3x magnifiers

[DeaconBlue]

After using my 11.5 for 5 years now with just a T2, I’m looking to add some quality of life at the range and add a 3x magnifier on a QD mount. What’s the consensus on the best 3x magnifier under $400-500? I’m probably ok with spending 3X-C or maybe 3X-P money, but hard for me to justify beyond that unless it’s mind blowing somehow.

I was kinda set on the 3X-C, but just saw the C_DOES review showing the relatively small FOV compared to a Primary Arms so it’s got me rethinking. The Vortex Micro caught my eye at one point because I don’t mind Vortex stuff and it comes with a mount and have seen it all in for $200, but I don’t mind spending more for quality. I run my stocks all the way out and understand these will have poor eye relief so good eye relief would be a bonus.

I’d floated getting a $calarworks to mount the Aimpoint so if there’s a $500-ish package with a mount that makes more sense, let me know.

 

[DeaconBlue]

Any takers? Think this had a delay in posting due to mod approval.

 

[Ronin22]

Holosun is surprisingly impressive. Saw reviews of it ranking towards the top. I have a one and have had a few. Always been great.

 

[padom]

I have numerous rifles with red dots.. MRO's, T1 and T2's and Romeo4T Pro's. I stayed away from the whole magnifier thing for many many years and relegated my SBR's and red dot rifles for close in shooting and anything I wanted more mag like a 16" Recce, 18" SPR or 20" DMR I have 1-6, 1-8, 1-10 optics on...

I just put a Trijicon 3x magnifier on my 12.5" Geissele in a Unity FAST FTX Omni mount behind a T2 in a Unity FAST mount and its really nice.. My son and I put 500rd through the setup yesterday shooting from 7yd to 400yd. Boring consistenly accurate hits from the setup at 100, 200, and 300yd with my M855 clone load. Im digging the 3x magnifier and I cant recommend the Unity mount enough! It drops the magnifier straight down on top of the rail below the T2 line of site... instead of flipping it left or right leaving it hanging off the side of your rifle

Very happy with the setup.

 

[Redlion]

If you are willing to spend $500, then you are close to being able to buy a blem or showroom Eotech 5x magnifier/mount at EuroOptic. I have a 3x vortex that I use occasionally, but it is nothing special.

 

[DeaconBlue]

I have numerous rifles with red dots.. MRO's, T1 and T2's and Romeo4T Pro's. I stayed away from the whole magnifier thing for many many years and relegated my SBR's and red dot rifles for close in shooting and anything I wanted more mag like a 16" Recce, 18" SPR or 20" DMR I have 1-6, 1-8, 1-10 optics on...

I just put a Trijicon 3x magnifier on my 12.5" Geissele in a Unity FAST FTX Omni mount behind a T2 in a Unity FAST mount and its really nice.. My son and I put 500rd through the setup yesterday shooting from 7yd to 400yd. Boring consistenly accurate hits from the setup at 100, 200, and 300yd with my M855 clone load. Im digging the 3x magnifier and I cant recommend the Unity mount enough! It drops the magnifier straight down on top of the rail below the T2 line of site... instead of flipping it left or right leaving it hanging off the side of your rifle

Very happy with the setup.

Is the Unity magnifier mount capable of 1.57” height or is it only a tall mount?

 

[padom]

Is the Unity magnifier mount capable of 1.57” height or is it only a tall mount?

I dont believe so but not sure. It aligns perfectly with my Unity Fast T2 mount that is 2.23"

 

[DeaconBlue]

If you are willing to spend $500, then you are close to being able to buy a blem or showroom Eotech 5x magnifier/mount at EuroOptic. I have a 3x vortex that I use occasionally, but it is nothing special.

Afraid that 5-6x magnifiers will have an even worse eyebox on what’s already a sort of compromised setup. From what I’ve seen I like the FOV of 3x.

 

[sloporsche]

I recently put a primary arms 3x on my zap ak 47 .......cool beans

 

[DeaconBlue]

I dont believe so but not sure. It aligns perfectly with my Unity Fast T2 mount that is 2.23"

Yeah quick search shows it’s only a 2.26 height so it won’t work for me. BUT the Trijicon might be a contender since it comes with a mount and already see it for less than 400. The only Trijicon product I ever had and hated was the MRO, but surely the magnifier is good.

 

[padom]

Yeah quick search shows it’s only a 2.26 height so it won’t work for me. BUT the Trijicon might be a contender since it comes with a mount and already see it for less than 400. The only Trijicon product I ever had and hated was the MRO, but surely the magnifier is good.

I have zero issues with my 3x MRO. Run great for me. The tint blue hue complaint doesnt hurt me in any way.

 

[DeaconBlue]

It wasn’t the tint, but the fisheye and parallax killed it for me. Was probably a 2019 model. However the Trijicon magnifier has moved its way at or near the top right now. Like what I see so far.

 

[Lthrt]

I have a primary arms 3x. Image sucks. No longer use, like my 15 holster collection in the closet

 

[pangris]

The EO Tech 3X is good, the Vortex Micro is pretty good

 

[VargmatII]

When I first tried a magnifier I was suprised about how much they suck.
I imagined that it would be an easy task to magnify the red dot a little bit and get a good view, but maybe it is not, or maybe its not possible for a resonable amount of money, because it turns out they pretty much all suck. A cheap Vortex seems to be just as good or better than an Aimpoint. The only good thing is that if you have astigmatism and cant get a good round dot in your main optic, the diopter adjustment on the magnifier can sort that out. Other than that, they are just dumb.

If you choose and pay for your own equipment, a magnifier is just not the way to go.
If you get issued equipment and need something extra other than just the red dot, the magnifier is a viable option.

YMMV

 

[DeaconBlue]

When I first tried a magnifier I was suprised about how much they suck.
I imagined that it would be an easy task to magnify the red dot a little bit and get a good view, but maybe it is not, or maybe its not possible for a resonable amount of money, because it turns out they pretty much all suck. A cheap Vortex seems to be just as good or better than an Aimpoint. The only good thing is that if you have astigmatism and cant get a good round dot in your main optic, the diopter adjustment on the magnifier can sort that out. Other than that, they are just dumb.

If you choose and pay for your own equipment, a magnifier is just not the way to go.
If you get issued equipment and need something extra other than just the red dot, the magnifier is a viable option.

YMMV

Yeah there is a part of me that’s hesitant to drop 350+ or so on a brand new setup only to hate it then immediately lose a third selling it. Also don’t want to buy cheap junk either then want to upgrade so I feel there’s a decent middle ground in there to hit my criteria.

If it was something I was actually going to be “kinetic” with and taking dynamic shots at range everyday then I’d probably just throw a 1-6 Razor on and call it a day. But this is really more of something setup for HD to make it a little easier, enjoyable to shoot at distance at the range, that’s still quality, and likely take off when I get home.

 

[Vivacious Stallion]

I like the aimpoint 3xc pretty well for what it is, but I mostly ran that setup at night hunting hogs and the magnifier was more for daytime shots if I saw one. I'd then take it off at night to drop some weight. Its a pretty good combo for 0-300y.

If you're expecting good lpvo level performance, you're not going to be pleased.

 

[farwest]

The 2025 Trijicon MRO® HD Patrol 1x25 Red Dot Sight w/ 3x Magnifier,
MRO-C-2200111 Looks like a fantastic product. Have any of you found a review of this 2025 product? How would it compare to an Aimpoint or EOTech product? Thank you.

 

[loveha]

I would look for a used G33. At least then if you don't like it, you can get most of not all your money back.

 

[padom]

When I first tried a magnifier I was suprised about how much they suck.
I imagined that it would be an easy task to magnify the red dot a little bit and get a good view, but maybe it is not, or maybe its not possible for a resonable amount of money, because it turns out they pretty much all suck. A cheap Vortex seems to be just as good or better than an Aimpoint. The only good thing is that if you have astigmatism and cant get a good round dot in your main optic, the diopter adjustment on the magnifier can sort that out. Other than that, they are just dumb.

If you choose and pay for your own equipment, a magnifier is just not the way to go.
If you get issued equipment and need something extra other than just the red dot, the magnifier is a viable option.

YMMV

My findings are the complete opposite. I resisted magnifiers for 20yr. I have shot nothing but LPVO and red dots and relegated them to specific roles/rifles..

I recently decided to grab a 3x magnifier to throw behind my T2/Unity Fast and I couldnt be happier. I never liked the idea of a magnifier hanging off the side of my rifle and just thought they got in the way. I recently picked up a Trijicon 3x magnifier and threw it in a Unity FAST FTX Omni mount to go behind my T2. I love it. Unity's mount fixes my biggest concern of having the magnifier hanging off one side of the gun. It drops it straight down on top of the receiver out of the line of site and doesnt hang off the side.

You do have to play with where you mount the magnifier on the upper receiver in relation to your red dot. Admittedly, I put mine right behind my T2 and went to run it and was not happy with the shitty image fisheye effect. But, once I moved the mount back to where when I raise the gun and hit my touch point I have an instant, crisp image. Zero issues or complaints after that adjustment.

I then ran 500rd through the setup at every distance from 7yd - 400yd (its on my 12.5" Geissele 5.56 AR). Stupid fast and consistent hits out to 300yd. Hit percentages went way down beyond 300yd with my M855 clone load.

i just ran off 1000rd of 77smk ammo on my automated 1050 today to see if hit percentages go back up at 400 with better ammo but all in all Im very happy with my first 3x magnifier. So much so, Im buying another one and another Unity mount..

 

[TonyAngel]

There isn't a whole lot of difference among magnifiers, in terms of optical performance. No one is head and shoulders above the rest. The real difference I've seen is in the mounts, mount compatibility and accommodating eye relief.

I'd stick with a full size model rather than a compact. The compacts can be a PITA getting them setup with a comfortable eye relief.

The full size Juliets come with a decent mount and have good optical performance.

 

[DeaconBlue]

My findings are the complete opposite. I resisted magnifiers for 20yr. I have shot nothing but LPVO and red dots and relegated them to specific roles/rifles..

I recently decided to grab a 3x magnifier to throw behind my T2/Unity Fast and I couldnt be happier. I never liked the idea of a magnifier hanging off the side of my rifle and just thought they got in the way. I recently picked up a Trijicon 3x magnifier and threw it in a Unity FAST FTX Omni mount to go behind my T2. I love it. Unity's mount fixes my biggest concern of having the magnifier hanging off one side of the gun. It drops it straight down on top of the receiver out of the line of site and doesnt hang off the side.

You do have to play with where you mount the magnifier on the upper receiver in relation to your red dot. Admittedly, I put mine right behind my T2 and went to run it and was not happy with the shitty image fisheye effect. But, once I moved the mount back to where when I raise the gun and hit my touch point I have an instant, crisp image. Zero issues or complaints after that adjustment.

I then ran 500rd through the setup at every distance from 7yd - 400yd (its on my 12.5" Geissele 5.56 AR). Stupid fast and consistent hits out to 300yd. Hit percentages went way down beyond 300yd with my M855 clone load.

i just ran off 1000rd of 77smk ammo on my automated 1050 today to see if hit percentages go back up at 400 with better ammo but all in all Im very happy with my first 3x magnifier. So much so, Im buying another one and another Unity mount..

What’s the limit you can go mounting the magnifier behind the optic? I keep my dots as far forward as you can go on the receiver without bridging. I do have MBUS Pros on this rifle in the first slot. I’ve seen with the Trijicon you can change the mount to get it a little more cantilevered toward the rear which I’d want it back as far as I can get it for eye relief purposes.

But I need this to flip to the left and one review I’ve seen states that when you flip the mount around, the cantilever portion is biased forward and looking at more pics of the mount, this looks to be true since the mount isn’t symmetrical. This might disqualify it because then I’d have to go buy a Scalarworks mount and am trying to avoid that unless I go Aimpoint.

 

[DeaconBlue]

I like the aimpoint 3xc pretty well for what it is, but I mostly ran that setup at night hunting hogs and the magnifier was more for daytime shots if I saw one. I'd then take it off at night to drop some weight. Its a pretty good combo for 0-300y.

If you're expecting good lpvo level performance, you're not going to be pleased.

View attachment 8742944

Great looking setup

 

[DeaconBlue]

There isn't a whole lot of difference among magnifiers, in terms of optical performance. No one is head and shoulders above the rest. The real difference I've seen is in the mounts, mount compatibility and accommodating eye relief.

I'd stick with a full size model rather than a compact. The compacts can be a PITA getting them setup with a comfortable eye relief.

The full size Juliets come with a decent mount and have good optical performance.

Yeah that’s what I’m finding out in the magnifier world. I might change my mind but sort of what’s drawing me to the Trijicon is it seems to check most all the boxes:
Acceptable glass
Good name, good warranty, should be robust enough
Basically copy of Eotech mount which I like
Seems to get positive checks for eye relief
Decently priced coming with the mount
Not priced so high I’ll hate myself if it’s just meh

But after realizing the Trijicon mount probably isn’t gonna work well for flipping to the left, I looked up the full size Juliet3 and although it’s like twice the weight of the Trijicon it looks promising and I’m going to research it more. I’ve been fairly pleased with the Sig optics I have. With it being like 1.25” longer, it’ll likely set back far enough to get decent eye relief. One thing I can’t stand about Sig optics is they refuse to list all the damn specs. Some scopes they won’t list length and magnifiers don’t list eye relief spec although I’ve seen it claimed elsewhere it’s 2.5”.

 

[SalomonQST99]

I have a Holosun 510C with a 3x magnifier for a PCC. Works great.

 

[TonyAngel]

Yeah that’s what I’m finding out in the magnifier world. I might change my mind but sort of what’s drawing me to the Trijicon is it seems to check most all the boxes:
Acceptable glass
Good name, good warranty, should be robust enough
Basically copy of Eotech mount which I like
Seems to get positive checks for eye relief
Decently priced coming with the mount
Not priced so high I’ll hate myself if it’s just meh

But after realizing the Trijicon mount probably isn’t gonna work well for flipping to the left, I looked up the full size Juliet3 and although it’s like twice the weight of the Trijicon it looks promising and I’m going to research it more. I’ve been fairly pleased with the Sig optics I have. With it being like 1.25” longer, it’ll likely set back far enough to get decent eye relief. One thing I can’t stand about Sig optics is they refuse to list all the damn specs. Some scopes they won’t list length and magnifiers don’t list eye relief spec although I’ve seen it claimed elsewhere it’s 2.5”.

Yep, with the Trijicon, its gonna be like any other compact magnifier. I'm a small guy band for me, putting the ocular about even with the castle nut works well. I can use the magnifier without having to actually make love to my rifle.

I dont worry too much about weight. I run mine on a qd mount and it only goes on when I need it. If the sig doesn't float your boat, check out the G33. Lots of mounting options there.

 

[DeaconBlue]

Yep, with the Trijicon, its gonna be like any other compact magnifier. I'm a small guy band for me, putting the ocular about even with the castle nut works well. I can use the magnifier without having to actually make love to my rifle.

I dont worry too much about weight. I run mine on a qd mount and it only goes on when I need it. If the sig doesn't float your boat, check out the G33. Lots of mounting options there.

Big thing I hear about the G33 is the easy to turn turrets and you have to buy the aftermarket cover out of the gate.

Regarding the Trijicon and needing a left flip, I don’t think it’ll work for me, and the only thing I’d float buying a separate mount for atm is an Aimpoint (why can’t they include a basic QD mount) or G33.

I’m interested to hear your experience with the Juliet3 or 4. No interest in the 6. All the reviews nowadays is for the Micro which I don’t want but what I can find on the big Juliet claims good glass and robust mount?

 

[padom]

....putting the ocular about even with the castle nut works well. I can use the magnifier without having to actually make love to my rifle.

This is about the same place I found optimal for my T2/Trijicon 3x setup. Bring the rifle up and site picture appears and pull trigger. No moving my head around or getting down on top the rifle or moving my head at all which is just the way I like it. Bring the gun up until site picture appears and squeeze, instead of moving your head to get down behind the gun to make a sight picture....

 

[DeaconBlue]

I was able to find a nice deal on a used full size Juliet3 so I don’t think I’ll lose much if I hate it. Reviews now are harder to find than the micro, but I haven’t found much bad other than its heavy. Should have it to test out next weekend. If I can’t get acceptable eye relief with this one then it’s likely magnifiers aren’t for me.

 

[Conqueror]

I’ve tried like six different magnifiers, the Trijicon 3x mini is the best IMO. The glass is fairly good and it has by far the best eyebox and smallest “bezel” effect I’ve seen including the pricy Aimpoint and Eotech magnifiers.

I still hated every magnifier I tried until I got the Unity FAST Omni FTC mount. Having something that big hanging off the side of the upper is obnoxious, with the Unity mounts it just tucks down nicely. Of course this only works if the 2.26” height is OK for you. I shoot with NV so for me the height is advantageous.

 

[Maurygold]

The unity system is awesome. And makes the red dot a serious choice to compete with lpvo