Yeah, it\u2019s an ACOG clone. Most ACOG clones are Alibaba\/Wish crap trying to pose as an ACOG. The Cosmic Tactical Saturn 4\u00d732<\/a> has clear ACOG vibes but still stands out with its angular design. Honestly, they have a bit of marketing showing Lara Croft from Tomb Raider from the PS1 era when she was all angles, and it caught my attention. They were willing to send one out for me to test and review alongside their new quick detachable optics mount.\u00a0<\/p>\n I was drawn to the optic\u2019s angular shape and ACOG-like capability. Like an ACOG, it boasts fiber optics power, has 4X magnification and allows you to easily mount a backup red dot. The shape and size are roughly the same, and I was admittedly curious to see how well a $250 optic performed.\u00a0<\/p>\n You know how certain groups of people can be small in nature but seemingly loud enough to convince the world there are tons of them? I call it the Twitter effect. In the gun world, or more specifically, the optics world, two loud voices hold minority opinions.\u00a0<\/p>\n The first states that everything needs to be professional grade, high-end and expensive. The second voice is the opposite and proclaims everything is just as good even when it\u2019s labeled Feyachi. In reality, most of us are in a middle ground. There is a time and place for every type of optic.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Cosmic Tactical Saturn 4\u00d732<\/a>, with its $250 price point, falls into a hobbyist-style optic that can do most of what you need it to do. If you need to do a HAHO jump, underwater insertion or survive a trip up and down the mountains of some forgotten country where we are waging a forever war, then you should spend the $1,000+ on an ACOG.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you need an optic for the range, hunting, pest elimination or just for fun, Saturn has you covered. When we get into this price tier, we have to accept that it\u2019s not an optic designed to take falls down mountains and be exposed to deep submersion.\u00a0<\/p>\n The product page doesn\u2019t list any waterproof ratings or operational temperatures. It does list that it was max recoil tested on a .300 Win. Mag.\u00a0<\/p>\n The box the optic comes in is nice. It\u2019s plastic rather than cardboard and has a little foam to protect the optic. Inside the box, we get the optic and manual. It\u2019s ready out of the box to be tossed on a rifle and go. Like the ACOG, it has an illuminated chevron with a bullet drop compensator.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sadly, the manual doesn\u2019t mention the appropriate velocity the BDC is set to or even the barrel length and ammo type. It does mention the need to zero at 100 yards. I scrounged around the website and found the BDC explained more in-depth. The BDC is tuned for a 62-grain projectile out of a 16-inch barrel. So, M855 and a carbine. It\u2019s the most common ammo with the most common barrel length for ARs in the states.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Saturn also has a small Picatinny rail mount for attaching a micro red dot as an alternative aiming option. The rail can be swapped for a dedicated RMR plate Cosmic Tactical sells. It comes with a standard bolt mount, but Cosmic Tactical included the quick detach mount with my optic. There is also an optional kill flash available.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the Cosmic Tactical Saturn mounted to a PSA Saber rifle, I hit the ground running. Zeroing took me longer than I\u2019d like to admit. The optic\u2019s initial setting put the weapon way high and right. Enough that I had to get a full-size FBI Q Target and start at 50 yards to get on paper. A few rounds later, I was snapped in enough to trot back to 100 yards and finish the zeroing process.\u00a0<\/p>\n The turrets provide an audible click most of the time, but sometimes I couldn\u2019t hear it, even with my ear pro removed. Luckily, I could feel the clicks. Each adjustment is .5 MOA. After zeroing, I moved the reticle three inches right, fired a group, returned to zero, and moved left three inches and fired a group.\u00a0<\/p>\n Upon inspecting the target, I found the left and right groups within 3-inches of the zero group. There is some buffer due to my own abilities and the cheap ammo I\u2019m using. Still, it seems like the adjustments are accurate.<\/p>\n I did realize I need a more appropriate zeroing setup for the new range, but that\u2019s a concern for tomorrow. The Saturn surprised me with its clarity. I didn\u2019t expect much from a fairly inexpensive optic. It delivered a crisp and nice picture. The reticle is also easy to see, and the fiber optics illuminate it well.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since the sun goes down at 1630 where I live, it\u2019s easy to get some low light shooting in. Even with the sun setting behind me, I could see the white of the FBI Q Target against the sandy white berm at 100 yards.\u00a0<\/p>\n I noticed it doesn\u2019t get as bright as an ACOG in bright light. I\u2019ll never need to put duct tape over the fiber optic to reduce the brightness of the reticle. It doesn\u2019t reach those ACOG levels, and when light is mostly gone it doesn\u2019t seem to ignite at all. I shot in the late evening and it had only a glimmer of brightness to it.\u00a0<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t a big problem. It becomes a bit tougher to use an occluded shooting style when you get up close to the target and try to use the Marine Corps classic 4X at bad breath-distance tactic.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Saturn has a tight 2.05-inch eye relief. Just like in the old days, I put my nose on the charging handle. This time, I didn\u2019t have to wrestle around an M16A4 length stock to do it. The eye box isn\u2019t super generous, and if you haven\u2019t shot much with prism sights, you might feel underwhelmed. It\u2019s the nature of the beast with these optics.\u00a0<\/p>\n The field of view is 31.5 feet at 100 yards. That\u2019s fairly small for a 4X prism. The ACOG has a 36.8-foot field of view at 100 yards as a comparison.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n I went as far as 200 yards with the Saturn, which is as far as my range allows. Assuming a good-rested position, I could consistently put shots into the chest of the FBI Q Target, with a couple breaking the line at worst. (But I admit, I need to shoot rifles more.)\u00a0<\/p>\n Just for fun, I subjected the Saturn to a little beating. I dropped it from chest height onto the ground a few times, leaned the rifle against something and gave it a gentle pushover. I then reloaded and fired a few shots to test the zero. It held on and didn\u2019t fail a few drops.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Saturn got dirty with its drops and falls, so I needed to wash it. I sprayed it off with the hose from the front, rear and both sides. The fiber optics still fire up, and I don\u2019t see any water penetration. Neither of these tests is particularly brutal, but they show that the Saturn can take a few falls and a light rain.\u00a0<\/p>\n I like the Saturn<\/a> for its ACOG-like features without costing over a grand and without it being a cheap piece of crap. However, I think it faces stiff competition from the prism market even at this price point. Primary Arms has an excellent line of proven budget prisms for not much more price-wise. The Swampfox Trihawk costs about the same and is a solid optic. I\u2019m all for more options and hope they succeed, but it\u2019s tough being the new guy in a crowded market.\u00a0Even so, this optic, and company, deserves a look.<\/p>\n Specifications\u00a0<\/strong> Clarity \u2013 *** (And a Half)\u00a0<\/strong> Reticle \u2013 ****<\/strong> Ergonomics \u2013 ****<\/strong>The Saturn 4\u00d732 \u2013 Proper Expectations\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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The Cosmic Tactical Saturn \u2013 What\u2019s In The Box<\/h2>\n
To The Range\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Blasting Away\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Tough Enough\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Magnification \u2013 4X
Objective Lens \u2013 32MM
Eye Relief \u2013 2.05 in.
Field Of View \u2013 31.5 ft. at 100 Yards
Adjustment Value \u2013 1\/2 MOA
Weight \u2013 16.54 lbs.
MSRP \u2013 $299<\/p>\nWhere To Buy<\/h2>\n
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The clarity allows you to see out to 200 yards, and in lower light, I could identify targets with ease at 100 yards. It\u2019s surprisingly clear, but I do find the field of view to be a little lacking in its category.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They cloned the ACOG reticle, which is a proven performer that\u2019s easy to use and understand. It doesn\u2019t get overcomplicated for a 4X reticle, which is a complaint I often have with other similar price-point options. The one downside is that it doesn\u2019t get ACOG bright.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thanks to the auto-adjusting reticle and fiber optics, there are no buttons to press. The optics mount easily and provide backup red dot mounting. The one downside is the weight. This is one hefty optic at 16 ounces and some change.\u00a0<\/p>\n