U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- When it comes to combat optics, there is a misconception that shooters need to spend big money to get a quality scope. , Primary Arms 1x Cyclops Prism Scope FDE Follow along as we cover the best prism scopes from Primary Arms, Vortex, Monstrum and Sig Sauer - or check the link below for the full review! Thanks! Each of Primary Arms prism scopes comes with the infamous Made in China sticker. Ill go over some of the pros and cons of prism scopes vs. red dots and low-power variable optics. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos from the firearms industry. The reticles on all three optics are illuminated. If youre sold on the SLx 3 but maybe want a bit more magnification, youre in luck! Whats a prism scope and do you need one? Would you have an opinion on Sightmarks Wolfhound 3x24 prism scope? With prism scopes, you get the benefit of always having a reticle and not needing any backup sights. These cookies do not store any personal information. Top rail is glued on. I forgot to turn off the illumination several times over the last few months, and the battery always died in the seven or ten days between uses. Further, only the horseshoe is illuminated the rest of the reticle is not. The 5x scope reticles are both designed for 5.56/.308. One little rail is fine for mounting an RMR (like on the Primary arms 3x and 5x). Weve built dozens of ARs and well cover all the best AR-15 upgrades such as handguards, triggers, BCGs, gas blocks, and more. Although a pretty big jump up in price at about $349 on the street, if youre seriously considering a prism optic, this is probably about the general price ballpark you should be considering to snag something thats actually worth it IMO. They also conduct drop testing from one meter on concrete using a weighted rifle to make sure the optic will hold up in the field. We are not a gun store and DO NOT sell or deal in firearms. Even though the batteries in the Primary Arms 5x Prism Scope will last for 3,000 hours, youll still have to change the batteries once in a while, which is not a concern for ACOGs. They just work like any other scope. Do you run a 1x? The primary disadvantage of an ACOG is the price. 2x just isn't worth it. I love you guys. . What are your thoughts on Prism optics? Holographic? Here's the 3x at 100 yards. How about a review on the Primary Arms PLx 6-30x56mm FFP Rifle Scope Illuminated ACSS-Apollo-6.5CR/.224V. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. In my experience, this setup makes hitting targets out to 400 meters with my Arsenal SGL-31 an absolute breeze. , Monstrum 3x Prism Scope (We ordered 3x and got a 2x be aware! But for those of us using their optics for hunting, range work, and (maybe) self-defense, the SLx is definitely worth a look. Type your email address and well send It works great, and at just $330 or so, is only slightly more expensive than the SLx3. Its good to be cautious when going into a situation you know will get loudbut I honestly think your over thinking it a bit. I wont pretend to understand the science behind Megaview, but the optic boasts a roughly 40% larger field of view than competing prism optics and it definitely shows after using all of them in one day. However, I will have to admit that this particular prism scope is well built. This all means that we create products that are durable and we are proud to put our name on, Sanders said. We cover the Pros & Cons plus hands-on pictures and view-through video for a few of the most popular models out right now. On most optics dont you move the POI to the reticle? Either way, it was nice to see a little bit of effort put in by Primary Arms to verify that their product was being quality tested before being shipped out. That being said, Im going to say that the Primary Arms SLx slightly edges out the Vortex Spitfire, for a few reasons. Pretty sure this optic was made for this gun. So, if youre looking for a fixed-power optic thatll get the job done for a fraction of the cost, look no further than Primary Arms. Thanks for another great article as always. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. And the dial sizes are also done right and they are neither too big nor too small. But the new Gen 2 Cyclops blows it out of the water. Learn all the important stuff about handgunswith none of the attitude. Clearly, the Primary Arms Prismatic optics take inspiration from the ACOG, but what some shooters dont know is that they can use many ACOG components. Weve got a dedicated section for the AR-15 here. The SLx 3 is also the first prism out of those we tested with actual, functional illumination. Your article is misleading. Social media guy and gucci gear nerd extraordinaire, he enjoys tracking the equipment trends of various SOF forces worldwide and collecting a wholly unnecessary amount of Multicam Black kit. TNVC/NGI Giveaway: 15 winners with over $7000 worth of prizes!! This in effect makes the optic itself more compact. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Sub $100 is relatively cheap all things considered, and if you dont mind any of the weirdness I mentioned above, maybe youll be happier with this thing than i was, but all things considered. The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net to collect statistical data such as the number of visits, average time spent on site, and what pages have been loaded, for targeted advertising. What we did have an issue with, however, was the fact that the windage and elevation turrets are inexplicably reversed. . These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Since its inception a decade ago, Primary Arms has been a go-to source for reliable, cost-effective optics. I know the PA has the acss reticle and it's sweet, but, clear glass is important to me. Probably the OGs of bombproof prism scopes are Trijicon ACOGs. Or are you like us and prefer Low Power Variable Optics? Prism scopes are also equipped with a diopter, which is a small dial that allows a shooter to adjust the sharpness and clarity of the image to their own eyesight. This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management. This is an Alexa Analytics cookie that is used to track user behavior. We DO NOT sell parts, magazines, or firearms. Prisms are pretty clear anyhow. The only thing I don't like about my PA 1-6 ACSS reticle is the small 24mm objective lense, narrow FOV. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. DISCLAIMER: Our videos are strictly for documentary, educational, and entertainment purposes only. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Theres a reason that we now love it. Where the 5X suffers is the restrictive eye box and the large adjustments for a 5X optic. However, the dials are spaced out enough to avoid mistakes when sighting in on your target. I totally agree with your take on 1 power scopes and would include even 2 power, being a die hard Peep sight fan. Lets take a closer look. All this to say: youll want to do plenty of testing to determine which BDC marks to use depending on your ammunition. After watching this video, I tried to find the PA SLx 3 and it is sold out everywhere. This means you can use a prism scope without corrective lenses (glasses), which provides a more precise view of your target and improves your aim. I let it sit in there for about 20 mins and then took it out and left it to dry overnight. The SLx features the ACSS reticle thats standard on a lot of Primary Arms offerings, this time in a CQB configuration with an outer ring that surrounds the familiar horse shoe in thecenter. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. It's mid-2022 now, and I've been using my Spitfire Gen 2 5x for over a year now. LOLbe careful or you'll discover how nice premium optic can be compare to budget stuff and start buying Night Force and Razor Gen II.. It now lives on the .223 carbine I use for 3-Gun. So did they change up the retical from the time this was made, and if so can I just buy your Cause even then I can't seem to find anyone selling one now beside the 3x version. The Li-ION CR2032 battery is still powering the illuminated chevron at the medium setting. Love the channel but please get someone that knows what they are talking about to do these reviews. Thoughts and comments welcome below. Primary Arms 1x Cyclops Prism Scope FDE. It has a wider field of view also. The 2x provides the perfect amount of magnification out to 100 yards, but the eye relief is forgiving. This video also doesn't contain any discount codes, nor does this video promote the sale of firearms, bumpstocks, gatiling triggers, binary triggers, auto sears, magazines with a capacity greater than 30 rounds, or any other item on YouTube's list of prohibited items listed in their Community Guidelines. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. And stay in touch with newsletters of our best articles on techniques, guns, & gear. Kinda bummed I did now Im optic shopping yet again. I have a 2.5X prism on now and it is great since it works close up and those 300-400 yard shots are doable. If price was equal, I'd prefer Sig glass. . Prisms have very, very tight eye relief boxes. I found that by doing a box test. The combo was on sale for $300. Click the links below to check out each optic: Primary Arms SLx 5x36mm Gen III Prism Scope, Primary Arms SLx 3x32mm Gen III Prism Scope. Most zeroing indicators on knobs/turrets/screws generally reflect moving POI, not reticle images. Primary Arms 3x Magnifier with Vortex AMG UH-1 Magnifiers do help quite a bit for extended range shooting, but the simple red dot reticle is nowhere near as diverse as a proper optic reticle. I'd buy 3 of them today if they did. Even the 1.5x magnification ACOG is going to cost you over $1,000, while the Primary Arms 5x Prism Scope can be obtained for under $300. Is the glass clarity and quality the exact same in both of these? Then dive into some popular models we prefer here at PPT. Love these prism optics. And if you still havent checked out the video. That tells me these are something you need to try first to find out if they will work for you or not, and not just depend on someone elses recommendation. Some damn fine QC work there, gents. ACSS is one of our favorite reticlesand this iteration continues to deliver. . For me the eye relief was way to short. The ocular lens magnifies the light, bringing the image of the target into focus. The article is dated today. The eye relief is good, not as long as the 1.5x ACOG, but certainly not as short as the 4x ACOGS. Too bad the Sig optic looks ridiculous lol. One thing missed here is comparing a red dot mounted on top of a magnified prism sight VS. a LPVO. Cookie Notice For those of you who want a Trijicon ACOG but can't afford the $1200+ price tag the Primary Arms 5X Prism Scope is a fantastic substitute at only $280. LVPO? Prism? 1 MOA is a big jump for a five-power prism scope. Weight might be about the same, depending on the exact setup and a fair number of people run a RDS on their LPVO anyway, so they don't have to switch from higher magnification on the LPVO to 1x A red dot would be worthless under either condition. As they say: Nobody proofreads anymore. Additionally, the mount includes a removable spacer to ensure youve got a comfortable cheek weld on both AR-15 and AK type platforms. Based in Houston, TX, Primary Arms makes some of the finest weapon sights for the money, on the market today. AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own. We were lukewarm with the first generation of Cyclops, with only ok illumination and decent eyebox. All work on firearms should be carried out by a licensed individual and all state and federal rules apply to such. So yeah your right those without astigmatism have no real way to review a prism scope for those that do. The adjustments for windage and elevation are not adjustable by hand but they have positive clicks that are surprisingly tactile. And youre still getting a tough optic. The new scope I received came with a nice engineering test sheet as well as some notes to explain how the scope was tested before it was shipped out to me. Screw primary arms! We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. Primary Arms can keep their elitist mindset, and their arrogance againstRead more . Thanks again for the work put in. While most folks are probably familiar with red dots, holographic sights, and your standard rifle scope - prism optics are a generally less talked about type. RDS on top of the PA SLx 5x or Bravo 5 vs. a 1-4, 5, or 6x LPVO. Remember, hire the handicappedwe're fun to watch . Primary Arms SLx 3x Micro Prism Sight Illuminated Green ACSS Raptor 5.56 . Personalize your experience. The overall build quality is what youd expect from Vortex, ie, its pretty damn solid, and you can rest assured that the optic is backed up by Vortexs famous lifetime warranty. This means if you have astigmatism or other eyesight deficits, you can dial in a prism scope to meet your personal eyesight needs. I have the Vortex Spitfire 1x because like you said, prisms work great for people with astigmatisms which I have. This helps us cover the cost of beer, ammo, and video production so that we can keep bringing you the Pew Pew content you love. Up next, weve got a 2x illuminated prism from Monstrum. This makes rapid acquisition and engagement of moving targets much easier. And while offerings from Trijicon is very nice, theyre often outside the financial means of many shooters. Of the very few Amazon reviews for the Sig, several are reporting the reticle being crooked. Primary Arms, The Li-ION CR2032 battery is still powering the illuminated chevron at the medium setting. In our opinion, this makes prisms ideal as a battlesight for carbines, as their flexibility means that they can generally be used at both close, mid, and occasionally longer ranges quite comfortably. For instance, the illuminated horseshoe at the top functions as a two-eye red dot crosshair for rapid, close-quarters shooting while simultaneously providing quick, useful holdovers. ACOG has 37ft FOV vs the 5x's 19.5ft or the 3x's 32ft. SCSA Competitor Their SLx line features prism optics in 3x and 5x varieties that come with all the necessary features for making hits in hunting and self-defense applications. Gunloading.com is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This means I moved the turrets 10 clicks right, down, left, again left, up 10 clicks, and finally right ten clicks in order to see if the scope will track and remain accurate throughout adjustment. I can't believe this is my first time coming across your channel. The Bravo 5 features 5x magnification and an absurdly large fov due to some dark arts that Sig has taken to calling MegaView which by the way is trademarked. The one other thing that should be emphasized is eye relief. sight is WAAAAY to far forward. Sigs illumination blows the ACOGs out of the water on the highest setting, and Id hazard to say that the field of view on the Bravo 5 is a bit larger as well if not just about even. At first glance, it seems like your basic BDC crosshair with subtensions marking the proper holdovers out to 800 meters but its much more than that. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. While 3,000-hour battery life isnt mind-blowing, at least Primary Arms is holding up to its claims thus far. Imitation or the use of any acts depicted in these videos is solely AT YOUR OWN RISK. For a $100, Monstrum prism optic, Amazon, you too could have something optical that attaches to your rifle is in fact made a real materials. No magnifying like red dot or holo sight won't do that So Yeah. Let me expand on your "grain of salt" I am 70+ and have astigmatism. Ive interacted with Primary Arms as a customer rather than a gun writer, and every interaction has been stellar. The SLx provides the same medium-range, both-eyes-open functionality as the ACOG for a fraction of the cost and youre still getting a well-built optic with an awesome lifetime warranty. Even with an astigmatism I can shoot red dots just fine. Another reason the military uses ACOGs is their durability. What does the internals look like? Find me a red dot I can use ill buy it. Ive seen multiple people review the Monstrum and say its reversed but when they explain there zeroing methods it sounds a bit off. It's too much for indoors and not enough at distance. But this article needs an update for 2021: The Vortex Spitfire 2 5x is a game changer in the prism scope world, about half the size and weight of some of the beasts on this list. I'm curious if anyone has any insight into the glass clarity of the various prism sights on the market compared to an ACOG? Were also not quite sure where to mention this, but ever prism weve touched on so far includes these really terrible flip up covers that you can safely just toss in the trash bin. You also have your prisms mounted in a weird spot because you are keeping BUIS mounted. Comes very timely for me because Im just taking a really hard look at prism scopes for my 10 inch AR This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Thats why I was stoked to get my hands on their new prism optics. The clarity and eye relief on these to me is a lot better than LPVOs that Ive used, and the reticle clarity is much better for me than a red dot. I chose to mount it on a basic AR-15 with a flat top receiver. and knows a little more than zero about prism and how they work! Oh, there's also . We had the opportunity to take some of the most popular models of prism optics from a ton of different price brackets and square them up with each other, and boyyyyyyyy do we have some thoughts. this sucks! The differences in performance are probably not worth the additional money for the average hunter, especially when the prism scope can be adjusted for . These videos are free to watch and if anyone attempts to charge for this video notify us immediately. Again, you can make the argument that this is a $80 budget optic and maybe you should expect some wonkiness, but I guess my main issue with it is that the scope is mainly geared towards beginners who might not realize right away whats going on, and that just seems sort of shitty. I got an LPVO for this reason. Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. The Primary Arms 5x Prism Scope w/ Patented .223/5.56, 5.45x39, .308 ACSS Reticle has an etched reticle with red and green illumination and 5x magnification for quick target acquisition and ranging in a compact sighting system. Does anyone know the eye relief of the Sig Bravo5? This cookie can only be read from the domain they are set on and will not track any data while browsing through other sites. The 2x is ideal for close-quarters work, and its currently mounted on my BRN-180. how does the vortex compare to the PA? Can you please review the Burris AR-536 Prism Sight 3x and 5x? A good example of the MPVO is the Primary Arms GLx 2.5-10x 44mm rifle scope. Dont hesitate to "shoot" any of these prisms my way to help with a handicap viewpoint. My 2.5X ACSS feel way better for HD on my 14.5. My .02. Battery life is reasonable, clocking in at about 250 hours on the highest power and 3k on the lowest setting but like I said, the illumination isnt really a selling point for me here in sun land. What are the best prism optics out there, and what model should live on your gun? Giving shooters a perfectly adequate Soviet-style ranch rifle. Send him an email at jordan@gunsamerica.com. 600 Rounds Winchester 5.56 55Grain XM193 FMJ Stripper Clips & Tool $240.00 FREE S&H REBATE, AR-15 Barrel Length Does It Even Matter? You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers. PA prism isn't some 100 dollar Airsoft scope, it's tough and it's clear enough. One optics maker that made a name for itself debunking this myth, is Primary Arms. While most folks are probably familiar with red dots, holographic sights, and your standard rifle scope - prism optics are a generally less talked about type of scope technology that combines illumination and low-power magnification into a compact package! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ballisticaviation/, Illuminated: Yes, 5 Brightness Levels In Red And Green, Total Windage and Elevation Adjustment: 35 MOA, Fully Nitrogen Purged, IP67 Waterproof and Dust Proof. I have the 2.5X and 1-6. Yikes! I have looked through the vortex and Primary Arms and my eyes like the Burris noticeably better. They are designed for combat, so you know that they arent fragile. I'm amazed their isn't a prism 1 power that is any good, just cause I don't know many people who struggle with red dot optics. A lot stigmatism are from reading a lot. We DO NOT sell parts, magazines, or firearms. From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm. Prisms don't work that way. The SLx even has the ACOG beat in one area: the field of view at 100 yards for the Primary Arms 3x model is 31.50 ft while Trijicons is 19.3 feet for the 3x30mm and 28.9 feet for the 3.5x35mm. Just my 2 cents. I asked Primary Arms what kind of shock testing they perform, and they said that most of their optics (including their prism scopes) can withstand the recoil from the SCAR 17S chambered in .308 Win. I cannot use holographic sights though the blur is really bad and my glasses don't help. One of the most significant advantages of the Primary Arms 5x Prism Scope is that it is not as expensive as other options, but offers many features of higher-priced prism scopes. Long story shortthey are fixed magnification optics that use a prism (whoa) instead of the two objective and ocular lenses of a traditional scope. Red dot for up close when accuracy isnt as important, then roll the gun back up and use the 5x for longer range stuff. and our The reticle itself should be accurate for the vast majority of 5.56 cartridges on the market, and can also be used for .308 and 5.4539 as well, though we havent had the opportunity to test that. Brought to you by AROutfitting.Com, COPYRIGHT 2023 ARO NEWS - AROUTFITTING.COM. I'm trying to decide the same thing with my AUG. How big of a target are you going to be aiming at at 4-500, and what sort of precision do you expect on it? Additionally, this model tends to fog up when the weather turns cold, which can be a problem for late fall and winter hunts. , Pew Pew Tactical swag? What do you think about the crimson trace cts 1100 vs the bravo 5. The optic came out of the box ready to mount to a rifle and thats exactly what I did. Hey PPT, really appreciate your reviews. Alexa analytics service - keep track on user informations. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Savage Arms Debuts Proprietary Camo Pattern on Multiple Big, Bond Arms Innovative New Lever Action AR-15 -- NRA 2023, Zastava Arms' Arctic Camo AK with Underfolder Kit -- NRA, Holosun's Collaboration with Agency Arms -- NRA 2023. A prismatic optic is a scope, typically with an edged reticle/dot/chevron that is illuminated. I want to be clear: the Primary Arms SLx aint no ACOG. We had our editor, who has a fair amount of astigmatism, try the optic, and it still appeared crisp. While 3,000-hour battery life isn't mind-blowing, at least Primary . Seems like it would not be a good option for anything tactical. Its not as expensive as other options, which does affect the manufacturing process. We (including YouTube) will not be held liable for any injury to yourself or damage to your firearms resulting from attempting anything shown in any our videos. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Granted, we were no longer in the scorching California desertbut it was great. Its also worth noting that we ordered the 3x from Amazon and were sent the 2x instead, which we were able to verify because the two have completely different reticles. Glad you like. purchase helps support my work in bringing you more awesome gun and gear articles. Must be pretty good. Throughout all this, the scope kept its zero and didnt show any drastic marring of the anodizing. Certified Pilot My lovely bride is delighted to take over my Lucid 1-6 LPVO because her eyes see only a single reticle through its refractive lenses. Our Videos Dont include any instructions on manufacturing firearms, assembling parts, or installing prohibited accessories like bumpstocks, gatling triggers, auto sears or any accessory that allows a firearms to simulate full auto fire. We already have an account registered for email address As one does, we followed the indicated arrows and began turning the windage turret, such as to bring our reticle over to the right and get our point of aim to match up with our point of impact. Furthermore, this also means any special adaptors like those for the AK, also function with the optic. Could be a good article! Tested ACOG Models. The bottom line is that, depending on your individual needs and ability to spend cash on gun glass, were positive youll find something in here that works for you even if I think the idea of a 1x sight that isnt a red dot is fundamentally stupid. TFB REVIEW: Primary Arms SLx Gen III 5X Prism Scope. For that price, you could purchase four PA SLxs for the price of one ACOG. Thoughts? For short and medium-range work, Primary Arms new Gen III SLx scopes and GLx 2x are fantastic options. That 1x P.A. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I guess they get some advertising money. I tested the tracking of the scope even though this had already been done according to the inspection form that came with the scope. The red of the reticle contrasted nicely with the green of my flashlight, and I scored a clean kill for some great pork. I thought this was a nice feature and I wonder if anyone else has received something like this.