A method of making a cubic halide scintillator material includes pressing a powder mixture of cubic halide and at least one activator under conditions of pressure, temperature, residence time and particle size effective to provide a polycrystalline sintered cubic halide scintillator having a pulse height resolution of from about 7% to about 20%. The conditions include a temperature ranging from about ambient temperature up to about 90% of the melting point of the cubic halide, a pressure of from about 30,000 psi to about 200,000 psi, a pressing residence time of from about 5 minutes to about 120 minutes and an average cubic halide particle size of from about 60 micrometers to about 275 micrometers.