Random dude, making gun videos in his free time. Haven't been there done that, nor do I have any special qualifications.
I think it's a civic duty to be proficient with firearms, for safety, preparedness, and to keep one of the most important lifestyles/traditions alive in the general population.
I put one on my get home gun in my truck. Because I figured I would want up close capability but also want to be able to scout ahead using the optic if I was ever in a situation where I had to walk home . I know it’s not a likely scenario necessarily but I wanted the ability.
LPVOs arent for me and neither are dots (astigmatism). I much prefer an MPVO or fixed magnification. I adore Primary Arms micro prisms. the LPVO my 3x replaced had spent nearly a year in 3x magnification almost exclusively and the prism weighs 4 grams more than the mount and lens cover for the LPVO.
I, too, hate the view of a stupid laser taking up half my imagine on elcans and lpvo's and I think giraffe mounts are the devil. There is a solution to all Hop's problems, though, and its name is "mawl". Yes, it's like 3 grand. But I would (and do) pay an extra grand to not have to look at a box when I want to look through my primary optic. I'm in the absolute opposite end of the spectrum as both of you in terms of what I look for in an optic though. I think most people, youtubers and 3 gun/2 gun guys in particular, REALLY overemphasizes 1x performance. I'm not willing to totally give up 1x, but I'm one of those guys who shills for the razor gen III and the vudu 1-10. Good enough 1x is good enough. I don't really care if there's a bit of fish eye. I'm in it for the versatility.
For me as a regular dude raising a family and not independent wealthy... Durability is non negotiable. I'm not willing to spend the coin on something that cost more and has the highest likelihood of become useless to me.
LVPOs are for fence sitters who cannot make up their damn mind. Either get a fixed prism optic like an ACOG or a normal ass scope. Anything under 100 yards, just use irons.
LPVOs are the best optic for a "jack of all trades" gun. They do everything well, but are not the best optic for anything. For specialized builds where weight, durability, long range performance, close range performance, or some other characteristic takes precedence over everything there's almost always a better option. But for situations where you're forced to rely on only one rifle in an unpredictable situation, LPVOs are king. Financial and storage space considerations as well as laws in some countries can limit how many rifles people are able to have and in SHTF close range will probably be your main consideration but long range engagements are still possible. This uncertainty is what makes LPVOs appealing to so many. For those concerned with the downsides I think prisms are the best alternative to the LPVO. You're sacrificing performance at very close and very long ranges for durability and weight savings, but still have a good general-purpose optic that will perform as well or better than an LPVO at medium range
The part at 4:50 is hilarious if you imagine the optic is still attached to a rifle. Just some lunatic walking through a busy parking lot waving a gun around. 😂
I'm a grunt before mag iron site max range 500' anything longer ,maditory magnification few people can hit anything at 5 football fields with naked eye balls 3ven a basketball or dase
Guys Guys Guys. You are treating the 'red dot' as if it is one thing, no BDC or other range/windage reference info etc. Wrong. Where are you getting your sucky red dots? You also say that an added (assume flip mount) magnifier for the red dot sucks vs LPVO. Wrong again. You must shop really poorly. I do prefer a red dot combo with magnification. I find it superior to either of my LPVO's 1-10x or 1-6x for 250y ish and on in, particularly in for fast shooting or on the move. Example: My 1x PA micro prism has the really nice ACSS reticle including BDC, an obvious chevron aiming point, a nice semicircle of death with which I can and have figured out how to range with and get some windage. Is called getting your DOPE! Paired that with a HOLOSUN 3x or PA 4x flip and I am more confident for the fore-mentioned role for speed and versitilty than my Vortex 1-6x or my other 1-10x LPVO. The visual experience does not suck. The eye relief does not suck as Hop says. At least as good as any sub $1000 LPVO i've used. Ture, not as good for bench shooting but thats not what its for. Yet I can easily shoot acceptable 2MOA groups at 200 yards at the bench or prone. If I need longer to medium range I'd prefer an MPVO going out to 16x++. Wish there were more such options, I quickly broke my Athlon 2-16x. But running and gunning or property defense, I'm sticking with my 1x+mag while the LPVO's sit in their boxes while I decide on a build for em, or to sell. My other builds are long range, sigh.
LPVOs work best at making indecisive Guntoobers mad with the idea that 95% good enough for everything practical in a civilian setting, isnt worth using because there's a .005% chance you might need it for what it isnt good for.
The TLDR is LPVOs are a middle ground optic for those who value good magnification and a good BDC over 1x performance but still want some level of 1x performance. RDS magnifier combos are for the inverse of that.
METT-TC. I work in LE. I am running an EOTECH with the new DC reticle (like it a lot) and a magnifier. 95% of likely engagements distances I would come across would be within 50 yards or less. But, the magnifier as an enhancement to the 1x optic provides just that little bit of extra capability for the 5% longer range, or just needing more precision for a high-risk shot at closer distances. If 95% of my time is on 1x, I want to use the superior 1x optic. Even in SHTF, a lot of people seem to think they will be living it rough in the woods and mountains doing long-term patrols with small team tactics. This, though possible, is very low down in the already unlikely event. But again, METT-TC. If you live in a rural area with long sight lines, or have the ability to go to one to actually live in a SHTF or regional disruption scenario, an LPVO fits the role better, because the need to use the mag to actually observe things and then make longer range engagements makes more sense. And if you find yourself in that environment needing to be at 1x a lot, there is a lot more going wrong for you than whether you had the "best" optic option for the choice. This of course is just talking about civilian applications. In a traditional military setting, where we want to buy one item at scale, an LPVO also makes the most sense. Though we ran CCO's and ACOG's for much of GWOT, neither was a great across the board solution. But the logistics and accountability to give multiple optics to each soldier in the "big army" units also does not make since. So the way the military is going - LPVO just makes the most sense. And special units can and will use what fits their mission set best at any given time. So to close out this rambling. The best type of optic is the one that bests suits your particular needs at any given time. Don't go after one because its the best mix of all, go after one because it is the best enhancement to whatever your mission set is right now.
My Razor 1-6 randomly started causing POI shifts after years of no issues. Shooting at 100yds, POA would equal POI, but on 3x, groups would shift about 3in to the right, and on 1x, groups shifted 10in to the right! I sent it in to Vortex and they fixed it, but the issue did make me question my Razor's reliability.
Depends on the lpvo and how you use it. I use a tr24 for the red dot like 1x, and magnification as an afterthought without doing a multi optic solution. That and beyond a white light, i dont use night vision
