Leupold Prismatic Tactical

[JodyH]

IIRC, using the irons through the Prismatic is a non-starter - the optic would has to be removed to see the front sight clearly. If that is indeed the case (I think it is), I'd opt for a QD mount like the Larue.

That's correct.
It's also best to have folding front and rear BUIS because the fixed sights are very distracting through the Prismatic.

[LittleLebowski]

You guys talking about one of these? Never even heard of it before this thread. Good battery life?

[JodyH]

Yup, that's it.
Battery life is only a day or two continuous.
But it has a visible etched reticle so illumination isn't needed during the day.

[Archimagirus]

That Vortex has a "Hecho en China" vibe to it.

The built in mount is not great, and the whole thing most assuredly is made in China, but the sight itself, the adjustment turrets, and the power switch all feel pretty solid. I will say I did the single power button on the Leupold more than the twisty on the Vortex.

[Archimagirus]

Not sure if these weights really include all mounting etc.

With supplied mount, battery and front lense cover the Spitfire weighs 11.75 oz.

[rob_s]

Why does the spitfire have so many knobs?

Are the flip caps removable?

Are there other mounting options?

[JustOneGun]

I finally had to give up on Aimpoints.
My astigmatism is to the point that a 4moa reflex dot looks like a 10moa cluster of fuzzy grapes.
Since my Meopta K-dot illuminated reticle still looks perfectly crisp to me I started searching for an alternative.
Enter the Leupold Prismatic Tactical.
Battery life sucks compared to even old generation Aimpoints, but the etched reticle pretty much makes that irrelevant for my intended use as a general purpose non-magnified carbine optic.
During the day illumination isn't required, at night it's just a quick button press away.
I've been using one on a Colt 6920 M4 for a while now and the Leupold is built like a tank with no issues whatsoever.
Adjustments are solid and repeatable and everything holds up under recoil and borderline abuse and neglect.
I plan on sticking this same optic on my incoming H&K MR762 to see how it holds up to 7.62 recoil, at least until I can afford to buy a nice Vortex Razor HD Gen II 1x6 to mount up.

If you have astigmatism and have given up on Aimpoints, give the prismatic a try.
Works for me anyway.

Where was the Aimpoint positioned on the rifle? Similar to the Prismatic? I had the same problem. Oddly enough I also shot the Prismatic as that is what we issued to new rifle officers. I was having headaches with the Aimpoint and not with the Prismatic. I went to the doctor who said I was getting old (astigmatism) and needed glasses. It turns out he also shot long range rifle. He laughed and suggested that I was probably looking through the reticle on the Prismatic and unable to do it on the Aimpoint. He suggested that if i moved the Aimpoint forward (it was close to the same eye relief/spot as the Prismatic) a bit I might find it more workable. Basically I was trying to focus on the red dot just like I did the front sight of the pistol. I'm not sure if moving it forward helped or if it was the new glasses but the eye strain did go away. I had never worn glasses before so I'm not really sure which did it.

[Archimagirus]

Why does the spitfire have so many knobs?

Are the flip caps removable?

Are there other mounting options?

So as to not hijack a thread about a different product, I will post my reply to your questions in this thread when I get off work today.

http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.p...light=Spitfire

[OlongJohnson]

Necropost!

Now that some of y'all have several years experience and the opportunities to have used both, what are your thoughts on the Leupold vs. the Vortex Spitfire 1x?

They appear to be basically equivalent, except for secondary issues like battery life, stuff like that.

From a shooting perspective, the fact that the Leupold reticle includes cross hairs seems like it might be an advantage at distance when trying to work in holdover and/or "Kentucky windage." And in the case of relying on the etched reticle without illumination in daylight, it might be a little easier/faster to put the X over the target than to put just the circle-dot of the Vortex.

The old version of the Spitfire 1x can be had at Cabela's fairly often for $170 + tax. The new version is still more. New version has some advantages, but old version may have some advantages if used on a non-AR. I'm seeing more of the Leupolds show up on fleabay lately for somewhere in the lower $2xx range, and have been thinking about picking one up to compare.

Worth it? Or a waste of time?

Anybody heard what Leupold swaps it out with if it can't be repaired and needs to be replaced under warranty?

[JodyH]

I replaced the Prismatic with a Trijicon ACOG TA44 1.5x16.
For red dots I found that the Trijicon MRO has a lot less starburst than a Aimpoint to my eyes.
My MR762 is topped with a Elcan Specter DR so no problems there.
I also had LASIK done which helped some as well (but not as much as i'd hoped).