At Zero Theory, we regularly teach courses and host competitions focused on precision scoped carbines, so we have a lot of opportunities to chat with folks about optics. One topic which comes up often is how to choose the right Low Power Variable Optic (LPVO). In some ways, selecting an LPVO is no different than any other gear choice. Still, the increasing diversity of available features can sometimes lead to difficulty in narrowing down your choice. Is 6x enough? Is it worth the extra money to step up to 10x? What reticle is best? It’s easy to see how someone could be indecisive. This is understandable considering many first time LPVO buyers have little or no experience employing the features which define and separate the numerous available options. The last thing you want is to pay for features you don’t need, or worse, don’t want. To hopefully help you avoid this situation, here are some of our thoughts on choosing the right LPVO.
There’s a common saying in the tactical world, “mission drives gear.” Unfortunately, many people don’t really define their mission, so they end up with the wrong gear. We probably start to lose some people when we say “define their mission” because many shooters don’t think in terms of a “mission.” The word itself may even isolate them because it sounds like we are only talking to cops or soldiers. This is not the case. What we mean to say is, “what are you going to do with it?” or “what is your use case?” Those are questions anyone can answer. If you can define your use case, then your needs become obvious. In the same way, you’ll get the most out of your LPVO if you can narrowly define your use case. In our experience, there are two broad use cases for LPVOs.
The first is to use the scope primarily as a close range optic and only occasionally use it at distance. Examples include a general purpose rifle owned by a private citizen primarily for defense, but sometimes shooting at a farther distance for recreation or competition. Another example would be a law enforcement officer’s patrol rifle. It’s mostly used around vehicles and clearing structures in close quarters, but occasionally higher magnification may be useful for Positive Identification (PID), holding cover on a perimeter, or overwatch down long, linear threat areas.
The second use case is the opposite, that is, a rifle primarily used for distance engagements which may occasionally be pressed into service as a close-range weapon. An example here might be sniper overwatch of a large public event. The type of observation and potential engagements you have here almost exclusively require high magnification because you are operating at medium or long ranges. Of course this is possible with a higher magnification LPVO, but it’s not ideal. If you are primarily shooting medium or long range, you should probably buy a medium or long range scope. Medium range scopes, sometimes called Medium Power Variable Optics (MPVO), are often built with magnification ranges such as 2-10x or 3-12x. They usually cost about the same as an equivalent quality LPVO, but come with much better features for shooting at distance. Most will include adjustable parallax, exposed elevation dials, and a reticle better suited for long range. If this is your use case, you would do well to consider an MPVO with an offset or piggyback mini-reflex sight. For this reason, selecting an LPVO for a gun which is primarily intended for medium or long range use isn’t ideal.
Our advice assumes the first use case, that is, a rifle primarily used for close range and occasionally used at some distance. It’s not that we rule out the second use case entirely. But considering the weapon systems we’re dealing with, the first is much more applicable. The second use case is probably better addressed with a different optic or rifle altogether. We’re talking about a modern semi-automatic carbine, usually in 5.56 with a barrel somewhere between 10.5 and 16 inches. This is where a LPVO really shines. Of course it can be used on a ranch rifle or a lever action, but those are examples in the margins. The primary use for a LPVO is on an accurized AR-15 or similar style rifle. And where do these rifles find the most use? Short and medium distance. In other words, primarily up close and sometimes out to 500 yards. If this is your use case…and it probably is…then we suggest you consider the LPVO primarily a close-range optic with capability out to medium distance.
Now that we have a use case in mind, we can use it as a guide to help determine which characteristics are important to us, and which are not, when we consider some of the features from which we have to choose: focal plane, reticle, magnification, dials, durability, and cost.
FOCAL PLANE
First Focal Plane (FFP) reticles are most often found in higher magnification LPVOs, generally 8x and 10x. These reticles are often more technical in design. Available options for FFP LPVOs have increased significantly in the last few years, most notably since the release of the Vortex Razor Gen III. They are increasingly popular and typically offer many high end features. On the other hand, they tend to be expensive. Sometimes very expensive. The technology to build a quality scope with such a wide magnification range isn’t easy or cheap. For that reason, when you find an inexpensive 1-10x LPVO, it often sacrifices significant quality. Optical clarity on the low end is said to be more difficult to manufacture in FFP. This is probably true, because it is common to see high end scope manufacturers advocate for the 1x clarity of their 10x LPVOs. They wouldn’t need to make a big deal about that if it was easy. And if they’re telling the truth that their 1x really is as clear as the 1x of a Second Focal Plane (SFP) scope, you’re definitely going to pay for it. Finally, the primary advantage of a FFP scope is their ability to correctly measure in MOA or MIL in the reticle at any magnification level. While useful, this capability isn’t extremely important on a low powered scope primarily used to shoot targets at short and medium distances.
In contrast, SFP LPVOs are easier to build. Optical clarity at 1x is much easier to achieve, so they’re often less expensive. As a result, your field of view can end up flatter and for less money. The dials are usually capped because they aren’t used much outside of zeroing. With that in mind, the manufacturer doesn’t have to spend the extra money to develop and build dials with extremely tactile and audible “clicks,” no mushiness, and expensive features like locks and zero stops. On the negative side, available magnification ranges are usually lower, around 6x or 8x on the top end. Improvement of scope technology has degraded the market for high magnification scopes in the SFP. Lastly, the available reticles are usually more simple with less technical features.
In summary, we like both FFP and SFP. They each have their own advantages and disadvantages. In the end, however, when we’re spending our own money on an LPVO, FFP is hard to justify for the price. It does add some features, but they are generally of little benefit for an optic primarily intended for close and mid-range use. They might be useful for longer ranges, but if that’s your main effort, you might be better served with a completely different scope such as an MPVO which would cost less and probably do a better job.
RETICLES
We like MIL/MOA based reticles. Ballistic Drop Compensating (BDC) reticles have their applications. Some people use them expertly and to great effect. Primarily though, they are marketed towards shooters with little or no experience collecting and employing ballistic data. These would be your novice distance shooters or your standard infantry riflemen. To really get the most value out of a reticle, we like graduated, indexed reticles. MIL or MOA, your choice. The flexibility to move the scope to a different rifle is substantially increased with an indexed reticle over a BDC, in terms of variations of caliber, barrel length, you name it. BDC’s are great for agencies or large military organizations issuing rifles, but for an individual who wants to get the most out of their reticle, they’re not ideal.
Another consideration for reticles is illumination. In a hunting scope or a long-range precision scope illumination may or may not be important. You can make a decent argument either way. In an LPVO, illumination is critical. When using a scope at close range, an ultra-bright glowing center dot or ring makes a huge difference. At medium distances, it matters sometimes. At close range, it is everything. LPVOs are constantly advocated as “almost as good as a red dot” up close. That’s only true if you actually have a glowing reticle to use at speed. Many reticles are illuminated, but not all are very bright. Keep this in mind.
MAGNIFICATION
6x or 8x is the sweet spot. 4x was functional, but the industry has moved on and it is now mostly a novelty. 6x is all you need for a 5.56. You will basically never miss a shot because you “only” have 6x magnification. 8x is a little better, but not necessarily worth paying extra, especially if you sacrifice image quality. If the literal only difference between two scopes is 6x or 8x, get the 8x. But that’s usually not the case. Usually, the 8x will require some sacrifice in cost, clarity, or field of view. If that’s the case, get the 6x. It’s likely cheaper and with a better image quality anyway. This may change over time, but for now 6x or 8x is good to go. High quality 10x scopes aren’t bad by any means, but they are often double the price of a good 6x or 8x. In short, 6x is enough. 8x or 10x might be a little better if you can afford it, but only if image quality or FOV do not suffer.
On a related note, “eye box” is something to keep in mind, but in our experience isn’t a primary consideration. All LPVOs have an eye box of some description. As such they are inherently inferior to a red dot sight in that way. Some are better than others. The Night Force NX8 comes to mind. It has a reputation for a tight eye box, but even so, its reputation has not suffered significantly. Eye box matters, but almost all well known scope brands do a decent job of managing the issue on their LPVOs. If you’re concerned about the eye box of a particular scope, try it out before you buy it. Or watch some video reviews online. Either way, it’s a manageable consideration and ultimately doesn’t distinguish between the various manufacturers in any significant manner.
DIALS
For our use case, capped dials are the way to go. We almost *never* dial an LPVO. Also, DOPE is almost always “held” in the reticle on an LPVO. As stated above, non-capped dials are more expensive because they require more features such as locks and zero stops, not to mention better “clicks.” In the somewhat rare scenario you need to dial an LPVO, you still can. Further, we almost never dial wind. There really are no good reasons to pay for high end dials on any LPVO that is not at least a 10x. Even then, you won’t need to turn the dials very often and you probably still won’t have adjustable parallax. Most LPVOs have fixed parallax (IE non-adjustable) set to around 100 yards. Adjustable parallax is most useful for medium and long range scopes, in other words, use case #2.
DURABILITY & COST
Durability is non-negotiable. You will never regret owning a scope because it is too durable or too high quality. Minimum standards of durability may differ by use case. For example, a military fighter with limited re-supply may not have the luxury of easily replacing a dead scope mid-deployment. A patrol officer or competition shooter doesn’t have that problem and so might be able to take a slightly higher risk in terms of cost savings as a trade off for slightly less durability. And yes, cost matters to everybody. It matters to individuals and it matters to agencies. Determine your minimum standards for durability and your maximum acceptable costs. Those are your guidelines.
CONCLUSION
Considering the use case we’ve advocated, our analysis of the relevant features, and keeping in mind typical cost constraints, we highly recommend the 1-6x or 1-8x magnification range in SFP. More than 8x is not a bad thing if you can afford it, but it’s not necessary. Similarly, paying extra for FFP isn’t a bad thing if you can afford it, but again, it is not necessary. Reticle design is important. Get something that makes sense for the focal plane you chose. Bright illumination is also important, especially for close quarters work. We recommend an indexed reticle (IE non-BDC), unless you really don’t want to do any math and you shoot a fairly typical setup. A scope lever, either built-in or aftermarket, is important. Finally, you must keep in mind your own considerations for durability, quality, and cost. Ultimately, there are a lot of good options out there, so find one that works for you and become an expert with it. In other words, get out there and run your gun.