Interestingly enough, the USPSA equipment survey from the nationals just came out. For optics manufacturers in the Carry Optic division, it went like this:
Leupold = 36%
Sig = 29%
Vortex = 16%
C-More = 6%
Burris = 6%
Trijicon = 5%
Good info if you're setting up a competition gun.
Don't be confused into thinking that translates to a carry gun though; there are significant differences that shuffle those optic choices around a lot. Such as?
Thanks,
Jerry
Such as varying light conditions, for one. A carry gun might be used in the dark, or in bright noon Arizona sun, and the optic should be automatically functional in either without adjusting settings. An optic on a competition gun can be adjusted for the current conditions, for the most part.
Leupold's motion sensor tech is another one, where the dot is switched on when it detects motion and shuts off after 5 minutes of inactivity. For a range gun that spends most of it's life in the safe, that works great. That same optic carried in your waistband will be switched on all the time, and the electronics should be designed around that.
And of course there's durability. Competition shooting is not fighting. Priorities for a competition or target optic are more towards clear glass, window size, etc (all things the DPP is great for). For a carry gun though, being able to take a beating and always being on, visible, and zeroed are higher priorities.
I'd think anyone looking for a carry optic would want to consider these things before just copying whatever the top competition shooters are using.
