Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles 1-4 scopes!

anyone got any comments regards 1-4 scopes? The 1-4 Accupoint vs the VX-6 or VX-R? DavidWalter suggested a Accupoint with the triangle on a post reticle, but I am not sure how well that would work relative to a crosshair with a red or green dot? Never owned an accupoint so don't know if the glass and coatings are as good as the VX-6? Primarily low light use, that is the biggest use for it. Someone said the accupoint might not work as good if you ever used it with a light on pigs or something like that.

I have a Viper PST 1-4, it works just fine.

If I'm buying another for a hunting AR, I'm looking hard at a VXR with FD duplex. I have one of those in 3-9, and like it. Good glass and useful with or without the illum on.

My thought is how much glass do you really need in a 1-4 optic? I'd probably be looking save the VX6 money for something else, and go VXR. On the other hand, the VX6 is 1-6, which is a nice mag range that you could do nearly anything with. Twice the money though..

Another option, if you aren't dead set on 1X on bottom end, is VXR 2-7. Same money as the 1-4, but I would think the 33mm obj would help with low light some over the 20mm.

The 1-4 Leupold is my least liked scope I've owned. The 1.5-5 is a better option especially for low light. Though the 1-6 is is a much better option even at twice the price.

The Trijicon glass is really good, but then you're very quickly getting into the weight and cost of the VX6.

The glass on the VXR 1.25-4 seems better than the FX2 1-4. But I haven't compared them side by side.

You can control the brightness of the Firedot, which you can't do on the Trijicon without weird zipper sock things or tape.

The accupoint is in the same territory $850 bucks or so. The weights, eye relief, length are about equal. The big deal with the accupoint is they say it can be used like a red dot at 1X (BAC).

Close to true 1x on bottom is why I bought the PST. Good glass and illum for $500, capped or uncapped turrets an mil or moa available.

I don't think the Leupy offerings are true 1x, except maybe the vx6

I'm sure when you get down to it the vx3 model would have a little better glass than the vxr, but it sounds like the OP is looking for illumination of some kind.

I like nice glass, but there are other features to consider..

While the Trijicon has good glass and decent build quality, their reticle options are horrible. Even their mildot reticle is bad. With capped turrets, you would think they would offer some type of mil or moa scale reticle.

For the money, I think the Vortex Viper PST 1-4x is a good option. The Leupold VX6 or Mk.6 and the Bushnell SMRS are very nice optics but a bit more expensive. The Vortex Razor 1-6 is top notch and would be my first choice for a 1-6x optic.

At the same, or nearly the same price I'd take the VX6 over the Trijicon all day, every day.

I think that the "true 1x" marketing is pretty over-hyped. I'll take 1.25-2x with a forgiving eye box and wide FOV over true 1x every time.

I wouldn't argue there, but I do admit I don't know anything about the Trijicon.

To clarify the true 1x thing isn't a big deal to me, I still haven't been able to shoot both eyes open with mine, so I'm not advocating one over the other because of that.

If I can run my 3x ACOG like a red dot, the true 1x isn't as important as a daylight bright dot.

I used the 1.5-5 as an example cause he has used one before so he knows when it quits in the dark.

I still say the 1-6 with fire dot is the best option for the money.

I am leaning towards the more expensive and heavy VX-6 1-6 I looked at VX-R, Trijicon 1-4 with red post and green crosshair, and VX-6 today you can hold the VX-6 a remarkable distance from your eye and still see the red dot, it is big and heavy, the accupoint reticles other than the big post are too thin.

I don't understand why Trijicon can't put an ACOG reticle in their 1-4.

I really did not like the trijicon reticles in the accupoint, nor the vortex reticle, sorry I am just a simple man. I looked at a very expensive vortex 1-something the guy in the store was hawking, it had some kind a red reticle thing with 4 target obscuring quadrants and center dot like I saw in that predictor movie the alien had when it was not on you could barely see it.

Yeah, I've seen that reticle too. I've shot a Razor 1-6 with the JM reticle and it's pretty nice. The dot on it is bright enough too.

But for the money I've never been able to like the Vortex that much. Even the demo model at cameralandny is $1200.

darn spell check I wanted to type PREDATOR movie with the Arnold. I think Vortex optics are a cult like thing.

anyway I found one for $650 shipping from Wuxi China.

They are well built optics. Not the best glass in their Viper scopes, but good enough and usually as tough as anything else in their price range. Their warranty and CS is also second to none. I don't worship any optics manufacturer but after owning the Razor HD and using some vipers, I have been very very pleased.

I'm not big fan of vortex, I've tried 1-4 & 6-24. One of my favorite 1-4 optics has been a $400 burris, easy to shoot with both eyes open which is huge. I have a Sightron 1-7 that I really like also, very versatile.

maybe cult like thing was a little strong, my eyes just don't prefer them. I guess I will see if a VX-6 will work, got to order an Aeroprecision Ultralight SPR mount now.

Well, everybody has different needs and preferences in their optics. Some like to watch birds and debate about chromatic abberations, some like to drive nails and throw them across the yard. None do it all for a cheap price.

The Weaver Classic Extreme 1.5-4.5X us a good choice. It was made for Weaver in Japan, has a life time warranty, and is a darn good piece of glass. I think Natchez shooters is the only dealer for them.

I use the Burris 1-5x24 XTR II with the Ballistic CQ Mil reticle and I really like the scope.

I cheat and use a Leupold 1.5-5x,shoot steel out to 300 yards.

I have the VX-6 inbound. Got to get a mount still. What convinced me was looking thru an old Vari-x 2 1-4 at a 35 yard deer skull at sunset plus 30. The reticle gave up but I could still see the horns set on 4. Wish I had them cross canyon shots but I don't so 4.5-20 power scopes I just don't need! If I like it I am going to get the 2-12 for a 308 Kimber

Did you really order it from China? There is a huge issue with Leupold Chinese knock offs. Leupold only recommends buying from authorized dealers.

http://www.leupold.com/resources/counterfeit-warning/

What could possibry go wong?

I thought they were all made there? Just either officially imported or so called gray market items?

Have had them all.... and a bunch not mentioned.

If you need a 1x-something optic, you NEED a 1x optic. The scopes with 1.25/1.5x on the bottom end don't cut it.

In the 1-4x realm the Shortdot is of course king. The Trijican 1-4x with #4 is a solid choice, the Meopta K dot 1-4x is also good. However the time of the 1-4x is over. 1-6's are here and there is little reason to choose a good 1-4x over a 1-6x.


From most to least of those worth paying for-

Vortex 1-6x- best eyebox, FOV, 1x, and illumination on the market. (prefer mil reticle)

SWFA SS 1-6x- usable eyebox, good FOV, good reticle on 1x and best on 6x (potentially the best choice out of all)

Leupold VX6 1-6x with German Firedot #4 reticle- eyebox and FOV are very good, reticle is just bright enough, suffers from no graduated reticle

Bushnell Elite Tactical 1-6x SFP mil reticle- solid scope. FOV and eyebox is very good. Reticle is usable at low and high powers, but not daylight bright and turret are chintzy.




The Swarovski Z6 1-6x is awesome on 1x, has a daylight visible dot, and a mil based reticle. The major problem is durability issues.

The Leupold Mark 6 1-6x is ok, but suffers from the usual reliability issues, as well as illumination shading, and a reticle that is so thick as to be visually distracting.

I've used the Vortex, Leupold and Bushnell. I prefer the Leupold's glass, Vortex's reticle options and didn't even think the Bushnell was worth mentioning.

I am going to hunt with the simple firedot duplex, if the red dot is on why do you need the #4? For a self defense rifle an aimpoint or Eojunk is all I can see myself needing, beyond their range it would be some serious serious chit goin on and feeble old dudes like me need not apply anyway. Anyways, I am seein most of my shootable deer these days at very first and very last legal light, too much hunting pressure I think.

http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-1-4x24-Tactical-30mm-Riflescope-P78365.aspx

Anyone got their hands on this yet? Seems like a lot of features for $400.

At 12:01 tonight it's only $299...

This looks like a great scope for the money. I was very critical of the first 1-4 they offered after my first go round with a 16x SS years ago. I now own a new generation SS in 10x and was very much surprised at how close it came to my MK4 3.5-10 in optical quality.

At 14 oz, it's light enough to fit on any AR without gripes. The illumination is not bright enough for the brightest of days which precludes it from using it as a red dot for 3 gunners but it would be great in real world uses like calling a coyote in low light. I think it looks very useful as an intermediate scope.

I never understood the hoopla over a first focal plane reticle, especially in a 1-4 scope. If you're gonna range something, that means it's way out there and I'm gonna have it cranked to 4x anyway. I'm glad to see they made it a second plane scope.

If I needed another 1-4 I would definitely try one. Stay up or set your alarm and save $100 at midnight tonight!

TWR, the benefit of FFP reticles in a 1-4 or 1-6 is the reticle, if designed right, can be used as a red dot on 1x and a mil or MOA scale reticle on 4 or 6x. It's not the best for all reticle types but it's nice with some. For me, FFP reticles don't become a necessity until you get into scopes with magnifications in excess of 15x.

I never had a problem seeing the bright red dot, regardless of what the rest of the reticle looked like. But I'm sure I'm missing more than why I use a 1-4, or in my case, a 1-6, a red dot on 1x and a scope on 6x.

The VX-6 is looking good, no FishEye at 1X that I can see. The Trijicon 1-4 I looked thru had some fisheye, I think true 1X is tough for manufacturers. Curious if the SWFA has any significant distortions in it at 1x.

Ordered one to try on my LMT CQB. We shall see...

Good deal! Let us know!

How about the hog hunter from Leupold? Haven't used one yet but it sounds like a sound principle. This from a guy who shoots mostly with scout scopes and 2.5x lightweights. Have a 30mm 1x to 4x with a heavy german #4 on the 458 SOCOM. Heavy but good Leupold glass. Was a clearance from Midway. Rusty

Rusty, just be aware the Hog Hunter is set to be parallax free at 75 yards. I recently picked up it brother, the Leupold Mark AR in 1-4, which has the standard Leupold setting where it's parallax free at 150 yards.

Either will work, it just kind of depends on your purpose.

anyone know where the parralax is set on the SWFA 1-4?

100 yards.

I had a Wilson Combat Lightweight Hunter 6.8mm with an Accupoint 1.5-4.5 with the amber reticle and it was a great scope but at half the price I have been running the Weaver Extreme on a .300 Blackout and it has been fantastic.

Thanks I hope I can use the milquad DM reticle, it looked a bit busy to me but for $313 delivered gots to try it, should be here next week.

My SWFA 1-4x 2ndFP arrived yesterday. Turrets have that "Nightforce" feel. VERY postive. I like the reticle. One slight dissapointment is the diamond only has the faintest hint of red in full sun. Move the scope to view into any shadow and the red is visible. The much more expensive FFP 1-4x with the Circle reticle looks like an Eotech in full sun. The reticle still works fine as is. I'm curious to see how long the reticle will stay illuminated. I'm going to just leave it on till its dead. The high-dollar 1-4x's super-bright reticle lasts about a week if left on.

This looks like it might be the go-to scope for an AR/truck-gun/short-bolt gun/truck gun. Time will tell.

How does the Leupold AR 1" scope stack up?


And hi Larry!

I've got a Trijicon Accupoint 1-4x with the green dot German No. 4 on my suppressed shorty. I really like it. No complaints.

http://www.natchezss.com/product.cf...amp;prodID=WE800701&prodTitle=Weaver 1.5-4.5X24 Classic Extreme Riflescope Ill. German#4 Reticle Matte

those weavers on sale for 229. Hard to ignore.

I don't know which Weaver it was, but it was a 1.5-? that I looked through recently at the range. It was a good example of how not all 1xish scopes are equal. The eyebox was horrible and the FOV was tiny. At the $250ish that the guy spent I'd've just kept shooting irons and saving up money.

The Weaver linked above has 65' FOV vs. the 97' for the Trijicon. For what a 1xish is used for, that extra 50% is a big deal to me.

Level of importance to me:
1-Eyebox
2-FOV
3-Magnification power

Thanks for the heads up.

My 2 cents. The only one I've tried to any extent is the Leupold 1.25-4X VX-R Patrol.
Over the years, I played with and shot lots of 2-2.5X scopes, either fixed magnification or variables. I really hadn't noticed much difference in speed of target acquisition between them and the excellent 4X Leupolds, mostly because of the big eye boxes of the 4X Leupolds. But this 1.25-4X is easily faster. It's got every bit as much eye box as the 4X Leupolds when set at 1.25X and a really quick reticle that makes the job much easier to do. Slap that tactical circle over the target and send it. All in the blink or an eye.
The illuminated dot shows up in bright sun. It isn't needed, thanks to the excellent reticle design, but it can be used.
The scope's eye box at 4X isn't as large as the 4X Leupolds, but it works well enough. What's more, the scope allows quick ranging due to it's reticle design when set at 4X.
Last of all, the adjustmetns have worked perfectly every time. E

compared the VX-6 1-6 with the SWFA 1-4 both at 3X at 6PM this evening. Easily a lot more scope around the image in the SWFA, easily less fuzzy at dark with the VX-6, easily the better aiming point in the 6, bigger FOV in the 6, easier to find the image in the 6, hand held....but for less than 1/3 the money the SWFA is really looking pretty good, decent glass, can see the reticle OK, don't look to bad. Will see what develops.

It's not really fair to compare the SWFA 1-4 to a Leupold VX-6, but it would be fun to shoot the SWFA against the Leupold Mark AR, or VX-2 1-4 for a more fair comparison.

We'll have to compare your VX-6 to my SWFA 1-6HD

no fairness intended, both have their Raison d'�tre.

I bought the cheaper version SWFA 1-4 but don't have it mounted up or tested out yet.

Howzit going with your's now you had it a while???

Same old story, Leupold has a better image, SWFA is more consistent.

I shot with a T&E model of Steiner's new 1-4 and fell in love. It was just as crisp and clear as my VX6, the dot is aimpoint bright, huge FOV and eyebox, and the street price should be around $500.

When will it be available.

What model is that?

http://www.opticsplanet.com/steiner-1-4x24mm-p4xi-30mm-tactical-riflescope.html

10.3"---17.3oz

The rep said that they're shipping now.

There are 15% off coupons for Optics Planet floating around the interwebs, which brings the price down to $500ish.

Any idea what the dot subtension is?

I have the SWFA and think it is an awesome scope. It replaced my Leupold AR and Vortex PST. Even better when you buy them at Christmas time.

.76" at 100 yards.

Nice!

This is a 1-5 Leupold that gets used for hogs and deer a lot. Wouldn't change it a bit. The illuminated reticle makes it perfect in low light, especially on dark colored hogs.

The new Trijicon Accupower scopes look good. Reticles look like they have improved over the accupoint's.

Blue, this may be a dumb question but why do you think it's worth double what the SWFA 1-4 classic costs?

Just by reading his review, I'd say clear and crisp with an aimpoint bright dot and a great eye box would be my guess.

I've never even held a SWFA 1-4, so I don't know if it's worth double what they cost or not. I was underwhelmed with the SS 1-6....are the SS and SWFA the same?

I need FOV, eyebox, clarity, a useable reticle, decent weight and if it has a dot I want it to be bright. I evaluate an optic in that order, but they're all equally important to me. The Steiner impressed me in every category. Then the guy told me it was $500 and I thought, "Wow, I'd spend $500 on this. That's a good deal."

And that's the entirety of the thought I put into it.

granted the SWFA reticle is "OK" not the greatest, however I value durability and consistency as well, this is where the little SWFA seems best. Yet thanks for the heads up on the Steiner, maybe I will buy one of these at Thanksgiving instead of another swfa.

I have a Schmidt & Bender, which is likely the better, if not best, in this class. But, if night hunting, something simple, rugged, and much cheaper, like a LEU 6x42, works very well. Even a 4x33, combined with a good reticle is rather bright.

If spending big bucks, likely NV/Thermal would be the way to go

I haven't seen mentioned the Vortex Crossfire II 1-4x. I had to call a halt at the amount of money I was pouring into my recent (first) AR build but still wanted a decent scope that wouldn't break the bank. I ruled out the real bottom of the line el-cheapo scopes, lusted after the high end wünderscopes, but opted for the Vortex (illuminated reticle) with a solid cantilevered mount. I honestly couldn't be happier. For a skinch over $300 all-up I feel it represents a fair value for the money.

for a black Friday $299 dollar device, I drop tested the SWFA 3 times onto the ground scope first in an 8 pound rifle held in an LT-104 and then shot it into the black at 100. The optics and eye box do indeed leave a lot to be desired on the swfa 1-4 but the mechanics are really very good. I chased glass for about 10 years but gave up on this. Wish a decent thermal was not $5,000.00, I am stuck at "wicked light" prices.

Have any of you tried the Bushnell AR 1-4?

I have one still in the package collecting dust that I thought about putting on a new build in an Aero mount.

I will keep my eye on the Steiner. The reticle appears to be decent.

You mean the one that was going for $200ish? It sucked. I'd get a used Leupold 1-4 for that price.

I like that reticle.