Home AR-15 Quick Tip: Choosing an Optic – Red Dot or LPVO?

Quick Tip: Choosing an Optic – Red Dot or LPVO?

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Your sweet new AR-15 build is coming together nicely, and it’s time to choose an optic. Should you go with a red dot sight or a low-power scope, a Low-Power Variable Optic or LPVO. Brownells Gun Tech™ Caleb Savant has some tips for deciding which optic is right for you. COST: an LPVO will typically cost more than a red dot of similar quality. If your budget is tight, it’s better to buy a mid-tier red dot than to settle for a cheap LPVO. RANGE: A red dot sight is good for ranges out to about 100 yards. If you’re shooting silhouettes, you can push it out to 300 yards. The LPVO has a 1x (non-magnified) setting just like the red dot, but it also offers magnification – typically 4x, 6x or 8x – so it really shines out past 100 yards. If the LPVO has a 1x setting, why would a red dot ever be a better choice? Red dots provide FASTER target acquisition because there’s no long tube to align, no eye-relief issues, and they are smaller and lighter than LPVOs. Another point in Team Red Dot’s favor: you can see (and use) your rifle’s “iron” sights through it. But as Caleb explains, the AR-15’s standard front sight tower does NOT block the view from an LPVO. If it sounds like a red dot will do most of what you need, but you sometimes need some extra range to address more distant targets, adding a detachable magnifier is a great solution.

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31 COMMENTS

  1. I’m a red dot kind of guy for 90 percent of what I’m going to use an AR for. When it comes to the benefit of magnification, I’ll opt for a magnifier when it’s needed. I like the LPVO theoretically, but haven’t invested in one yet. It is a more versatile option for a higher magnification ability, so perhaps I see one in my future…Thanks for the video!

  2. I've got a dot + mag & lpvo
    I love the dot set up but I'm away
    Worried about EMP happening then losing my dot. I hit stuff out to
    300 + yard with dot set up . LVPO
    Just okay. I'm just gonna go back
    To my Holosun515cm & htm3× mag
    And hopefully no EMP. Better yet
    Hopefully a EMP don't happen @ all
    And the 🌎 can be @ peace. 😊
    Thank u. 🇺🇸 2A 🇺🇸

  3. personally i use a red dot + magnifier combo as most times im using my weapon its short range but just incase something is a bit to far out to be accurate then ill have the magnifier as a back up option.

  4. Some confusion exists from very basic concepts. I had a red laser on a pistol, showing it to a guy who had lots of guns, been pretty much in his world around the gun scene, he asked me where i got the red dot ?

  5. Aimpoint PRO in factory mount and Aimpoint 3x magnifier in AD mount weighs just over 20 oz combined. Both are nearly indestructible and In my opinion you can't have a better combo for 0-300yds with longer range capability still available. If you want to shoot at longer ranges as a priority go LPVO especially if you don't mind dropping $1200+ on a nice one.

  6. I bought my first ever LPVO. It will arrive this Saturday. I plan using in on a 50 Beowulf. I am curious to see if it will hold up. I am planning on buying a red dot for my 7.5 inch 300 AAC pistol. I am looking at the sig romeo 5. Finally, if I like the LPVO I bought, I just might get one for my 300 AAC rifle. This was helpful information.

  7. I'm kinda used to a red dot now so….magnified red dot? When considering the "tool" or task @ hand the AR type platform will be used for CCB or in the case of civilian duty home defense / defending I assume. That being said, the red dot squire's targets just faster!

  8. Idk I am using mine for home defense I thought about adding a laser for quick acquisition and getting the lpvo so if the target is within ten 15 yards great. Than if the world goes belly up tomorrow I have a scope to hunt with.

  9. The biggest thing I like about magnifiers is you can remove them far easier than an LPVO. Useful for a number of reasons. For more precision setups LPVOs are superior no doubt. But Vortex makes a 6X now in the size of a 3X and it weighs the same, a win win.

  10. I'll say this. With a vortex strikefire 2 I was getting 5" groups at 100yds bench shooting. Got a vortex crossfire 1×4 and brought that to rounds touching at 100-standing! It's not that much slower but man my accuracy went up alot! My two cents for what it's worth

  11. Absolutely on point! For certain applications, a red dot would be a more appropriate choice; where in another the LPVO would be a better choice. IMHE, quality is what truly matters. And yes, a video on the magnifiers would be great!

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