Pocket Recon: A Monocular for the Prepared Citizen 

I was a rural peace officer for several years and I kept a monocular in my patrol bag because it didn't take up much space. I only used it a few times, but it helped me catch a hit-and-run driver and identify when a domestic violence suspect was alone so we were better able to plan our approach for the arrest with least risk. A Vortex, 10x25. That mono now lives in my Get Home Bag.

I've been carrying this EXACT model on my kit for years. The impetus was being stuck on patrols with my NG unit and consistently being unable to see what objects were. Nobody, not even NCOs, carried binos; not even in vehicles. Is that a wire going across the road? Who knows! No amount of prodding would compel the supply trolls to part with even a single unit from their horde of Frasier-Volpe image syabalized binos they were using as paper weights, so I had to buy my own kit. 8x is great mid power magnification, and the battery-free ranging comes in real handy for a truck gunner.

I've used one during deployment, found it useful. Less weight then a binos.

At first I was excited because I thought it was a new thermal. Then I was disappointed because it's only a monocular. Then I was excited again because I got to see Nova.

I think it was S2 Underground that did a video on accessory optics a while ago, spotting scopes, binos, etc. And having something that you can scan without pointing your rifle is a lot like having a handheld flashlight where you can scan without pointing your rifle at everything. One point of note: optics with magnifications in the 6-10x range are generally better than higher powered stuff if you're not using a tripod at the same time, a 20x is practically unusable without some kind of mounting system keeping it stable and pointed at something. I haven't seen this before, that's a pretty reasonable price for something with a reticle. I have an old pair of 8x16 binos I bought back in the 90's at Big 5 that somehow have managed to survive despite being carried thousands of miles on hunting and backpacking trips.

It’s also useful for looking at things far away without pointing rifles at them. A militant in 2020 was successfully prosecuted for this; turns out you can’t muzzle cops with your LPVO.

I think this is important kit for people who *don't* live out west. I'm in Florida and having more than 200m of distance to worry about is rare. 4x prisms and 1-4s are more useful for actual shooting in this area and with our heat and aggressive brush, a heavy 10-12x scope is a pain in the ass. Being able to PID without pointing your gun at someone is a boon. Source, I've been using a monocular for looking at things in the wilderness for about 4 years.

For “recce,” a monocular is an important piece of kit because a rifle is not a telescope and you shouldn’t be pointing guns at things just to figure out what they are. But you can also use a range finder for the same thing. Usually not as good of glass (although they can be), but they provide more information and serve a dual purpose. Alternatively, you can carry a compact spotting scope. But that’s heavier, so it really depends on what you’re doing. Regardless of what you’re doing, you should have *some* form of observation device, because your only method of magnifying things in the distance shouldn’t be pointing a rifle at them.

I actually bought one of these two years ago and use it pretty regularly. One of my favorite times was at Gettysburg where we were overlooking the Devil's Den area from the hills above it and was able to accurately gauge how far it was by overlaying other tourists with the silhouette markers. Really handy and underrated piece of kit.

This along with binos are much more useful than most will admit.

I have the 10x version, bought it a couple years back, and it's great. Dial is a little stiff, but i can read a license plate from 200y and see a person at 600. Highly recommend.

Man I was just randomly browsing Academy Sports the other day and found that exact monocular on sale for $100 even. I didn’t have a monocular at that time so I checked it out and the reticle and ranging features sold me immediately. Also, theres two separate adjustments on the tube, one focuses the lens, the other removes the reticle in case you want an unobstructed field of view. I love that feature as well. I recommended this monocular to all the guys in my tribe, if nothing else, it helps when zero’ing your rifles.

Thanks for the heads up on this, I didn't know they made a version with a reticle! I've had a Vortex Solo 8x for years now. Always with me backpacking, hunting, day bag etc. 8x is a great place for a handheld, not shaky at all, lightweight, and easy to focus.

I went to buy the 8x years ago and it was always out of stock so I bought the 10x. Even though it doesn't have the ranging capability and crosshairs I must say it has been one valuable tool over the years. I'll be picking up the 8x now that it's more available and passing my 10x off to a buddy who should have one but doesn't.

I've had one of those for a few years now. Love it. I travel around the country a lot for work and keep it in my pack everywhere I go, it's great for just checking stuff out. With knowledge of a couple simple formulas and knowing some common measurements for various objects, you can get pretty accurate range estimations on the fly using the mils. Plus it's just fun to look at stuff from far away.

I’ve had one of these for a few years. Easy to pack on a trip and transport. Inconspicuous. Super clear glass. Easy ranging. It is a cool toy.

I bought one of these years ago. Take it on hikes all the time. Great simple practice ranging targets without a laser

I’ve run one of these since they came out and I love it, and I’m glad to see others giving this thing some love too!

There is also a big difference between aiming a rifle at someone or looking at them through a monocular before you know if they are potentially a threat or not. Think about how any of us might respond if we see someone aiming a rifle at us or our friend or whatever…

I've carried mine for about 3 years now. Absolutely love it! Keep it clipped to my edc bag and use it quite a bit. I especially like it when i go to stadiums or arenas.

Dude, the timing is perfect, I was just looking for something like this, but didn’t know about this product. Thanks broseff

I love my Vortex R/T. It is awesome on a tripod or stabilizer stick and it ranges targets nicely.

I have the 15x and while it's large, its very nice to use and even has accessory mounts for a pic rail or tripod mount. I quite like it and often use it for recording with a phone.

I use it for navigation as well. Trees, fence post road width etc. can give you distance. Ranger Beads and a compass can really be enhanced. It can be used for pre determined shooting distances for over watch too. If I hunt a power line or wide open space I will have markers at variable distances pre done so I can make I fast range estimate on my rifle scope. This is a great tool. Mine is older and in mil-dot.

Good video, having a monocle or binoculars on my chest rig is super useful, I think depending on the situation it's better to observe with this than the rifle scope or crossbow, my monocular is simple and cheap, but I can observe up to 5 kilometers.

This optic really does well for its price and size. 👍🏻

I bought one for my brother to use while elk hunting. He loves it and easily packs for daily jaunts into the wildlands.

Great hand held optic..Very accurate for ranging..What’s cool about the low magnification is you don’t get a lot of shake..So when the reticle is on the target the scale isn’t jumping around..My only complaint about the device is the eye shield, it tends to deteriorate quickly..I’ve been through two in less than two years..Super clear optics though I’m happy with Vortex..

I've had one in my get home bag for years, although I've never had to use it. It seems very handy for recon and observation in an urban environment.

Neat. I've had the 10x for a while now and it's pretty nice

A 10x binocular goes really well with a 1-6 or 1-8 lpvo.

I have owned a cheap Monocular for these reasons for years and funny enough I just upgraded to this Vortex Monocular last weekend. Good choice.

Been eyeballing one of these for a few months, thanks for the video step uncle

For the people mentioning 'not pointing rifles just for PID'; this is part of why i chose a magnifier with red dot as my duty setup since i can detach/reattach the magnifier without losing zero. It's not as good as this for general observation (especially because of a much less forgiving eye box) but it's a fine compromise when I've used it to read license plates and watch people's hands for "transactions". If i were on a more specialized unit where i did more observation i would probably pick one of these up.

Me and the boys taking the pirate pill and getting telescopes

Hell, i bought a 6x rangefinder for range use and im whipping that thing out ALL the time. Fits in a wee lil pouch on my belt and weighs nothing. Some of the best money ive spent, gear wise. I would definitely be into a true dedicated monocular

I wasn't real impressed with the glass on the standard models but the 15x HD model I played with some years ago was like a miniature spotting scope. And almost as heavy as a small spotter too. They now sell an 8X with HD glass so I'm going to revisit these. My solution, to date, has been the Leupold Yosemite 6x binoculars. They're cheap and effective but don't pack quite as small as a monocular. Even with only 6-8x it's possible to spot stuff at pretty extended ranges that aren't visible to the naked eye.

This was just on time, I was thinking about buying this. Thanks bro

I have this exact same 8x36 Vortex Solo Tactical R/T Monocular, and have had it for years. If I had to do it all over again, I would have opted not to get the R/T model with the ranging reticle. I feel it gets in the way of what I'm looking at sometimes. It's a great optic, I would just prefer it without the ranging reticle.

Ooh, what a nifty piece of kit. I might look into getting one. Also adorable doggo at the end is a bonus.

I have had a vortex monocular for years and it rocks

I bought the 4x for some reason and never really use it, 8x seems like the right buy so I will try it out. Thanks dude!

I was think of adding one of these to my chest rig and was looking at the 10×25 but the 8×36 with the reticle is the clear winner

Me: being disappointed that others don't like my LPVO as much as I do, BUT here's some AsS FaCtS to brighten my day

I've always liked having a monocular fir observation, wanting to "upgrade" to a monocular with a laser rangefinder like the vortex 1800 (or similar) because i like to pinpoint my distances when im shooting rather than use generic ranging tools in a scope reticle (im not very good at using those tools apparently, and i often misjudge due to the reticle being calibrated for an "average" person.

Bushnell has a 10x42 monocular with a mil reticle also. It has a bit of pic rail on it that can be used to attach it to a tripod.

Perfect timing. I was literally browsing range finders yesterday, and then this drops. Thanks again BF.

I love having a monocle when sitting in a fixed position. Its a lot easier to swing around a 6" monocle than a 26" rifle. Especially when you're going to sit there and scan until you find something to kill or you fall asleep

Very good points. Always enjoy the videos!! Excellent video work on this one as well 💥💥🍻🍻

Handy for ranging passively.

I own one of these and it is great for what it is. What I realized was getting a good range finder gave me the same capability with the addition of range, temp, and angle.Either way it is a good idea NOT to use the rifle optic for scanning... people get itchy on their triggers when you point a rifle at them.

I use the 8x one of these to set up quick LPOP's and to read licenses plates and it great. Easy to carry in a backpack and may get the 10x next to try out.

"I used up my water cooling off supressors." Strange flex, but we'll allow it.

I was looking at this very monocular just a few days ago but I came to the realization what I really want is a small laser rangefinder around 8x magnification with an etched reticle as a backup. As far as I know this doesn't exist. Yet. *Hint hint Optics manufacturers.*

I have some Leupold 8x25 binocs only 1 pound easily packable. Used them the other day to see what was happening with ambulances at my neighbors house. Handy as hell.

Nice - Helpful Vid. I just bought the Trijicon 4X32 ACOG LED - Love it, but always wish it had a MilRad Range function - This is a super quick and handy gadget - and it is a BUY using your AMZ Link. Thanks!

I keep a small pair of bino’s in a leather pouch in my bag but having something like that used with one hand and one eye isn’t a bad idea. I’ve wanted a thermal monocular for a while now but these are cool too

I got the 10x version without the reticle and i love it. Super clear glass and way better image than my budget lpvo but at a great price point. While it’s nice for the range i honestly like the ability to stuff in my pants and use in random places. Wow that sounds bad lol

I cut out some foam and glue them to a flashbang pouch. It helps to protect the lenses

I keep one of these in my get home bag. Ever since I read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, I want the ability to glass an area before I enter it.

This is why i love my Eotech G45! I can detach from my AR without losing zero.

Maybe this bridges the problem I have always had with wearing a chest rug but not having room for my bingo pouch up front… sacrifice some FoV and weight to be able to still run a rifle well, but with quick magnified optic to observe w/o pointing a rifle around

I am wanting to know more about your backpack chest rig configuration. looks like its working good. i know MR has some that have a whole harness. but im not sure how it works with other gear. I would love to get an update on your large bag plz.

The best use that I can think of is in a get home kit. Where you need to get home from work, on foot, and your edc is a pistol. Throw this in your bag and you have the ability to scan your area for threats. Cool product.

Came here for the monocular review, then hyped myself up for a potential Brass Facts review on the new GLX 5x micro prism.

I use a rangefinder works double duty and if you get the small class size its barely bigger than this but optical specs are probably less

Cool I was already looking at getting the 10x but I’ll go through affiliate

I've got the cheaper / smaller 8x version of this. Primarily used for peeking out the windows

This looks like a great peice of kit, and I'd happily use your affiliate link if I didn't already have a Vortex pro deal! As a full time highcountry cowboy by summer, avid elk hunter by fall, and all-year shooter in the Rockies, I've been packing my little 8x Diamondback binos to hell and back when exactly this would give as much (if not more) information in a smaller footprint! Is that a cow or a bush? Legal bull or cow elk? Hiker or hunter? Friend or foe? Space is surprisingly tight in saddlebags, and even tighter in my Recce chest rig, so this should help free up some more space.

I keep a 6x range finder in my truck bag. Serves double purpose as hunting and light observation capabilities. Only a tiny bit bigger than a monocular and you can find any of your budget 6x range finders for around $100 bucks.

I have several, i use them often

Thank you. 👍

I bought one to support all this quality doggo footage.

Another thing for people to check out: Nikon P1000. It’s bigger than a mono, but you get legit surveillance capability, and can easily identify someone at a mile if you have the ability to stabilize it. And you can take pictures/video of what’s going on to review later. Just a thought ;)

I bought one of these and told my buddies I was like look how cool this is and they're like this is lame and now today I sent them this link because I'm vindicated.

Thnks dude very helpful!

looking forward to a review on that PA 5x optic/dot combo!

If you are on terrain with those distances, wouldn't you just want binos or a longer range scope?

I have a one. I like throwing it in my backpack when hiking and I'm only carrying a handgun.

I love these things.

Brass facts is my favorite Ghost Recon Wildlands character

Hunters with scoped rifles use binos and monos all the time. Not sure why we wouldn’t carry them in other scenarios. The ranging feature is sick

Thank you

Yeah, another solid point is... it's not wise in all situations to raise a rifle towards something. Identifying something that might be looking at you, is not going to look good should the person not be a threat, they may become a threat when they see your rifle pointed their direction.

Thoughts on having an mpvo or hpvo instead? Mils or moa, whichever you prefer. Ranging features if from PA, and ability to change magnification for a wider field of view or increased detail of a certain thing

I shot my right eye out with a rubberband when I was three, something like this is right up my alley.

I keep one in my truck. The ladies love it.

I feel validated that I already considered this option before you made a video about it. Useful for PID without carrying binoculars or a lpvo. That being said, how do you carry yours? Grenade pouch?

The clear asset in this is Nova.

Ive been eyeing this 8rt for a while

Sleeper Agent Nova!

I have one of these, i find a monocular hard to use over binoculars. It works great if it is all you have, but not thebest choicefor me..

Thanks!

Since you used the word "Prepared," I was surprised you didn't cover one aspect of other advantages. In the old days we were taught that a 7 x 50 was excellent at seeing in dusk or near dark conditions. This scope seems to offer similar improvement in low light conditions. I'd like to see a comparison of this scope vs 7 x 50 vs ?? to show value of low light observation.

Also, if you're not yet sure if what you are looking at is a hostile position, aiming a rifle at it is a quick way to auto answer that question

Have you tried integrating a pair of binos into your kit? Way more comfy when glassing for long periods of time....which is probably a more important part of the recce mission, yeah?

I have 10 x 25 vortex mono and love it

It would be cool if a variable magnifer existed that wasnt terrible, a simple 2-6x would make it incredibly versatile

My older M4s with a x3 on the swivel off is still my preferred gpr because I can still identify without holding my rifle on any object….( I don’t look crazy watching the paraglide jump off a mtn, or like I’m on a rampage just spotting Bucks) but the whole “system” is still present and not over packed, plus after 2 miles of lost visibility am I really gonna take the shot?

Very useful item.