Red Dot Optics vs. LPVO: Choosing the Best System for your AR-15

There is nothing that gun enthusiasts enjoy more than arguing about guns and equipment setup. Most of the time the guy arguing with you lives in his mom’s basement and is basically telling you the thing he bought is obviously the best way to go. This article will use data, and real world considerations to help you determine if a red dot optic, or a low power variable optic (LPVO) is the right system for you.

Training Before Equipment

This article is going to be a deep dive into the various pros and cons behind each system. We will be looking at data for accuracy and shooting speed, as well as talking about some real world considerations that most folks don’t often consider.

First, you need to understand that if you don’t have the training, or the practice on your rifle then this whole argument is moot. You could go out and pick up the slickest optic and have the best rifle, but if you don’t understand the basics of hold overs, bullet trajectory, and acceptable accuracy you are just flushing money down the toilet.

This happens all the time at shooting competitions. I vividly recall shooting a rifle competition where I had to remind shooters with $4000 plus rigs what their holds were for different distance targets. These are the very basics of shooting, so make sure you master those before worrying about needless minutiae.

Red Dot vs. LPVO Myths

If you’ve done even a modicum of googling on these optics you will have no doubt run into these myths, as they are incredibly common. Here are the most common myths for red dot sights.

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• Red dot optics are always faster
• You can’t shoot past 100 yards with a red dot
• Red dot optics are fragile

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Just like any myth there are grains of truth to these statements. Red dot optics tend to be faster for newer shooters, and those with less time behind magnified optics.

Moreover, red dots do excel at engaging close range targets, however as long as you understand the flight path of your bullet, you can shoot a red dot out to 400 yards or more.

Red dots can be fragile, if you buy a cheap piece of equipment, but these days we are spoiled for choice as there are so many quality optics available to choose from. The Trijicon MRO is my go to. Click here to see my review of it.

LPVO Myths

These are mainly perpetuated by those who have limited to no experience with shoot AR15 rifles with LPVOs. Here are the most common myths.

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• LPVOs are slower at close range than red dot optics
• LPVOs are more accurate
• LPVOs cost thousands of dollars

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Most of these myths are actually training issues in disguise. You can purchase a quality LPVO for $400. It is true if you want the optics the pro’s use then you will be spending thousands.

I think most people would be surprised if I told them there isn’t actually any difference in engagement speed between red dot optics and LPVO’s. Don’t believe me? Check out this video.

You’ll note that each shooter shot about the same speed, regardless of sighting system used. The more astute observer will notice that when Steve cranked his optic to 4x at 120 yards he actually lost a tenth or two of engagement speed. This is incredibly common.

The magnification that allows us to see more detail at distance, also shows us exactly how much our reticle is moving on the target. This leads even very experienced shooters, like Steve, to slow down and “over confirm” their sights before pulling the trigger. With more training you start to learn how much your sights can wobble while still making hits.

Personally, I don’t find much difference in accuracy when shooting off hand at one hundred yards or so. But if you can shoot from a supported position, which in the real world you would always try to do, then you will see a drastic increase in accuracy.

So far we’ve covered some myths regarding speed and accuracy, but we have glossed over the elephant in the room, threat identification.

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Red Dot vs LPVO Target Identification

For real world scenarios, police, military, self defense, you will need to identify your target, and you will need to understand if that person is a threat to yourself or others. Unless you don’t mind going to jail that is.

The most common scenario for this are military engagements. Most infantry engagements are greater than 100 yards. Even in built up urban areas there are still long distance shots. Hold on to your brains here I’m about to use my psych degree on you all.

Human beings are naturally hesitant to kill each other. We are incredibly violent, but much of that violence isn’t actually aimed at killing someone. Read On Killing by Col Grossman, if you don’t believe me. Humans are even less inclined to kill at close range, so if they can extend the engagement distance it makes them safer, and it makes it psychologically easier to engage in combat.

If you talk to veterans who have been in firefights you’ll find that they often can’t really identify their targets well. They have a pretty good idea that they are taking fire from a specific area, or building, but it is less common to see one person actually shooting at you. In urban environments it is more common, but we are speaking in generalities here.

All of this means that any optic that will extend our ability to engage targets, and positively identify them as threats will be advantageous to us. LPVOs most definitely allow us to do this.

LPVO’s for Civilian and Police Use

These optics are even more critical for civilian and police use as any shooting will be investigated by the authorities and you absolutely must make an accurate shoot no shoot determination. Check out this video by Aaron from Sage Dynamics, where he covers this in detail. Feel free to skip to the 5:00 minute mark.

You can see that identifying a gun becomes problematic past 50 yards. I, for one, wouldn’t want testify that I was pretty sure the person I shot had a gun, but I couldn’t really see it!

So far we’ve covered a lot of the pluses and minuses for these optics. Now let’s figure out which specific platform is right for you.

Choosing Your AR15 Optic

This is where we need to have an honest chat with ourselves if we are going to make the best decision. Deluding ourselves on our current skill level, and intent for the gun will do us no favors.

For the vast majority of casual shooters, who want a home defense weapon, I recommend a red dot sight. The battery life runs into the years, and the optic is most forgiving for awkward shooting positions. Your engagement distance is likely to be room distance and red dots are an easy choice at this range.

To be clear, I’m not saying that an LPVO shouldn’t be used for a home defense weapon because it absolutely can, it’s just requires a little more training and practice to use it.

For actual CQB where you might have to pull the stock off of your shoulder or shoot on your weak shoulder it will be harder to achieve the correct eye relief on your weak side. It can be done, but you need to make an effort to practice this.

Professional Users

For those who have the option of picking an optic to use on a duty gun (MIL/LE) then I would almost always recommend an LPVO. The enhanced accuracy when shooting supported and the ability to positively identify your target is critical. And hey, all the cool guys (JSOC hitters) are doing it too.

Final Thoughts

I would highly recommend shooting both sighting systems before making your choice. Shoot a buddy’s rifle, or rent a rig from the range and see how you like it. Often times you’ll find that you naturally gravitate to one system or the other.

Just understand that with practice and mastery of the basics you can use any optic successfully, but it’s up to you to put in the hours, and put in the reps. See you at the range!

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