Sig Sauer has long been a big name in the firearms industry, so it came as no surprise several years ago when Sig filled out its repertoire with its own optics line. Today, we’re going to look at the newer generation Tango 6 – the Tango 6T, a 1-6 low power variable optic.
Low Power Variable Optics have flooded the firearm market for years now, likely due to the proliferation of medium-range carbines. It did not take long for shooters to realize the value of variable low power optics, but what makes an LVPO shine over another?
Sig Sauer Tango 6T Specs
The 6T features Sig’s high quality, clear lenses for which they are well known. The 1-6 power 6T features a 30mm tube and a front focal plane 5.56/7.62mm/300 Blackout Horseshoe Dot ballistic reticle with illumination. There are a couple of different configurations for the 6T, the one I ordered came in Flat Dark Earth only. It also features a line lengthwise down the side of the tube, which eases the scope's mounting by giving a reference point. This allows users to evenly seat the scope in the rings. A “cattail,” or clamp-on handle, gives the user better purchase when adjusting the magnification setting.
I mounted the Tango 6T in the Strike Industries ASM mount, an adjustable scope mount that can cantilever the optic out to several different positions. After mounting the scope, it was time to zero it -- an easy task using the finger adjustable turrets. When not in use, the turrets are capped. I installed the CR2032 battery into the illumination turret and lit up the Horseshoe reticle. The 8-position rheostat has an off setting between each number and a push-pull lock to avoid accidental adjustment.
On the Range
My first impression on the range was the image. My eyes were swept from their sockets by the crystal clear and bright image. I am more of a 1-8 fan than a 1-6, but this 1-6 is so beautiful I would have a hard time turning it down for more magnification. The Tango 6T has parallax set to 150-meters, so shooting targets further out isn't a problem.
This was very convenient because I ran the Tango 6T on two different rifles, both capable downrange performers. I first mounted the scope on the Armalite M-15 Comp Rifle, a match-grade competition rifle built specifically for 3-Gun. I found the M-15 to be very accurate, and with the Tango 6T mounted, it was a nearly unstoppable setup. The low power setting of the Sig made closer targets easy to engage accurately with both eyes open. Zooming in to 6X gave me enough magnification to pick out distant targets, while the Horseshoe reticle offered handy hold points for those distances.
I never expect ballistic reticles to match perfectly. It’s nearly impossible unless you are shooting the same ammunition in the same conditions as those who designed the reticle -- the same goes for custom scope turrets. The good news is that it’s pretty close. Modern flat-shooting cartridges have a fairly similar trajectory so drop points on the reticle are close enough to be useful.
After testing the Tango 6T on the Armalite, I moved it over to the Desert Tech MDRX. The MDRX is a multi-caliber rifle, and I shot it with both .223 Remington and 6mm ARC barrels. The Tango 6T felt right at home on top of my MDRX, a much more compact rifle than the Armalite. Maneuvering around obstacles for shooting positions was much easier, and regardless of how close or far away the targets were, the Sig provided a beautiful sight picture with bright images. I keep bringing that up, but the optical clarity may be the part I like the most about this scope. There is more to the Tango 6T than just optical clarity, though. The engineers at Sig paid attention to so many little details like the texturing of control surfaces, high visibility green fiber optics markers around the magnification ring, and other little features that make you feel good about purchasing this scope.
The turrets of the Tango 6T are 0.2 MRAD per click, which matches the MRAD reticle inside. The clicks are very clean and audible, and the grip surfaces inside the turrets are rubberized for easier grip, whether using gloves or your bare fingers.
As far as the reticle itself, this might be one place where I wish they had put just a tiny bit more effort into it. Some people like a simple and clean reticle, while others like a reticle with many hold points to use. Being that I am a bit of a distance junkie, I find myself in the second camp. I like a reticle with plenty of hold-over positions, and accompanying wind holds as well.
While the reticle in the Tango 6T is plenty useful, it wouldn’t have hurt my feelings to see a bit more detail to the reticle. That said, Sig also offers the 7.62 Extended Range reticle in this scope, which is better for that kind of shooting. I completely understand that most people might not need or care about this, and if you like just a few simple hold-over points, you will more than likely love this reticle.
Conclusion
In a market flush with many great options across nearly every price range, the Sig Sauer Tango 6T stands out as a spectacular LVPO. You would have to spend significantly more money to get a noticeably better scope with the same features. Not to mention, the Tango 6T is significantly better looking than scopes that are only 10 to 20 percent less on the market. At least, in my opinion, it would be worth spending a little bit more to step up to the Sig Sauer Tango 6T.
The Sig Sauer Tango 6T retails from $1,429 to $1,539.