For ages I’ve been looking for a lightweight capped turret scope with a modest power range. At first glance this market segment seems to be flooded with options. Leupold for one is a leader in this market segment. However, many of the scope options I’ve used in this segment have ultimately failed to hold zero over long term hard use. I love the Leupold VX-2, and it has always held zero for me. Unfortunately, it is no longer in production and I have seen friend’s VX-2s lose zero. As such, I decided to branch out and try another brand known for durability although not often seen in the hunting space: Trijicon Accupoint.
Specifications
The model was purchased for review is the 3-9×40 version with a mildot reticle and fiber-optic illumination. The reticle is in the second focal plane and is relatively thick so it is easily visible at low light. The body of the scope is a standard 1 inch tube.
First off, the Accupoint has an interesting illuminated center dot using fiberoptics. This allows illumination without any batteries. To my surprise, this actually works pretty well, gathering plenty of light even at dawn and dusk. While not necessary on a SFP optic with a reasonably thick reticle, it is a nice touch.
Another area the Trijicon Accupoint delivers on is weight. Part of the reason I have tried so many Leupold capped variable optics is that there just aren’t many optics on the market that weight in the 12oz range. In order to have a scope meet this weight requirement it essentially has to be built off of a 1 inch tube. The Accupoint comes in around 13oz, which is important to keep your rifle from feeling top heavy.
Comically, the Accupoint has a mildot reticle with MOA turrets. This is not practical and is a throwback to the early 2000’s. That said, for a capped turret rifle where longer shots are not dialed it is not the end of the world. Still, it surprised me that there are any modern production optics that still have reticles and turrets in different units.
Reliability
To be blunt – this scope is durable. The scope was mounted on a Sako 85 in 338 WM using the Sako Optilok system. After several multi-week moose hunts, many day hunts, and thousands of kilometres in the truck, this scope has never lost zero. This was a welcome reprieve after frustrating experiences trying to get the Leupold VX-Freedom and Leupold VX-3HD to hold zero on similar lightweight magnums.
Despite being in my less preferred option of MOA, the turrets worked well. Sighting in was uneventful and for longer shots the mildot reticle is used for compensation instead of the turrets. I did not perform a tracking test with this optic as it is not relevant to the way that the optic was meant to be used.
Ergonomics
Realistically, The Trijicon Accupoint is a pretty simple scope. The magnification ring is well dampened. Also, the turrets are low profile, which is nice from an aesthetic standpoint. Turret adjustments aren’t super crisp but they’re good enough to know how much you’ve adjusted. Besides, you won’t be using them much anyways. There is a small slider to let you cover the fiber optic that powers the illumination. Then again, I can’t think of a scenario where I would turn the illumination off. Finally, the scope is a little longer than some of the ultra compact options. The longer tube is excellent for getting proper eye relief on long action rifles.
Additionally, the glass quality on the Accupoint is quite good. I have always loved the ergonomics and glass of Leupold’s scopes and the Trijicon Accupoint competes with the Leupold VX3-HD which is in the same price range. There were no issues seeing through the optic to the end of shooting light and the glass is plenty adequate for most hunting.
Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, the Trijicon Accupoint hits a lot of the high points for a lightweight capped-turret scope. First of all, it is svelte with a simple, usable reticle. The illumination is a bit of a gimmick but does work well and requires no maintenance or battery changes. The key selling point is the durability, as many scopes in this weight class struggle with zero retention in real world use. Meanwhile the Trijicon had no issues during multiple years of hard hunting. The only downside is the cost, with $1000 CAD being relatively steep for a simple 3-9×40 optic. In this case you get what you pay for, and the Trijicon is the best rugged lightweight optic I have used.