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Posted: 3/4/2026 5:47:39 PM EDT
[Last Edit: RacingOrange][Edited]
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I've had a Primary Arms 5x Microprism w/a 12 o'clock red dot on the 14.5" for a while now and thinking of replacing that setup with perhaps a Vortex Viper PST II 1-6 or a Razor Gen II-E 1-6. (My 16" is covered with a Leupold VX-5HD on it & my 11.5" has a Vortex 3x microprism on it). My old eyes like magnification at this point. [/i]However, the 11.5" will just be a backup AR FWIW. Options are: Vortex Viper PST II 1-6 Vortex Razor Gen II-E 1-6 Leupold VX-3HD 3-15 Primary Arms 5x Microprism w/12 o'clock red dot (If I decide to remove it from the 14.5") I have all the optics on hand hence my post. Not looking to buy another. Thoughts? TIA! |
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Originally Posted By Joedirt199: With all the used Razors popping up, that would be my choice. I have both the PST and the Razor and the brightness of the Razor glass is a bonus. It is a little shorter than the PST if you plan on putting anything in front of it. Aside from the PA 1x, I listed the others because I already have them on hand |
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If you have both a PST and Razor, there’s zero reason to go with the PST. The 3X vs 5X, the 3X is the better optic, as well as more flexible. Whether you do the Razor or 3X would depend on if you prefer versatility or less size/weight. Theres not a wrong answer there. |
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If you’re considering a Razor, get the Ranger contract 1-6 model from Euro Optic with the EBR-7F reticle, you can’t get a better deal, even on the secondary market. 1200 includes a decent 1.54” mount and all the other stuff you’d buy aftermarket. It’s a 14.5” 62gr BDC with wind holds and ranging, zeroed at 50/200, it’ll be close enough for most 5.56 loads, but you can run the numbers through a calculator to get precise. Chairgun has the reticle on it, IIRC. You can throw the mount on the EE and get back $100-$200 towards a different mount, the contract mounts are unobtanium unless you’re buying the full optic package. Otherwise, if you’re weight conscious, you can’t beat the ACOG. TA31 or TA50. Picked up an Aurora TA31 to play with that again, it’s not as godawful as I remember, though I have clacked myself in the brow a couple times on the clock. It ain’t hard to find an ACOG on the secondary market for cheap. Odiegreen has a good write up on the 3x24 TA50, you can’t beat that setup for weight. These are harder to find used. |
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Originally Posted By doty_soty: If you have both a PST and Razor, there’s zero reason to go with the PST. The 3X vs 5X, the 3X is the better optic, as well as more flexible. Whether you do the Razor or 3X would depend on if you prefer versatility or less size/weight. Theres not a wrong answer there. Are you saying replace the 5x with the 3x or the Razor? I'm not looking to replace the 5x with the 3x on the 14.5" I'd just leave the 5x on it if the 3x was the alternative |
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Originally Posted By rb889: If you’re considering a Razor, get the Ranger contract 1-6 model from Euro Optic with the EBR-7F reticle, you can’t get a better deal, even on the secondary market. 1200 includes a decent 1.54” mount and all the other stuff you’d buy aftermarket. It’s a 14.5” 62gr BDC with wind holds and ranging, zeroed at 50/200, it’ll be close enough for most 5.56 loads, but you can run the numbers through a calculator to get precise. Chairgun has the reticle on it, IIRC. You can throw the mount on the EE and get back $100-$200 towards a different mount, the contract mounts are unobtanium unless you’re buying the full optic package. Otherwise, if you’re weight conscious, you can’t beat the ACOG. TA31 or TA50. Picked up an Aurora TA31 to play with that again, it’s not as godawful as I remember, though I have clacked myself in the brow a couple times on the clock. It ain’t hard to find an ACOG on the secondary market for cheap. Odiegreen has a good write up on the 3x24 TA50, you can’t beat that setup for weight. These are harder to find used. Again, I have the options listed in hand. Not looking to buy something else |
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Originally Posted By RacingOrange: Are you saying replace the 5x with the 3x or the Razor? I'm not looking to replace the 5x with the 3x on the 14.5" I'd just leave the 5x on it if the 3x was the alternative Originally Posted By RacingOrange: Originally Posted By doty_soty: If you have both a PST and Razor, there’s zero reason to go with the PST. The 3X vs 5X, the 3X is the better optic, as well as more flexible. Whether you do the Razor or 3X would depend on if you prefer versatility or less size/weight. Theres not a wrong answer there. Are you saying replace the 5x with the 3x or the Razor? I'm not looking to replace the 5x with the 3x on the 14.5" I'd just leave the 5x on it if the 3x was the alternative Ah, well whichever. I was just saying I’ve owned both and found the 3X to be the pick of the litter between the two |
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| Just keep what you have on there. If you want you can throw one of the LPVOs on the 11.5. More weight is what you’re trading out with slower transition from 1x to full magnification and a worse 1x at that. If you think you need an lpvo go for it, but is it worth it to rezero 3 optics instead of just one for the 11.5? And if you dont like it you then need to rezero at least 2 optics to put the 5x back on with the top dot. |
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Originally Posted By CatholicKit: Just keep what you have on there. Likely what I will do. Still thinking of swapping that for the Viper, though. If I did that swap, I could use the PA 5x on my 11.5" instead of the Vortex Spitfire 3x. Yay more decisions LOL 
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Originally Posted By RacingOrange: Likely what I will do. Still thinking of swapping that for the Viper, though. If I did that swap, I could use the PA 5x on my 11.5" instead of the Vortex Spitfire 3x. Yay more decisions LOL Sample size of one (twice) but I had two Viper PSTs that needed replacing for two different reasons. Vortex sent me a new one each time, very good stuff, but I sold the third. I didn't feel I could trust it after that. Again, I know a ton of people out there use them with no issue. My Credo HX was a much better experience. |
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Originally Posted By DV8EDD: Sample size of one (twice) but I had two Viper PSTs that needed replacing for two different reasons. Vortex sent me a new one each time, very good stuff, but I sold the third. I didn't feel I could trust it after that. Again, I know a ton of people out there use them with no issue. My Credo HX was a much better experience. Sorry to hear that. I had a 1-4x Viper on a previous rifle without issue. I also tried the Credo HX, but my astigmatism didn't like it. Other than that, the Credo was great |
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Originally Posted By RacingOrange: Likely what I will do. Still thinking of swapping that for the Viper, though. If I did that swap, I could use the PA 5x on my 11.5" instead of the Vortex Spitfire 3x. Yay more decisions LOL No way in the world would I ever want a fixed 5x on an 11.5" gun. It would seem wrong. |
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| Still have the Viper & Razor collecting dust in the boxes so I looked through the glass again. Definitely prefer the Razor. I think I am going to do a 18" or 20" 5.56 upper (not set in staone. I just can't help myself) so I'd likely put the Razor on that. Still kicking around the idea of swapping out the PA 5x microprism w/12 o'clock red dot on the 14.5" for either the Viper or Leupold VX-3HD 3-15. If I used the Leupold, I'd put the red dot in an offset mount on the scope ring |
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Originally Posted By RacingOrange: It would still have the 12 o'clock red dot with it Originally Posted By RacingOrange: Originally Posted By JoeDevola: No way in the world would6 I ever want a fixed 5x on an 11.5" gun. It would seem wrong. It would still have the 12 o'clock red dot with it That would still be a NO-GO for me. |
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