We’re going to look at the Monstrum Banshee 1-6×24 Low-Power Variable Optic in this review. Here’s a spoiler alert… I really like this scope. Why? Read on…
In a few words, value for your dollar. Depending on which one of three reticles you order in this scope, you can find one as low as $124.95 – the full list price. Our version uses the slightly more expensive illuminated BDC-C1 bullet-drop-compensating reticle. It’s a whole $25 more.
Monstrum Banshee 1-6×24 LPVO Riflescope | Use coupon code ammoland25 for 25% off!
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Monstrum Tactical | Banshee 1-6×24 LPVO Rifle Scope | Bear Creek Arsenal | |
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Not only do you get a hash-marked BDC reticle, but you can illuminate it. You have six levels of intensity for the centrally-located red dot. Here’s a nice engineering touch… once you select an intensity, you only have to turn the rotary switch one click to turn it on and one to turn it off. The markings on that switch are 0-1-0-2-0-3-0-4-0-5-0-6. The zeros are off, obviously. So, find the brightness setting you want and turn it on. After use, turn it one click back to zero to save the battery.
The Reticle
Here’s a diagram from the Monstrum website that illustrates the three reticles that the Banshee line features…
From L-R, the MX-1 ($129.95); BDC-B1 (same price); BDC-C1 ($149.95). We have before us the BDC-C1 model. Notice the hash marks and their explanation.
If you are having trouble seeing the small image above, here is the BDC-C1 reticle by itself:
We see that each windage mark is 5 MOA, and the elevation marks are labeled from 0 to 700 yards. As far as I could ascertain, the hash marks are preset for the .223/5.56mm cartridge. I am impressed that they included marks past 500 yards, but it would take someone with better eyeballs than I have to use a 6-power scope at that range.
FFP or SFP?
This Banshee is a second-focal-plane scope. In case you were wondering, here’s the difference between first- and second-focal-plane scopes from the Monstrum website:
In SFP (Second Focal Plane) scopes, the size of the reticle is fixed regardless of magnification. In FFP (First Focal Plane) scopes, the size of the reticle grows or shrinks in relation to magnification adjustment. Range and distance information from the reticle remain constant in an FFP scope regardless of magnification – so a 1 MOA hashmark is equal to 1 MOA at all magnification levels. Tasks such as range estimation, hold-over correction, and bullet drop adjustment can therefore be performed much more easily at all magnification levels using an FFP scope.
We typically find SFP scopes for a bit less than FFP ones, as the manufacturing process is more involved for the FPP variety. Monstrum sells both types of scopes – I counted 22 scopes on their FFP scope page.
In terms of SFP scopes, I counted 30 on the SFP page… that’s a bunch! At any rate, you could most likely find something that would work for you from Monstrum, be it an FFP/SFP/prism scope, magnifier, or a scope mount. They have you covered.
Specs
- Includes: 1-6×24 SFP LPVO Scope, CR2032A Battery (Preinstalled)
- Reticle: Illuminated MX1 or BDC (this one uses a BDC reticle)
- Lens Coating: Full Multi-Layer
- Materials: 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum
- Compatibility: Rifles with Picatinny Rails
- Scope Range: Close to Mid Range, 300+ Yards
- Magnification: 1-6x
- Objective Diameter: 24 mm
- Rail Mount Torque: 20-25 in/lbs
- Scope Ring Torque: 18 in/lbs
- Tube Diameter: 30 mm
- Eye Relief: 3.5-3.8 in
- Weight: 17 oz
- Length: 11 in
- Color: Black or FDE
- Fog & Water Resistance? Yes (Nitrogen Sealed)
- Warranty: Lifetime Warranty
Not bad – a lifetime warranty for a $150 scope, plus an included mount. They don’t make it clear that a mount is included. Everything you need is in the box. Another thing they don’t mention here is that each mark on the turrets moves the impact point 1/2 MOA at 100 yards, as shown in the pic below.
Mounting The Banshee
There were no surprises when I stuck this scope on a spare AR in my gun locker. I had an iron rear sight on it, so I took it off and mounted the included cantilever scope mount on the Pic rail – easy-peasy. The scope was on there in about two minutes. This scope has a pretty short eye relief, so you may want to put the mount as far back as you can, and then slide the scope rearward before tightening it down. That works for my aged eyeballs but yours might be different.
(Speaking of ARs… this might be a good place to mention the Caldwell AR Mag Charger.
It can load a 30-round mag faster than a kid can eat a Hostess Twinkie. They claim 10 seconds, but I wasn’t able to do that – practice, practice!).
The Proof Is In The Shooting
I set up a target at around 50 yards in my backyard range to make sure the crosshairs were close to being sighted in. After that, I could move back to 100 yards, which I will do later. I used a laser bore-sighter, similar to this $40 Bushnell, to get the scope’s crosshairs close to the bore-sighter dot. The variable-brightness illuminated red dot at the center of this scope’s crosshairs really helped… all I had to do was adjust that dot by moving the crosshairs until it was superimposed on the bore-sighter dot. It was pretty simple, and it saved ammo when I attempted to zero the rifle. I did a final tune-up the old-fashioned way. You can see by the sighter below that it got it pretty close… I’d say we’re ready to go!
(One quick hint about laser bore-sighters… use them at the range you intend to shoot, if you can. If you are going to sight your gun in at 50 yards, point the laser at a 50-yard target. 100 yards, a 100-yard target. The elevation will be off if you attempt to set a 100-yard zero at a close-in range to save steps. That’s a no-go. Ask me how I know…)
Hits
I was impressed with the light transmission through the scope. The picture was bright and sharp with only a 24mm objective lens – no complaints here. It held up throughout the entire magnification range from 1x-6x. There were no reflections, no matter where the source was located. The lens coating is excellent.
Another plus is its size. Any scope built around a 24-mm-objective-lens scope is not going to be huge and this one’s no different. The Banshee 1-6×24 can be mounted on your rifle and not be a distraction. The mount is the right height, at least for me. I am neck-challenged… I don’t have much of one. You football linemen can feel my pain. Consequently, I have a hard time getting my head down far enough with many rifles to see through scopes or other optics. This one worked well with my minuscule neck.
The scope’s build quality is very good, and optically, it’s darn near perfect. Parallax didn’t rear its ugly head, a good thing.
I should probably also include its price ($149.95) in the Hits section. The last LPVO scope I reviewed cost about four times what this one cost. I understand there are scopes in all price ranges, I get it… like Sears, Good-Better-Best. You typically get what you pay for. It’s just that this one punches a bit above its weight. Connected with the price is its lifetime warranty, which is certainly a good thing for a $150 scope.
Lastly, once I set the turrets, they stayed put. I hate a scope that “wanders”. No problem with that here.
Misses
All wasn’t champagne and bonbons, though. There was one thing I noticed about the focus and magnification controls out of the box… they were overly stiff. I don’t mean “get-a-grip-and-TWIST” stiff, but the focus ring required me to visit my next-door-across-the-ridge neighbor, one of our sons. He has always had gorilla-grip hands, way more so than me. He got the focus ring loose(r) and got it backed out a bit. That was enough to put the reticle in focus for me. You don’t want to put channel locks on it – it’s a scope, after all. Anyway, our son said that it had probably been cinched down for shipment. It’s still really stiff but at least it works now. The only reason I mention it is I hesitate to think about someone who does not have much hand strength trying to break that ring loose. The magnification control is stiff, too, but not as stiff as the focus ring. It could be that I have a one-off, but I felt I needed to mention it. Other than that. I love the scope.
The Final Verdict
I have been a fan of low-powered variable optics. I live basically in the woods in Indiana, and any hunting I do maxes out at 200 yards. (The last deer I killed was at a measured 149 yards). So, I don’t need a scope that lets me see a gnat on a flagpole a quarter-mile away. Six power is plenty for deer-sized critters in my woods. Plus, these scopes tend to be smaller and lighter than the see-the-craters-on-the-moon variety. If I was into long-distance shooting, six-power would be a starting point but that’s not what I do.
This Monstrum does what it’s supposed to, is tough, mounts easily, and is extremely clear and rugged – all for $150. That even includes a lifetime warranty. For a budget scope, I don’t think you can beat it.
Monstrum Banshee 1-6×24 LPVO Riflescope | Use Coupon Code ammoland25 for 25% Off!
About Mike Hardesty
With experience spanning over 45 years, Mike Hardesty has long enjoyed shooting and reloading. An inveterate reloader, he casts bullets and reloads for a diverse array of firearms, each handled with long-practiced precision. Living in rural Indiana, his homestead boasts a personal 100-yard range where he shares his love for guns to his four sons, their wives, and eleven grandchildren. As a recognized author, his writings have been featured in notable platforms like Sniper Country, Bear Creek Arsenal Blog, Pew Pew Tactical, TTAG, Dillon Precision’s Blue Press, and Gun Made, revealing his ongoing passion for firearms at the age of 72.
