Reflex Sight vs variable power optic

[Papadoc]

Looking for some opinions, I am building an 11.5" AR 'pistol' in 5.56x45mm. This will mainly act as a 'poor man's PDW'. Which would you believe to be better, a reflex sight or a variable power optic (1x4, 1x6, or 1x8)? And why?

[Wayne]

You will be way ahead with a standard red dot. If you are taking shots more than 200 yards, you will need to practice a lot to understand what settings the scope will need. Even a scope with a bullet compensator for 5.56 will be way off because the bullet will be moving much slower than it expects.
Do you want to risk turning knobs before you can take a shot? PDW's are not meant to be long range weapons. I have a couple of AR pistols. one is setup with iron sights and the other with a red dot. When you think about it, at 100 yards the front sight post is actually bigger than most red dots. Red dots will give you speed, irons a more refined sight picture. A variable scope give neither.

[Vulcan]

Reflex and some flip up iron sights. They make some good quality entry level stuff for both reflex and flip sights.

[CMV]

For SBR length, definitely RDS of some sort! I'm liking LPVO & have a Trij Accupoint 1-6. Buddy has AccuPower 1-8 that I shot a lot too before getting mine. While the LPVO is real nice, it's MUCH easier to "get lost in the optic" on it. Also they are quite heavy - at least the Trijicon's are - never had a different brand but assume they're all similar. Esp the AccuPower - that is deceptively heavy because it doesn't look like it should add almost 2 lbs with mount.

I find with mine (and think most people are this way) no matter what the 1-X is, you're either at 1x using it like an Aimpoint or EOTech, or you're at max magnification using it like a typical rifle scope. I have never run mine at say 4x and it would be counter-intuitive to stop the dial anywhere other than min or max. The other thing to consider is you don't really get parallax issues with an Aimpoint or similar. With LPVO you do. No big deal if you're consistent with hold anyway, but it is there.

I will say I can reliably hit a 10" plate @ 300 yds with just the 6x on my Trij. I can't do that even with a 2MOA dot Aimpoint - not reliably like the Trij. BUT I am never even attempting to shoot either SBR at 300 yds. I rarely shoot an SBR past 75 yds, so an LPVO would be at 1x all the time just adding weight for no good reason. For reference, 1-6 AccuPoint with ADM QD mount = 29 oz. Aimpoint H2 with lower 1/3 QD mount is under 7.5 oz. Sig Romeo5 with its factory mount is a hair less.

[CMV]

You will be way ahead with a standard red dot. If you are taking shots more than 200 yards, you will need to practice a lot to understand what settings the scope will need. Even a scope with a bullet compensator for 5.56 will be way off because the bullet will be moving much slower than it expects.
Do you want to risk turning knobs before you can take a shot? PDW's are not meant to be long range weapons. I have a couple of AR pistols. one is setup with iron sights and the other with a red dot. When you think about it, at 100 yards the front sight post is actually bigger than most red dots. Red dots will give you speed, irons a more refined sight picture. A variable scope give neither.

I don't quite get this. Maybe because I do a 250 yd zero but I'm never more than 4" high anywhere, never low other than point blank or until I get beyond 250 yds & even at that I'm 5" low at 300 yds. There's no "knob turning" on a LPVO other than the quick throw for magnification. Assuming you did a proper range card and use the same ammo..... But the velocity loss between a 14.5" vs 11.5" isn't THAT significant. If you're needing better than +/- 5" elevation precision, neither optic is right choice for what you're doing IMHO. Just aim centermass and shoot with that zero and you're good to go. Really the ONLY thing to worry about is if you were extremely close you need to aim high if you needed a precise shot, otherwise you're going to have good hits on a full sized target out to 300 at least without worrying about holdovers.

I know people zero at all different ranges & like what they like. That's fine, just going by what I do with my stuff.

[Papadoc]

Thanks for the advise guys. I decided to go with a EoTec 512 and a flip to the side magnifier if needed. And CMV, I too sight-in for 250 yards, it's what I learned on a lifetime ago (M16A1).