The Wraith 4K 4-32x40 brings your daylight or dark world to life with a sight picture that feels familiar to those accustomed to traditional reticles in daylight conditions, ensuring maximum effectiveness downrange!
If you’re new to “taking a shot in the dark,” so to speak, the world of night optics can be a little daunting. From zeroing to shooting and eventually the field, the strictly thermal or night-only view can be somewhat disorienting. The Wraith 4K from Sightmark bridges that gap since it offers both a traditional daylight mode and nighttime capabilities once the sun goes down.
Let’s start at the beginning. The Sightmark Wraith 4K has a digital magnification range of 4-32 with an effective objective of 40. This allows for a large field of view and an 8x zoom to reach out within the functional range of the optic. The specs of the unit list a detection range of 300 yards.
Mounting the Wraith 4K is quick and simple. It mounts directly to the Pic rail of your bolt or AR-style gun. After setting eye relief, tighten the attached thumbscrews to 20-25 lbs. From a design standpoint, it would be great to have these on the opposite side (they are on the right) to avoid any bolt or hand interference.
Once attached, it’s time to boresight and zero. This is where the Wraith 4K really sets itself apart. With the day/night capability, there are no special heat or other vision accommodations to make. It’s a normal, full-color daylight view. You can follow traditional optic zeroing processes. Reference the included menu instructions to move your crosshairs/reticle to your impacts.
I wanted to play in the daylight a bit before I took it out at night. I first mounted and zeroed it on the Ruger American Gen II in .22 ARC. I knew the rifle was accurate and also night hunting-friendly (I mounted the Wraith Mini on it for a recent review as well). The length of pull, as well as the integrated Pic rail, made it functional for this type of application.
I was able to get multiple sub-MOA 3-shot groups at 100 yards. Being able to use traditional targets and have a visual interface similar to a standard daylight optic was a huge advantage! It created a ton of confidence in the shooting system as a whole.
Let’s hit on some key features of the Wraith 4K:
Why 4K? With digital optics, resolution is the name of the game. This unit has built-in 4K video recording as well as 4K digital imaging capability. This means both the triumphs and awkward misses can be relived again and again in high definition…
The sensor resolution is 1920 x 1080, and the display resolution is 1280 x 720. The included IR illuminator (for nighttime use) is an LED style. The IR emitter has three brightness levels that can be toggled using the button on the back (low, medium, and high).
We all like options. The Wraith 4K has 10 reticle options and nine color modes. I played with them all and loved the cyan. It showed up great in full sun, snow, and overcast conditions. It also worked well at night. As for the reticle, I prefer a more traditional crosshair for daylight but liked the circle with a center dot for nighttime.
Another great feature of the 4K is the weapon profile option. You can log up to five weapon profiles, saving time and ammo if you swap between guns—which is super simple with the Pic rail mounting system. Two thumbscrews, and you’re there.
I decided to mount it on a .22 ARC in an AR platform, just for variety. I was able to easily save the weapon profile after zeroing. Upon switching back, I confirmed my data, and it was right back to sub-MOA groups on the first rifle.
Here in Northern Michigan, we are in the midst of the snowiest, coldest, and most wintery winter we’ve had in years. Upon taking the 4K to the field, I discovered the cold temps were not a friend to the batteries (or anything else, for that matter). Battery life, as configured, was significantly less than factory spec. With temps well below zero, that was to be expected. One workaround for this is to get the external battery pack from Sightmark to facilitate longer battery life in extreme cold temperatures.
The video capture aspect was both fun and user-friendly—even with gloves and numb fingers, the menu was easy to use, and the controls were simple to actuate. It was fun to revisit, in high-quality video, the exploits of the various critters encountered during their nighttime activities.
The nighttime performance was very solid for the resolution and price point. The advertised detection range is 300 yards. I felt more comfortable closer to 200 yards with target identification and shot placement. During the daylight, I felt totally confident at further distances.
The Wraith 4K is another example of Sightmark’s firm grasp on today’s optics market. It showcases quality, dedicated functionality, and cost-aware design components, making alternative optics accessible to many enthusiasts. The 4K is available at an MSRP of $499.99 and promises fun around the clock.
Learn more at www.sightmark.com!
