Today’s enthusiasts are pretty spoiled when it comes to optics. The Blackhound Genesis 6-24×50 FFP MOA scope is a perfect example of this. It combines quality glass with great features at a price that’s affordable even for someone just getting into the sport on a budget. Taking that a step further, Blackhound includes rings, levels, wrenches, and other accessories in the box. They top it all off with a lifetime warranty too. Advances in optics technology as well as manufacturing translate to higher quality products at more reasonable prices than ever before.
As I was putting together my Savage B22 lefty project for a friend of mine, I realized that the Blackhound Genesis 6-24×50 was a perfect match for his rifle. The 6-24 magnification range is great for tiny rimfire groups at 50 yards, or longer shots with a centerfire rifle. It’s regularly $399, but on sale for $239.99, which is an awesome deal. And the folks at Blackhound were kind enough to send us one for testing and evaluation. Here’s how our few weeks with it went.
Blackhound Genesis 6-24×50 FFP MOA details and spec
Most of the basic details of the scope are covered in the name. It’s got 6-24x magnification and a 50mm objective with a 30mm tube. That strikes a good balance between low-light performance and light weight. Total weight is 1.74 pounds, which is a little lighter than scopes of similar spec that I’ve reviewed. Eye relief is 3.14-3.82 inches, revealing their easy-to-use ASCENT illuminated reticle. Note that we did not test the illumination. Exposed turrets offer 12 MOA of range per revolution, at 1/4 MOA per click. There’s 70 MOA of elevation/windage adjustment available. Another feature that’s great for rimfire is the parallax focus down to 10 yards. All this in a package just 14.09 inches long.
What’s in the box?
All Blackhound scopes come in a sturdy, protective box with nearly everything needed to mount them. That includes a set of Picatinny rings, a pair of bubble levels, and the necessary wrenches. There’s also a scope hood, lens caps, a cleaning cloth and pen, battery, plus the plastic tool for the caps. The only things missing are the rifle and a torque wrench, although I suspect many people will just trust the included wrenches for that. I highly recommended buying or borrowing a torque wrench though.
Documentation
When I opened the box, I immediately noticed a label on the inside of the box lid. Not only did it list the torque values for the rings (18-20 inch pounds) and rail (45-55 inch pounds), it had a full QC checklist. Every function as well as all accessories are checked and confirmed before the scopes ship. I’m sure most companies have something similar, but it’s reassuring to see that, all checked off, with a signature and date. There was also a large foldout manual that covers setup, adjustment, and maintenance. No tiny print, no PDF to download, just nice big text which is easy to read at your bench or kitchen table.
I have done this so many times, that I’ve forgotten what it was like to mount and set up a scope for the first time. Blackhound makes it easy for a beginner and provides a refresher for seasoned pros. The documentation covers the Fast Focus Eyepiece, magnification, illumination, and adjusting parallax. There are explanations for subtensions, windage, and elevation. Zeroing the scope is explained, and how to install and set the included zero stop is covered too. Pretty much all the answers in one place, along with a link to their support page and Facebook community page.
Range time with the Blackhound Genesis 6-24×50 FFP MOA
With the scope installed and dialed in for the shooter, we headed to the range, which is where things got interesting. I’m overly critical (that’s part of the review process), while the owner of this rifle (Sean) is more of an enthusiast shooter. In other words, he’s probably the target demographic for this scope and has different expectations than me. He found the ASCENT reticle easy to use once he got the hang of it, especially since the scope is FFP. I would prefer a finer reticle for hitting the 1/4″ target on my KYL rack, but outside of that, it works fine. Turrets tracked well, although the clicks weren’t as sharp and crisp as I prefer. Large, deeply engraved markings made it easy to read and dial in adjustments.
Glass on the Genesis was good as well. Image quality tends to suffer at higher magnifications on some scopes, but we didn’t see anything terrible here. For target shooting, we tend to be less critical of edge sharpness and more concerned about color and contrast anyway. And at this price point, you can’t really be overly critical, but the performance is solid. I spent less time looking for flaws in the glass, and more time enjoying poking holes in paper and ringing steel. At the end of the day, we both agreed that the scope got the job done and met our expectations. None of the controls were too stiff nor under-damped. It was easy to change magnification without the need for a lever. Would a finer reticle be better? Sure, but his rifle is more upscale plinker than precision, and the reticle isn’t what’s preventing him from making the tiniest of groups.
Final thoughts
Sean’s take: Big upgrade for a small price. Does the job, and does it well. This is not a high-dollar optic, yet it’s not holding him back like his previous one did. Overall, an excellent value and the included rings, caps, and other bits make this a smart purchase.
My take: Where was stuff like this when I got back into rimfire? I paid a little less for a mediocre 3-9x with capped turrets and average glass. I can’t find much to fault at this price, other than the reticle. And that’s only because I have some rifles capable of sub-MOA accuracy, where I really need a finer reticle. For about 95% of the rest of my shooting, this would certainly serve me well.
As always, we’d like to thank Blackhound for providing their Genesis 6-24×50 FFP MOA scope for our testing and evaluation. And Blackhound is generously providing a 15% discount code to our readers. Simply enter the coupon code bmbh5 when checking out at Blackhoundoptics.com for an easy 15% off, even on sale items. That brings the cost of this scope down to a wallet-friendly $203.99. Get yours while you can!
Questions? Comments? Feel free to share them below.
I have used the Blackhound Optics Genesis 6-24X50 FFP scope on my CZ 455 22Lr and couldn’t be more pleased. The glass is clear, and the MOA reticle lets me practice holdover and dial in my shots. While Blackhound isn’t well known, they make good optics. I also have 3 of their higher-end scopes Emerge and Evolve, which are excellent.
At this pricepoint, the market is a bit crowded, and no one brand stands out in all features, but Blackhound is definitely a solid option.