Rev... I took a Trijicon Accupoint 1-4X on my buffalo hunt in Africa. This is not my first scope with an illuminated aiming point/reticle; I bought a Burris Fullfield 1-4X illuminated scope 3 years ago and have used it in both tactical competition and for low-light deer and varmint hunting.
3-gun competitors and SWAT operators have been using red-dot 1X optics for faster-than-irons target acquisition for years. When it comes to fast target acquisition and quick follow-up shots, you simply can't keep up to a red dot if you're running irons. I know, I've tried it with both with my tactical rifles and a timer and scored targets, and the red dot is the winner for both speed of target acquisition and for accuracy.
For my Zimbabwe buffalo hunt last year, I practiced extensively with my Kimber 375 H&H and the Trijicon optic, at ranges from 10 feet to 250 yards. I did 90% of my practice out to 50 yards with the scope set at 1X magnification, and carried it in the bush set on low power as well. You can always turn it up if a long shot presents itself, but turning the scope down if/when you have a sudden charge to deal with seems unlikely to succeed in time. I can't say that I'm any faster with the 1X optic on my 375 than I am with irons, as I didn't use a timer. But it sure feels faster than irons, I can tell you that.
I'm not sure that an optic would be better for someone who's got a great deal of experience with irons and none with an optic. It would be interesting to time somebody so inclined and see how much practice it takes to bring him up to (or over) his irons speed.
