Steiner Ranger 4-16×56 Riflescope Review | Optics Trade Reviews

History of Steiner Scopes

Steiner, one of Europe’s biggest producers of binoculars, began producing rifle scopes around 2014. Their first rifle scope line was called Steiner Nighthunter. They began producing riflescopes in the premium class from the start. We think Steiner should build their reputation from the bottom up rather than from the top-down, so starting in the premium class may not have been its greatest decision.

Steiner Night Hunter rifle scopes were well-made. They were produced in Germany and included a 30-year guarantee. However, they were not particularly popular on the market – because other competitors like Zeiss, Swarovski, Kahless, and Leica had been offering top-of-the-line rifle scopes for decades. It was difficult for a new entrant in the premium class of optics to compete with well-known companies.

In 2017, Steiner came out with the second series of rifle scopes – the Steiner Ranger series. This was a much smarter move because they placed the price between 900€ and 1200€. They offered a decent product for a good price. Ranger scopes were successful. Right now, Steiner is selling a large number of various rifle scopes, and they enjoy a sizable customer base. We believe that it will be considerably simpler for Steiner to attempt again at creating high-end riflescopes. We’re talking about rifle scopes that cost around 1500€ and more.

Steiner Ranger Series

Let’s have a look at the Steiner Ranger riflescopes. The Ranger scopes were first shown at Iwa in 2017. It was quite a big event when the Ranger debuted.

There weren’t many 1000 euros-priced scopes on the market that had this premium European appearance and were designed for European hunters. At the time, Leica had their ER rifle scopes, which were priced between 1,500€ and 2,000€. Kahles Helia 5, on the other hand, was much closer to 2000€. Zeiss had the Conquest DL at that time which was in the 1000€ price class, but Swarovski didn’t have anything in this price class. So, in terms of conventional European scopes for conventional European hunters, there wasn’t much competition on the market. We think that Steiner’s decision to move on this market was very wise.

Besides Minox and Noblex there weren’t many others. The Japanese were ignorant of what the European Hunter required. As a result, their scopes are built differently. In addition, American hunting is done differently. Low-light performance is not nearly as important as in Europe.

You can also watch the entire Review below

Steiner Ranger 4 models:

At the beginning of 2017, there were four models available in Ranger 4 series:

• 1-4×24 for driven hunts
• 2-8×42 for stalking – discontinued
• 3-12×56 for low light, and
• 4-16×56 for low light but also conditionally for long-range

Where are Steiner Ranger 4 scopes made?

Steiner is a German company. But Steiner Ranger 4 scopes aren’t produced in Germany, they are made in the United States. The quality, nevertheless, is still excellent. If they didn’t come clean about it, we think nobody would notice that they aren’t manufactured in Germany. The quality is there, and it even exceeds what you might anticipate for a price around 1000€, especially when it comes to how well the illumination dot is done.

Need more information about the origin of Steiner scopes?

Check out our Blog Post here

Physical properties of Ranger 4 4-16×56

In general, we would say the scope is rather big. Despite its girth, it isn’t too heavy. It’s not, however, a compact scope. 37 centimetres in length is particularly remarkable. The weight is approximately 720 grams. All Ranger scopes are nitrogen-filled to keep them waterproof at low temperatures, so there’s no internal fogging.

The manufacturer rates them that they work from minus 25 to plus 65°C. They all come with a 30-millimeter central tube and with an illuminated reticle. Only 4-16×56 comes with a parallax adjustment on a side focus, which goes all the way from 50 meters to infinity. It also has a nice long travel.

Illumination System

The Illumination system is the same as on all other Steiner – Ranger variants, ranging from zero to the 11th brightness setting. There is zero between each intensity level all the way to level 6. These intensity levels are meant for low light use, and they’re really precise, you can adjust them for any kind of conditions. From level 7 onwards is a daytime bright illuminated dot.

Mounting

The 4-16×56 Steiner Ranger 4 doesn’t include a mounting rail, and no other Steiner scope in this series does. Perhaps in the future, Steiner will sell scopes with a mounting rail.

4A-I Reticle

The reticle is in the second focal plane, which is a classical standard for a reticle. The illuminated dot in this model is extremely fine, barely one centimeter wide on 100m. On the 4-16×56 model, the dot is accurate and delicate to a remarkable extent. You can also see all the details at 16x time magnification.

Interested in 4A Illuminated Reticle? Watch our Reticle Subtension Video Below

Steiner Ranger Ballistic Turret

The turrets are low-profile, capped hunting turrets with 80 clicks in one revolution. The 4-16×56 scope is also available in a BC version, which gives the user a ballistic control. BC means the BDC turrets – the ballistic drop compensation. With the BC version, the user gets a set of five different ballistic rings, which are placed on top of turret – without the cap. With the use of these rings, the user can transform an ordinary turret into a BDC type turret.

Want to transform an ordinary turret into a BDC turret?

There are five different ballistic curves in the 4-16×56 scope, as previously stated. Checking the drop on 400 meters and then testing your bullet to see what your actual ballistic curve is the simplest approach to figure out which one is best for you. You can also calculate the ballistic curve.

This is a true BDC turret because it features 100, 200, 300, and 400 meters engraved on the ring. So compared to some tactical turrets that can be found on similar scopes, let’s say Zeiss Conquest V4 or Leopold scopes, for an average hunter in Europe, this is a much better solution. When the user decides which ring fits closest to the actual ballistic curve, the dial is simply turned to the preferred distance and the shot will be quite accurate.

At the same time, the user must keep in mind that all of this is just an approximation. For an exact ballistic turret, this system is not accurate enough. For an exact ballistic turret, you need something like BTF from Swarovski. But still, we would say on the 300 meters, even if you have an error of let’s say two centimetres or three centimetres for hunting, this error can be neglected.

BC set is available for purchase as a separate item. But most people decide to buy the whole rifle scope with this set included, meaning that the rifle scope has BC markings.

Interestingly, Steiner Ranger scopes don’t feature zero stop.

Windage and Elevation

The elevation range is 8.5 MIL. Meaning that this scope features almost a single-turn turret, because of its 8 MIL of travel in one revolution. This isn’t the finest elevation range possible. Even though this is a hunting scope, where elevation range is not particularly crucial, it was also made for long-range shooting. As a result, should have a slightly greater amount of elevation. We’re aware that other manufacturers with the 30-millimeter tube can achieve considerably more upward travel. The turrets are also resettable.

Optical performance

Steiner – Ranger 4 4-16×56 scope feature 4x zoom, and approximately 9 meters of field of view at the lowest magnification. So the field of view is decent, but it’s not above average like it is on 2-8×42 and 2.5-10×50 models. These two models have a very good field of view for their magnification range.

Some scopes with 4-16 magnification range feature a better field of view, almost 10 meters or some even 11 meters. But it’s not a big issue because when you look through it, you still have a wide image. And the eye box is still quite good, especially when considering this is a 1000€ scope.

The scope has a 90 percent light transmission rate. It can be used for low-light viewing as well. It also has a fast focus, as all modern scopes do.

Steiner Warranty

The warranty is 10 years and the service if something goes wrong may be carried out in Germany. This is a significant benefit. And Steiner is well-known for its outstanding customer service department, which can match or even outperform the Swarovski service team. They outperform most other manufacturers, especially if you damage the scope and it isn’t covered by the warranty; they’re still able to repair it.

Battery and Accessories

The battery in the Illumination System is CR 2032. So it’s a regular battery that you may get anywhere.

Together with the Ranger 4 scope you get also some accessories:

• a bikini lens covers
• general instruction manual
• a standard sticker.

Flip-up caps come in a variety of styles and can be purchased as an after-sale accessory. We would recommend you to take a look at them since they’re fantastic. And they’re not expensive, and they add a touch of class to the scope.

Interested in Flip-up caps?

Pros

The scope’s design is quite modern and it is very well made. The optical performance of a scope costing 1,000€ is very good. The illumination, the whole Illumination system, and even the dot itself all work together to create an amazing result. The dot is bright and accurate, and you may fine-tune it with 11 intensity levels. It’s really simple to adjust for dusk and dawn using this system.

It is a great feature that illumination can be turned off between each intensity level and that there is zero on both sides. Not long ago, a lot of scopes feature the tunnel effect at lower magnification, this one has none. The service is in Germany and 10 years warranty is also a big plus.

PROS summary:

• modern scope
• great illumination system
• made in Germany + 10 years warranty

Cons

What could have been done better? The parallax will be difficult to use if you wear gloves when it’s cold. The second thing, we think it could have been done better is the length of the scope. With 37 centimeters Ranger 4 4-16×56 is quite a long scope. The field of view could have been better. This is a shame because models in this series feature a fantastic FOV. It’s not a major problem, but their 2-8×42 model is excellent in this context.

I also think that the elevation range of 8.5 MIL (85 centimeters per 100 meters) is not that great for long-range scope. In our opinion, the perfect scenario for this scope is that you set 16x magnification just to see the animal better. And then you go down to 10x or 8x magnification to shoot the animal. We wouldn’t recommend shots on longer distances than 300 meters. For this type of scope, we would say this is the limit, 400 meters is already a stretch.

CONS summary:

• long scope
• FOV could be better
• elevation is not great

Final thoughts on Ranger 4-16×56

Overall, for someone who needs some additional magnification to be able to see the details on the animals better, Ranger 4 4-16×56 is a good choice. If you’re using it just for low light use, and for general use, 3-12×56 is a better choice because of the wider field of view. So it comes down to a personal preference. But, at 1150€, you are getting one of the best scopes available. We all know that scopes with equal optical quality with 5x or 6x zoom will cost substantially more.

Steiner Ranger 4-16×56 Relevant Comparisons

Do you want to know how this product compares to others in its class? Check out the following relevant comparisons:

• Steiner Ranger 4-16×56 vs Meopta R1 3-12×56 RD
• Steiner Ranger 4-16×56 vs Zeiss Conquest V4 3-12×56
• Steiner Ranger 4-16×56 vs Noblex N5 3-15×56
• Steiner Ranger 4-16×56 vs Steiner Ranger 3-12×56
• Steiner Ranger 4-16×56 vs Kaps TLB 3-12×56
• Steiner Ranger 4-16×56 vs DD Optics Nachtfalke III 2.5-10×56

Similar Reviews

If you found this review helpful, you may be interested in reading reviews of the following similar products:

• Steiner Ranger 4 3-12×56 Riflescope review
• Zeiss Conquest V4 3-12×56 Riflescope Review