Best value "duty grade" LVPO?

[Mrgunsngear]

They're new on the market, but the Primary Arms Platinum Series 1-8X ACSS Raptor FFP scopes (new M2 reticle) are getting solid reviews. The Platinum Series is reportedly far higher quality than their 'standard' line.

The Razor is great as well. I'd probably go MIL reticle if I had to do it over again as the JM-1 reticle is not a typical BDC and leaves a little to be desired IMO. But, it's light and has a great 1x and edge to edge clarity.

[Mrgunsngear]

[rockapede]

As an update to this, thanks for all the advice. Picked up a used but like new Razor HD Gen II (not E model) in an ADM Recon mount with a Switchview for $750 today. VMR-2 mil reticle. I’d say I did just fine! Dunno if I’ll keep the mount just due to weight but for what I spent, I can sell it and go Geissele while still coming out ahead.

[masakari]

Get a used Trijicon TR24 for cheap. Absolutely fantastic optic.

[gaijin]

Get a used Trijicon TR24 for cheap. Absolutely fantastic optic.

^^Agreed.
Have one on a hard use carbine that's never been a problem.

[seb5]

Get a used Trijicon TR24 for cheap. Absolutely fantastic optic.

That's what I'm using

[Wake27]

I haven’t used the Trij but I think the Steiner P4Xi is truly the best budget optic. That being said, I love the Razor and OP got a hell of a deal on one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gaijin]

While I have the P4Xi on a carbine, it doesn't seem to be in the same league with the Trij TR24- re. build quality/robustness (if that's a word).
That said, I don't think you can beat the P4Xi for price vs. quality FWIW.

I have a Steiner 1-4 "Military Tactical" that's in a different league in terms of cost, obvious build quality and weight. It's a great optic but too expensive, too heavy and was outdated soon after released and replaced with their 1-5X (??). Jeez- why not take the leap and go with a 1-6X?

My take is the P4Xi is an excellent "advanced hobbyist's"/range/gamer optic more than a "duty grade" optic.

[Ned Christiansen]

I had a chance a couple years ago to examine the Vortex lineup of LPVO's. This was my intro to Vortex, I had no prior experience with them. The idea was that I was going to pick one and run it for a summer or Patrol Rifle classes and other testing. When I'm selecting an optic like this I'm looking for utility but also affordability-- something an officer can afford, but it has to be durable too. These two may be somewhat at odds, I mean, one presumes it and I guess even hopes for it. If you paid upward of $3000 for it, it ought to be more durable, dammit.... but how do you find out, barring knocking it around, and at that price you aren't going to knock it around! Which is a secondary downside to very expensive optics (besides the high price), in my opinion: the feeling that it needs to be babied. A guy should not have to bring a velvet pillow on call-outs for his scope.

Back to the Vortex selection. Knowing nothing about the prices (but one can look at the Razor and guess), I immediately rejected the Viper. The glass was waayy not as good as the Strike Eagle and Razor, and the FFP reticle was essentially of no use at low power. This has been my universal experience with LPVO that are FFP, to include some very expensive ones from S&B, NF, and US Otpics. All three of these had circle reticles that were of seriously inadequate illumination, and at low power good luck finding the circle fast. At 4X good luck making a precision shot with. Those three were ten years ago or so, so maybe they're much improved now, I dunno. So the Viper was out; then the Razor was out due to size and weight plus I felt that with the glass so very close to the end of the tube, it would be more susceptible to breakage. I picked the Strike Eagle because I felt the glass was as good as or 95% as good as the Razor's. The size and weight were more reasonable, and the reticle, in my opinion, was much better suited to carbines than the Razor's. It has indeed proven over the last few seasons to be simple and fast, using the holdover dots for holdover on very close shots works well once learned (I write that info on the scope), and the dots for me have been nearly spot-on for 3 and 500 yard shooting-- certainly close enough for as fast as they are.

Durability-- again short of actual durability testing, all I can do is listen for general feedback.... I mean my Strike Eagle has maybe 1200 rounds under it, hardly a test and yeah even though it wasn't $3K I try not to bang it around. But sofar I have not heard of the going bad....?

Oh, the other downside.... made in friggin' China. That's a turn off and of course we get Chines red dots in class from time to time that typically puke right away if they don't fall off first, but I grudgingly concede that some Chinese glass is very good for the price.

[VortexOptics]

I had a chance a couple years ago to examine the Vortex lineup of LPVO's. This was my intro to Vortex, I had no prior experience with them. The idea was that I was going to pick one and run it for a summer or Patrol Rifle classes and other testing. When I'm selecting an optic like this I'm looking for utility but also affordability-- something an officer can afford, but it has to be durable too. These two may be somewhat at odds, I mean, one presumes it and I guess even hopes for it. If you paid upward of $3000 for it, it ought to be more durable, dammit.... but how do you find out, barring knocking it around, and at that price you aren't going to knock it around! Which is a secondary downside to very expensive optics (besides the high price), in my opinion: the feeling that it needs to be babied. A guy should not have to bring a velvet pillow on call-outs for his scope.

Back to the Vortex selection. Knowing nothing about the prices (but one can look at the Razor and guess), I immediately rejected the Viper. The glass was waayy not as good as the Strike Eagle and Razor, and the FFP reticle was essentially of no use at low power. This has been my universal experience with LPVO that are FFP, to include some very expensive ones from S&B, NF, and US Otpics. All three of these had circle reticles that were of seriously inadequate illumination, and at low power good luck finding the circle fast. At 4X good luck making a precision shot with. Those three were ten years ago or so, so maybe they're much improved now, I dunno. So the Viper was out; then the Razor was out due to size and weight plus I felt that with the glass so very close to the end of the tube, it would be more susceptible to breakage. I picked the Strike Eagle because I felt the glass was as good as or 95% as good as the Razor's. The size and weight were more reasonable, and the reticle, in my opinion, was much better suited to carbines than the Razor's. It has indeed proven over the last few seasons to be simple and fast, using the holdover dots for holdover on very close shots works well once learned (I write that info on the scope), and the dots for me have been nearly spot-on for 3 and 500 yard shooting-- certainly close enough for as fast as they are.

Durability-- again short of actual durability testing, all I can do is listen for general feedback.... I mean my Strike Eagle has maybe 1200 rounds under it, hardly a test and yeah even though it wasn't $3K I try not to bang it around. But sofar I have not heard of the going bad....?

Oh, the other downside.... made in friggin' China. That's a turn off and of course we get Chines red dots in class from time to time that typically puke right away if they don't fall off first, but I grudgingly concede that some Chinese glass is very good for the price.

Cool to hear that you've been having good experience with the Strike Eagle, but some of the information here seems to be a little off.

The optics in the Viper are significantly better than that of the Strike Eagle and that scope isn't, nor has it ever been, FFP - Are you sure you were looking at a Viper after all? Come to think of it - even a Vortex? We don't have any FFP LPVO's as of right now. The Viper PST (Assuming we're talking about the current Gen II 1-6x24 model) is SFP and is very similar to the Razor. Aside from being black, it's basically identical to the Razor in look and features - even down to the daylight bright illuminated center dot in the reticle. The optics aren't quite that of the Razor, but it's also 1/2 the price of the Razor, so something's gotta give.

Just figured we'd throw that out there to clear up any confusion.

Thanks!