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.