Steiner Ranger 6 3-18×56 Review

Last updated on October 1st, 2023

Today we are looking at the Steiner Ranger 6 hunting scope in 3-18×56.

When you are selecting a hunting scope its important to remember that hunting scopes are exposed to radically different environments than the traditional bench rest target scope. Unlike target scopes, durability plays a crucial part for a hunting scope. For example, you don’t want to knock or bump your scope when you are out in the field, shifting your point of impact.

This could lead to missing that vital shot. Consequently, a rugged scope is recommended for a hunting rifle. Steiner are one of the world’s leading optics brands. Its not uncommon to see their scopes on top of the leading military, precision and hunting rifles.

The Ranger 6 is tailored to be used by hunters that need optics for every scenario they might encounter out in the field. From stalking at close ranges to longer shots in low light conditions, the Ranger 6 is packed with features you need to get the job done.

Steiner

Based in Germany, Steiner was started by Karl Steiner in 1947. The company has a long-standing reputation for producing rugged performance optics.

Construction

The Ranger 6 is built with an aluminium tube and a non-reflective matt finish. These features suit the hunter needing a lightweight, durable optic made from material that isn’t going to easily reflect light and spook game.

The magnification adjustment is made of a rubberised ring with a small rise that assists changing magnification.

Glass

The Ranger’s glass is extremely clear and bright out to distance. The scope performed exceedingly well in low light conditions, Steiner’s High Contrast ED-Optics ensures targets stand out.

The large objective lens of 56mm on the 3-18 model shines here, allowing more light into the scope.

Magnification

The Ranger 6 comes in two different variants, 1-6×24 and 3-18×56. The 1-6 variant is aimed towards hunters stalking and engaging at shorter distances. This version, whilst sacrificing magnification, gives the benefit of a lighter weight optic and smaller profile.

As I tend to get into hunting situations where I am taking shots at longer distances in all hours of the day and night, I found the 3-18 more suitable for me. The 3-18 also comes with a larger objective lens of 56mm that massively helps capture light during those early morning or afternoon hunts.

Reticle

For a primarily hunting rifle, it is important to have a simple reticle. Simple reticles help when needing to quickly obtain a sight picture of your animal. Complex reticals can make it harder to see the crosshair and ensure you are on target correctly.

The 4A-I in the Ranger is designed at giving hunters fast target acquisition through its simplicity. From previously using other scopes with more complicated reticles the 4A-I was a welcomed change.

The crosshair on the Ranger 6 can also be illuminated. This assists fast target acquisition ever further in low light conditions. The illumination level can also be changed. This helps shooters change the brightness of the crosshair dot depending on the level of darkness at the time.

Turrets

On the left side of the scope is the parallax adjustment and illumination dial. The parallax starts at 50 meters and dials out to infinity.

The Illumination setting is variable allowing you to change the brightness of the illuminated dot at the center of the crosshair.

Windage and elevation adjustment can be made by removing the protective caps. Protective caps over dials are there to prevent the rifles zero from changing.

When you and your rifle are moving around in the field, the last thing you want is a change in zero. The caps over the scopes dials and lower profile turrets are great features for the hunter out in the field.

The adjustments on the Steiner Ranger 6 are in MRAD, so one click is equivalent to 1 centimeter at 100 meters.

The feel of rotating the turrets becomes important to me as I find it reflects the quality of the scopes design and a soft turret can be a disappointing feature. The Ranger passed the test with a tactile feel when adjusting both the windage and elevation.

When sighting in the scope, the adjustments were easy to make and had the perfect amount of tension for each click.

The Ranger 6 does come with another of my favourite features, zero-stop. Once dialed in at the range, you can set the dial so when you dial back down you return to your rifles zeroed range. As someone that hunts at longer ranges, the zero-stop is a must have.

Weight

When selecting a scope for a hunting rifle, you have to consider how you will be carrying your rifle, if it’s on foot or in a vehicle. It is important to realise that if you are carrying your rifle on foot, you may want to consider just how much your scope weighs to make the trip a bit easier.

The Ranger 6 is one of the lightest hunting optics I have had the pleasure to use. The 3-18×56 variant weighs in at 754 grams and paired perfectly with the ultralight Sako 85 Finnlight II. The 1-6×24 comes in even less at 490 grams.

Conclusion

Would I recommend this scope for hunting? Absolutely. This optic is one of the best hunting scopes on the market for the price point. The glass rivals those at double the price, and performs well with reliable mechanics.

The crisp image coupled with the scopes rugged construction make this an ideal hunting scope for all scenarios.

Pros

• Reliable
• Clear and crisp glass
• Simple reticle with illumination
• Professional grade
• Well priced

Cons

• Hard pressed finding any faults here!

Steiner Ranger 6 3-18×56

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Specifications

Online Resources for the Steiner Ranger 6

For further reading on the scope, check out the following resources that might answer any other questions you have.

• The reticle manual