Tag Archives: lpvo

Primary Arms PLxC 1-8 SFP Riflescope

May 14, 2025Optics, Product review1-8, ACSS NOVA 556, compact, lpvo, nova 556, plx, plxc, primary arms, sfpcoldboremiracle

Preface

If you haven’t noticed, it seems there is a large trend of red dots and low power variable optics LPVO’s going on. And despite my defiance to trends I have stepped right into the deepest part of this one. Today I am excited to share with you another fantastic LPVO, this one came from out of left field for me. The Primary Arms PLxC 1-8 S FP riflescope is the subject of our scrutiny today, a compact model from the good folks at Primary Arms. Since I already have a variety of great similar optics, I was curious if this one had what it takes to become my favorite.

primary arms, plx, plxc, lpvo, 1-8x24, low power variable optic, compact, riflescope, scope, quattro-15, desert tech, — my Quattro-15 made a fun host for the PA PLxC

I am no stranger to Primary Arms, and I’ve had the good fortune to use several of their products you can read about here. So as I opened up the box for this PLxC, my curiosity was high.

Unboxing the PLxC 1-8

Presentation has come a long way, and Primary Arms does a fine job. The PLxC came in a magnetically sealed box, with a variety of accessories you can see below. A factory added throw-lever is nice, as was the rubber bikini lens cover. I wasn’t expecting a sun shade on this scope so that was an added bonus. For some reason I haven’t figured out yet, the windage turret was uncapped and the cap fit in a pocket in the box foam. Of course there was also the typical lens cloth, owner manual and warranty information.

primary arms, plx, plxc, lpvo, 1-8x24, low power variable optic, compact, riflescope, scope,

The Primary Arms cantilever mount you see in my pictures is a perfect fit for this scope. And though I included it in the pictures it is not included with the scope. It is available separately in either a 30 or 34 millimeter option with either zero or twenty MOA cant built into it.

As I said, it is a very nice quality presentation. But as I lifted the scope from the box my interest grew even more. The PLxC is quite compact, more so than I had expected. It wasn’t what I would call heavy, but it does have that quality thick feel to it. I was particularly impressed when I put the scope up to my eye, the image was outstanding. The optical performance of this scope and its compact size are likely what demands its asking price of $1499. After some additional inspection, it was time to get this scope mounted.

Features

Primary Arms Compact PLxC 1-8X24 SFP Rifle Scope Features
Battery	CR2032
Click Value	.1 MRAD per click
Color	Black
Exit Pupil Diameter	Low: 8mm / High: 3mm
Eye Relief	Low: 3.2 in / High: 3.7 in
Field of view @100 yards	Low: 121 ft / High: 15 ft
Focal Plane	Second
Reticle / Illumination	ACSS NOVA-556 / Red
Length	9.2 Inches
Magnification	1X – 8X
Tube Diameter	30MM
Objective Diameter	24mm
Reticle	ACSS NOVA 5.56 BDC
Total Elevation Adjustment	100 MOA
Total Windage Adjustment	100 MOA
Turret Type	Capped Turrets, Low Profile, Tool Adjustable
Weight	16.8 Ounces
Warranty	Lifetime

With the PLxC mounted to a rifle, it was much easier to evaluate its features. The throw lever is a nice touch, particularly for these kind of optics. The turrets are easily adjusted by hand, and you can cap them to protect them from moving while shooting. Though to be fair, they are very lo profile and have good resistance so they are unlikely to be inadvertently moved. Even the turret caps are nice, with a rubber gasket to keep them from rattling loose and coming off.

The illumination is also very high quality. Its extremely bright red center of the reticle can be used as a red dot, and made visible even in bright daylight. This feature is bolstered by Primary’s AutoLive® battery cap, which has an auto-shutoff after a specified time of inactivity. To my surprise, the AutoLive® cap can also be used on scopes manufactured by other optics companies as well.

The bright glass, sharp reticle, tough turrets, clean illumination and the whole finish of this scope gave a great impression of quality. I hadn’t even fired a shot yet, and I was already excited about it.

Steyr, AUG, AUG A3 M2, AUG A3 M2 NATO, bullpup, steyr aug, primary arms, PLXC, LPVO — the **Steyr AUG A3 M2** with the **Anechoic Anechox 35 suppressor** was a great host for the PLxC

On the Range

A proper range outing was in order to see how the PLx stood up to other optics I’ve used. Among the many LPVO’s I’ve used I figured I would bring along one of my favorites for comparison. An obvious difference was how much more compact the PLx was compared to my Eotech Vudu 1-8. Once the scope shade was added to the PLx it was more comparable to the size of most other LPVO’s, but obviously that is optional. I like sunshades for keeping the sun out of the scope, but almost equally as much for keeping fingers away from the lenses.

the PA PLxC next to a **Eotech Vudu 1-8**, note how much smaller the PLx is

Shooting on the range out to two-hundred yards seemed like a great way to test out the capabilities and virtues of the PLx. With targets set at 50, 75, 100 and 200 yards, I’d be able to take full advantage the PLx features.

I would shoot with the PLx on two different rifles, first was my Desert Tech Quattro 15 AR. It is one of my favorite AR’s, it shoots well and it’s predictable accuracy is ideal for comparing scope performance. The other rifle was a brand new to me Steyr AUG A3 M2, which also turned out to be very handy and fun to shoot using the Primary Arms PLx.

Optical Performance

My very first impressions of the PLx were how fantastic the image is, bright and sharp. I love it when scopes seem to disappear in front of your eye, almost like the image is a bubble floating above your rifle. Instead of a thick black ring with an image within it. Surely this is due to the extra low-dispersion lenses.

iphone camera does no justice to how good this scope looks

The illuminated center dot of the reticle is particularly bright and intense. On all but the lowest of power settings, the dot is very easy to see and use as an aimpoint. In fact at lower magnification settings, it feels more like a red dot than a scope.

The NOVA 556 reticle is also crisp and particularly easy to position over targets, the parallax is fixed apparently at 100 yards based on my experience. Shooting groups at 100 yards was much easier than I’ve experienced in the past with low powered optics like this, I was even able to pick out 5.56 holes in the paper.

athlon Rangecraft velocity pro chronograph, Garmin Xero C1 chronograph, chronograph, comparison, review, garmin, athlon, steyr AUG A3 M2, primary arms PLXC, — testing velocity with the Athlon Rangecraft Chronograph

I’m not a huge fan of BDC reticles, but the NOVA reticle seemed simple enough. And the hold points were close enough to my ammunition that I had no problem hitting 1 MOA targets within the range of reasonable engagement with 5.56 ammunition.

Control Features

The turrets were very nice, and made zeroing the scope to each rifle quite easy. I don’t usually use LPVO’s for long range shooting so I wasn’t going to dial many corrections with these turrets. Adjusting the brightness of the center dot is simple using the Autolive turret, there are off settings between each brightness setting. In today’s market I think that should be a requirement.

I always appreciate throw levers on scopes, and this one is quite handy. And the 180 degree rotation gave full spectrum of the PLx magnification. Its big enough to get a hold of, without being obtrusive.

Accuracy

Turret values were accurate, allowing for exact adjustments when zeroing the scope. The steel on steel internals of the scope are likely responsible for the sharp tracking.

Pros and Cons

The only thing I could find with this optic that I didn’t like was the price. And that’s not to say it isn’t worth it, just that $1500 isn’t a small pill. However, when compared to others like the Nightforce NX8 its a more affordable option. And much cheaper than something like the Trijicon VCOG 1-8, and a better choice in my opinion. The PLx is definitely a significantly better option than the sub $1200 LPVO’s I’ve used.

On the positive side, this is a beautiful little scope to behold. Everything from the machine textured surfaces to the image all feel extremely high quality. The resistance on the controls and the feel of the clicks are all what I expect for a scope at this price point.

The day visible dot is fantastic for rapid target engagement, and the bright optics are fantastic for looking into shadowy interiors from the bright and sunny outside. A perfect option for a short or medium-range carbine in my opinion.

Conclusion

I guess you’ve figured out by this point that I really like the Primary Arms PLxC. Don’t be surprised, I am a bit of an optics nerd. I’ve played with quite a few of them, and this one was an impressive unit I plan to keep close on one of my favorite rifles. If you ever see me on the street, hit me up and I’ll let you have a peak through it.

-CBM

First Year review: After having used this scope for a year now, it has been swapped across a dozen different firearms. I still love the scope, mainly for its crystal clear image, and easy and reliable turrets. The only negative I’ve come up with after all this time is that despite the auto-shutoff battery, it still has turned up dead unexpectedly. Other than that, I am still very much diggin’ the Primary Arms PLxC.

Check out more LPVO reviews here

Vector Optics 1-10×28 Continental Rifle Scope

April 29, 2025Optics, Product review1-10, 1-10x28, continental, lpvo, Optics, rifle scope, vector opticscoldboremiracle

Preface

I am always on the search for the perfect low power variable optic (LPVO), I find them optimal for medium range carbines. And lately, I’ve been on a big medium range kick. Today we are taking a look at a new to me LPVO with some great potential, that scope is the Vector Optics 1-10X28 Continental. The Continental is a 1-10 first focal plane (FFP) scope with a MRAD reticle and 10 MRAD turrets. After a quick look, I felt quite confident I was going to enjoy this scope, but how well could this scope made in China perform?

Vector Optics Continental

The Continental series of optics from Vector feature 34mm tubes, and an impressive erector and turret structure. As a 10X variable, the magnification ring rotates approximately 180 degrees to go from 1X to 10X. The locking turrets give 10 MRAD per rotation with 1/10th MRAD clicks, with very audible and tactile clicks.

The elevation turret also features an impressive zero-stop function, that is both precise and solid. Additionally, there is a visible and tactile indicator that pops up with a red pin that you can both see and feel when you turn into the second turret rotation. And when you turn into the third rotation, it pops up even further, exposing a silver layer under the red pin indicator.

Inside the scope you will find the VET-CTR reticle, a milling type reticle with a large outer ring for encircling targets up close. As you zoom in the scope you will find a Christmas-Tree-style drop grid, as well as a smaller circle around the center crosshair. When illuminated by the 11-brightness settings, only the large outer ring, and the small inner ring are lit up. At 1X the illuminated rings of the reticle closely mimic the reticle used in many holographic sights. Once the scope is zoomed in beyond about 5X, the outer ring disappears leaving only the center ring illuminated. This gives the feel of a red dot aiming scenario, but you obviously have all the rest of the reticle detail as well.

Features

Tube Dia	34 mm
Parallax Setting	100 yards
Click Value	1/10 MIL
Turret Function	Zero Stop, Turret Lock
Elevation Adjustment Range	51 MIL
Windage Adjustment Range	51 MIL
Diopter Compensation	-3 to +2
Illumination Setting	11 Brightness settings
Battery Type	CR2032
Battery Life	N/A
Waterproof	IP68
Fogproof	Nitrogen Filled
Shockproof	1000 G
Housing Material	6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy
Finish	Matte Black
Length	278 mm / 10.9 in
Weight	651 g / 23.0 oz
Items in the Package	A Pair of 34mm Picatinny Scope Rings, A Spare Elevation Turret (Without Zero Stop Feature), User Manual, Lens Caps and Cleaning Cloth, etc

My very first impressions of the 1-10 Continental as I lifted it from the box were very good. It feels quality made, and has perfect resistance on the controls. Optically the scope looks fantastic as well, it feels like a true 1X meaning you can shoot with both eyes open with minimal dispersion between each eye’s perception.

the WLVRN works great with the **Yankee Hill Machine Turbo T3**

Shooting with the Vector Continental 1-10X28

Before heading to the range to shoot with this scope, I wanted to get it mounted and bore-sighted to the rifle. The rifle I chose for testing the Continental is my Desert Tech WLVRN, it is a multi-caliber rifle that I switch barrels back and forth between .223 and a custom 6ARC that I made for it. To mount the scope, I selected a cantilever mount from Zro Delta. After leveling and mounting the scope, I bore-sighted it to be at least close to zeroed before leaving the house.

In my humble opinion, LPVO’s are ideal for short to medium range shooting, typically on a carbine rifle. There is great reason to believe that fast and loose shooting is done well with lower magnification, especially if you can keep both eyes open. But because I enjoy shooting further distances as well, the Continental 1-10 also presents you with the option to engage medium range targets as well. The turrets allow you to correct for distance, and provided you have a gun with the reach, you could easily engage out to a kilometer with such a setup.

That said, most of our shooting with the Continental was done inside the 400 yard-line. The WLVRN in .223 is quite accurate, and hitting small distant targets from supported positions was pretty solid. And even without support, you can quickly engage and take down targets at closer distances.

Vector Optics, continental, 1-10x28, ffp, lpvo, Desert Tech, WLVRN, suppressor,

Optical Performance

The bright image projected from the Vector Continental was beautiful. I very much appreciated the edge to edge clarity on the scope, at either end of the power spectrum. The reticle was clear and crisp, which can often be a challenge with FFP scopes.

Picking out small details at distances like five to seven-hundred yards was easily doable, for example; a small animal like a squirrel was easily targeted at these distances. There is perhaps only one thing I would change about this scope and that would be to add adjustable parallax. Many LPVO’s come with set parallax, the Continental like many others comes set at 100 yards. For much of your shooting purposes this will be more than fine, but once you start reaching out to longer distances it can affect your ability to make hits. You can certainly work with it, but it would be very nice to have the ability to adjust for parallax.

Reliability

I really like to turrets of the Continental series of optics. The clicks are very clean and audible, which allow you to be very precise with your measurements. The 1-10 model has an impressive amount of erector movement when you consider the firearms it is likely to be used on. The scope comes with two different elevation turrets, one for use with the zero-stop and the other for use without it.

The controls of the Continental 1-10 are intuitive, and allows the shooter to be consistent in adjusting the sight. Measuring the recticle travel against the turrets show very consistent and accurate erector travel, back and forth movement of the controls proved to show reliable movement.

Ergonomics

Zero-Stop

The way to set the zero-stop requires removing the elevation turret, you gently push in the inner ring of the turret and rotate it according to the arrow printed on it. If zeroing the rifle requires you to dial down on the turret, you might have to remove the turret and release the zero stop by pushing in and turning it counter to the arrow indicated underneath.

After zeroing the rifle, you can again pull the turret off. This time rotate the inner ring with the arrow indicator. When the inner ring engages a locking pin, you will hear an audible click. That aligns the turret with the zero, and you can reinstall the turret. Check to see that it aligns properly on zero after installing.

Value

The Vector Continental line of scopes seems to offer some outstanding value. Features you would find on much more expensive scopes are included, and they not only look good but they function as you’d expect as well. If you are looking for an affordable 1-10 LPVO scope, you should definitely give this one a look.

Pros and Cons

If I had to mention something I would change about this scope, it would be the parallax. I wish it had the same parallax adjustment of its larger Continental siblings. Mainly because a 1-10 power scope can certainly be used out to distances as far as a kilometer, and at distances like that you absolutely need to adjust for parallax. That said, as long as you understand the fixed setting, this scope is still quite useful at such distances.

On the positive side, this scope offers a great deal of features and a good value. The glass looks fantastic, especially considering the price. The reticle is clear and very useful at all the different magnification settings. The large 34mm tube makes a strong base for the scope, and finish and fit of the whole unit is very satisfying.

Conclusion

If you find yourself evaluating short to medium range optics, you should at least consider the Continental 1-10. Whether it be for a medium range carbine or a small scout style bolt-action rifle, this would be a great optical sight option. Again, if it had adjustable parallax I probably would buy two or three more of these for all my carbines. But that’s just me, many of you may not be concerned or need such a feature. Its a beautiful image with precise aiming points for multi-purpose use, if that is something you are looking for you’ve found it here.

-CBM

Check out more optics review here, including other Vector Optics models

Eotech Vudu 1-6

May 19, 2024Optics, Product revieweotech, lpvo, vudu, vudu 1-6coldboremiracle

Introduction

Low power variable optics are one of the fastest growing type of rifle scope, at least from my perspective. Carbine rifles setup for short to medium range shooting have become very popular, and these scopes are an excellent sight option for them. I’ve spent quite a bit of time shooting with a variety of different LPVO’s, but today I present to you another one; the Eotech Vudu 1-6×24.

Eotech Vudu 1-6x24 — Unboxing the Eotech Vudu 1-6×24

I’ve been able to use this scope on many different rifles, over the course of the last year or so. Which is nice because typically I don’t get such a long timeframe to review a product. This has given me the ability to get a better understanding of this scope.

I’ll share my experience with this rifle scope, and how it can fit into your collection.

The Eotech Vudu 1-6×24

Specifications

Let’s get into this little scope, starting with some specifications.

Length 10.6 inches
Weight 20.1 Ounces
Magnification 1-6X
Tube diameter 30mm
Objective Lens 24mm
Reticle SR1
Battery CR2032
Colors Black, FDE
Turret click value .2 MRAD
Turret rotation value 15 MRAD
Total Elevation travel 25 MRAD
Total Windage travel 23 MRAD
Focal Plane First focal plane (FFP)

Like most LPVO’s, the Vudu 1-6 features a 30mm tube and 24mm objective. This gives a good balance of light transmission and erector travel. It’s unlikely to need to adjust as much as 25 MRAD of elevation on an LPVO, but it’s nice to have the option if you need it.

I also have the slightly larger Eotech Vudu 1-8×24, you can go read up on that option when you are done here. As good as my experience has been with the 30mm Vudu LPVO’s, I’d really like to get my hands on their big brother the 34mm Vudu 1-10×28 FFP scope. It would fit in nicely on one of my 308 carbines I think, or perhaps one of my hunting rifles.

The compact size of these scopes make them ideal for duty on compact rifles. At just over ten-inches, this Vudu doesn’t add too much bulk to your rifle. And at twenty-ounces it may not be the lightest 1-6 out there, but it’s not the heaviest either.

Features

As a first focal plane rifle scope, the Vudu reticle changes size depending on the magnification setting. This can be very useful for some scenarios, especially for a medium range rifle. At 1x for up close shooting the smaller details of the reticle are un-noticeable. And you can use the circle to bracket your target rapidly while squeezing the trigger.

When zoomed in to 6x, the circle is outside your field of view. The fine details of the crosshair and holdover points are now quite visible and useful should you need to make a more refined hold. The reticle is illuminated green, and uses a friendly pushbutton control vs. the standard rotating rheostat turret.

The turrets on this little Eotech are not capped, allowing on the fly adjustments if needed. They are easily re-zeroed once the rifle has been sighted in. As well they have easily read markings to make your corrections.

Adjusting the magnification on the scope is done by turning the ocular housing. Eotech was kind enough to add in a threaded throw-lever to make it even easier to adjust.

The high-quality Japanese manufactured lenses made the image seen through the Vudu very bright. This has been my experience with various Vudu rifle scopes, a very pleasing image with impressive clarity and detail.

Desert Tech wlvrn bullpup 20-inch 223 wilde eotech vudu — The Vudu 1-6 mounted on a **Desert Tech WLVRN**

On the Range with the Eotech 1-6×24

After mounting the Vudu 1-6 in a pretty standard cantilever mount, it was easy to swap back and forth between various rifles for testing. And the easily adjustable turrets made it easy to quickly re-zero.

Shooting up close on 1x and both eyes open was nice. This is one of the reasons I find LPVO’s so handy, it’s just like shooting with a red dot almost. You can simply look at the target, and bring the rifle up until you see the bright green circle around your target.

Adjusting the settings of the illuminated reticle is very easy. There are three push-buttons, one to turn on the reticle, and two more to adjust brighter or dimmer. This made bracketing the targets very easy in low light conditions and crummy weather. Speaking on weather, I got to use the Vudu in some poor conditions, and the lenses stayed clear and didn’t fog up. Another nice feature of a good scope.

While shooting I found the eye relief pretty forgivable, it seemed every time I shouldered a rifle I could see well through the scope. Like any scope, it does vary a little bit with magnification but it was never difficult to get a quick sight picture.

Controls

I’m usually not one to rapidly change magnification while transitioning between targets. The included throw-lever does make it easy to do though. And while six power isn’t exactly high magnification, it is very useful to zoom in on a target two or three-hundred yards away and be able to accurately hit these more challenging targets.

The SR1 reticle was precise enough for carbine work. By that I mean it may not be great for shooting 1/2 MOA groups at long-range. But it is more than precise enough to make accurate shots on ten-inch targets at medium ranges like two to four hundred yards. The subtensions of the reticle also allow hold overs for distances as far as six-hundred yards at my density altitude.

eotech Vudu 1-6 SR1 reticle — the SR1 reticle as seen at 6X 100yds and at 1X

Most LPVO scopes have a set parallax, usually at an optimum use distance like 75 to 100 yards. That seemed to be the case with this Vudu as well. I didn’t do much of what I would consider long-range shooting with it, but the shooting that was done didn’t seem to have an issue with parallax.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Having spent nearly a year shooting with the Eotech Vudu 1-6, and about the same time with the 1-8 model I’ve been able to formulate a pretty good opinion. As mentioned I’ve used quite a few other comparable optics from other manufacturers like US Optics, Vortex Optics and others. And I’m judging the Vudu against the competition which can be pretty cutthroat.

The Vudu LPVO’s definitely have an advantage when it comes to optical quality. The lens coatings and quality are apparent by the beautiful image presented every time. I expect that a good portion of the cost of the Vudu scopes is due to the lens quality.

The controls of the Vudu scope are very intuitive, and easy to operate. But most scopes are like that, I’d say the Vudu gets extra points because it looks good and is well built at the same time. Crisp feeling turrets are matched by a useful reticle that isn’t taxed with too many heavy features that inhibit viewing.

Eotech Vudu 1-6x24, IWI Galil ACE — The Vudu mounted to the **IWI Galil ACE**

Cons

I really had a hard time coming up with something to dislike about the Eotech Vudu 1-6. The functionality was fantastic, as was the optical quality. So if I had to say something negative about this scope it could only really be about the price.

With a street price around $1200 it’s not exactly easy for a lot of gun owners to justify. There are many comparable optics in the five to nine-hundred dollar range, and while they might do the job for you just as well, they don’t have that little exceptional edge.

To be fair to the Vudu, most of the Chinese and Taiwan made optics are hardly in the same league. But let’s be honest, a lot of people are going to opt for the six-hundred or less priced scopes. But much like a professional shooter, I wouldn’t trade my Vudu for one of them, or even two of the others for that matter. And when compared to the high end optics the Vudu is actually pretty affordable.

desert tech WLVRN 5.56 nato suppressed — Another shot of the Vudu mounted to the WLVRN, read about the rifle here

Final thoughts

If you are looking for a high quality LPVO for you next rifle, this Vudu 1-6 is a great little scope to consider. Whether it be for your fighting carbine or for your next pig sticker, the Vudu bring some great qualities. The FFP reticle is great for short and medium range engagements, the exposed turrets allow quick adjustments for other shooting needs.

Other things like the throw lever and push button illumination are nice for rapid changes during your shooting regimen. And while its not exactly an entry level scope when it comes to price, it’s not out of reach. Making the Vudu scope an excellent choice if you want better than most options without blowing your whole budget on your scope.

-CBM

Eotech Vudu 1-8×24 Review

March 17, 2023Optics, Product revieweotech, lpvo, vudu, vudu 1-8coldboremiracle

INTRODUCTION

For the better part of the last twenty years, you could hardly talk about tactical weapon sights with EOtech coming up.

The brand has grown quickly to become an industry stalwart. In much more recent times, the company has released its own line of optical rifle scopes under the Vudu brand.

Today we will look at a model from the Vudu line, the EOTech Vudu 1-8X24 precision rifle scope. This model features a thirty-millimeter tube and the typical twenty-four millimeter ocular lens.

Variable power swings between one and eight times magnification with the reticle in the second focal plane. The reticle itself is the HC3, which features an illuminated center dot and several hold-over points for shooting further distances. The capped turrets are graduated in quarter minutes of angle adjustments.

Low Power Variable Optics (LPVOs) have become increasingly more popular for modern sporting rifles and tactical-style rifles. When rapidly engaging targets at dangerously close distances, a rifle scope can be extremely valuable over red dots or holographic sights, particularly if those targets could range from fifty to three hundred yards away.

Shop EOtech optics

LPVO’s have become a valued option for that kind of shooting scenario, and our subject today appears to fit that purpose quite well.

I enjoy shooting sports a great deal and have spent a good deal of time behind many riflescopes. I was thrilled to see how the Vudu scope would perform. I am a total fanboy for quality rifle scopes, and if this Vudu lived up to my expectations, I couldn’t wait to add it to my collection.

After unboxing the Vudu and playing around with it in just a few minutes, it has already got me excited to shoot with it.

VUDU 1-8×24 PRECISION RIFLE SCOPE REVIEW

The LPVO market has become quite crowded over the past ten or so years, so I was curious to see what Vudu had to offer that others weren’t already selling. We’ve heard good stories about optical quality, and so far, glancing over the features, it appears to tick all the boxes I want in an LPVO. So I wasted no time getting the Vudu mounted and ready for the range.

With a market this crowded there is undoubtedly room for quality optics at every price and quality point. There are inexpensive LPVOs in the three to five-hundred range, and even more at the thousand dollar price point. Even at the fourteen to fifteen-hundred price point, there is still a lot of competition.

The Vudu mounted to one of my **Aero Precision uppers**

Eotech’s Vudu fits right into that area for those who can’t or won’t jump to the two-thousand-dollar-plus price range. Nevertheless it is still a great place to select a high-quality and well-performing LPVO. A good scope like this deserves a good mount that will allow proper positioning on the rifle, so make sure you research before mounting your scope.

Let’s Shoot

Keeping all that in mind, I set out to shoot a selection of different scenarios using the Vudu.

Varying shots from near to far and using both the variable power of the scope and the holdover points on the reticle. The one to eight-power magnification gives a great deal of versatility for a wide field of view on close-up shots with both eyes open.

And it also allows you to zoom it into eight power to take more precise shots at targets further out. Depending on your activity I have found eight power suitable for shots as far as one thousand yards at times. So with a great deal of space at my disposal, I prepared to give the Vudu a good workout.

SPECIFICATIONS

Tube	30 mm
Length	10.9 inches
Weight	20.8 ounces
Magnification	1-8x
Objective lens	24 mm
Reticle	HC3
Illumination	Green center dot
Battery	CR2032
Elevation travel	100 MOA @.25 per click

PROS & CONS

PROS

High quality Japanese optical lenses
Capped hand-adjustable turrets
Illuminated reticle
Push-button illumination change
Throw lever included
Hold-over HC3 reticle

CONS

Wish it was the 1-10
Would like a little more reticle detail
Would also like an MRAD option

My **Desert Tech MDRX** with the EOtech Vudu, and **YHM Turbo suppressor**

RANGE TESTING

We had a hard time coming up with cons for the Vudu, as you might have noticed. It looks like I will have to get my hands on their 1-10×28 model as well, as it fits my wishes to a T.

Getting the Vudu on the range was my priority now. I mounted it up to one of my favorite carbines, my Desert Tech MDRX. I do a LOT of shooting with this rifle, so it seemed an excellent fit to compare to a bunch of other LPVOs I have run on the rifle over the years.

With the Vudu in a cantilevered mount, I installed it on the pic rail of the rifle at the proper distance for good eye relief. It felt right at home there, so I grabbed some ammunition and headed out the door.

Upon arrival at my spot, I set the rifle on a bipod and did a quick boresight job to ensure it would be on paper. After just a few shots, it was zeroed.

Typically I zero my rifles at one hundred yards, mainly because that’s where I do a lot of shooting. It would also make sense to zero a scope like this at seventy-five or fifty yards. It depends entirely on your shooting activities.

After zeroing the scope, I started with some quick transitional shooting between a couple of different targets. The straight one-power allows you to shoot with both eyes open, something I appreciate very much. I also really like the bright green dot in the reticle. It allows the scope to be used almost like a red dot sight.

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Desert Tech Quattro-15, Eotech Vudu, Aero Precision — The Area 419 scope mount allowed me to piggy-back the **Eotech EFLX**

Shooting with the Vudu 1-8X24

Push-button on and off makes it much easier to power up than the typical rotational rheostats. Added simplicity like push buttons to increase or decrease brightness are also convenient and easily understood when you’re moving fast.

For shooting IPSC-sized targets from standing and improvised positions, I found that zooming the scope in a few X’s was helpful. I had several targets between fifty and one-hundred-fifty yards. The two to three power settings helped get those targets bracketed and shot.

This rifle is very handy for shots out to five or six hundred yards and even twice that when I switch out barrels for another caliber.

So I wanted to see how targets looked through the Vudu at much further distances. I couldn’t find any information on the parallax setting for this Vudu, but I assumed it is likely at a hundred yards like many others. Not a huge deal but something you should know.

Checking the estimated drop for my 223 ammunition at four hundred yards, I held about twelve MOA.

Conveniently for me, the Vudu’s HC3 reticle has holdovers for 2, 5, 8.5, and 12.5 MOA. So my holdover for the four hundred-yard shot was pretty easy to line up. Holding into the breeze a little bit resulted in a perfect hit. I watched the bullet splash through the eight-power with great clarity and definition.

RELIABILITY

Over the course of several days the Vudu 1-8×24 worked great for me. Through all my zooming in and out, as well as dialing the scope all over, it never lost zero or gave me any grief.

Looking at the small scope size makes me think it is less likely to get smacked around like full-sized scopes often do. But I see no reason why this scope wouldn’t live up to EOTech’s famously robust no-BS warranty.

ACCURACY

Accuracy of a riflescope is mainly based on its ability to hold proper zero and track well in its internal movement. Precision shooters like to measure these movements by bolting the scope down and seeing if it actually moves the amount it says.

In my testing, the Vudu 1-8×24 was as accurate as I could have hoped, with precise corrections and matching the reticle values.

OVERALL FEEL

Outstanding is one way to describe the Vudu, I like the texturing on the grip areas, and the included throw-lever is very handy, especially in the cold.

Clear optics and rubberized push-button controls make it look and feel outstanding. Gripping the large turrets are easily adjusted with gloves on, as are the other controls. Eotech Vudu 1-8x24, Area 419 scope mount

FEATURES

THROW LEVER

Included with the Vudu comes is a thread-in throw lever or cat-tail, as some call it. Ideally its to give additional purchase to adjust the magnification of the optic, as gripping the ocular housing from some positions can be challenging. Using the throw lever gives a better ability to pivot the input force as the housing rotates in many shooting positions.

ILLUMINATION

This Vudu features an illuminated green dot at the center of the reticle. It is powered by a battery housed in the left-hand turret.

There are three buttons on that turret at the twelve, three, and nine o’clock positions. The top button is the on/off switch; the other two buttons are for increasing or decreasing the brightness level of the dot.

Shooters will really like this ability to quickly turn the reticle on or off without having to rotate the turret, particularly those that don’t have off settings in between brightness settings. And it is easy to adjust the brightness from the shooting position using the buttons.

20 MOA TURRETS

Twenty MOA turrets on the Vudu allow for a good deal of corrective adjustment. In the event that you need to adjust for elevation at further distances, the turrets allow for precise adjustment in ¼ MOA increments.

HOW WE TESTED

We ran the Vudu 1-8 through a whole bunch of shooting at my range. Fast shooting between target transitions as well as slow fire at much further targets, was a great way to get familiarized with the Vudu and its weak spots.

One of the only things I might have found as far as weakness was that at 1X, there is a tiny bit of deformation around the circumference of the image. This is not uncommon in my experience, nor is it a huge deal. It didn’t affect my ability to see and hit my targets.

We also noticed at some of the higher power settings that the eye relief seems a little touchier than I would have wanted; again not a big deal but something I did notice.

Hold-over points on the reticle were quite handy, though if you were going to do more medium to long-range shooting, you would likely want more points. Luckily, Vudu makes another scope for those who are looking for just that.

As it is, this scope makes a great choice for fifty to four-hundred-yard shooting. And when doing up-close shooting, I ran the scope on 1X with the dot turned all the way up and used it just like a red dot.

As I typically do with most optics I test, I also ran the turrets and reticle against a yardstick to see how well and accurately the erector tracks. Most of the time, they are all pretty close to their advertised graduations, and the Vudu 1-8×24 was one of those.

SCORE CARD

RELIABILITY (9/10)

The Vudu 1-8×24 functioned flawlessly for me during my testing. Surely this hasn’t been long enough to truly test its abilities, but only time will tell how that plays out. Follow me to see how the Vudu does over time.

OPTICAL QUALITY (8/10)

Optical quality of the Vudu was great. There was a tiny bit of optical aberration around the edges at 1X. Still, it was certainly something I could live with.

Clarity of targets was superb, and it performed well for my eyes even at low light near dusk. I won’t lie and say that I haven’t seen better, but I think the Vudu is right in line with its best competitors for this price.

FEATURES (7/10)

Things like illuminated reticle and throw lever were nice things to have when I opened the box, but I was kind of hopeful that Vudu would have brought just a little something extra to the game.

Longer-range shooters would have liked a slightly more detailed reticle option and an MRAD option. Of course, more options like these would only add to the Vudu line.

VALUE (8/10)

The Vudu brings a significant level of performance and quality for its price point. Competitors in the comparable price range make it a very challenging market. You could almost select based on pure appearance and still get a great scope.

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CONCLUSION

EOTech Vudu 1-8x24 Review mounted on desert tech mdrx on bench

If you are looking for a quality rifle scope to use on your short to medium-range carbine. This EOTech Vudu 1-8×24 is a great choice that will allow you to use your rifle to its full capability. That also allows you to see clearly what you are shooting at and look good simultaneously.

Eotech’s Vudu does what a good LPVO should. It gives you the ease of a red dot or holographic sight up close while leaving you options for magnifying those targets further out. And it comes with the necessary tools to engage those targets if you wish to.

I am really looking forward to shooting more with this scope. I’ll leave it on my MDRX for now unless I find a better home for it. No doubt, I will use it extensively for shooting and hunting this spring.

-CBM

2026 Update:

After several years of using this scope, bouncing it around from one gun to another, I am still very happy with this scope. Its clarity continues to stand out, as does its ability to keep zero making it a fantastic scope for my carbines.