So to recap, I have had an ATN X Sight 5 5x-25x with built in LRF to try out now for quite a while. I also have an Alpex (1st Gen not 4k) and son has a C50. The ATN works very well, generally. No tech is without bugs, including both the Alpex and the C50 (and we have had problems with both and had to do firmware updates, and both have lost zero for no explainable reason).
One big plus for the ATN is that the manual is comprehensive and written in English, unlike the Alpex manual which is next to useless and unintelligible.
The resolution on the ATN is superb in daylight (in day mode or night mode) and dusk (in night mode) without an IR torch. After 'lights out' you will need a powerful IR as the one in the box is only good to 50m-75m at most. I have swapped to a PBIR, and the ATN works well up to 500m.
The mounts that come with the X Sight are fairly light weight so if putting it on a centre fire of a larger calibre than .17hmr I would be tempted to use beefier mounts.
The ballistic calculator works very well on the range, and the rangefinder is accurate. No issues with zeroing (no more fiddly that the Alpex or C50) and a stable reticule. When zeroing, I started on base mag, then fine tuned it on higher magnifications, and then test shot at all magnifications and the zero stayed good with no variation. The only issue that has come to light is that the rangefinder sometimes fails to function when you press the button, which means that if you are using the BC your reticle has adjusted zero to the last range check. If your target has moved since then your zero will be off until you manage to get the rangefinder to function again. As a result, I now don't use the BC when on live quarry.
Battery life is about three times what we get from the Alpex or C50.
Weight wise there are only grams in it, and the ATN is the lighter of the three, but we aren't talking much. It is however a much slimmer and lower profile than the other two. Screen is a good size and well laid out. Functionality is also good, but the buttons do take a bit of getting used to, and (more importantly) don't always work. The main issue I have had other than the LRF not always functioning is that the zoom tends to stick and refuse to move, and then jump to either full or base depending which direction you were trying to go, and if you zoom in on a target then switch on the BC or hit the menu button, the zoom goes straight to base mag (5x). At the start of an outing I now switch off the BC, set the mag to about 8x-10x and leave it at that. When you do zoom in, the pixilation is so much less than the Alpex, and also slightly better than the C50.
With regard to which is the best scope, the Alpex (gen 1, not the 4k) is perfectly usable and basic, and if you are not techy then fine. The ATN and the C50 are pretty much on a par with the ATN having slightly better screen quality, but the ATN is lighter, less bulky and much cheaper, and comes with a built in LRF and BC. The problems are that the buttons don't always work, or they malfunction. I am hoping that a firmware update can fix this? There are also several functions that I can't see a use for in the UK (like group hunting). I feel that ATN have tried to do 'Everything', and as a result some of the basic stuff doesn't work as it should.
The jury is still out, as there are elements of the X Sight 5 that I really like - (sensor, screen quality, reticule, LRF, zeroing), but other important bits that don't function quite right (zoom and LRF/BC). If they can be sorted then it will be an excellent scope.
