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Posted: 7/21/2026 1:27:40 PM EDT
| What is the hive's opinion on the current best option for a 30mm LPVO to go on a 16" 5.56 rifle? Obviously the best choice would be to buy a bigger mount so I can run a 34 or 35mm, but that's not really practical. This is just going to be for a range toy, that might possibly be used as a backup for a club level 3 gun match or two, and I'm literally piecing this together out of spare parts so I don't expect or require perfection. |
You got gun law problems, I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems but a ban ain't one. -Sylvan
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Originally Posted By barrysuperhawk: What is the hive's opinion on the current best option for a 30mm LPVO to go on a 16" 5.56 rifle? Obviously the best choice would be to buy a bigger mount so I can run a 34 or 35mm, but that's not really practical. This is just going to be for a range toy, that might possibly be used as a backup for a club level 3 gun match or two, and I'm literally piecing this together out of spare parts so I don't expect or require perfection. |
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IN, USA
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Vortex Venom 1-6x if you want the best value. $220 with a mount and it looks the same as my Viper in terms of glass quality but with a better reticle. If having a bright dot matters to you, get the Primary Arms SLX Nova 1-6x. These budget scopes have gotten really good over the past 5 years. |
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1-5× Leupold VX5HD Firedot 1-6× Leupold VX6HD Firedot 1-6× PA SLX Nova 1-8× PA PLX FFP RDB These have true 1x, daylight bright reticles, and most importantly... shake awake to extend battery life beyond just a week or two if you leave them on. Turrets are all either capped or locking. They have different features that differentiate them. One is super light. One is super compact. One is super inexpensive. One is feature packed. I won't do an LPVO without true 1x, red dot bright, and shake awake. You give up too much if you dont get at least those three things as a minimum IMO. Everything else is just a dead battery waiting to happen when you need it and without true 1x and RDB reticle you might as well go MPVO and a mini red dot. |
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Originally Posted By cttb: Why do you think a bigger tube is better for an LPVO? Idk what he thinks, but I jumped on the 34mm wagon last year. A griffin 1x10 and it was one of the cheaper options, under 500. Having half a dozen 30mm Burris and Leo this 34mm thing is really nice. Heavy though. |
If life was easy nobody would quit.
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A bigger objective is better optical quality at higher magnification. A bigger tube in same size objective is generally trading more durability or dialing at the cost of additional weight. In my opinion, if you are dialing an LPVO, you should have bought an MPVO instead. So if your objective isn't bigger than 24mm, I don't see the point in a tube that's larger than 30mm unless it's an incredibly durable scope like the ATACR. |
| I had an NX8 for the last year and a half and it was a pretty good 1-6 scope, 6-8 was kind of crappy. I sold it to try the SAI6 and I think its a better scope except the illumination and overall length being a little longer (not important IMO since the weights are similar). The fact its half the price now makes it incredible. That being said I really struggle liking LPVOs and might go back to a TA02 with a piggyback. |
No one could take His life, He laid it down for me,
That twisted wreath of thorns, yea He took that crown for me,
But after three days, out of the ground for me,
He overcame it all, now I live to serve Him
That twisted wreath of thorns, yea He took that crown for me,
But after three days, out of the ground for me,
He overcame it all, now I live to serve Him
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Originally Posted By seamasterpro: I had an NX8 for the last year and a half and it was a pretty good 1-6 scope, 6-8 was kind of crappy. I sold it to try the SAI6 and I think its a better scope except the illumination and overall length being a little longer (not important IMO since the weights are similar). The fact its half the price now makes it incredible. That being said I really struggle liking LPVOs and might go back to a TA02 with a piggyback. How often do you shoot 100ish yards offhand? The lack of cheek weld on the TA02 top dot killed it for me, very wobbly. Keeping the 1x inline is a huge asset with longer offhand shots. |
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Originally Posted By tet493: How often do you shoot 100ish yards offhand? The lack of cheek weld on the TA02 top dot killed it for me, very wobbly. Keeping the 1x inline is a huge asset with longer offhand shots. When running around shooting we usually use a 100 yard bay, targets 75-100 I found myself using the ACOG, typically the dot is closer stuff/NV, so cheek weld hadn't been an issue. |
No one could take His life, He laid it down for me,
That twisted wreath of thorns, yea He took that crown for me,
But after three days, out of the ground for me,
He overcame it all, now I live to serve Him
That twisted wreath of thorns, yea He took that crown for me,
But after three days, out of the ground for me,
He overcame it all, now I live to serve Him
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Arguably the "best" LPVO on the market today is the PLX-C RDB (if you can get over Primary Arms stigma) by every measurable facet. I think it performs better than the NX6 1-6, but slightly prefer the NX6 reticle. In 2026 those are my #1 choice. If on a budget you can look for legacy stuff like Razor 1-6 gen II E or it's lighter but equal counterpart the Kahles k16i 1-6. But while they reigned supreme, modern options have surpassed them and are lighter and/or cheaper. (Nightforce NX6 outperforms the NX8 in every category, no reason to choose it over the NX6 UNLESS you REALLY REALLY need that extra 2x. There is a reason the NX8 is always for sale on the secondhand market.) |
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Originally Posted By thedownzero: Arguably the "best" LPVO on the market today is the PLX-C RDB (if you can get over Primary Arms stigma) by every measurable facet. I think it performs better than the NX6 1-6, but slightly prefer the NX6 reticle. In 2026 those are my #1 choice. If on a budget you can look for legacy stuff like Razor 1-6 gen II E or it's lighter but equal counterpart the Kahles k16i 1-6. But while they reigned supreme, modern options have surpassed them and are lighter and/or cheaper. (Nightforce NX6 outperforms the NX8 in every category, no reason to choose it over the NX6 UNLESS you REALLY REALLY need that extra 2x. There is a reason the NX8 is always for sale on the secondhand market.) Agree. The NX8 is a turd relative to other premium options. The PLXC RDB is my preference and I’ve had most every common high end offering. Ideally it’d have the DMX reticle. I like the NX6 considerably more than the NX8 but its biggest draw over the PLXC RDB is the superior reticle, and while I do like the NX6 I’d choose the PLXC RDB every time if I only had one rifle. Luckily I have several. |
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Originally Posted By thedownzero: Arguably the "best" LPVO on the market today is the PLX-C RDB (if you can get over Primary Arms stigma) by every measurable facet. I think it performs better than the NX6 1-6, but slightly prefer the NX6 reticle. In 2026 those are my #1 choice. If on a budget you can look for legacy stuff like Razor 1-6 gen II E or it's lighter but equal counterpart the Kahles k16i 1-6. But while they reigned supreme, modern options have surpassed them and are lighter and/or cheaper. (Nightforce NX6 outperforms the NX8 in every category, no reason to choose it over the NX6 UNLESS you REALLY REALLY need that extra 2x. There is a reason the NX8 is always for sale on the secondhand market.) In what metric does PlxC outperform the NX6? |
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TR series Trijicon with the triangle reticle. I have a TR24 and it works good but the glass isn't as good at 4x as the TR25. Credo HX 1-6 with the Hunter Hold reticle. I have two of them and am really happy with them. The SAI gets great reviews and I was going to get one but the lack of a brighter reticle turned me off. Another option would be a used Steiner P4xi with the P3TR reticle, it's only a 1-4 but they have nice glass. |
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Originally Posted By gunner76: . . . . Credo HX 1-6 with the Hunter Hold reticle. I have two of them and am really happy with them. . . . I got one of these recently (green dot). I've done some 1x stuff with it, and got it out to 470 yesterday. It's good. I guess you could bitch about no shake awake, but other than that it's a well designed scope, including the drops. The dot is great. |
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Originally Posted By cttb: I got one of these recently (green dot). I've done some 1x stuff with it, and got it out to 470 yesterday. It's good. I guess you could bitch about no shake awake, but other than that it's a well designed scope, including the drops. The dot is great. Originally Posted By cttb: Originally Posted By gunner76: . . . . Credo HX 1-6 with the Hunter Hold reticle. I have two of them and am really happy with them. . . . I got one of these recently (green dot). I've done some 1x stuff with it, and got it out to 470 yesterday. It's good. I guess you could bitch about no shake awake, but other than that it's a well designed scope, including the drops. The dot is great. How would you rate the brightness of the green dot? |
" Don't cry, nobody shoots Glocks anymore."
"But the new Admin. is a Master in IDPA"
"MASTER in IDPA..."
"is like C Class in IPSC!"
"But the new Admin. is a Master in IDPA"
"MASTER in IDPA..."
"is like C Class in IPSC!"
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Originally Posted By 3-gun: How would you rate the brightness of the green dot? Originally Posted By 3-gun: Originally Posted By cttb: Originally Posted By gunner76: . . . . Credo HX 1-6 with the Hunter Hold reticle. I have two of them and am really happy with them. . . . I got one of these recently (green dot). I've done some 1x stuff with it, and got it out to 470 yesterday. It's good. I guess you could bitch about no shake awake, but other than that it's a well designed scope, including the drops. The dot is great. How would you rate the brightness of the green dot? As bright as you could ever need it to be, certainly daylight bright by any definition. It stands out on green foliage and white backgrounds in full sun. As bright or brighter than a green Leupold Firedot, if you've ever seen one of those. |
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Originally Posted By tet493: In what metric does PlxC outperform the NX6? Field of view (121 vs 116) Exit pupil Weight Length Aside from the above, it definitely has a better 1x than the NX6. Its ocular housing tends to disappear/become paper thin just like how it does on the razor 1 to 6. That alone contributes to the better 1x experience, let alone the wider field of view. The eye box is also more generous/forgiving than the NX6. |
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Originally Posted By hoody2shoez: The nx6 has better 1x unity and less image shift than thr plxc Yeah for me the NX6 takes it on the 1X with the flatness and stability of image, and the PLXC makes it up towards the top end of magnification with the higher magnification and (for me) clearer glass. |
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Arken just released an updated 1-8X28 scope that looked good to me previously, but was in MOA. Now it comes in mils. It's FFP with good glass for the money: Arken 1-8 There's a 20% off coupon getting to $299 with a mount I believe, which is good because it's a 34mm tube. Seems like a lot of value for the money. |
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Originally Posted By hoody2shoez: Fair Originally Posted By hoody2shoez: Originally Posted By doty_soty: Yeah for me the NX6 takes it on the 1X with the flatness and stability of image, and the PLXC makes it up towards the top end of magnification with the higher magnification and (for me) clearer glass. Fair And to be fair I’ve come to accept that my perception of glass quality in LPVOs will be even more individual than usual. In the past my eyes were great and my LPVOs never needed adjustment. Time is a thief, and it’s definitely taking my former eyesight. Especially since LPVOs don’t get a side focus my eyepiece will always be splitting the difference between a hard reticle focus and a hard image focus. The further I must adjust past baseline for that, the more my experiences will deviate from the average experience. Some optics will fare better with this than others, I’m sure due to the individual internal properties of the LPVO. For me, Razors and PLXs work exceptionally well, whereas even premium NFs like the ATACR are ‘solidly mid’. For me the NX6 glass absolutely compares against the ATACR. I won’t say that’s objectively true for everyone though. I’m also sure this plays with focus between min/max magnification worse than someone with 20/20 too. I like my vudus but for it to be crisp @ 10, it will look down right out of focus @ 1X. That’ll happen on a lot of 1-10’s, but it doesn’t help that my focus is halfway cranked out of the eyepiece either. |
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Originally Posted By doty_soty: And to be fair I’ve come to accept that my perception of glass quality in LPVOs will be even more individual than usual. In the past my eyes were great and my LPVOs never needed adjustment. Time is a thief, and it’s definitely taking my former eyesight. Especially since LPVOs don’t get a side focus my eyepiece will always be splitting the difference between a hard reticle focus and a hard image focus. The further I must adjust past baseline for that, the more my experiences will deviate from the average experience. Some optics will fare better with this than others, I’m sure due to the individual internal properties of the LPVO. For me, Razors and PLXs work exceptionally well, whereas even premium NFs like the ATACR are ‘solidly mid’. For me the NX6 glass absolutely compares against the ATACR. I won’t say that’s objectively true for everyone though. I’m also sure this plays with focus between min/max magnification worse than someone with 20/20 too. I like my vudus but for it to be crisp @ 10, it will look down right out of focus @ 1X. That’ll happen on a lot of 1-10’s, but it doesn’t help that my focus is halfway cranked out of the eyepiece either. Again fair |
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Originally Posted By erichard: Arken just released an updated 1-8X28 scope that looked good to me previously, but was in MOA. Now it comes in mils. It's FFP with good glass for the money: Arken 1-8 There's a 20% off coupon getting to $299 with a mount I believe, which is good because it's a 34mm tube. Seems like a lot of value for the money. I just wish there was more unbiased info on these optics. |
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Originally Posted By tet493: I just wish there was more unbiased info on these optics. Originally Posted By tet493: Originally Posted By erichard: Arken just released an updated 1-8X28 scope that looked good to me previously, but was in MOA. Now it comes in mils. It's FFP with good glass for the money: Arken 1-8 There's a 20% off coupon getting to $299 with a mount I believe, which is good because it's a 34mm tube. Seems like a lot of value for the money. I just wish there was more unbiased info on these optics. Arken leans heavy on shills. And this forum calls everyone a shill, but I mean in the literal sense they pay people to promote their products. So if you seek out glowing reviews, you’ll have almost a perfect correlation to which YouTubers are willing to be bought. IIRC they’ve been busted here several times with fake accounts making their first post here in the optics section about how amazing their Arken is and where you can get it X% off for a limited time at this link, etc. I have nicer stuff these days. I’m fortunate enough to have a stable of NFs, Trijicons, Razors, etc. But I’ve had an Arken in the past. Actually two. Their lightweight 4-16 and their heavyweight 5-25. I thought they had good glass for the money. At least under optimal lighting conditions. That’s what a lot of people don’t consider. These days it doesn’t cost much to have good glass in easy conditions. You pay for suboptimal conditions. Looking towards the sun my Arken would cast glare readily and severely, etc, whereas a NF would be clear as day. I think they probably save a lot by going straight Chinese, and so they do hit above their price point. Dunno how reliable/durable they are or how warranty work would go. I remember their zero stop system sucked, but I guess they did have a zero stop too so that’s good. If they’re what your budget allows, you could do worse. |
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Originally Posted By doty_soty: And to be fair I’ve come to accept that my perception of glass quality in LPVOs will be even more individual than usual. In the past my eyes were great and my LPVOs never needed adjustment. Time is a thief, and it’s definitely taking my former eyesight. Especially since LPVOs don’t get a side focus my eyepiece will always be splitting the difference between a hard reticle focus and a hard image focus. The further I must adjust past baseline for that, the more my experiences will deviate from the average experience. Some optics will fare better with this than others, I’m sure due to the individual internal properties of the LPVO. For me, Razors and PLXs work exceptionally well, whereas even premium NFs like the ATACR are ‘solidly mid’. For me the NX6 glass absolutely compares against the ATACR. I won’t say that’s objectively true for everyone though. I’m also sure this plays with focus between min/max magnification worse than someone with 20/20 too. I like my vudus but for it to be crisp @ 10, it will look down right out of focus @ 1X. That’ll happen on a lot of 1-10’s, but it doesn’t help that my focus is halfway cranked out of the eyepiece either. This brings up an important point- The individuals eyes play a role in how the optic looks. Its unfortunate but true |
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Originally Posted By doty_soty: Arken leans heavy on shills. And this forum calls everyone a shill, but I mean in the literal sense they pay people to promote their products. So if you seek out glowing reviews, you’ll have almost a perfect correlation to which YouTubers are willing to be bought. IIRC they’ve been busted here several times with fake accounts making their first post here in the optics section about how amazing their Arken is and where you can get it X% off for a limited time at this link, etc. I have nicer stuff these days. I’m fortunate enough to have a stable of NFs, Trijicons, Razors, etc. But I’ve had an Arken in the past. Actually two. Their lightweight 4-16 and their heavyweight 5-25. I thought they had good glass for the money. At least under optimal lighting conditions. That’s what a lot of people don’t consider. These days it doesn’t cost much to have good glass in easy conditions. You pay for suboptimal conditions. Looking towards the sun my Arken would cast glare readily and severely, etc, whereas a NF would be clear as day. I think they probably save a lot by going straight Chinese, and so they do hit above their price point. Dunno how reliable/durable they are or how warranty work would go. I remember their zero stop system sucked, but I guess they did have a zero stop too so that’s good. If they’re what your budget allows, you could do worse. All great points. I lump all the Chinese scopes together. I don't trust them and don't buy them. I appreciate having that luxury. However, pretty much anything above rock bottom today works well during full daylight from supported positions aiming at high contrast targets without dialing. That's what most shooters do most of the time and many do all of the time. You truly don't need a $1000ish and up scope for that. Also, it might be worth pointing out that coming from Japan (or anywhere else) doesn't automatically make glass good. Glass gets made to the buyer's spec. I have LOW glass that's worse than Filipino glass. |
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Originally Posted By cttb: All great points. I lump all the Chinese scopes together. I don't trust them and don't buy them. I appreciate having that luxury. However, pretty much anything above rock bottom today works well during full daylight from supported positions aiming at high contrast targets without dialing. That's what most shooters do most of the time and many do all of the time. You truly don't need a $1000ish and up scope for that. Also, it might be worth pointing out that coming from Japan (or anywhere else) doesn't automatically make glass good. Glass gets made to the buyer's spec. I have LOW glass that's worse than Filipino glass. My Aimpoints are now Holosuns. And my Vortex PST 1-6 is a Vector Continental 1-8 fiber wire. They use German schott glass and have a lifetime transferable warranty. The glass is far superior to the PST. |
All men are created equal. All guns are not.
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Originally Posted By Thefryzone: My Aimpoints are now Holosuns. And my Vortex PST 1-6 is a Vector Continental 1-8 fiber wire. They use German schott glass and have a lifetime transferable warranty. The glass is far superior to the PST. Originally Posted By Thefryzone: Originally Posted By cttb: All great points. I lump all the Chinese scopes together. I don't trust them and don't buy them. I appreciate having that luxury. However, pretty much anything above rock bottom today works well during full daylight from supported positions aiming at high contrast targets without dialing. That's what most shooters do most of the time and many do all of the time. You truly don't need a $1000ish and up scope for that. Also, it might be worth pointing out that coming from Japan (or anywhere else) doesn't automatically make glass good. Glass gets made to the buyer's spec. I have LOW glass that's worse than Filipino glass. My Aimpoints are now Holosuns. And my Vortex PST 1-6 is a Vector Continental 1-8 fiber wire. They use German schott glass and have a lifetime transferable warranty. The glass is far superior to the PST. I just ordered two of these Vector Continental 1-8 fiber wire scopes. I am looking forward to trying them out. Thanks for the recommendation. |
| I have a Vortex Viper PST and Bushnell Elite in 1-6x, with the Bushnell being a 34mm tube, and they are nice (but heavy) optics. Personally, I've been buying up dirt cheap Vortex Viper PST 1-4x's when I can find them, they're about the best combination I've found for a LPVO on a 16" (or shorter) gun. Plus, I much prefer a dial for illumination on the rear of the scope. |
Stuff I learned from A-Team: 1)Always pity da fool 2)Carry wire cutters (you may need to defuse a bomb or start a car) 3)Never trust a crazy fool 4)Carry grenade launcher/machine guns in the van 5)Know how to weld 6)Love It When A Plan Comes Together
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