Duty-Grade LPVO at a Budget

[DamonL]

Consider the source. The optics dealer who sells and recommends more expensive optics doesn’t recommend the razor. He recommends the K6i which is a far more fragile optic.

The actual end users / trainers in the article including Kyle Defoe and Alex from Ridgeline don’t share those concerns.

As someone who owns both a razor and the K-6i I personally have seen 3 K6i’s with durability issues - 1 reticle issue and 2 broken illum knobs. I’ve seen one razor with a stuck/damaged turret.

Yes, I agree with paying attention to the source. In the article, Kyle puts the Kahles in the second tier. Alex puts it in the middle. I did learn about the dual-focal plane Schmidt and Bender from the article, though.

[DamonL]

Here is the Weaver 1-5 Tactical. Under $500 on sale. It says made in Japan.

https://www.natchezss.com/weaver-tac...34009799507969

[pastaslinger]

Very pleased with my 1-5x Burris XTR II's with the BDC reticle. The reticle design is fantastic and it's just all around a great scope, very fast up close.

[Nephrology]

I picked up a Meopta ZD 1-4 for $680 used. They retail for much more but they are an older optic for sure. Not sure I'd have paid retail for this scope but very happy at the price.

Glass is really nice and illumination is fantastic. Not as good as Razor/Viper but they use a different modality of illumination as I understand it. The reticle on this scope is still daylight bright at least from my fiddling around with it unmounted.

It's going to go on a rifle that is still mostly backordered, but once that gets in I'll do a more thorough review as there isn't a ton of info out there on them. Likely January or so.

[littlejerry]

I was able to run a 2-gun biathlon this weekend using my new SMRS Pro 1-6.5.

Ranges were relatively short, from about 10 yards out to 100. Most targets were steel. It was a bright day with a mix of shooting in dense woods and open ranges.

I didn't use, or want, any illumination. The thick bars of the CQBDC reticle made it easy to find center and the large-ish center dot was easy to pick up while being precise enough to take head shots at 100 yards. All of my shooting was done at 1x or 2-3x, with most being in the 2-3x range. I never used 6.5 as the ranges were so short.

I have 2 complaints about the optic:
1) After adjusting the diopter to be properly focused the scope appears to be at <1x on the lowest power. Objects at 10+yards are noticeably smaller through the scope than the naked eye. This plays funny games with my vision and makes it difficult at times to shoot both eyes open. Turning the lever up to ~1.25x seems to flatten the image out. Adjusting the diopter for a flat image at 1x leaves the reticle slightly out of focus at all mags. My perception of the lack of focus seems to be dependent on my overall fatigue level.
2). The PTL position is not adjustable and lives at ~7:30 when on 1x. It sticks out far enough that it digs into my back when I run with the rifle on my back(I always run with the ejection port OUT). The PTL is mounted to a T shaped piece of aluminum milled directly into the power ring. Even if I remove the PTL, the T is still there and significantly sharper. I may try to fabricate my own lever/sleeve to smooth out the ring. I have a wicked blood blister from the 3 mile run due to the lever.

Overall the scope was easy to use. I didn't get to use the BDC, or even max power, so this wasn't a thorough test. I managed to place first overall in shooting, so something was definitely working for me.

I'll keep using this scope and see how it works in a race with some longer distance (300+) shooting. I like it, but I'm still tempted by a lighter/simpler option like the Primary Arms 2x prism, maybe with an offset MRDS.

[HCM]

Anyone using a 1-4 LPVO with fixed front sight post? Any thoughts?

The Army is getting ready to start replacing ACOGs with 1-6 LPVOs on the M4A1 which has a fixed front.

[HCM]

I was able to run a 2-gun biathlon this weekend using my new SMRS Pro 1-6.5.

Ranges were relatively short, from about 10 yards out to 100. Most targets were steel. It was a bright day with a mix of shooting in dense woods and open ranges.

I didn't use, or want, any illumination. The thick bars of the CQBDC reticle made it easy to find center and the large-ish center dot was easy to pick up while being precise enough to take head shots at 100 yards. All of my shooting was done at 1x or 2-3x, with most being in the 2-3x range. I never used 6.5 as the ranges were so short.

I have 2 complaints about the optic:
1) After adjusting the diopter to be properly focused the scope appears to be at <1x on the lowest power. Objects at 10+yards are noticeably smaller through the scope than the naked eye. This plays funny games with my vision and makes it difficult at times to shoot both eyes open. Turning the lever up to ~1.25x seems to flatten the image out. Adjusting the diopter for a flat image at 1x leaves the reticle slightly out of focus at all mags. My perception of the lack of focus seems to be dependent on my overall fatigue level.
2). The PTL position is not adjustable and lives at ~7:30 when on 1x. It sticks out far enough that it digs into my back when I run with the rifle on my back(I always run with the ejection port OUT). The PTL is mounted to a T shaped piece of aluminum milled directly into the power ring. Even if I remove the PTL, the T is still there and significantly sharper. I may try to fabricate my own lever/sleeve to smooth out the ring. I have a wicked blood blister from the 3 mile run due to the lever.

Overall the scope was easy to use. I didn't get to use the BDC, or even max power, so this wasn't a thorough test. I managed to place first overall in shooting, so something was definitely working for me.

I'll keep using this scope and see how it works in a race with some longer distance (300+) shooting. I like it, but I'm still tempted by a lighter/simpler option like the Primary Arms 2x prism, maybe with an offset MRDS.

I noticed the same < 1X thing on the Leupold VX-6 1-6. Big reason I sent that optic down the road.

Have not noticed it on my gen 1 Bushnell 1-6.

[HCM]

Ran the K6i with GB4i reticle for the initial portion of a recent Green Ops carbine course. I've mostly used this at longer ranges (50-500 yards).

The Green ops class was 50 and in, with most shooting being between 10 and 25 yards. Unlike other LPVO's I've used (Razor 1-6, Steiner PX4i, Trijicon acupoint
VX-R Patrol) I was noticeably slower with the K6i at 1x and felt like I was getting sucked into the dot. Not sure if it's just my eyes ? It was suggested that the mini christmas tree in the GB4 reticle may draw the eye ?

The other issue was the illumination knob was self adjusting when slung. At one point it self adjusted enough to turn itself off.

[littlejerry]

I noticed the same < 1X thing on the Leupold VX-6 1-6. Big reason I sent that optic down the road.

Have not noticed it on my gen 1 Bushnell 1-6.

I should add that the 1x / diopter mismatch is pretty small. There is a pretty decent range of diopter adjustment that gives me a sharp reticle. I just adjusted it(again) and biased it as close as possible toward the "flat image" end of what appeared sharp. As of right now it seems to show a flat 1x image, although I've done this before and after picking up the rifle a day later had to readjust for a sharp(er) reticle.

[HCM]

Anyone using a 1-4 LPVO with fixed front sight post? Any thoughts?

The Army is getting ready to start replacing ACOGs with 1-6 LPVOs on the M4A1 which has a fixed front.