Magnifier and Red Dot Question

I might as well jump on the band wagon here. I won't try to beat a dead horse to much, but the combination of a Sightmark ( possibly the worst red dot on the planet) and over magnification has created the perfect poo storm on top of your rifle. If you want the look and want inexpensive at the same time, go to Primary Arms. I'll have to look, but I believe they will bundle a Micro red dot, mount, and a 3X magnifier for just over a $150. PA are top notch, and if you need to stay inexpensive (not cheap), are well worth the money. I have their 30mm red dot on my Sport with no magnification, no complaints at all. In all honesty, mine is being replaced by an Aimpoint M2 Comp, not because there's any issue at all, but because I got a deal I couldn't afford to pass up. Good luck in your quest.

Good Luck and good shooting. :D

Just took a look at Primary Arms, Micro red dot, lower 1/3 co-witness riser, 3X magnifier with flip out mount, $166.95 plus shipping. Look in the sale section.
 
Last edited:
I might as well jump on the band wagon here. I won't try to beat a dead horse to much, but the combination of a Sightmark ( possibly the worst red dot on the planet) and over magnification has created the perfect poo storm on top of your rifle. If you want the look and want inexpensive at the same time, go to Primary Arms. I'll have to look, but I believe they will bundle a Micro red dot, mount, and a 3X magnifier for just over a $150. PA are top notch, and if you need to stay inexpensive (not cheap), are well worth the money. I have their 30mm red dot on my Sport with no magnification, no complaints at all. In all honesty, mine is being replaced by an Aimpoint M2 Comp, not because there's any issue at all, but because I got a deal I couldn't afford to pass up. Good luck in your quest.

Good Luck and good shooting. :D

Just took a look at Primary Arms, Micro red dot, lower 1/3 co-witness riser, 3X magnifier with flip out mount, $166.95 plus shipping. Look in the sale section.

I am not sure, but I have read the reviews on the Sightmark Red Dot and there not bad. I will admit I didn't do my research any by the correct one for the magnifier but as far as each product by itself doesn't have bad reviews?
 
If you are shooting at paper and want magnification, forget all the fancy bang-zoom tactical stuff and get a conventional 3-9 scope. Slap a Bushnell on that rifle for $75 and it will beat any red dot / magnifier setup for shooting at paper.
 
In a reflex sight, you are looking at a reflection of a light in a curved mirror. The curvature of the mirror makes the light look like it is 50 yards or so away. If you move your eye around, the dot will be stationary on a subject 50 or more yards away, but move relative to closer objects.

A telescope won't change the point of aim, but it will magnify the dot and any optical defects producing that dot.

The dot of an Aimpoint looks larger but sharp at 3x magnification, and at 10x through my binoculars. Paying 10x as much as the Sightmark buys higher quality. Is it worth the money? That's a personal decision. Sometimes good enough is good enough. The Aimpoint holds its zero on an M1a, and will burn continuously for three years. In short, it's booney quality.

An Eotech uses a laser, not an LED. The reticule is created by an hologram in the reflector. The center dot does not grow with magnification, although the 65 MOA circle does.

I have a $35 copy of an Aimpoint on an airsoft rifle. The LED dot is sharp under magnification. I suspect the Sightmark uses something else to produce the reticule, or is just a lemon.
 
Last edited:
I'm not an expert on magnifiers so I have a question. My EO Tech has a 1 MOA DOT with a 65 MOA ring. If you magnify the target and the dot, the 1 MOA dot remains 1 moa and just as a 12" target remains 12", right? Both get magnified to the same degree, wrong?

I've thought about getting a magnifier to use on the range. The red dot is great for 50 yards and in. Reaching out to 100 yrd and beyond you can only hope for 6" groups.

Even though the sight is closer to the magnifier I would image both magnify to the exact same degree. If that's wrong can someone explain it to me?
 
I put the Bushnell scope mentioned above on my new AR tonight. Hope to sight it in sometime in the next week. It looks like a nice scope and I am excited to try it out.
 
I'm not an expert on magnifiers so I have a question. My EO Tech has a 1 MOA DOT with a 65 MOA ring. If you magnify the target and the dot, the 1 MOA dot remains 1 moa and just as a 12" target remains 12", right? Both get magnified to the same degree, wrong?

I've thought about getting a magnifier to use on the range. The red dot is great for 50 yards and in. Reaching out to 100 yrd and beyond you can only hope for 6" groups.

Even though the sight is closer to the magnifier I would image both magnify to the exact same degree. If that's wrong can someone explain it to me?

For the Eotech the ring and dot should remain proper and in focus with magnification.
 
For the Eotech the ring and dot should remain proper and in focus with magnification.

That's what I thought. Explain to me why in post #3 you said a 3moa would become a 21" dot at 100 yards under 7x mag. The dot get bigger but so does the target, so the dot does not become 21", right?
 
Last edited:
That's what I thought. Explain to me why in post #3 you said a 3moa would become a 21" dot at 100 yards under 7x mag. The dot get bigger but so does the target, so the dot does not become 21", right?

No; with a laser, the point does not increase in size when it's focused on the correct plane; how do I say it properly?? Eotech's are designed specifically to not increase the dot at distance. But also, this is dependent on getting the layout correct. Put the magnifier in front of the red dot optic, and everything you see will be magnified.(It happens; people leave the red dot to the rear, and add the magnifier in front. Is supposed to be installed behind the red dot as it were, closest to the shooters' eye.
The difference between an Eotech and most other sights is the design of the laser layout; it will stay crystal clear while most other units will blur a bit as the image expands. Most units are not directly broadcast to the screen, they are reflectives, and just it works out different. A lot goes into the better optic red dots and holo units. You can tell by sharpness of image, and how the light is there, yet does not shine or glow as it is viewed.

As to the increase in the size of the dot vs. the target, the target size is not increased to the point where it is a '1 to1' image; with a 12x scope at 50 yds, the target looks bigger than the given size; you are looking at what PART of the bullseye you are aiming for. Yet the same 12x out at 250yds, you are looking to cover the bullseye with the crosshairs, and unless you have a fine crosshair, you are not really going to be splitting the dot, but rather completely covering it.

Did THAT explanation make sense? Trying hard to grasp for the right explanation here. Okay, yes; this is making sense.! If you put a magnifier BEFORE a scope, the crosshairs would expand, albeit slightly, because the focus of the magnifier part makes for less magnification up close, before the magnifier has achieved its' focus. (When we tried this stuff out, putting a 4x behind a 9x scope; the crosshairs all but disappeared, though the target WAS able to be double magnified after we adjusted the eye relief and focus on the scope. No benefit, just a wild try at something.)
A very fine laser is like a reticle; it's fixed so to say. And at distance, stand alone by itself it will cover a larger portion of the target. But a lesser red dot the light is not nearly as well designed, so it glows and grows as you magnify.

Sorry about the long winded jibberish. :confused:
 
Also, proper focus is a little different than say a 1 to 1 magnification. Ala, clarity of the optic.
 
I think what you are saying is the holograph produces a sharper recital which does not blur as much when magnified. I don't think you are saying the dot actually gets exponentially bigger with other sights but that they gets blurrier which make them appear bigger and making it harder to select an aim point. I can understand cross hairs on a scope begin lost with double magnification, that's probably because you are focusing on a target so far away you cannot focus on both the target and the cross hair at the same time. They are so far apart.

I want to buy a magnifier for my XPS. I'm guessing XPS's 1 MOA will remain 1 MOA after it's magnified.
 
Maybe its just me but I just looked at a MSR at Bass Pro yesterday, it already had a EO Tech and magnifier on it and when you flipped the maginifier down and looked thru it both the reticle dot and circle both increased in size more than I expected. so the target and the reticle got larger looking thru it.
 
I think that what is supposed to happen, they both get larger but the dot still only covers 1" circle on the target
 
Back
Top