Red Dot Vs Scope?

[Hochsitz]

Very honest review of the D-EVO/LCO combo from someone who clearly isn't a fanboy of any one brand.

http://blog.1800gunsandammo.com/leup...review-part-1/
http://blog.1800gunsandammo.com/leup...review-part-2/

Personally I've been running the combo for a while and will never go back to a LPV. I was comparing it to a Vortex 1-6 one cold (30 deg F) morning and the power selector had stiffened up so much from temperature that it was a bear to turn. The D-EVO/LCO has no moving parts other than zeroing so it functioned flawlessly as always. Also I reload and haven't had any issues with damaged brass.

[WS6]

Very honest review of the D-EVO/LCO combo from someone who clearly isn't a fanboy of any one brand.

http://blog.1800gunsandammo.com/leup...review-part-1/
http://blog.1800gunsandammo.com/leup...review-part-2/

Personally I've been running the combo for a while and will never go back to a LPV. I was comparing it to a Vortex 1-6 one cold (30 deg F) morning and the power selector had stiffened up so much from temperature that it was a bear to turn. The D-EVO/LCO has no moving parts other than zeroing so it functioned flawlessly as always. Also I reload and haven't had any issues with damaged brass.

I would add that when zeroed at 50m like the author suggests, considering horizontal offset must be done...

Also, I am not sold on it yet. True, I have not used one, I am just saying that I think if Leupold thinks it's a product that's got legs, we are in for a V2.0 with less side over-hang, and one that might allow a BUIS as well. If they don't think it's worth investing in, this is all we'll ever see. So...wait and see, because V1.0 has a few kinks I personally don't like (no BUIS mounting ability, a lot of side overhang).

[Hochsitz]

Reactions to the above from someone who's shot thousands of rounds using a D-EVO:
1. The eyebox can SEEM tight because it's the first scope to ever share the view through a red dot sight. That's why some people will never use a LPV because even the best scope at 1x will never approach the forgiveness of a red dot. To use any 6x scope you need a cheekweld. The D-EVO is no exception. When I'm shooting inside 20 yards I allow my cheekweld to get sloppy because I know I won't be looking through the D-EVO. Enjoy the red dot and bang away. If I'm lining up to shoot something small at 100 yards I first put my cheek on the stock, find the target with the red dot, glance down to 6x and pull the trigger. It's friggin' unbelievably fast IMHO.
2. It is VERY useful inside 100 yards. Shooting squirrels in the head? No. Steel targets and anything bigger than a rabbit? YES. At point blank range the bullet will hit 1.8" left and about an inch down from the center of your reticle. A normal scope has more error than that, albeit purely vertical. The D-EVO gets better the further away you shoot but the error (that we've all learned to deal with using any sighting system) is small enough it doesn't matter for all but the smallest targets.
3. No one seems to be discussing target identification. Guys who love their red dot sights brag about hitting steel at 300 yards but admit they couldn't tell what the target was without magnification. There are times something is only 30 yards from me and due to shadows, size, or other obscuration I can't tell exactly what it is. A quick glance through the D-EVO is all I need. Want to read a license plate of a fleeing vehicle? ID a bad guy? Try doing that in a hurry with a flip to side magnifier or LPV set to 1x.
4. There are lots of options for iron sights. I tried them all and eventually took them off the rifle because they weren't getting used. The front sight is obvious, the rear sight can go in front of your red dot, between your red dot and the D-EVO (red dot has to go out on the rail) or scoot your D-EVO forward for nose-on-charging-handle shooting and place the rear sight behind it. Here's a tip; trying using front sight only with the D-EVO. It will surprise you how useful it is.
5. Night vision compatibility: You can place your red dot sight on your handguard and a PVS-14 in front of the D-EVO looking through the red dot. During the day leave the PVS-14 off and use as normal. At night install the PVS-14 and have fun. The 6x won't do much for you at night but it also will retain a perfect zero because it stayed on the rifle and out of the way the entire time.
6. Real world scenarios: While the D-EVO is great for 3-gun, it really shines when you have no idea where your next target is going to be. If you've been told you'll have 3 targets at 10 yards then three more at 300 it's easy to plan flipping a magnifier or power selector into that routine. Tell me one scenario outside competition that works that way. Critters and bad guys generally don't show up on cue. The D-EVO is untouchable in this respect because it is ready for any distance at any time.

What I wish:
1. That it would fit in my normal cheap hard case that came with my rifle. Instead I use a typical zip up soft case and it fits fine.
2. The left side of a barrier thing can sometimes be an issue but usually isn't. If you're only using the left side of a barrier as support and shooting right handed, yeah you're likely going to be looking at the barrier through the D-EVO but if you're in a hurry the red dot is always there. If you need 6x, choose the top of the barrier or go prone. If you need the barrier for cover either to hide or keep from getting shot, learn to shoot ambi like the pros. When I switch to left handed shooting my hand or arm rests against the barrier giving the D-EVO the room it needs to see around the barrier. This is how it works for me, YMMV.

If you haven't shot one, you need to find somebody who has one and try it. I've been shooting all manner of firearms since I was old enough to hold a gun and this thing is like nothing else I've ever experienced.

[Coal Dragger]

Thanks for your observations after using yours for awhile.

What red dot are you using? You may have listed it, I just didn't see it.

[Hochsitz]

Thanks for your observations after using yours for awhile. What red dot are you using? You may have listed it, I just didn't see it.

I've tried a bunch of them, Eotech, Deltapoint, Micro T, LCO. They all work but the small round window of the Micro T with its relatively thick housing doesn't mesh as seamlessly as the rest. When your red dot window has a flat base you can better align it with the top of the D-EVO eyepiece. Sliding the red dot further forward exposes more of the window, mounting it further back hides more of the base. It allows some tuning if your mount isn't the perfect height. That said, I settled on the LCO. It has the best quality dot and gives the best bifocal effect with the D-EVO. Yeah it's spendy but it's built like a tank (much like a Micro) but has better controls and as mentioned previously looks way better in front of the D-EVO.