I chose to compare these two scopes due a lot of similarities and the price point, each is around 760-800 dollars depending on where you buy it.
Optics on their respective rifles
Meopta K-Dot
Trijicon TR24
I have used the Meopta K-Dot (informally nick named the Poor Mans Short Dot) for the last 5 months now.
I have used it at both large 3 Gun matches as well as my local rifle clubs matches with much success.
After speaking with Tod Litt (00bullitt on ARFCOM and BrianEnos)about a better option, he suggested the Swaro Z6 but 1,600 bucks on a grad student budget isnt happening now.
After the SHOT SHOW, the Trijicon TR 24 looked promising, I viewed both reticles and settled on the german no.4 for several reasons. Mainly due to the types of competitions I shoot it and for the ability to use this when pig hunting. I grew up using cross hairs so to just swap to the post/triangle just was not in the works for me at this point.
Personal observations are as follows :
Construction/Weight/Physical Apperance:
Both the Meopta K- Dot and the Trijicon TR24 are a straight 30mm tube.
Durability:
The K-Dot info states it is "A Nitrogen purged and sealed body for fog proof and water proof performance" but does not list to what depth this holds true for.
The TR24 is waterproof to depths of 10 feet according to the materials included with the optic.
Build Materials:
The K-Dot is constructed out of a lightweight, one-piece, aircraft grade aluminum alloy tube however no info about the coating on the aluminum is found with the materials I got with the optic.
The TR24 is constructed out of 6061-T6 aluminum, hard coat anodized per MIL-A-8265, Type III.
The K Dot turrets are gnarled for a more secure grip however they are approx 1/16-1/8" smaller then the TR24 turrets.
The TR24 turrets feature a more refined slotted grip surface.
Weight Matters:
The K-Dot in hand, feels substantially heavier then the TR24. Listed weight on Chargemaster says:
K-Dot: 18.6 oz (list weight is 18.7 oz)
TR24: 14.4 oz (list weight is 14.40 oz)
Does Size Matter:
The K-Dot is longer (which is visually obvious) coming right in at 12 inches. Adding to its heft in the weight catagory.
The TR24 measures 10.3 inches but again looks to be quite a bit shorter to me.
My personal choice in this catagory:: Trijicon TR24
Optical Thoughts:
Reticles:
The K-Dot features a reticule unique in the Meopta line (only offered in the 1x4 K-Dot) seen below
NOTE: the K-Dot is an illuminated reticle however it is not constantly lit like the TR24.
The K-Dot ret is in the 2nd focal plane.
The TR24 features a classic German No.4 with constantly illuminated dot in the center as seen below
.
Illumination options:
The k-Dot has an illumination turret on the left side of the scope features 1-7 settings (with 7 being the brightest). What I personally found to well laid out on the K-Dot is that between each setting is an off position. This provided off position (signified by a dot) between each level works as follows. For example:
OFF
1st illumination setting
OFF
2nd illumination setting
OFF
3rd illumination setting
OFF
and so forth until off is reach at either the top or bottom of the illumination dial. This is great because you can go from a middle illumination setting, say 5 to off with a quick turn up or down whereas on other models with on/off illumination settings the user must dial all the way up or down to reach the off position. This feature is something EVERY company should integrate into their illumination dials from here on out.
The TR24 dot is constantly lit however it is not so bright as to distract the eye from the target acquired. Both fiber optics (FO) and tritium is employed to provide a constant source of illumination to the center dot.
Batteries or no batteries?
The K-Dot uses a CR 2354 battery which Meopta claims has a service life of is roughly 80 continuous hours. I have found this to be a bit zealous as I left my K-Dot on for 2.5 days and it was pretty much dead. That said, the dot was not designed for prolonged/constant on use. The on/off settings are there for a reason. Alsoa CR 2032 battery may also be used however the life is said to be only 60 hours.
The TR24 is a "constant on" lit reticle, due to the combination of Fiber Optics & Tritium.
Eye Relief:
K-Dot is 3.1 "
TR24 is 3.5"
Light Transmission:
The K-Dot features several anti-reflection coatings MB-5501 ensuring light transmission of around 92-93%.
The TR24 did not specify what type of coating it had. The info simply said it had multi coated lenses for superior light gathering capability.
Field of View:
The K-Dot Field of View @ 100 yards (ft): 111 - 25.8
The TR24 Field of View @ 100yrds (ft): 97.5 to 24.2
This is interesting because the K-Dot is a 1-4 x 22mm where as the TR24 is a 1-4x24mm
I initially thought the extra 2mm of objective would allow the TR24 to have a slightly greater FOV (field of view) however both on paper and in personal use, the K-Dot is wider and the refined shooter will notice this upon use between the two optics while testing.
Personal observations: while shooting both optics today under the cover of clouds, I found the K-Dot to be brighter and more clear. In fact the edge to edge clarity of the K-Dot is superior to that of the TR24.
This is not to say the TR24 is not clear or bright. It is, however I feel to the individual who has a refined eye for such things, the K-Dot will appear more clear and bright.
My Personal Choice in this catagory : Meopta K-Dot
Final thoughts:
With either scope set on magnification of 1 power the shooter will have no trouble engaging targets, close in, all while allowing the user to keep both eyes open.
The obvious advantage here is the user can have a better perception of what is going on in the surrounding area without limiting himself to just one eye on the target acquired.
For the serious 3 gunner who is weight conscious, the TR24 is a strong favorite. However, depending on conditions, the K-Dots optical superiority will outshine the TR24.
I do not have enough trigger time behind the TR24 to say will not be my favorite 1-4, so I am going to use it for the next 5 months (May, June, July, August and Sept) while I am shooting the KY State Multi Gun Championship, the FNH Midwest 3 Gun Championships, the Tiger Valley 4 man team match and the Carolina Tactical Invitation. At which point I will decide between the K-Dot and the TR24 as to which optic I will use for the Multi Gun Nationals in Vegas in Oct.
I will update this post from here on out with my thoughts, and photos.
Please feel free to add your questions or comments below, as well as your own opinions of each scope as you use it.
Below are some pics/video of the K-Dot from the past 5 months of use.
K-Dot Action pics:
K-Dot Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBsVe_UUSBI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-btYch_UOw
Place holder for TR24 Action pics (being used over the next 5 months):
Again please feel free to add your questions or comments below, as well as your own opinions of each scope as you use it.
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Originally Posted by Shihan
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