Welcome to my list of all illuminated low power variable optics (LPVO), updated August 14, 2020 with 130 LPVOs and 326 reticles. For each LPVO, the list includes a link to the brand's official product page, price category, optic and reticle images, a detailed feature description, and links to merchants and reviews.

A low power variable optic (LPVO) is a rifle scope with variable magnification down to 1X. The most common magnification ranges of a LPVO are 1-4, 1-6, 1-8 and 1-10. A few years ago, 1-4X LPVOs were standard, but as optics technology has advanced, 1-6X and 1-8X optics became more common, and only in the past couple years have 1-10X LPVOs become available. As you would expect, greater magnification zoom ranges tend to cost more.

Choosing a low power variable optic for your AR15 scope

While low power variable optics are popular on a variety of platforms, LPVOs are rapidly becoming the quintessential AR15 scope. An LPVO provides the greatest flexibility for shooting at both close range and long range targets. At close range, dial the magnification back to 1X, and you can shoot with both eyes open, and rapidly transition between targets. At medium to long range, you can dial up the magnification for greater accuracy. The flexibility of a LPVO at a variety of target ranges makes the LPVO the standard choice for 3-gun/multi-gun competitors, and have made them increasingly popular with police and military forces. A LPVO is the obvious choice for a general purpose, do everything AR15 scope.

Comparing LPVOs to red dots and prism scopes

At close range (e.g., home defense), the truth is that nothing beats a reflex red dot sight (e.g., Aimpoint PRO) or a holographic weapon sight (e.g., EOTech XPS2). Reflex and holographic sights have unlimited eye relief (the distance your eye may be positioned behind the optic), which means you can place your eye anywhere behind the optic - 2 inches or 2 feet - and as long as you can see the aiming point, that's where your bullet will go. In contrast, a LPVO, like all magnified optics, have a fixed eye relief distance, typically 3 to 4 inches. Fixed eye relief isn't an issue in normal shooting scenarios where you can establish a standard cheek weld (head position on the rifle's stock). However, in dynamic or awkward shooting positions, reflex and holographic sights provide more flexibility on how you position your eye behind the optic.

At longer ranges, say out past 50 yards, having the magnification available on a LPVO will greatly increase your accuracy and hit rate compared to a reflex or a holographic sight. You can mount a fip-up magnifier in front of your reflex or holographic sight, but those are a fixed power (typically 3X, 4X or 6X), and simply don't provided the magnified optic experience that you'll get using a LPVO. And the newest crop of low power variable optics now feature top magnification ranges of 6X, 8X and even 10X.

Prism scopes (e.g., Trijicon ACOGs) are fixed-power magnified optics, most commonly 3X or 4X magnification. At close range, prism scopes lack the 1X capability of a LPVO, but most still support shooting with both eyes open if you're willing to practice and train your brain to view the target with one eye and view the only aiming dot with the other eye. Prism scopes have the advantage of ruggedness, lighter weight, and many feature fiber optic/tritium illumination, eliminating the reliance on batteries.

Always-on Capability

In home defense, hunting, or tactical applications, you may not have time to switch on your optic's illumination - you want the optic to always be on and ready for use at a moment's notice. If you are shopping for a LPVO for one of these applications, look for a LPVO with the Always-on-capable designation in the Features section of the optic listing below. My criteria for the Always-on-capable designation are:

Motion-on (shake-awake): the LPVO has a motion sensor that switches on the illumination when the optic is moved. Leica, Leupold, Noblex-Docter, and Sig Sauer all offer LPVOs with a motion-on feature.

(shake-awake): the LPVO has a motion sensor that switches on the illumination when the optic is moved. Leica, Leupold, Noblex-Docter, and Sig Sauer all offer LPVOs with a motion-on feature. Battery-free : Trijicon AccuPoint rifle scopes feature battery-free illumination (fiber optic light gathering for daytime illumination and tritium for low-light illumination).

: Trijicon AccuPoint rifle scopes feature battery-free illumination (fiber optic light gathering for daytime illumination and tritium for low-light illumination). Battery-life of at least 1 year: rifle scopes that have a battery life of at least one year, AND do not have a non-programmable auto-off feature (you can turn on the optic and it will stay on until you manually turn it off). To my knowledge, there are no examples of a low power variable optic with battery life exceeding one year (reflex red dot sights are the only type of rifle optic that can have always-on battery life greater than one year).

There are two basic types of Motion-on feature found in LPVOs: motion sensor and tilt sensor. Leupold and Sig Sauer use motion sensors to switch on illumination when any motion is detected. Noblex-Doctor and Leica use a tilt sensor to switch on illumination when rifle scope is oriented into window of "normal" shooting positions. For home defense or tactical applications where you may need to shoot while laying the rifle on its side, select an LPVO with a motion sensor. For hunting applications where you may carry a slung rifle for extended periods, a tilt sensor will extend battery life relative to a motion sensor.

Daylight-bright illumination

In the Features section of the LPVO listings, I try to indicate whether the LPVO's illumination is daylight bright, daylight visible, or lowlight visible. Daylight bright is defined as bright enough to use the illumination like a red dot sight with both eyes open in bright daylight. For many users, daylight-bright illumination is an essential feature, providing the greatest ease-of-use when shooting with both eyes open. Daylight-visible illumination is visible in full sunlight, but not sufficiently bright enough to be much better than a black reticle for shooting with both eyes open. Daylight visible can be useful when shooting dark colored targets or targets located in shaded areas. Lowlight-visible illumination is only useful in lowlight scenarios, and typically appears black or nearly black in full sunlight conditions.

Obviously, there's no way for me to personally evaluate 150+ different LPVOs, so I've had to rely on manufacturer's statements, reviews, and credible forum comments to assign scopes to these three illumination categories. To view only Daylight-bright LPVOs, type "Daylight-bright" into the search box at the top of the listings.

About the author

I am a licensed hunting guide in Oregon, where we offer all-inclusive guncation experiences ranging from hunting sage rats, to practical rifle courses, to extreme long range marksmanship. I also maintain a database of nearly all firearm optics sold in North America by major brands. Check out some of my other popular posts:

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About feature descriptions

Here is a quick guide to the feature descriptions in the product listings:

Illuminated , Non-illuminated , or Optional-illumination indicates whether the reticle is illuminated. Illuminated scopes may have feature codes such as Auto-bright (illumination brightness can be automatically set to match ambient light conditions), Auto-off (illumination turns off after time-out period to conserve battery), Motion-on (a motion sensor turns on illumination), Electronic-level (heads-up display inside scope image that indicates whether the scope is canted to the right or left), Low-battery-indicator warns the user it is time to change batteries, NV-modes indicates if the scope has night-vision compatible illumination modes. CR2032 is the most common battery type, but other battery types may be listed. 100 hours (medium) indicates 100 hour expected battery life at a medium illumination.

, , or indicates whether the reticle is illuminated. Illuminated scopes may have feature codes such as (illumination brightness can be automatically set to match ambient light conditions), (illumination turns off after time-out period to conserve battery), (a motion sensor turns on illumination), (heads-up display inside scope image that indicates whether the scope is canted to the right or left), warns the user it is time to change batteries, indicates if the scope has night-vision compatible illumination modes. is the most common battery type, but other battery types may be listed. indicates 100 hour expected battery life at a medium illumination. Exposed , Capped , or Capped-windage describes the turret style. Zero-stop indicates the elevation knob can be quickly dialed back to zero. Locking or Locking-wind indicates the elevation and windage dials can be locked into place (locking can take a variety of forms). 0.1 MRAD per click indicates how much each click will move the point of impact, 60 clicks per turn indicates how many clicks there are in a single revolution of the elevation dial.

, , or describes the turret style. indicates the elevation knob can be quickly dialed back to zero. or indicates the elevation and windage dials can be locked into place (locking can take a variety of forms). indicates how much each click will move the point of impact, indicates how many clicks there are in a single revolution of the elevation dial. Side-focus , Fixed-parallax , or AO describes focus/parallax adjustment of the scope. AO parallax adjustment refers specifically to a ring on the objective bell. from 25 indicates the shortest distance the side focus or AO parallax adjustment can focus at (for simplicity, no distinction is made between yards or meters), and @ 100 indicates the factory-set parallax distance for fixed-parallax scopes.

, , or describes focus/parallax adjustment of the scope. AO parallax adjustment refers specifically to a ring on the objective bell. indicates the shortest distance the side focus or AO parallax adjustment can focus at (for simplicity, no distinction is made between yards or meters), and indicates the factory-set parallax distance for fixed-parallax scopes. 30mm indicates the main tube size (important for selecting mounting options), 12in is the length of the optic (rounded to the nearest inch), and 25oz is the weight of the optic (rounded to the nearest ounce). Length and weight values are rounded to make easier to search the list.

indicates the main tube size (important for selecting mounting options), is the length of the optic (rounded to the nearest inch), and is the weight of the optic (rounded to the nearest ounce). Length and weight values are rounded to make easier to search the list. New 2020 indicates the optic was introduced in 2020. Some new products may not yet have retailers. Discontinued 2020 indicates the optic has been discontinued in 2020. Recently discontinued optics may be still available at retailers, often at significant discounts.

indicates the optic was introduced in 2020. Some new products may not yet have retailers. indicates the optic has been discontinued in 2020. Recently discontinued optics may be still available at retailers, often at significant discounts. Assembled in [country] indicates the country where the scope is assembled, which is more definitive than country of manufacture (components are often sourced from multiple countries). Many brands do not publish the country of origin or assembly for their optics, particularly ones made in China, so sometimes I have had to make educated inferences or rely on secondary sources. For example, Bushnell publishes country of origin for optics made in Japan or South Korea, but simply omits country of origin for many optics, some of which I know are made in China. Therefore, if a Bushnell optic is inexpensive and does not list country of origin, I infer that the optic is made in China.

Master list of illuminated LPVOs

All LPVOs | FFP only | SFP only | 1-6X or better | 1-8X or better