Element’s Helix line built a reputation as affordable precision glass that still tracks. At Shot Show 2023, SlavGuns sat down with Matt from Element for Part 1 of the booth tour — the hunter-focused Helix HD and Helix HDLR. (Theos is Part 2; HYPR-7 is Part 3.) This is a booth / first-look write-up, not a long-term range test. Specs and pricing move — verify current Element listings before you buy.
Watch the full YouTube booth walkthrough for the Helix HD and HDLR side-by-side. If you are weighing hunting glass against heavier match optics, see also the Element Titan 5-25×56 FFP coverage on this site.
Key takeaways
- Why hunters got their own Helix: original Helix leaned budget precision (mechanics first, no illumination). Hunters asked for an illuminated reticle — Element rebuilt around hunting instead of bolting illum onto the old tube.
- New package: 2–16× (vs the older 4–24×), second focal plane, HD glass for that 8× zoom range, illumination as a first-class feature.
- Two variants: company hunting cultures (South Africa / U.S. / Sweden) disagreed on one “perfect” hunter scope — Western open country vs Eastern timber — so Element shipped HD and HDLR.
- Helix HD: capped turrets, no zero stop on this model; BDC with illuminated center dot; framed for closer / low-light hunting.
- Helix HDLR: exposed elevation with zero stop, about 100 MOA elevation travel as stated on tape; APR-1C hold reticle (MOA; MRAD option mentioned); subtensions calibrated at 16×.
- Shared: parallax down to about 10 meters/yards; booth street talk around $600 retail — confirm today’s price.
Why a hunter Helix at all?
Matt’s story on camera: keep cost in the mechanics on the original Helix, leave illumination off. Hunters kept asking for illum. Rather than a half-measure, Element changed magnification band, chose SFP for the hunting buyer, upgraded to HD glass for the zoom range, and made illumination a real feature.
Helix HD — capped, simple, dawn-and-dusk friendly
Capped elevation and windage, low-profile, no zero stop on this model. Thread-protector rings ship in the box if you want turrets exposed — Matt said it still tracks well if you dial — but the default buyer mostly holds.
- BDC reticle with an illuminated center dot — simple crosshair plus a few hashes for that 200–300 yard poke
- Framed for European / Eastern U.S. hunters (whitetail, closer shots, low light)
- Stepping stone for shooters not ready for Christmas-tree reticles and exposed turrets
- Booth BDC tip (SFP — mag matters): at 8× (8 highlighted on the scope) for a .308 Win / 168 gr soft-point hunting load; around 10× closer to a 6.5 Creedmoor / 143 gr ELD-X–class load. Find your match and leave mag there. Flip-cap stickers in the box for writing your own drops.
Helix HDLR — dial-for-distance hunting
Same hunting DNA, different turret story: exposed elevation (the Helix-line turret feel Matt kept praising), zero stop, and about 100 MOA of elevation travel as called out on tape — a lot for a hunting scope. Windage stays simpler. Reticle shifts from BDC to Element’s APR-1C (MOA; MRAD option on tape) — still a “simple for Element” hold reticle, calibrated at 16× (16 highlighted) because that is where SFP subtensions are honest.
Target shooter in Matt’s framing: Western / open-country hunters who might actually dial a valley shot — not just hold a timber poke.
Price & lineup (as taped)
Availability described as “plenty.” Booth street talk landed around $600 retail — mid-stack between classic Helix features and Titan-class HD glass. Matt’s framing: not “cheap,” feature-packed hunting glass filling the gap after Nexus / Titan / original Helix already covered precision and value lanes. Confirm today’s SKUs on element-optics.com.
Who it is for
Timber / low-light hunters who want capped BDC Helix HD, or open-country hunters who want dial-happy HDLR. If you need FFP trees and match-style elevation for PRS work, look at Element’s precision lines (including Titan on this site) instead of forcing a hunter Helix into that job.
Watch Part 1
→ YouTube: Element Optics’ Scopes For Hunters! — Helix HD and HDLR! — Part 1
Some links are affiliates. Purchases may support the channel at no extra cost to you. Always follow federal, state, and local law. Firearms, ammo, and suppressors ship to eligible buyers only.
Comment here