at 336 yards meant having accurate data.

I enabled the ballistic calculator in the scope—which you have to do every time upon start-up—then held down the “ranging” button to get the distance. I had previously created a profile in the calculator for the Hornady 6mm ARC 108 grain ELD Match ammunition I was using. All worked perfectly and I had 100% success on both a vertical and horizontal rock chuck target at 336 yards.

Getting up from the prone position, I decided to shoot off a tripod at 176 yards, 200 yards, and 400 yards. Once again, I had no issues getting on target or making hits.

While I already knew the distances for these targets, I confirmed them with the ATN built-in laser range finder. It worked beautifully and proved just how valuable a feature this is for hunters. You don’t have to do any dialing or math — hit the button, wait for it to register, then take your shot. ATN didn’t aspire just to make shooting simpler, but to record the moment.

The scope keeps a rolling buffer of video frames and “senses” when a shot is taken (recoil-activated video). It then preserves a few seconds pre-and post shot as well as the action itself. All of this is recorded with audio onto a micro-SD card. This is especially valuable to us at Ultimate Reloader. 

Night Vision 

I couldn’t properly mount the IR illuminator on my rifle in its current state, so I secured it to the barrel with velcro just for some quick imagery. (I will be setting up a more proper hunting rig in the future with the appropriate mounts/rails.) With the rifle UNLOADED and the bolt removed, I had my dog Dennis assist me with night vision tests. He sat at about 80 yards while I observed his signature. His fur is black, but I could still see him clearly. I also conducted this test with the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro.

It was immediately obvious that both the X-Sight 5 and upgraded IR illuminator yielded better results than the 4K Pro and its included illuminator. The X-Sight 5 illuminator better lit up the scene with more detail. 

Comparison

Besides the night vision test, I wanted to directly compare the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro and the ATN X-Sight 5 LRF, even though they had different magnifications.

The X-Sight 5 LRF has 44% more pixels in the sensor than the X-Sight 4K Pro. It also has twice the cores, 33% more pixels in the micro display and records video in up to 4K UHD instead of 1080p. Resolution matters because unlike a traditional optic, you do not manually adjust elevation and windage. You use the sensor to make adjustments. The internal ballistics calculator also worked better in the X-Sight 5 LRF than the 4K Pro. One thing that remains the same is the weight. Even though the 5 is more compact than the 4K pro, they both weigh 2.2 lbs. 

ATN Connect 5 App

The scope connects to the ATN Connect 5 app via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and allows users to livestream their video. This allows others to join in on your adventure and also makes it easier for a coach to see exactly what is happening through the scope. 

The settings portion of the app allows simple and easy access to a number of options for video, recording, display, profiles/zero, environment, and wireless. You can personalize almost anything, including display brightness and the amount of time recoil-activated video records before and after a shot. 

Conclusion

While a bit different from a traditional optic, this all-in-one package is designed to eliminate guesswork on the range or in the field while recording the moment to share and/or study. It has great improvements over the X-Sight 4K Pro, especially 4K UHD recording! 

Get the Gear

Purchase the X-Sight 5 LRF 5-25x scope directly from ATN! 

Watch for Hornady 6mm ARC 108 grain ELD Match ammunition at Midsouth Shooters Supply.

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Thanks,
Gavin Gear