Red Dot or LPVO

[dml822]

Hey gang,
I have a PC9 Carbine. It's currently set up with a red dot and a 3x flip-up magnifier.
I just bought a Ruger American and set it up with a 1-6x24 LPVO.
I like the LPVO set up a lot.
How is your carbine set up? Looking for input as this is still fairly new to me.
TIA.
David

 

[Mobuck]

I'll admit I have ZERO experience with dot and flip over magnifier but see no real purpose for this set up. especially on a PCC. A plain old dot optic is good enough for the ranges at which a PCC is applicable.
My UTV borne AR .223 has a 1-6x24 'LVPO' which is adequate for any use I might find a .223 suitable. Such optics are suitable for general use although some come up short on low light performance.

 

[M118LR]

Just wondering what distance you have determined that a 9 mm is efficient and effective at? I don't know of anyone shooting Hunters Pistol with a 9 mm. Don't think I need a 3x mag to shoot at 50 meters? Please expound. Awaiting your response.

 

[badguybuster]

For a pcc a simple red dot is sufficient. An lvpo is fine for rifle caliber weapons but make no sense on a 9mm carbine....or any pistol caliber. Its just extra weight

 

[blume357]

Y'all know some of us are kind of dense.... what does LPVO mean?

Edit: Okay, I looked it up... Low Power Variable Optic.... you know it would be easer just to say "1-4x scope"....
Reminds me of a webinar I watched on using drones to inspect cell towers.... the folks doing the seminar had terms like these:

Digital Twins... means a copy of the picture you took with the drone

vertical assets.... towers

and the best one of all:

Intelligent Replicas of Reality... drawing of what ever you looked at

 

[Mobuck]

I've never used one of the 'flip over' magnifiers but as I understand it, both target and aiming dot are magnified giving up a considerable amount of precision. Maybe this is OK for the 'shooting games' but seems questionable for other uses???
A 9mm PCC is or can be adequate for repelling boarders @ 100 yards especially when using 147 grain ammo. Although it starts out slower, the 147 retains velocity better at longer range but many of the PCC's aren't precise enough to achieve consistent hits at/beyond the 100 yard mark. Their biggest advantages are ammo/mag sharing with handguns and/or suitability of use by recoil sensitive and/or inexperienced shooters in a SHTF scenario.

 

[Decibles2]

On a PCC like the PC9, I prefer the red dot + magnifier over an LPVO. But it depends entirely on what you're doing with the gun. If it's a range toy, defensive gun, or general-purpose carbine, the red dot setup is faster and more forgiving. If it's a dedicated precision gun for shooting groups or varmints, the LPVO makes sense.

 

[jav]

I got a cheap red dot on mine works great

 

[dml822]

Just wondering what distance you have determined that a 9 mm is efficient and effective at? I don't know of anyone shooting Hunters Pistol with a 9 mm. Don't think I need a 3x mag to shoot at 50 meters? Please expound. Awaiting your response.

Old eyes.

 

[dml822]

For a pcc a simple red dot is sufficient. An lvpo is fine for rifle caliber weapons but make no sense on a 9mm carbine....or any pistol caliber. Its just extra weight

Weight and length of the red dot/magnifier combo are no different than an LPVO.

 

[M118LR]

Old eyes.

Any type of glass is easier to use than irons with Old Eyes. That I comprehend.

 

[krw]

I have had Acogs, have Eotech's, and hav 3 Holosun 510c's. For price point and quality the 510c is hard to beat and prefer it over the others mentioned. Can use a magnifier with it also. I am looking at Thermal to go with one

 

[Mobuck]

"Weight and length of the red dot/magnifier combo are no different than an LPVO."
Which is why a dot + magnifier on a PCC isn't worth the extra.

 

[blume357]

I was sorely tempted to get one of the newer Ruger PCs, I actually have three of the original Police Carbines... (Really need to let them go along with a P95).... but I got bogged down in my latest caliber the supped up 9mm .... 357 Sig and so I now have two pistol caliber carbines in that caliber that can be converted with a barrel and magazine swap to 9mm.... actually one of the 'carbines' is technically a pistol... but we know how that gos. I do have red dots on mine and have found over the years a lot of the accuracy depends on how bight you have the dot... lesser is better.

 

[s4s4u]

Not a fan of magnifiers, nor LPVO's. Unless a gun is tagged for CQB, I see no sense in 1x in a scope. LPVO's are a compromise and generally suck in low light. The eyebox gets small at upper magnifications as well.

I can pick up a target just as quickly on 2x, and appreciate the larger objective of an MPVO.

I have prism scopes on a few rifles, and they are generally a vast improvement over any LPVO. Only problem is the fixed magnification.

I solve that issue with piggyback mrds:

5x on the bottom, 1x on top

 

[thinckley]

My AR-9 and 45LC wear Vortex Red Dots (no magnification)
Vortex Strikefire II Red Dot Sight

Vortex Sparc II Red Dot Sight

Both designed for defense. Large target, small distances.

Anything past 25 yards is set up with LVPO.
Hawke Vantage IR 1-4x20 on my .450 Bushmaster

Leupold VX II 1-4x20 on my .357 Marlin

Match optics to intended use.