Dark Lord Of Optics

Bullet Drop Compensating (BDC) reticles vs Precision, which is the right choice for you? In this session, we're having a round table discussion with Jeff Gurwitch, of Modern Tactical Shooting, and Ilya Koshkin from the Dark Lord of Optics. Be sure to stick around for the Q&A lightning round! Powered by Restream https://restream.io/

For more information, please visit www.darklordofoptics.com Through the scope look at Brownells' CQ-NOMR reticle in their MPO 1-8x24 LPVO. I ended up liking this reticle quite a bit more than I expected based on originally seeing a drawing of it. It is a competent and easy to use design. The scope is only available through Brownells with either CQ-NOMR (https://bit.ly/3ADxI4x) or plex (https://bit.ly/3AI3ltz) reticles.

For additional discussion, please join me at www.darklordofoptics.com Here is the third installment of this series, recorded after a rather long break. Let me know if you have any questions. Here is the rough parts list: VC Defense billet lower BCM upper https://bit.ly/3wcHIQX Proof Research 16" CF barrel https://bit.ly/3whEg7I Odin tunable gas block https://bit.ly/3EJk8hO Bootleg adjustable BCG https://bit.ly/3BLeQAl Q HoneyBadger 12" handguard https://bit.ly/2ZRt7hr ACE UL Stock https://bit.ly/3mIWpbc Vortex Razor Gen3 1-10x24 https://bit.ly/3BJkR0j Aadmount Hiperfire 24 4Gun trigger https://bit.ly/3bCaykj Zero Bravo offset sights Crimson Trace CMR-301 light/laser https://bit.ly/2ZPQrfy Riflecraft RS-3 sling

This is the topic I try to re-visit once a year or so, starting with a discussion and followed with an article or two elaborating on different scenarios. Here is the optics portion that came out from last year's discussion: https://opticsthoughts.com/?page_id=1262 I will also extend this to firearms for this year.

For this show, Matt, The Everyday Marksman, and Jacob, the Pro-gun Millenial, will join me to discuss whether an offset RDS has rendered the LPVO superfluous or not. We will cover a few other related topics including a discussion of BDC vs mrad reticles. Post show notes: We did not get to the subject of BDC vs mrad reticles. That will have to be addressed separately, perhaps in the coming inaugural Everyday Marksman livecast. The discussion meandered around a bit, but we largely focused on why LPVOs are there, why they give you nearly unrivaled flexibility and why it is not a bad idea to add an RDS to them, whether for redundancy or for speed. That having been said, if you want to save some weight at the cost of a little redunduncy and long range reach, one of the modern microprisms with an offset red dot can sneak in under 10 ounces altogether. An interesting question came up on whether to use open or closed emitter designs. For me personally, if there is no weight/size penalty, I'd lean toward closed emitter RDS, but I mostly use open emitter micro-red dot sights due to how small and robust they are. Some of the different sights mentioned and shown: If you want an LPVO to truly do it all, my current favourites for general purpose use are: SAI 1-6x24 https://bit.ly/3B5zkn4 and Vortex Razor Gen3 1-10x24 https://bit.ly/30SzdPm If you do not need 1x and simply want a red dot added to a general purpose hunting/precision scope, Vortex' new Razor HD-LHT 4.5-22x50 is a near ideal condidate given it's light weight and excellent performance https://bit.ly/30HGW2w As far as microprismatic scopes go, the upcoming Primary Arms SLx 3x might be the one to beat in terms of what you get for the money, but is not officially out yet. The GLx 2x is out and while marginally bigger, it is better optically and seems to be damn near bombproof https://bit.ly/3b2ZZq8. Burris' RT-3 has a reticle that is on the small side, but it really works well with illumination in low light and with/without illumination in daylight https://bit.ly/3E5Be91 Vortex's Spitfire Gen2 5x is really growing on me if you want little more magnification https://bit.ly/3ju2hD4 With red dot sights, nearly any compact RDS can be set up as an offset or piggybacked optic. I have a lot of them and most are robust and capable. On balance, I prefer the ones with autoadjust dot brightness simply form the standpoint that these exist to be deployed rapidly, so I want them always on and ready to go in any light without having to press buttons. I am really fond of Shield Sights' RMS and SIS series and have, at the latest count one RMS, one RMSc with plastic lens, one RMSc with glass lens, one RMSw (waterproof version), one RMS 2.0 (this one has a glass lens and for some reason the dot is perfectly round even with my astigmatism) and on SIS. While I do not intentionally try to destroy them, they have been through some rough treatment. I damaged two so far and Shield promptly fixed everything for me although it was my fault that they got damaged. One was dipped in caustic nitrocarburization fluids and another got smacked with rocks and flying brass which damaged the window. In both cases, only the window got damaged. The electronics kept working, I could still see the dot and point of aim did not change https://bit.ly/3G9Bvtv and https://bit.ly/3b1Prrd Another small red dot sight, though a little bigger than the RMS, I have grown to like immensely is Holosun 507C-X2 with ACSS Vulcan reticle. I'll do a separate video on it explaining why. https://bit.ly/3B5t3I5 Lastly, if you are on a budget, consider SwampFox Sentinel that fit sin the RMS footprint. It is proving to be nicely robust and compact: https://bit.ly/3b324lW

For more information, please visit www.darklordofoptics.com Through the scope look at Brownells' CQ-NOMR reticle in their MPO 1-8x24 LPVO. I ended up liking this reticle quite a bit more than I expected based on originally seeing a drawing of it. It is a competent and easy to use design. The scope is only available through Brownells with either CQ-NOMR (https://bit.ly/3ADxI4x) or plex (https://bit.ly/3AI3ltz) reticles.

Please visit www.darklordofoptics.com for further information and discussion. Observation optics is a pretty involved subject as is, further complicated by the fact that most observation optics are not made for shooters. Here is a live show I did on observation optics that touches on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TCUZGuCdTI This binocular is decidedly not intended for birders. As the name implies, it is squarely aimed at military and law enforcement applications. It is a very competent overall design, but there is a feature that is sorely missing. Let me know what you think once you watch the video. The binocular in question is the Steiner Military 10x50r LRF: https://bit.ly/2WA88hY

For more on optics, please visit www.darklordofoptics.com In this video we wrap up with the Brownells MPO 1-8x24 riflescope. It is a competent "across the course" design that is hampered somewhat by 25oz weight and day visible, but not daybright reticle. Still, it is very solid optically and mechanically. The scope is only available through Brownells with either CQ-NOMR (https://bit.ly/3ADxI4x) or plex (https://bit.ly/3AI3ltz) reticles.

Observation Optics for shooters. Let's have a discussion of how to look at binoculars and spotters if you are a shooter. Post show notes and links: The subject of good binoculars for kids came up. I really like lower magnification options for this. Budget and surprisingly decent option is Kowa YF 6x30 https://bit.ly/3F69q5W A little higher end and more compact is Maven B3 6x30 https://bit.ly/3meDYcO For LRF binoculars, for $1200 Delta Titanium RF 9x45 is probably my favourite if you are on a budget: http://darnfineshot.com/deop9xhdrfra.html As you go up in price a little, Meopta Optika LR is looking very promising: https://bit.ly/3A0EIaI If you can live with a large porro bino and do not need an angle indicator, the depth of field of Steiner 10x50 LRF is really something and it is the only one to combine LRF with a reticle in the other barrel: https://bit.ly/3zRBfuN I was surprised with how good it is optically. For a general non-LRF binocular, I have been using my prehistoric 6x32 Vortex Viper and the much newer Vortex Razor UHD 10x42: https://bit.ly/2WopuhJ Someone asked a question about vintage binoculars. If you want a vintage look and modern performance, consider Swarovski's GA 7x42. Amazing depth perception. https://bit.ly/3CSRoC6 If you are ready to spend some money on a truly world class bino LRF, I think this Leica is probably your best bet: https://bit.ly/2Y3W49H With spotters, the best currently available spotter for shooter is Hensoldt: -Spotter 45 https://bit.ly/2ZNR9dz -Spotter 60 https://bit.ly/3m9HoxM Swarovski STR (https://bit.ly/2Y1QDaC) is up there and I used it for several years, but Hensoldt's depth of field wins the day. Personally, my two "beater" spotters that use all the time are not as nice, but not priced like Hensoldt and Swaro. Athlon Cronus Tactical 7-42x60 https://bit.ly/3kUJuSC Athlon Ares G2 UHD 15-45x60 https://bit.ly/3D1ZNDc with 22x reticle eyepiece https://bit.ly/2ZDogQV

This topic came out of another forum discussion on what magnification riflescopes perform best at. There is no simple answer, so I thought an overview is worthwhile. Scopes mentioned in the discussion: Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 https://bit.ly/3o6XgUc March 4.5-28x52 https://bit.ly/3uc6aAQ March 5-42x56 https://bit.ly/39CqyS7

For further discussion, please visit www.darklordofoptics.com This video is a quick overview of the Delta Titanium RF 9x45 laser rangefinding binocular. I have spent a significant amount of time with it and I am quite impressed with what you get for the money. Delta Optical dealers in the US are EdGun West, Annex Defense and Darn Fine Shot if you are interested. The carry case I happen to like the most comes from Marsupial Gear. Medium size carrier fits this binocular very nicely. The LRF binocular shown for size comparison is the somewhat more expensive Vortex Fury 5000 AB 10x42. That's the one I use most of the time these days, since it integrates with other electronics I use (like my watch) very nicely https://bit.ly/3tTVgzA

For more discussion, please visit www.darklordofoptics.com This video is mostly a "through the scope" look at the reticle, although it also gives you some idea of the depth of field. The discussion of the reticle illumination starts at the 7 minute mark. MRAD version: https://alnk.to/4MuMajA MOA version: https://alnk.to/e70W9C6

This one is going to be a bit later than I normally do this. My apologies to the East Coast people. Something that has been on my mind quite a lot lately is the subject of rimfire optics, so I thought it worthwhile to talk about it a little.

For more discussion, please visit www.darklordofoptics.com This video is mostly a "through the scope" look at the reticle, although it also gives you some idea of the depth of field. The discussion of the reticle illumination starts at the 7 minute mark. MRAD version: https://alnk.to/4MuMajA MOA version: https://alnk.to/e70W9C6

Now that I am back from the inaugural CompExpo 2021, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the event. I will be joined by a competition shooter who took part in the NRL Finals and perhaps another guest or two.

Now that I am back from the inaugural CompExpo 2021, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the event. I will be joined by a competition shooter who took part in the NRL Finals and perhaps another guest or two.

This was livecast to Youtube, Facebook and Odysee on August 3rd, 2021. If you would like me add Rumble to the list of my livecast destinations, please let me know in the comments.

Here is an abbreviated overview of my riflescope and reflex sight recommendations for different flavours of the AR-15. 7 mnutes: SPR/DMR/Precision scopes 13:30: LPVOs for General Purpose use 19:50: Prismatics for General Purpose use 24:00 Red Dot magnifiers 28:20 Red Dots and Holographics 34:35 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Join to support this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8LveRHZgnq469aWVQVhM2w/join My website has a fair bit more in terms of details and recommendations. Riflescope recommendations are sorted by price here: http://opticsthoughts.com/?page_id=623 Here are some product links to retailers who support my efforts: Tangent Theta scopes at Eurooptic: https://alnk.to/1BYFuOF March scopes at Eurooptic: https://alnk.to/clOTkCe Leupold Mark5 HD 3.6-18x44 with illuminated TMR reticle https://alnk.to/dAehDB3 Vortex PST Gen 2 3-15x44: https://alnk.to/eODv49q SWFA SS 3-9x42 https://www.swfa.com/swfa-ss-hd-3-9x42-tactical-30mm-riflescope.html S&B PMII Dual CC 1-8x24: https://alnk.to/hDhCL9Z Vortex Razor Gen3 1-10x24: https://alnk.to/7qbFRRo https://alnk.to/31iOMWF Steiner P4Xi 1-4x24: https://alnk.to/a3V2AB0 Elcan SpecterDR https://alnk.to/74mfluk Elcan Spectre OS 4x https://alnk.to/87QNer6 Crimson Trace Battlesight 3.5x https://alnk.to/cSzfIzg https://alnk.to/aLA9WMN Vortex Micro 3x Magnifier https://alnk.to/aAFoXZh https://alnk.to/2Qo3O7f Aimpoint 6x Magnifier https://alnk.to/bP4HPSS https://alnk.to/1MTvVxF Meprolight MOR https://alnk.to/8EB4bnF Vortex UH-1 Gen2: https://alnk.to/cSzfIYm https://alnk.to/2Qo3Ouh Leica Tempus: https://alnk.to/dAehEgx Aimpoint T2: https://alnk.to/60RHtcb Shield SIS: https://alnk.to/cSzfJ1W

Here is a real time take on the Vortex Razor Gen3 1-10x24 and S&B PMII Dual CC 1-8x24. I think these two are as close as it gets to being "LPVO royalty", although there are definitely other scopes that belong in the same category. I'll spend 20 minutes or so going over my impressions after which, I will open things up for a Q&A pertaining to these two scopes or anything else that comes up.

For the last six months, the new Vortex Razor HD-LHT 4.5-22x50 has been my primary hunting and precision scope. It spent a lot of time at the range with me and got me a nice Aoudad. I'll give you an overview of the scope and what I think about it before opening things up for a Q&A.

If you want to support my efforts, please join my community on Locals: https://darklordofoptics.locals.com/ Having talked a little bit about flashlight during the last show, I figured it is a good idea to talk a little bit about "light" in general. I'll start out with a little bit on flashlights, specifically I want to re-visit the whole "lumen vs candela" business and then we'll go from there. If there is time, the subject of light transmission really should be discussed in some detail. We will close up with the usual free-for-all. Post show notes: Derek's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE3X_qcLQoase48uAJ8Himg 5:30 Start of the light terminology and flashlight discussion https://youtu.be/-bihwHDQcnA?t=332 30:40 Brief discussion of light transmission and how it effects image quality https://youtu.be/-bihwHDQcnA?t=1841 49:06 Derek @NorthWest Guns joins me Scopes and flashlights I talked about: S&B 5-20x50 Ultra Short https://alnk.to/bimzfRc The new DTII+ turrets are really impressive US Optics FDN FX10 10x42 https://alnk.to/goUxHxt This is is likely the best tactical 10x scope on the market right now Primary Arms Microprism Gen2 https://alnk.to/4XphWwK This one is really growing on me Primary Arms GLx 2x prismatic https://alnk.to/4MuwXJf I have talked about this one before extensively SwampFox Trihawk 3x https://alnk.to/cSBo5i0 Shield RMSc https://alnk.to/bimzfXg (this is my primary RDS for narrow slide guns) Shield RMS https://alnk.to/5jeNUei (for standard width slides) Surefire E2T-MV Tactician https://alnk.to/faveQup Streamlight TLR-7 Sub https://alnk.to/3y5e6Qp (for handguns with slim dustcover rail) Crimson Trace CMR-207 https://alnk.to/7qdTGO9 (for standard dustcover rails)

Now that I am sorta back home (I leave again in 3 days), I am looking to wrap-up with my impressions on the Primary Arms GLx 2x prismatic and talk a little more about modern reflex sights, prismatics and other AR optics. Naturally, I will switch over to a Q&A after half-time. I will have a guest joining me for some of the discussion: Matt of The Everyday Marksman will swing by for a bit. He is good friend and a smart guy, so he is worth paying attention to. He had an interesting optics question that I thought was worth addressing and I hope he can stick around for some of the Q&A. If you have not seen his website, check it out. He covers a lot of interesting topics and really thinks through them: https://www.everydaymarksman.co/ Primary Arms GLX 2x: with 7.62x39/300Blackout reticle https://alnk.to/74ohj3P with 5.56 reticle https://alnk.to/4Muqytt

One of the most common questions I get is whether a particular scope is worth the money. It comes so often that I think it should be discussed in more detail. If you are trying to get the best bang for your buck, where is the sweetspot? Post show notes: Alex's Youtube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/c/AffordableOpticsandRifleReviews/featured Some of the scopes mentioned as being in a price/performance sweetspot of their respective categories. Long range precision: Vortex Razor Gen2 4.5-27x56 https://bit.ly/3il7M7p Athlon Cronus 4.5-29x56 https://bit.ly/2T0p4MI Trijicon Tenmile 4.5-30x56 https://bit.ly/3fN0Uhm Tract Toric ELR 4.5-30x56 https://tractoptics.com/all-products/toric-uhd-4-5-30x56-34mm-ffp-mrad-elr-extreme-long-range-rifle-scope Delta Stryker HD 4.5-30x56 https://www.edgunwest.com/store/optics/item/delta-stryker-4-5-30x56/ General purpose hunting: Vortex Razor HD-LHT 3-15x42 https://bit.ly/34SyKex Leupold VX-5 3-15x44 https://bit.ly/3wZaYJR Meopta Meostar R1 3-12x56 https://bit.ly/3cj9kuP Vortex Razor HD LH 1.5-8x32 https://bit.ly/3uPeiGb Get the HD LH tweener while they still have a few. At $430 these are a steal. AR-15: Vortex Razor Gen 3 1-10x24 https://bit.ly/3ihtSYk Delta Stryker 1-6x24 https://www.edgunwest.com/store/optics/item/delta-optics-stryker-1-6x24/ Swampox TriHawk 3x30 https://bit.ly/3uUhxvP Primary Arms GLx 2x https://bit.ly/3vWrUks Vortex Spitfire Gen2 5x https://bit.ly/3vS5pwL

My original intent was to talk a little bit about choosing your first gun, but given that it is Memorial Day, I will start by spending a few minutes on that. Post show notes: Advantage Arms 22LR conversion kit https://alnk.to/7WXU45X Glock 34 https://alnk.to/dplotEq CMMG 22LR Bravo conversion kit https://alnk.to/44Peuam If I were building a starter AR-15 right now, I would source a lower receiver locally and pick up one of these from Palmetto: https://alnk.to/flpJgwg Building an AR-15 out of one of these kits is really straight forward and by the time you are done you'll have a good understanding of how the bloody thing works.

This is completely impromptu, but since Vortex announced the 5-25x56 Venom and I happened to have one in hand, I figured I should do a very early impression of sorts. There are also some political developments that may be worth covering if there is time. Discussion of the Venom 5-25x56 starts about a minute into it. The reticle is EBR-7C, not EBR-7B that I kept on mentioning in the video. I switch over to the Spitfire Gen2 5x at 19:30: https://youtu.be/DNU7mdITQSw?t=1161 We kick it over to a proper Q&A at around 30:15: https://youtu.be/DNU7mdITQSw?t=1815 And switch over to politics at 1:06:00: https://youtu.be/DNU7mdITQSw?t=3958 Other scopes mentioned: Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50 https://bit.ly/3fKcXed Element Helix 6-24x50FFP https://bit.ly/3vlT2cj PA GLx 6-24x50 Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25x56 https://bit.ly/3fOeNdU Element Titan 5-25x56 https://bit.ly/3ukzQu5 Crimson Trace Hardline Pro 6-24x50 https://bit.ly/3ulfjW8 Vortex PST Gen 2 5-25x50 https://bit.ly/3bQ67m7 Vortex PST Gen 2 3-15x44 https://bit.ly/3vlESb7 Vortex Razor Gen 2 4.5-27x56 https://bit.ly/2RDa3A9