3-5x Flip Magnifiers

[TheFull9]

Optics are a big thing for me. I'm a smidge short sighted and PID/searching through the brush for armbands is a big deal imho.  At a game this weekend I was using a new setup and was pretty let down I have to say.  Went all fancy, got a Holy Warrior EXPS3 and G33, got them on the gucci riser mounts (FTC for the 3x mag) and I'm thinking 'sweet' since up to now I've had this clone aimpoint 3x mag which is really purple and tiny and hard to look through.

I thought the magnifier I had was also HWO and would be good (aliex job).. but no, it barely magnifies, I'd move my head away and honestly had better view of those 50-70m enemy players with my naked eyes.  I think my 10 year old magnifier (back when clone optics were far worse) is actually better.

After your experiences and recs please folks.  I like my old replica ACOGs and Elcan, no clue on brands but they work well.  The HWO ones are hopefully good and they're reasonably priced.  When you get to LPVO clones though they get kinda pricey for airsoft items, nudging in to the realm of the budget-end real scopes.  I've got loads of red dots and I'd like to pick up a couple more good magnifiers, though feedback on any of the HWO line of magnified options would all be welcome.

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Sorry to hear the HW kit disappointed.
I've got one of those unfashionably cheap Visionking 1.25-5 x 26 scopes and I have to say I'm very impressed with it, but it's the only one I've ever used, so nothing to compare it to except my old 4x32 Viking air rifle scope    (It's better than that!)
My daughter's boyfriend who does some hunting back at his home in Bulgaria was also impressed, and I think he's got a little experience of 'real steel' optics.

So it's great, but it's quite a chunk of metal, and certainly weighs a fair bit.  I've rather left it for use on my sniper rifle and any DMR I might care to build or buy in the future - in the meantime even with my astigmatic and enormously short-sighted vision, I can see well further than I can shoot, so I'm happy enough with my red dot sights

 

[alxndrhll]

Worth doing further research on it but I used this during my flirt with magnifiers and was fairly impressed in combination with an FTC mount (my main issue with magnifiers prior to that being flip to side mounts).

Ultimately landed on where I do with most things, that being I'd rather have specific tools for specific things, so ended up with a longer railed/outer barrel upper (purely for aesthetic reasons) with a perfectly serviceable LPVO (a Vector Optics Forrester if memory serves, a Vortex 1-6 clone which was about £70 when I picked it up).

I have no doubt my astigmatism plays a part, but magnifying an already blurry red dot was zero help meaning the only time I actually got use out of it was if I turned the red dot off and used it purely for spotting/walking others shots in for them.

For airsoft use I've found LPVOs work best for the woods, largely because the eye relief/eye boxes lend themselves better to the restrictions eye/face pro can put upon you versus a magnifier. With a 2 MOA dot being king anytime you don't feel mag is required... or you simply can't be bothered of the additional weight glass (and the mounts) bring with them.

 

[Fatboy40]

I've had one of these for 15 months now...

https://www.combatsouth.co.uk/element-aim-o-g33-magnifier-x3-black/

... and it's been spot on, using it on both my DMR and 1.14J AEG. The magnification has been doing exactly what I expected of it and also helping with my less than stellar ageing eyesight.

I specifically went with this Aim-O clone as others had said the mount had zero wobble, and I've had none from it as well

 

[RobHedley]

After playing around with a number of clones and being totally disappointed, I bought a Vortex 3x Magnifier:

https://www.opticswarehouse.co.uk/vortex-vmx-3t-magnifier-with-flip-mount

Yes, it is a chunk of money but the quality is outstanding, the lenses are crystal clear,  the eye relief is unbelievable allowing quick target acquisition and of course the fully transferable Vortex lifetime warranty meaning it holds its resale value. I also run gas blowback rifles so that was also a factor in the decision.

 

[Lozart]

I have a Vector Optics magnifier which is pretty good but the Element/Aim-O one I have is my go to (also in a FTC mount). Clear, adjusts well, cheap. Job jobbed.

 

[Stratton Oakmont]

Plus 1 for the 3x vortex micro 

move mine between gbb and 22lr and it’s worth the extra over the knock offs I used to run

(Holds centre properly and is capable of correctly adjusting, unlike the two knock offs I wasted my time with). 
plus as previously mentioned-vortex warranty 

 

[PopRocket123]

I love my 1-4x vision sling short dot. I've used it a lot on a few different guns. The glass is decently clear, I'm sure if I splashed out on something better I'd see a big difference but it's clear enough to still ID targets into the evening. The red dot is super dim so I never use it. It's got a bit of a weird border round the edge of the sight picture when you look through it but it disappears when you're in game. I think it was part of a poor quality batch as it was £40, around half off. My experience of red dots and magnifiers is that you need to get the more expensive ones as the multiple layers of glass cause a much darker sight picture. 

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

I love my 1-4x vision sling short dot. I've used it a lot on a few different guns. The glass is decently clear, I'm sure if I splashed out on something better I'd see a big difference but it's clear enough to still ID targets into the evening. The red dot is super dim so I never use it. It's got a bit of a weird border round the edge of the sight picture when you look through it but it disappears when you're in game. I think it was part of a poor quality batch as it was £40, around half off. My experience of red dots and magnifiers is that you need to get the more expensive ones as the multiple layers of glass cause a much darker sight picture. 

just a thought about the dim red dot... the battery in my VisionKing 1.25-6 died because I'd left it on... I've replaced it with a new one from my battery collection, and whereas it used to useably bright and clear, it's now very dim.  I tried another battery (made by a different cheapo ebay / amazon brand) and the same result.   Perhaps that first battery was a 'proper' manufacturer and putting out a bit more power?