Bino NODS regret?

**okie** · 12-07-21, 13:46

Originally Posted by WS6

The one thing t hat pushed me to duals was my near 100% reliance on passive aiming. If not that, I'd have happily stuck with my high spec PVS14.

That's a valid point. Effectively aiming through a mono is near impossible.

**eric0311** · 12-07-21, 15:38

Originally Posted by okie

That's a valid point. Effectively aiming through a mono is near impossible.

I thought this too… until I was switched on by some pretty informative videos circulating the internet of guys wearing the single tubes over their dominate eye.

I came up in the GWOT era of wearing your single over your non-dominate eye, in order to aim through your rifle iron sights and ACOG optic with your dominate eye.

Try wearing the single on your dominate eye, and use an NVG-height optic mount (I use a T2 in a Scalarworks mount). It works great- no issues aiming/shooting passively, in this configuration.

**Mysteryman** · 12-07-21, 21:02

Just an observation. I don't see nor have I heard of any unit opting for monos over binos...

**eric0311** · 12-07-21, 21:33

Originally Posted by Mysteryman

Just an observation. I don't see nor have I heard of any unit opting for monos over binos...

Dude, for sure… binos help new shooters over the hurdle faster… they seem to be more intuitive. The common theme is folks poopoo’ing monos as unusable or ineffective… that’s where folks (like me) who fought in them and actually used them in a professional capacity will draw the line and set the record straight. You can absolutely be as effective in a mono as you can with a set of binos, given you put in the requisite amount of training.

**okie** · 12-08-21, 00:48

Originally Posted by Mysteryman

Just an observation. I don't see nor have I heard of any unit opting for monos over binos...

I don't know enough to say. It certainly seems that way, though, just judging from the photos you see. They work in teams though with overwatch, so they might be relying on people with thermal always watching their blind spots for them. All I can say is in a mixed lighting environment I feel very naked without a monocular. I would probably feel different if there was a drone overhead and a sniper or two.

**WS6** · 12-08-21, 04:24

This is the most unbiased comparison I could find:

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA294018.pdf

**Mysteryman** · 12-08-21, 18:35

Originally Posted by eric0311

Dude, for sure… binos help new shooters over the hurdle faster… they seem to be more intuitive. The common theme is folks poopoo’ing monos as unusable or ineffective… that’s where folks (like me) who fought in them and actually used them in a professional capacity will draw the line and set the record straight. You can absolutely be as effective in a mono as you can with a set of binos, given you put in the requisite amount of training.

I agree. I still enjoy my 14 however, binos make life a lot easier. If you use articulating binos you can play mono as well.

**WS6** · 12-09-21, 00:17

Originally Posted by okie

That's a valid point. Effectively aiming through a mono is near impossible.

I didn't find it so, at all. It was nearly as natural as in the daytime. Binos will just allow me to do it a bit better as they will require less space, and provide more input from the tube not behind the optic.

**okie** · 12-09-21, 11:47

Originally Posted by WS6

I didn't find it so, at all. It was nearly as natural as in the daytime. Binos will just allow me to do it a bit better as they will require less space, and provide more input from the tube not behind the optic.

I've tried it with monos and it's awful. YMMV but I'm certainly far from the only one who finds it completely unworkable. If it works for you though then that's what matters.