• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Leadership
    • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
      Do you know your emotional intelligence?
      Addressing racism in the workplace
      Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
      Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
  • Topics
    • Leadership
      • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
        Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Addressing racism in the workplace
        Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
        Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
    • Editor’s Picks
      • The future is here
        A winding road
        Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        “Hold my beer”
    • On the Job
      • A winding road
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        I brought home a dog
        Six Mexican cartels designated as terrorist organizations
        Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
    • Labor
      • Building positive media relations
        LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
        Racing with a purpose
        Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
        Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
    • Tech
      • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and...
        Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and...
        The future is here
        How local police departments can combat cybercrime
        Your website is your front desk
    • Training
      • Using critical thinking to crack the case
        Navigating cultural and language barriers
        Why you should pocket carry
        The future is here
        Training for tomorrow
    • Policy
      • Consolidation in action
        California lawmakers push mask ban for officers, raising safety...
        Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
        California makes police misconduct records publicly available
        A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
    • Health/Wellness
      • The warm path and the hot path
        Understanding chronic pain and depression
        Suicide and first responder retirement
        A golden key to suicide prevention
        The urgency to protect those who protect us
    • Community
      • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
        Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
        Turning over a new leaf
        Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids
        An unexpected reunion
    • Offbeat
      • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
        Pizza … with a side of alligator?
        Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
        Only in California?
        Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
    • We Remember
      • York County ambush leaves three officers dead, others critically...
        Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
        Team Romeo
        National Police Week 2025
        Honoring Fallen Heroes
    • HOT Mail
      • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • On the Job
    • A winding road
      Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
      I brought home a dog
      Six Mexican cartels designated as terrorist organizations
      Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
  • Labor
    • Building positive media relations
      LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
      Racing with a purpose
      Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
      Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
  • Tech
    • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and...
      Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and...
      The future is here
      How local police departments can combat cybercrime
      Your website is your front desk
  • Training
    • Using critical thinking to crack the case
      Navigating cultural and language barriers
      Why you should pocket carry
      The future is here
      Training for tomorrow
  • Policy
    • Consolidation in action
      California lawmakers push mask ban for officers, raising safety...
      Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
      California makes police misconduct records publicly available
      A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
  • Health/Wellness
    • The warm path and the hot path
      Understanding chronic pain and depression
      Suicide and first responder retirement
      A golden key to suicide prevention
      The urgency to protect those who protect us
  • Community
    • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
      Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
      Turning over a new leaf
      Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids
      An unexpected reunion
  • Offbeat
    • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
      Pizza … with a side of alligator?
      Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
      Only in California?
      Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
  • We Remember
    • York County ambush leaves three officers dead, others critically...
      Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
      Team Romeo
      National Police Week 2025
      Honoring Fallen Heroes
  • HOT Mail
    • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Search

Training

LPVO: The Goldilocks of AR optics

Warren Wilson Published February 21, 2021 @ 7:00 am PST

The author’s duty rifle with a Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 he got for $650. Warren Wilson.

The world of the AR-15 rifle has seen a lot of new members in the last several years. With that proliferation, we have seen quite an interest growth in the area of optics. Too many shooters believe the choice comes down to red dot sights or traditional scopes. Red dots are thought to be great for quick target acquisition, while rifle scopes are great for more precise shooting at distance with time permitting. Either of those are solid options, but one really does not have to choose between the two. I’m writing this because too many cops are failing to take advantage of the Goldilocks of AR optics.

Put the dot on the spot and squeeze

Red dot sights (RDS) are very popular because of their ease and use and relative cost-effectiveness. The most popular, quality RDS units run only $400 to $600. They’re easy to mount and use. Most are sold with mounts and can be installed with minimal brain strain. After that, it’s just a matter of choosing one’s zero range and sighting in. If the user wants magnification, they just add a heavy, bulky, flip-to-side magnifier for an extra $400. There’s nothing wrong with that option, but I believe there’s something better.

DMR

When some people think scoped AR’s, they think of the designated marksman rifle (DMR). A DMR is most effectively employed at distances between the effective ranges of a long-range rifle and carbine. The downside to the prototypical DMR is the lowest magnification is 3x or 4x power, which makes close- and quick-sighting a little more difficult than with a red dot (more on that later). Additionally, relative to RDS, rifle scopes can be quite expensive. The low-end of the fiscal scale on quality DMR scopes is about $800 and goes up into the thousands. Sure, there are some cheaper options, but none I would trust for serious stuff. Also, the quality of a scope’s rings is just as important as the scope itself. That’s an added expense. There’s also the slightly increased complication of mounting a rifle scope. (One doesn’t just slap the scope on the rings and crank on the screws for best results.) Even if you have the disposable funds for this purchase, do you want first or second focal plane? Which reticle? What magnification? Back-up optics? One can understand why most folks prefer the simplicity of “put the dot on the spot and squeeze.” 

Just right?

Is there a Goldilocks option? Yes, indeed. It comes in the form of low-power variable optics (LPVO). Granted, there is still the added expense of quality mounts and the complication of properly mounting the optic. Still, many will find the juice worth the squeeze. The prototypical LVPO is a 1x-4x or 1-6x variable power scope with a 24mm objective. However, there is at least one excellent 1x-10x24mm unit on the market. To oversimplify, the idea of the LPVO is to keep the scope at the true 1x power as a high-quality RDS until more magnification is needed. When/if needed, more magnification is just a twist away.

The concern I’ve always heard expressed about scopes on ARs is that they’re not as quick on target acquisitions as an RDS. When I was on my department’s SWAT team years ago, we would participate in statewide competitions. I couldn’t understand why so many guys from other teams were using scopes on their entry rifles. I do understand now. They were ahead of the game, and I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Having done my research and having put the work in, I’m solidly on team LPVO. With just a little experience and practice, I believe most will find a high-quality LPVO just as quick to sight at close range as a dot. In fact, it’s even possible to shoot up close with magnification — after a little work. It just takes some practice and familiarization; practice you should be doing anyway.

Quality

What is quality? Quality glass doesn’t necessarily mean incredibly expensive, but it doesn’t come cheap. Duty-grade glass uses every advantage, including the substance and process used to coat the glass and the internals of the tube. That, among other manufacturing processes, ensures the “eye box” (the position of your eye behind a scope) allows a full field of view, among other things. I’ll give you an example: My work carbine has Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 1-6×24 (see photo). It’s a duty-grade optic, which I got online using my law enforcement discount for about $650 with a mount. That’s not much more than the most affordable duty-quality red dots. For that few extra bucks, you get a great red dot sight plus the ability to crank up to 6x power magnification on demand. 

Try it

For all of you cops out there giving the “side-eye” to your buddies who have LPVO on their duty and SWAT carbines: just give it a try. I believe you’ll agree the Goldilocks of law enforcement optics in the low-power variable optic.

Warren Wilson

Warren Wilson

Warren Wilson is a lieutenant with the Enid Police Department in Oklahoma. He is a former SWAT team leader, current firearms instructor and writer. He has been a full-time law enforcement officer since 1996.

View articles by Warren Wilson

As seen in the February 2021 issue of American Police Beat magazine.
Don’t miss out on another issue today! Click below:

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Categories: Training

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Justice Federal Credit Union stands ready to offer members special assistance in the event of a federal government shutdown
  • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and emergency alerts
  • The warm path and the hot path
  • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Announces 2025 Ambassador Impact Award Winner
  • Understanding chronic pain and depression
  • Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and recruit
  • Suicide and first responder retirement
  • Consolidation in action
  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund launches 2025 Bid for the Badge online auction

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The future is here

The future is here

August 21, 2025

A winding road

A winding road

August 20, 2025

Do you know your emotional intelligence?

Do you know your emotional intelligence?

August 17, 2025

Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding

Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding

August 11, 2025

Policies | Consent Preferences | Copyright © 2025 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.