fixed power optics

[Bulldog]

I have been spending a lot of time on the mower lately and sometimes when I am lost in my own head the good idea fairy hits and I am coming here to see if my thinking is right or if I am missing something. I am looking at setting up what would be considered a general purpose carbine, probably leaning more towards home defense, but would likely be used for small game hunting and longer range plinking fairly frequently. I self admittedly have next to no experience with optics other than shooting a handful of rounds through a buddy's aimpoint and I had an eotech for a while, I have Daniel defense fixed iron sights on my duty rifle and that has been what I have trained and shot with. I see a lot of talk about variable powered scopes for general purpose rifles and other uses and I just do not see the point. It seems to me that you would either have it set on 1 or maxed out and if you needed to make shot you are going to take it wherever it is currently set at and you would not have time to switch. This made me think you never hear much about the 3x fixed optics, you could accomplish cqb just fine with one and still be able to see better at longer ranges without the worry of having to adjust anything or flip up a magnifier. Is there a reason nobody seems to use them? what reliable options are available? I know trijicon Acog, Burris, and primary arms all make 3x optics, the Acog would obviously the most robust, but would Burris or primary arms stand up to hard use? Sorry for the long post and I am terrible at typing, tell me where I am wrong and what I am missing

[okie john]

It seems to me that you would either have it set on 1 or maxed out and if you needed to make shot you are going to take it wherever it is currently set at and you would not have time to switch.

That's what I find as well. For me the low end is more like 3-4x, but I have far less time on variable optics than most folks here.


Okie John

[MolonLabe416]

Most of what most of us do would indeed be well served with a fixed optic in the 3x range. It'd be lighter and less expensive. But, like me, it wouldn't be cool.

[ASH556]

I'll be honest, even after having and using several of the current "best choice" 1-4/6 optics, I'm about to buy a TA11 fixed 3.5X ACOG for the reasons you're talking about.

[SecondsCount]

Interesting thoughts.

For me, I tried a 3-9x scope about 6 years ago and could not do CQB very well with it set on 3x so I went to a 1-4x and have never looked back. My next scope will be a 1-6 or 1-8 as past 500, it is hard to see the 10" plates.

[Alembic]

Yep, I use a fixed 4 power on my PTR91, .308. Quality Hensoldt glass, but with it, I'm able to ring 12in steel at 400yds all day with 147-grain surplus ammo. It gets a little iffy at past that.

I got lucky and found an NF NXS 2.5-10x32 on Armslist. I tried it on the 91 and liked the 4x better. Not that the scope isn't great, just found the fixed 4 worked fine for my goals, at half the weight.

I think the NXS belongs on a Tikka T3... or a Bravo Company 18in Recce?

[ASH556]

There's so much more that goes into it than power:
-glass quality (image resolution at distance)
-reticle design
-field of view
-eye relief

[MistWolf]

A fixed power scope has fewer parts, is lighter and more economical to make than a variable. Fixed power scopes usually have better optical quality than variables of the same price. However, the technology of the variable has come a long way and easily outsell fixed power scopes and have been for some years. This means variables get the lion's share of R&D time and money. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that companies are largely abandoning fixed power scopes.

I hunted jackrabbits with a fixed 4x. I think it would be too much at what I think of as CQB range, which is distances found inside my house. In fact, I feel a 2.5x would be too much

[breakingtime91]

Used an acog on two deployments, always worked when needed and handled anything we threw at them. If I was to go with a fixed optic it would be a flavor of the acog and an offset set of irons or T1

[MSparks909]

One reason I want an Elcan 1-4x really bad...very fast to switch from 1-4. Bombproof optic with phenomenal battery life. Just don't have an extra $2200 to drop on one at the moment.

[breakingtime91]

One reason I want an Elcan 1-4x really bad...very fast to switch from 1-4. Bombproof optic with phenomenal battery life. Just don't have an extra $2200 to drop on one at the moment.

Shot one on a SCAR-H (forget the designation), not a fan. Glass was super clear but the eye box was unforgiving.

[LOKNLOD]

Steiner makes a 3x and 5x little fixed power scope. Might be worth a look and some further research if interested in this type of optic.

[psalms144.1]

Shot one on a SCAR-H (forget the designation), not a fan. Glass was super clear but the eye box was unforgiving.We had Elcans for both our Mk16s and Mk17s. We worked with them a lot in training and on the range, but I don't recall a single instance where we took them out of the armory on a mission - for the reason you mentioned and several others. We just used the RDOs we had on hand - M68s and SU231s.

Of course, our mission was close protection, so MOST of our threat situations were inside a city block - where magnification yields to visibility. If we were doing a lot of fixed post sniper/counter sniper stuff, I imagine we'd have wanted magnification. Of course, in that role, I'd want a lot more than 4x as the top end of my optic...

[JHC]

Used an acog on two deployments, always worked when needed and handled anything we threw at them. If I was to go with a fixed optic it would be a flavor of the acog and an offset set of irons or T1

Those 4X models are tough in the eye relief area. Have you ever shot the TA11 that Ash referred to? They're BIG but pretty incredible for versatility.

I'll be watching for rob_s to weigh in with mini-Acog reviews; he was always good for a rundown on them on other boards. Esp experience shooting running hogs with the TA-33.

[Hizzie]

The TA33 3x30 ACOG is very forgiving in terms of eye box and relief. If I can make all first round hits on the CSAT Scrambler with on an AK with my mediocre skill level I think you could make it work.

If only daylight shooting is on the table the Leupold FXII Ultralight 2.5x20 (non scout) might be a viable budget option to test your theory.

[jandbj]

The 2.5x Leupold is exceptional! Having used them on a few hunting rifles where 100 yards is a long shot... I have one I still haven't used because the place holder cheapo Tasco bantam 2.5x20 is still going strong on my PWS T3. I know it's odd having a sub $50 optic on an $800 rimfire... but it holds zero and the Leupold is just waiting patiently.

[El Cid]

I'll be watching for rob_s to weigh in with mini-Acog reviews; he was always good for a rundown on them on other boards. Esp experience shooting running hogs with the TA-33.

I've seen Rob shoot matches and classes with his mini ACOG. He ran it exceptionally well. I believe he closed the front cap for work up close. I personally want a 1x dot for most things. When I want magnification I want it right then. A magnified optic as primary with a 1x mini red dot as secondary is the opposite of my needs. That's why if I could have only one optic it would be a 1-6 or 1-8 with a daytime bright dot at 1x. Plenty of shooters make a fixed mag optic work and that's great. Just not for me.

[Duces Tecum]

I am looking at setting up what would be considered a general purpose carbine, probably leaning more towards home defense, but would likely be used for small game hunting and longer range plinking fairly frequently . . . I see a lot of talk about variable powered scopes for general purpose rifles and other uses and I just do not see the point. It seems to me that you would either have it set on 1 or maxed out and if you needed to make shot you are going to take it wherever it is currently set at and you would not have time to switch. . . Sorry for the long post and I am terrible at typing, tell me where I am wrong and what I am missing

Don't listen to the following because I'm some sort of rifleman. I'm not. But I do have a .308 Rem LTR on which I've put a S&B variable, so you and I share the same needs and have confronted similar issues. In my mind a major caliber rifle is made "general purpose" or "specialized" largely through it's sighting mechanism.

My aging eyes appreciate 1 power magnification for every 50 yards of range. If the target is determined to be 400 yards distant, the 8x setting seems to work just fine. In other words, if I had an 8x fixed power scope, it would be -- for me -- a rifle specialized for 400 yard shots. The variable scope, with magnification ranging from 3x - 12x makes the LTR (again, for me) functional for shots from under 150 to 600 yards or so. That sighting flexibility is one of the things that makes the LTR, in my mind, a general purpose rifle.

So if your rifle must be suitable for tasks ranging from home defense to long range plinking, it seems to me that a variable power scope would be desirable.