RIX Storm S6R — 640×512 thermal riflescope

How far you can see a person

112 m make out detail182 m tell what it is729 m spot it┆ maker’s claim

501002005001k2k5k m

Calculated from the sensor's pixel pitch and the lens focal length, for clear air.

RIX quotes 1,800 m, 2.5× our figure, because makers usually measure against a person’s full height rather than their width. Why the numbers differ

RIXRiflescope · 640-class · Laser rangefinder

RIX Storm S6R

Approx. price: ~$2,699
Sensor: 640×512 · 12 µm
Lens: 35 mm · 2×
Weight: 16 oz

Buy from RIX

Price and availability on RIX’s site may differ.

Best for

Night shooting where ranging matters — hogs and coyotes past 150 yards

01Specifications

As published by RIX. Sources: rixoptics.com (product page spec table + store API price, stock).

Sensor: 640×512
Pixel pitch: 12 µm
NETD: <20 mK
Refresh rate: 50 Hz
Lens: 35 mm
Base magnification: 2×
Digital zoom: up to 8×
Field of view: 12.5° horizontal
Display: 1024x768 AMOLED
Claimed detection: 1,800 m
Claim basis: unspecified
Run time: 4 h
Battery type: 18650
Weight: 16 oz
Length: 6″
Laser rangefinder: Yes
Ballistic calculator: Yes
Records video: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes
IP rating: IP67
Warranty: 5 years
Approx. price: ~$2,699

02Pros and cons

From the published specs. What owners report is in the next section.

For it

640×512 sensor, 3× the detail of an entry-level 384
Sensitive sensor that picks out small heat differences on humid or rainy nights (104th-best of 285 that publish it)
Built-in laser rangefinder that feeds the ballistic calculator
Takes 18650 batteries you can swap in the field
Light at 16 oz, 11th-lightest of the 194 riflescopes here
Waterproof (IP67), survives a dunking
Records video and connects to a phone app

Against it

Only 4 h of battery
Short 35 mm lens: a wide view, but less reach than a 50 mm scope
Zoom past 2× is digital and gets blurry

03What owners say

owner discussions, 2025–2026

Summarised from 9 public owner discussions between 2025 and 2026. Owner experience, not a measurement.

The Storm S6R shows up mostly in owners' kill clips and in first-thermal shopping questions around the $3,000 mark, where it is weighed against the AGM Rattler V3 384 LRF, the Athlon Cronus 640, the Nocpix ACE and DNT's Hydra 650. Owners who post with it call it a budget optic that is hard to beat, and one who also owns an iRay RH25 V2 says the RIX image looks clearly better than the pricier iRay, enough that he plans to sell the iRay. An owner who has run both the plain S6 and the S6R says the picture is the same on both and better in the eyepiece than on recorded video, and that the ballistic calculator is accurate and easy to set up.

The complaints are small and practical: the rangefinder can read brush in front of the animal, at least two owners could not work out how to move the rangefinder reticle and had to ask RIX, and suppressor heat shows up after the shot on longer barrels.

What owners like

Owners keep calling it hard to beat for the money; one ran it through a snowstorm and said the image held up, and in clearer weather it is better still.
An owner who also has an iRay RH25 V2 says the S6R looks significantly better than the more expensive iRay.
The built-in ballistic calculator is described as spot on and simple to set up, which matters to owners shooting hogs out to about 200 yards.
A friend who runs several Storms reports the app connection and video transfer work well, unlike the slow downloads he gets from a RIX Stride helmet unit.
Owners of the non-LRF S6 say the rangefinder is the reason to pay up: judging distance at night with only a lone cedar for reference is the thing they wish they could do.

Common complaints

The rangefinder can pick up brush between you and the animal and give a short reading; one owner had his partner range the hogs instead.
Moving the rangefinder reticle is not obvious, and more than one owner ended up emailing RIX for help.
Heat off a suppressor shows up as a blotch after the shot, worse on a 22-inch barrel than an 18-inch, though the owner says you get used to it.

Storm S6R or AGM Rattler V3 35-384 LRF for around $3,000?

Owners who bought the RIX mostly cite price with the rangefinder included and the 640 sensor. The AGM side of the argument is its app, which owners of both brands rate highly; the one owner comment on the Storm's app says connectivity and transfers work well. Whichever you choose, S6 owners warn that scanning with the rifle gets old quickly, so budget for a handheld too.

Is the picture any different from the plain Storm S6?

An owner who has used both says he cannot tell the two apart, and that both look much better through the eyepiece than recorded footage suggests. The difference is the rangefinder and the ballistic calculator that uses it.