Magnifier and Red Dot Combos

I have been wanting to equip a rifle or two with a magnified optic for a while now.
A little while back I picked up a cheapo 1-4x20mm LPVO to try out and I like it - probably going to upgrade to a better brand at some point.
I have never handled/used a rife with a magnifier and I wasn't sure I would like it - even after watching a ton of videos I just wasn't sure, and I don't have the money to throw away on something that may not work out.
Why not try a budget magnifier the way I did with the LPVO? I started looking around some more. I was "this close" to buying the blem/open box versions on Monstrum's website when I saw that they were having a good deal on the combo for Prime day on Amazon. For $110 I got a brand new/unopened set and ended up paying just $8 more, and I get the lifetime warranty vs the 1 year warranty on the blems.

Monstrum Tactical Ghost 3x Prism Magnifier and Monstrum Tactical Ghost 1x20 Red Dot Sight














Continued...

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I put the set on my 7.62x39 carbine. The lightweight, one-piece polymer lower/stock's weight savings are now negated by the chunky 3x magnifier.

[RocketFoot]

I might have to check that out! I've been looking for a magnifier set for a 16" carbine I built. I've been eyeing up the Sig MSR and Juliet 3 from Amazon but I haven't pulled the trigger yet...still weighing options!

Sig Sauer Romeo MSR Red Dot + Juliet3 Micro Magnifier Combo FDE SORJ72011 https://a.co/d/adqc33e

One thing I'll mention while I'm thinking about it is the eye relief and how it relates to positioning the unit, AND something I read regarding the newer "micro" magnifiers.

One typically positions a red dot all the way forward on the upper, just at the point where the handguard starts. When I set this up, I started with the magnifier and initially had the eyepiece flush with the end of the upper/charging handle in order to have adequate eye relief and keep the red dot as far forward as was practical.
That didn't work out because when I placed my cheek against the stock where I normally do, I was getting some black "ghosting" and not a full, clear view through the magnifier. I found that if I moved it back just a little more, I got the full view without distortion. This moves the red dot back a little, but it's still forward enough to not be an issue when using the red dot alone with the magnifier flipped to the side.

I did see a reviewer mention that there's no set distance between the two units required - you can have them barely touching, or with a gap between them.

Regarding micro magnifiers, a commenter mentioned that he bought a micro unit, but was having trouble with the eye relief. He said that the stated eye relief seems to be a little "generous" and that he needed to be a bit closer (like in my case) in order to get a full, clear view through the magnifier and he regretted buying the micro because with the full size, it extends back further, putting it closer to your eye vs him having to move his eye closer to the "short" magnifier.
Interesting.

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I might have to check that out!  I've been looking for a magnifier set for a 16" carbine I built. I've been eyeing up the Sig MSR and Juliet 3 from Amazon but I haven't pulled the trigger yet...still weighing options!

Sig Sauer Romeo MSR Red Dot + Juliet3 Micro Magnifier Combo FDE SORJ72011 https://a.co/d/adqc33e

I didn't realize they had so many combo setups. I have one of those Romeo MSR red dots. It lacks the shake awake that the Romeo 5 has, but it's not a bad red dot.
I just leave mine on "5" all the time.
Every time I looked at a reputable brand magnifier, I shut that idea down quick when I saw the prices. Ha.

I will say that the fit and finish on the Monstrum pieces is exceptional - much nicer than I expected. Whether it holds up long term is the big question.
I figured for all the more "action" the rifle is likely to see, I think I'll be OK with this stuff. If I decide I REALLY like the magnifier thing, I can save up for a better one.

I'll add more info/opinions as I go. I just installed them last night, so I need to play around with them.
I will say that the magnifier moves to the side with a push and back with not too much effort, but not TOO loose either - it's just right.
There is NO slop/play in the mechanism - it's way nicer feeling than expected.

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(test post)
I'm NOT digging the way this forum posts all my posts as one, long, run on sentence instead of individual posts.
Not sure if I'm doing something wrong by clicking "New Reply" (up top), so I'm trying the "Reply to this Post" down at the bottom to see if it posts any differently.



EDIT: UGH! Same thing

[RocketFoot]

Haha, yeah...the forum adds recent replies from the same poster to one post for a specified time period. It's over bump deterrent but I can turn it off if you guys prefer? (ETA: Post merge was set to 60 minutes but I turned it off. There is a 60 second post flood blocker so you do have to wait 1 minute between posts!)

The Monstrom looks GREAT! I am interested...I have a Monstrom 4X on my 20" rifle and it is pretty nice and well built! I think I have a Monstrom on my Ruger Redhawk .44 mag too and it has held up very well!

Here's a brief video on magnifiers.
Just a few basic points to consider - nothing overwhelming...

Primary Arms is a good choice for optics that don't break the bank.

I have another rifle with their SLX MD-25 (gen 1) red dot mounted on it (I like it a lot) and this 3x magnifier would make a good companion for it.
Apparently it comes in a "plain" (no reticle) version as well, which is what I would want.

I’ve had magnifiers and moved on to 1-4 or 1-6 power scopes and at 1x they are like using a red dot & when magnified you have a longer range or more precise weapon system

Magnifiers and red dots end up snagging more stuff and easy to get mis aligned

I’ve had magnifiers and moved on to 1-4 or 1-6 power scopes and at 1x they are like using a red dot & when magnified you have a longer range or more precise weapon system

Magnifiers and red dots end up snagging more stuff and easy to get mis aligned

Yes, they all have their positives and negatives.
I don't have any "stuff" to snag on, and for the distances I'm likely to be able to shoot, a 3x is likely more than enough.
Giving it a try.

Just because it popped up...