ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Review: Digital Scopes Offer Performance Over Traditional Scopes
The ATN X-Sight 4K Pro is a scope like no other. While the ATN takes some time to get used to, once you do, it has plenty to offer over traditional scopes. The ATN X-Sight 4K Pro is a scope like no other. In an earlier post, I discussed what sets it apart, and you can read my initial impressions here. While the ATN takes some time to get used to, once you do, it has plenty to offer over traditional scopes.
When I first opened the box for the ATN, I was impressed with the consideration that went into the instructions and setup. ATN does a good job of making it easy for people to use. For this article, I will cover the quality of the scope’s build, how it performed in the field, the night vision function, and my thoughts and its value in the market.
Included in the Box
The scope comes out of the box with several accessories, including:
- Lens cloth
- Scope case with charging cable
- Three different rings
- IR Illuminator with mount
- Sunshade
- Rubber Eyepiece
There is some room for improvement in a couple of areas. The scope does not ship with a micro-SD card, so if you want to record your hunts, you’ll need to purchase one separately. Also, the scope doesn’t fit in the case with the rubber eyepiece or the sunshade. The included rings are not great, so you will want to upgrade those. Lastly, the IR illuminator works fine but isn’t top-of-the-line. Keep reading to see our suggested alternatives for the rings and IR illuminator.
ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Build Quaility
One of the first things you will notice when you pick up the ATN X-Sight 4k Pro is how well-built it is. The scope body has two main parts and some focus rings, so there isn’t much that could break from a physical perspective.
The focus rings are secure and tight for adjustment. I first thought the rings were too tight and should be looser and easier to adjust. The more I used the scope, I realized that having the rings stiff is a good thing. You only adjust the back ring, closest to your eye, to focus the reticle and menu. The front ring is your focus for distance and only requires minor movement. So, you want the rings to stay in place and not get moved around when taking them out of a case or when you are hunting.
Aside from the focus rings, there is a knob on the left of the scope that adjusts your zoom. On top of the scope are rubber buttons that are flush with the body of the scope. The body has some ridges to help you feel which buttons you are pressing without looking at them. The right side of the scope has the charging port and micro-SD slot that are covered with rubber tabs. The scope itself is well-built. Though I didn’t do any drop testing, I’m sure the X-Sight could take some hits and be just fine.
Video Quality of the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro
Since this is a digital scope, you are looking at a screen and not through a series of lenses. This takes some getting used to. Even though you are looking at a 1280×720 HD display, it isn’t the same clarity as a traditional scope. I would say that an optical scope has about 10-15% better clarity than the X-Sight.
The X-Sight is more than adequate for hunting and shooting and makes up for its lack of clarity with a light-gathering capability. While the scope does have night vision mode, you can see well past the limits of an optical scope without even turning night vision on.
The ATN X-Sight has onboard recording which works great. It has three different recording frame rates of 30/60/120 fps at 1080p. If you watched the video above, you saw how it performed in different conditions.
One downside is that the quality of the recorded video is not as crisp as what you see within the scope. I also noticed that, for the video to be clear for recording, it had to be slightly out of focus for shooting. This is because everyone’s eyesight is different, and what you see is not what others see. So, when recording, it might be a bit of trial and error if you are trying to produce videos. You can’t fault the scope for your poor eyesight, but it would be nice if the recording was closer to what you are seeing in the scope. Overall, I would say the image produced by the recording is around 80% of what you are seeing in the scope. If you think the footage above looks good, then the scope will exceed your expectations.
Besides the screen resolution and the recording, the menus are crisp and easy to navigate. They are large enough to read without issue and they are well laid out.
Using the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro in the Field
I have had the X-Sight for several months and have used it on several guns. For a 20X scope, it is roughly the same dimensions as a traditional optical scope. I prefer to use the rubber eyepiece and the lens cover; it does give the illusion that the scope is larger than it is, but it also protects it from dust and damage. Also, the rubber eyepiece makes it easier to see the screen in bright light and keeps the light from shining on me when hunting at night.
Other people who tried the eyepiece didn’t like it, and I believe that comes from not being used to having something touch your eye when shooting. I understand this, but I have been using thermal scopes with this type of rubber piece for years, so it doesn’t bother me.
Using the buttons at night is easy, thanks to the raised part of the scope that provides some tactile orientation. The one thing I do more than I like is accidentally hitting the range-finding button. I didn’t use the range finder because it was never needed in my shooting. I understand why they have it as a dedicated button for quick ranging, but it is annoying to hit it and have your reticle change.
The zoom knob on the side of the scope is great for minor adjustments, and there is a feature that allows for quicker zoom. I like the faster zoom rate since most of the time; I was using the 5X – 10X or 20X. It is nice to have the 20X when looking at deer and seeing if they are shooters. Also, when at the range, the 20X came in handy for zeroing rifles.
On the topic of zeroing, it is simple to zero the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro. Simply take a shot at the target. Go into the zeroing menu, and two reticles will appear. One stays on the bullseye, and the other moves with button presses. Move the red reticle to the impact on the target while the white reticle stays on the bullseye.
It can be hard to keep the gun steady, but you can align the reticles at any point. I found it was a two-shot zero. One to get the reticle close to the center and then one for fine-tuning. This is one of the most impressive features of the X-Sight. You can save multiple zeros for different loads in the X-Sight. That means if you change things up, you have your zero and don’t have to re-zero.
Battery life is quite surprising on the X-Sight. Out of the three months I have had it, I charged it twice and did a lot of shooting. ATN says it has an 18-hour battery, which is close to what I experienced. I didn’t track the hours, but it seems like every time I pick it up, there is more than enough battery for what I’m doing.
I saw some reports online about people complaining about the ATN X-Sight not holding zero. I did several hunts and tests with it, and I can say I never had that issue. I was able to shoot 1-inch groups over and over without issue. If you experience problems with the scope holding zero, it can be traced back to the mounts included. I’m ditching them and using other scope mounts. I stripped several screws changing from gun to gun, and they aren’t quality. I hope that ATN includes some better rings in the future, but for now, buy some better rings.
ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Night Vision Mode
Night vision is a massive advantage over traditional scopes and having a scope with day and night modes for under $800 is a big win. This was what attracted me to the ATN X-Sight, to begin with. Most optical scopes don’t have enough light gathering for hunting applications to make it to 30 minutes after sunset. For some scopes, you could take a shot, but identification would be difficult.
The X-Sight in my testing lasted 45 minutes after sunset before I switched to night vision mode. So, it’s already better than an optical scope. When I switched to night vision mode the first time, I didn’t have the IR illuminator attached and could see 100 yards in an open field and shoot a hog with zero issues two hours after sunset.
Using the IR illuminator, I could hunt all night. I would say the range of the included IR illuminator is 150 yards. Things get dark after that, especially if you look into shadows.
Overall, at night I think 150 yards is the max unless you have an upgraded IR illuminator. The one included with the X-Sight works fine but does produce a red light if you look directly at it. Animals can see this, so choosing one with a different wavelength that doesn’t produce red light might be a good option. For my shooting, I’m going to keep using the factory light. It works well for 100 yards and does what I need.
Recording in night vision mode again produces less quality video than what your eye sees in the scope. In night vision mode, it might be 70% of the quality vs. what you actually see.
Final Thoughts
Would I use the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro? Yes, not only that, but I would buy one. The benefits of a digital scope can’t be understated. You can hunt all 24 hours of the day, record your hunts, and have an excellent zoom range for less than $800. Don’t knock this scope before you look through it and give it a try. I think you will be surprised by how well it performs.
A final thought that I had was using the X-Sight as a training aid for new shooters. You can stream the live video to a phone or tablet and help correct shooters on the spot. Also, if you are hunting, you can see the animal they are aiming at. Plus, how cool is it to have your first hunt recorded? For the parents of young hunters out there, I’m sure you will be showing that video to everyone. Â
Jeremy Mallette is co-founder of International Sportsman. An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he has spent more than a decade in the outdoor industry, from hiking and camping to silencers and hunting. His father taught him to shoot at age six, and he received his first firearm at age eight — a 1942 Colt Commando .38 special revolver. He enjoys yearly trips to Kansas for pheasant hunting, spending time with his children at the deer lease, and collecting unique firearms.