Best 1x Prism for PCC..?

[ck1]

Due to astigmatism, I’m pretty much stuck with using a 1x prism instead of a dot (whether holographic or projected)... 

The best I’ve tried and now use (of the few that are available on the market) has been the Vortex Spitfire AR. It’s etched so it’s crisp to my eyes and the green setting is nice and actually pretty bright while having good glass; though, it’s reticle is a little wonky in that it’s cool in that it has the “big circle around a little dot idea” ala-EOTech, but for some unknown reason they chose to use 2 circles which I don’t really get (I wish they’d update the design to 1 circle 1 dot). And, it can kind of be a PIA to get a true 1x from: I’ve found I had to play with moving it around a few picatinny notches fore and aft with my cheek-weld and eye relief to get it to where it’s closest to 1x.

 

So question is: anyone know of any 1x prism that might be better that I might have missed*?

*I’ve played with a Primary Arms Cyclops (don’t love the reticle, no green) and Bushnell Lil’ P (small FOV, no green), others?

 

I know I could get LASIK and enjoy all the usual cool pieces most guys are using, but my Rx isn’t really that bad, and the surgical technology keeps getting better so I’ve been advised to hold off for a few more years... Astigmatism-correction contacts are a nightmare too from what I understand, and I can leave my current soft contacts in for weeks without issues so I’m not going there...

 

Thanks.

[Wvaughn7]

I am also using the Vortex Spitfire AR and love it other than the weird not truly 1X you mentioned. I have learned to shoot it with one eye closed and like it much better that way. We’re you able to get the optic to work shooting both eyes open? 

[ck1]

7 minutes ago, Wvaughn7 said:

We’re you able to get the optic to work shooting both eyes open? 

 

Yeah, but I had to experiment more than a few times exactly where as far as eye relief I put it on the rail... seems like to me if you place it too close it magnifies a little bit, and then if you place it too far it kinda “shrinks” the image, I just kept playing around until I found a spot that bothered me the least and now both eyes open seems ok (but it’s not perfect/ideal). I ended up closer to the charging handle than most people might put a regular red dot, but it’s to not right on the end either like an ACOG or something with short eye relief would end up.

Honestly, I’ve experienced kinda the same thing with 1-4’s and 1-6’s on my AR trying to get a true 1x at 1x, so don’t think it’s a unique issue to the the Spitfire, YMMV.

 

That said, if there does happen to be a better prism out there with a more true 1x I’d wanna check it out... FWIW, IIRC the PA Cyclops felt more like a true 1x or at least seemed so, might be worth checking out? If they made one with a simpler reticle, and even better in green, I’d definitely try that, I just found the horseshoe/chevron smaller than I’d hoped...

[waktasz]

Astigmatism correction contacts aren't really any different from regular contacts. I'm sure you could get a free pair from your doc to try out. 

[ck1]

9 minutes ago, waktasz said:

Astigmatism correction contacts aren't really any different from regular contacts. I'm sure you could get a free pair from your doc to try out. 

 

I’ve looked into it, and it can be a long ride to find the particular type/brand that’ll work without being a huge PIA, especially being used to soft ones I can wear overnight for 30 days... Plus, from what my doctor has said, with my fairly mild Rx and being able to wear the same contacts in both left and right eyes and being spoiled, I’d have to more than likely go the custom route to be happy for very little upside vision-wise. My eyes aren’t too bad vision-wise, just enough astigmatism to make red dots messy, otherwise the astigmatism doesn’t really affect me.

[waktasz]

I don't know why that would be, unless you have some freak weird eyeball shape. I've been wearing them for 21 years, until  I got LASIK this year. 

[ck1]

On 8/13/2019 at 3:56 PM, waktasz said:

I don't know why that would be, unless you have some freak weird eyeball shape. I've been wearing them for 21 years, until  I got LASIK this year. 

 

Maybe my eyes are shaped weird lol! Anyways, my Doc said in my case the contacts would have to sit correctly vertically and horizontally to correct the astigmatism or else they would drive me nuts, so for now I’ll just stick with prism/etched scopes until I finally go LASIK...

[RandyBaker]

I have an astigmatism and in the past sold my aimpoint because of it. Then bout a sig RX with Romeo red dot and sold it because of the star burst. Then I looked around for an eye doctor to see if I could get a different prescription to help. That helped but then I saw one of the Holosun 510c at a store and looked through it while the dot isn’t perfect it’s pretty close. So I guess the way it projects is a little different but worked for me.

[LowSpeedHighDrag]

13 minutes ago, RandyBaker said:

I have an astigmatism and in the past sold my aimpoint because of it. Then bout a sig RX with Romeo red dot and sold it because of the star burst. Then I looked around for an eye doctor to see if I could get a different prescription to help. That helped but then I saw one of the Holosun 510c at a store and looked through it while the dot isn’t perfect it’s pretty close. So I guess the way it projects is a little different but worked for me.

 

I've found the 510c is about the "best" red dot for my astigmatism.  Obviously, no diopter adjustment like a LPV, but the closest to a real dot rather than a blur.

 

I have a 512c coming in next week, and I hope it works as well.

 

I've tried several prism scopes and found that I'd rather deal with a bit of a blob than whatever issues I seem to have with the prisms.  Oddly, LVPs work fine.

 

[waktasz]

On 8/15/2019 at 1:42 PM, ck1 said:

 

Maybe my eyes are shaped weird lol! Anyways, my Doc said in my case the contacts would have to sit correctly vertically and horizontally to correct the astigmatism or else they would drive me nuts, so for now I’ll just stick with prism/etched scopes until I finally go LASIK...

 

yes...that's how they work. They are weighted so they align correctly. 

[Startingover]

Same boat on eyes

510c isn't too bad.

[TRUBL]

while I love the 510C........do not over look the Bushnell Lil Pris. When you first see it you'll think, what a friggen joke, a toy!! But look thru it.....and WOW.....you'll be a believer. Never mind the seemingly super small size of the glass.....I'd take it any day over a vortex

[ck1]

17 minutes ago, TRUBL said:

while I love the 510C........do not over look the Bushnell Lil Pris. When you first see it you'll think, what a friggen joke, a toy!! But look thru it.....and WOW.....you'll be a believer. Never mind the seemingly super small size of the glass.....I'd take it any day over a vortex

 I guess I hope I come across a Lil’ P in the wild to check out, what info is online just seems like it’d be too small, and think I’m kinda hooked on the green reticle, but I would like something better than the Vortex for sure.

[ck1]

Ordered a Holosun HE510C Green reticle...  was zeroing a couple AR’s for work today that I put Green Holosun 403’s on, and was amazed that even though I see a “starburst” instead of a dot, both eyes open was so much faster without the wonky magnification issues I get with the  Vortex Spitfire AR I’ve been running.... Not sure why, but green doesn’t bother me nearly as much as red with my astigmatism..?

Edited August 19, 2019 by ck1

[pjb45]

I am a walking cluster f@&%$&k; right handed, left eye dominant, mono vision and 100/200 add in the astigmatism.  I wear soft contacts and have for more than 40 years. 

The 510C on my PCC is amazing. My only issue for long distances I switched to weak hand since my left eye is a distance eye.

I can shoot skeet with my right eye and sporting clays with my left. 

Accupoint 1-4 is pretty cool for my JP.22.  

 

I just ignore the astigmatism as much as possible but that is after more than 20 years of dealing with it.

Your mind will eventually adapt if you standardize on an optic that works the best.

[ck1]

Hey, not to kick a dead horse here, but figure it's worth mentioning in case anyone else with astigmatism issues stumbles across this thread in the future: it's really huge to remember to look at the target through the red/green dot sight (like you're really supposed to do anyway with them), not so much at the dot itself. I mention this because coming from someone who's never really been able to run red dots, just looking "through" instead of concentrating on the dot fixes a huge part of the problems for me (and is something I'm new to, and am going to have to get used to). It's been an epiphany lol.

Edited August 21, 2019 by ck1

[StealthyBlagga]

Another piece of advice from a long-time Limited-division 3-gunner who runs an Aimpoint despite astigmatism: Wear CLEAR shooting glasses no matter how bright the sun is. With clears, your pupils will close down smaller and the distortion of the dot is greatly reduced. For me it is quite workable even on smaller targets at hundreds of yards... for USPSA PCC division, even significant dot distortion should not affect your ability to get acceptable hits on the relatively huge targets involved.

 

Your other option is corrective shooting glasses. You have to wear safety glasses anyway, so why not?

 

Red dot optics are so much more forgiving than etched reticle glass that it is well worth the effort to live with them.

Edited August 21, 2019 by StealthyBlagga

[ck1]

32 minutes ago, StealthyBlagga said:

Another piece of advice from a long-time Limited-division 3-gunner who runs an Aimpoint despite astigmatism: Wear CLEAR shooting glasses no matter how bright the sun is. With clears, your pupils will close down smaller and the distortion of the dot is greatly reduced. For me it is quite workable even on smaller targets at hundreds of yards... for USPSA PCC division, even significant dot distortion should not affect your ability to get acceptable hits on the relatively huge targets involved.

 

Your other option is corrective shooting glasses. You have to wear safety glasses anyway, so why not?

 

Red dot optics are so much more forgiving than etched reticle glass that it is well worth the effort to live with them.

 

Awesome tip, thanks! Going to have to try it.

[Ner]

Guys, help

 

Any thoughts on using prism x1 optic in fast pcc matches?

 

I came to the problem when 1 moa red dot become unclear for my old eyes and a lot of stages were dusted becouse of situation when i put a dot right on the plate but can't hit it .

So i saw a somewhat new Swampfox Blade 1x25 Prism and i was like huh, could it be the solution?

i have zero experience in shooting PCC with lpvo or prismx1 

so i need some information

• i know there's eyebox problem with lpvo and prism..but how hard it's in real fast pcc matches where you want to squeeze 15HF or so..?

 

[troupe]

Leupold makes a nice 1x scope with a small dot.  I looked at one the other day at Chris Tilley's shop.

[SteelCityShooter]

On 10/4/2021 at 6:29 AM, Ner said:

I came to the problem when 1 moa red dot become unclear for my old eyes and a lot of stages were dusted becouse of situation when i put a dot right on the plate but can't hit it .

 

Why not just get a larger red dot?  There are lots of red dot sights with 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 MOA dots and C-More even has a 16 MOA dot available.  

[LowSpeedHighDrag]

On 10/5/2021 at 1:33 PM, SteelCityShooter said:

Why not just get a larger red dot?  There are lots of red dot sights with 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 MOA dots and C-More even has a 16 MOA dot available.  

I like the Holosun HS510c, with the circle dot reticle.  For fast shots I use the circle rather than the dot.

[SteelCityShooter]

On 10/9/2021 at 9:26 PM, LowSpeedHighDrag said:

I like the Holosun HS510c, with the circle dot reticle.  For fast shots I use the circle rather than the dot.

Yes, me too.  I have HS510's on both my PCCs and a HS507C on my S&W M&P9.  The circle is very fast to locate and acts almost like an aperture rear iron sight in that your eye tends to center the target in the circle.  The dot is obviously more precise but the circle works very well for close fast targets.

[Dirty_J]

Eotech. I love the circle/dot for USPSA shooting. 
 

I have astigmatism and nothing looks as crisp when shooting target focused with a dot than a holographic sight imo. 
 

Haven’t messed with the Vortex UH1… but plan to try one just to see how it stacks against the Eotech for USPSA use. 

[LowSpeedHighDrag]

23 hours ago, SteelCityShooter said:

Yes, me too.  I have HS510's on both my PCCs and a HS507C on my S&W M&P9.  The circle is very fast to locate and acts almost like an aperture rear iron sight in that your eye tends to center the target in the circle.  The dot is obviously more precise but the circle works very well for close fast targets.

I’ve started to switch to the HS512c for rainy days.  Somewhat smaller window, but fully enclosed.