I'll add that current mini red dots and their offset mounts weigh the same or less than backup iron sights and are immediately available. I'll argue that they are more durable as well as I've broken more iron sights than red dots.
The reason people still use LPVOs with them is a weight consideration. LPVOs need a small objective for the 1x and that makes them lighter than full featured MPVOs. The 2-10 MPVO market isn't taking off because everyone demands precision turrets, parallax adjustment, and a FFP christmas tree reticle with illumination packed into it. When you get to 10x and above on the top end you need a larger objective to keep the exit pupil forgiving. Adding all that together with HD glass is going to result in a 26-32 oz optic, and at that weight you might as well skip to the 3-18 or 4-16 class. LPVOs work well on lightweight carbines and the offset or top mounted dot is just upside for a lot of scenarios. I'm all in on this configuration and the only downside to me is it can get difficult to put them next to each other in the safe.
If you get bored and have a large cup of coffee, we've discussed this very topic in great detail at various points in this thread.
Last edited by stomridertx; 10-30-2024 at 07:22 PM.
Lots of different thoughts on the matter. One of the main reasons that I don't run a side mounted dot, is that it is just more stuff on my gun. A close second is that I have astigmatism, and while the dot is still usable, the scope clears that up for me on 1X.
The night vision crowd probably has a good reason to run one as well.
Give it a try and do what you think works best for you.
-Seconds Count. Misses Don't-
I don't have NVG and I run my dot 35 degree offset from a Razor 1-6, but I'm finding I have a similar experience of preferring the 1x of the scope outdoors. Messing around with maneuvering the rifle indoors, I think I would probably run it canted to the dot 100% of the time and not mess with the illumination knob on the scope. Having the dot just 10 degrees less offset makes it comfortable to present and I don't have to cant my trigger hand elbow out very far. I feel it is the same capability as having a primary red dot optic, so I only run dots as secondaries now. Keep in mind I do not practice shoulder switching, and if I had to for some reason the 1x of the Razor is no slouch.
Outdoors, the 1x of the Razor is just outstanding when looking at targets 25 yards or so away and the reticle works well in daylight without illumination. It's like giant crystal clear heads up display. That said, I will turn the bright reticle dot on in the scope during the daytime as it really helps shooting fast even when the magnification is up. I just keep a lot of CR2032 batteries in my range bag and buy them at Costco. In outdoors scenario, the offset dot would only get used if I had a close shot while magnified, shooting on the move to my left side, shooting around the left side of a barricade, or needing to get lower for an awkward positional shot.
I have a 16" accurate AR with a 3-18 optic and the same 35 degree offset dot, and I'm seriously thinking about moving the dot to a top mount on that one. I'm never going to run and gun intentionally with this configuration and having the dot on top would be useful in finding targets at distance, while still giving good ability for a close shot if needed.
You can also set the gun up where transitional lighting doesn't require you to come off the weapon. For example, dimmer RDS for indoors, brighter scope illum for outdoors, etc. Or vis verse. However you want to run it, that keeps your hands on gun 100% of the time. For example, I may run my primary optic illumination level for use with my WML, while my top dot is set for use with NVG's.