I'm having trouble deciding what optic I want to go with to replace the one I already have on my rifle. The rifle has an 18" fluted  barrel and ff handguard. My intended purposes are plinking anywhere from 10-100 yards, and hunting pigs and possibly coyotes within about 300 yards. Right now I have a nikon m223 1-4x with point blank reticle, but I am not a big fan of its aesthetics, and the huge dot does not lend itself to accuracy. I am interested in illumination, though it is not necessary. Budget is about $500 max, but I would really like to spend less than that.

Things I am considering:

Red dots:
Eotech 512
Eotech XPS2-0
Aimpoint PRO

I like the smaller 1 MOA dot of the eotechs, and absolutely loved the reticle when I looked through it recently. I haven't got a chance to look through a pro, but I have read lots of good things and feel it is the more robust of the options here. If I decide on a red dot, I would also probably be running a magnifier for the shots on the upper end of my range.

Magnified Optics:

PA 1-6x
Vortex Viper HS 2.5-10x44
Nikon M223 2-8x

I am a big fan of the PA's magnification, but I feel as though the reticle will just be wasted on me because I am not firing out of a 16" barrel. The viper is probably the best choice for precision, but it is also the most expensive and heaviest. The Nikon is really just the big brother of the optic I already have and I am happy with the glass quality, but it is not a 30mm scope. With the nikon and especially the viper, I am concerned that I would lose too much in the way of speed for close shots, but that I could make up for that with a QD mount and irons.



Does anyonee have any experience with these optics, have an opinion to share, or is there anything else I should be considering? Thanks for any help you can provide.

Im old, I like magnified optics. I don't believe you need a 30mm tube... Your not looking at higher(10X+) mag optics, so I don't believe you would need the extra room to dial wind/elev a 30mm tube offers over a 1". I run a Leupold 1-4 personally...
Edit. Sounded like a rude ass in my post, so I made changes.

Me too.  64.  A low power one inch main tube illuminated reticle scope would be a great choice for OP.  The Leupold Mark AR 1.5-4x20 with Firedot SPR reticle would be a great choice. The dot is .3 mil, or about 1 MOA.  It is true red and can be intensely bright without bloom, or dialed down through 8 total intermediate settings to barely visible for near darkness, like a bedroom at night. Even better would be the better glass in the Leupold VX-R 1.25-4x20 Patrol with the same reticle.  While the Patrol has 30mm main tube, I agree that the larger tube is not really needed to shoot out to 600 yards, the higher quality glass helps in low light.

Both have low profile accurate milrad turrets and milrad subtension marks on the circle dot SPR reticle.

It's my understanding that the 30mm tubes offer greater light transmission and increased durability over 1 inch models.

Nope. Better strength and they could have more adjustment range.

Not true.  The tubes are usually heavier and may be more durable.  However, the lenses all the way through are the same except in a few very extremely  expensive European scopes designed for almost night time work.  The benefit of 30mm tubes is the greater turret adjustment range for elevation and windage.  If you do not shoot beyond 600 yards, you usually do not need the extra MOA or mil rad range.

Where most 30mm scopes justify their extra cost is that as a part of the typically increased price is better glass, not because of a larger main tube.  The beam going through the center tube is the same size with either 30mm or 1" scopes.