Review: The Riton MOD-5 4-16×50

One of my favorite things to do is to set up and shoot a new gun. I enjoy the process from choosing the correct rings to bore sighting to spending time at the range—and yes, even to working up the perfect and most accurate load for each gun.

Recently, I wrote about my new love affair with the .243 caliber rifle. Since I’ve re-discovered this diminutive, yet lethal, caliber, I’ve had to set up several guns with the right optic. For my latest long-range varmint gun, I chose a Riton Mod5 4-16×50 wide field of view scope. If you’ve done any serious varminting, you know that an extra 20 or 30 feet of vision at distance can really help you get on target quickly.

For those that aren’t familiar with this newer optic manufacturer, Riton is based in Tucson, Arizona is billed as the only military and law enforcement veteran-owned optics company in the world. It makes some great tactical and long-range shooting products. I was first introduced to Riton at the Anteris Alliance show immediately preceding the annual SHOT Show almost three years ago.

Riton had an interesting story, and I have enjoyed watching its product line grow as the market has discovered its products and proofed them in the field. Riton CEO Brady Speth has done an excellent job building a true “working man’s” optic. Things you’ll find on the Riton scope include significant advanced features normally found on optics costing almost twice the price, such as Japanese-sourced ED glass, quality hardware, and a no-nonsense, full replacement guarantee should you ever have an issue with your Riton product.

The first thing I noticed out of the box was that this scope was built like a tank.
Riton optics tubes are 25 – 30% thicker than most standard optics on the market. Because of this, they are very stiff and maintain their dimensions under stress—whether that means cranking down a set of rings or being dropped off of a horse 6 miles back in elk country. This was also to be my very first 30mm tube scope. Everything I have had previously mounted on my hunting rifles had been of the one-inch diameter variety. Finally, as in many optics today, the reticle inside my MOD5 had 2 MOA hashes to judge hold over and windage on the fly.

Initial mounting of the scope was slightly problematic as it was slightly shorter than the typical action on a bolt gun. I’m told that is a product of the wide FOV lenses. Because of this, I had to mount a one-piece weaver-style base on top of the rifle, which put my normal medium-height rings substantially higher than I wanted. This was easily solved by an order of rings from the folks at UTG.

Two days later, the new rings arrived, and within an hour of them coming to the door, the scope was set. On a side note, if you have not already tried them, you owe it to yourself to look into UTG rings and mounting hardware. I cannot believe the quality that those folks put out at the low prices they charge.

The rifle I chose for this project was a Savage Axis .243 with thumbhole stock. In addition to being a rock-solid platform, this gun was also surprisingly light and an almost unbelievable shooter.

First Impression

The Riton scope is exceptionally clear, with the clarity extending to the edges of the sight picture. Initial adjustment of the magnification was tight, but that’s to be expected of a new scope. There are large knurls on the adjustment ring that provide a solid grip. If you prefer, Riton also has a throw handle that fits all Riton models.

Shooting the square with 10x magnification, the scope held zero with any slight variation attributed to a rather windy day and shooter error. The side parallax adjustment goes out to 1,000 yards. I have an unmanned range I use to test my optics for low-light performance, and the Riton was able to put holes in paper well past what is legal shooting time in most states.

The Riton 4-16 has an MSRP of $549. I found real-world pricing in the $450 ­– $500 range depending on sale pricing.

Recommendation

This is a great optic with med-high rings, for anyone who hunts with a Modern Sporting Rifle. Even if you’re hard on gear, you will have a hard time damaging this optic. However, if you do, the “Riton Promise” guarantee has you covered. Based on features/price, I would call this scope a great buy for most avid hunters and shooters, but the wide angle lenses land it solidly in my hunting column.

Riton came on the scene a couple of years ago and has been rocketing to the top of the optics market ever since. Share your Riton review in the comment section.