Currently shopping MPVO's for my 18" AR and put this spreadsheet together. Figured I'd share it if it helped anyone.

[Shivaess]

Obviously interested in any comments or if any of the data seems off to you. I used AI to try and generate normalized values for the last six rows but of course the optical designs may make those values wrong. My particular goal is 18x+ top end magnification but I know that's high for most small frame AR builds.

 

[Tobe_B]

I’ve got an NX8 2.5-20 on my 6mm arc with a 14.5” barrel. It’s one some of these guys here would call my “do all” or “truck gun”. I carry it often and like the durability of NF.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

I’ve got an NX8 2.5-20 on my 6mm arc with a 14.5” barrel. It’s one some of these guys here would call my “do all” or “truck gun”. I carry it often and like the durability of NF.

I was thinking of doing the same with an 18” I'm building right now.

 

[cwitt]

Currently have a NX8 4-32 on my 18” 6ARC and love it.

 

[Shivaess]

Thanks guys! I'm currently strongly debating between the 4-24 and the 2.5-20. Finding both in the same place to look through has been fun. Both are in cabela's in the denver metro area, but not at the SAME cabelas lol. I don't think I would go wrong either way, but its a nice chunk of change and I want to do my due diligence.

 

[RockAndSage]

Thanks guys! I'm currently strongly debating between the 4-24 and the 2.5-20. Finding both in the same place to look through has been fun. Both are in cabela's in the denver metro area, but not at the SAME cabelas lol. I don't think I would go wrong either way, but its a nice chunk of change and I want to do my due diligence.

Not to be disagreeable, but I wouldn't consider either of those to be MPVOs - not in size, weight, or magnification.

I'm in a similar situation, replacing a couple of LPVOs on ARs with an MPVO and a red dot. Went with an Aimpoint M4s for the red dot, and the Rokscope/S2H with the THLR reticle on the other, which should arrive September-ish. But I have looked at all the scopes on your list, and they all have real-world shortcomings that personally left me willing to wait for the S2H scope.

If you're open to new perspective...I spend a lot of time in the field with my ARs, using them heavily in all-around roles, and heavy glass is just a bad idea if you're going to be on your feet a lot, especially in actually walking around with that gun in your hands through rough terrain. Same with reticles that don't show up instantly, clearly, and easily on the lowest power. Even more so for ones with small eye-boxes. If this is a kind of all-around gun, rather than a PRS or specialized tool, I also wouldn't be interested in anything over 3x on the low end, and find anything more than 15-18x on the high end on ARs to be a weight-adding irrelevance in actual field realities, for all but the rarest situations. Again, for a general use, all-around rifle.

If I weren't waiting for the S2H scope, I'd probably go with the Maven RS1.2, or a lighter weight Nightforce on an AR. But that S2H, at least with the THLR reticle...I have a Minox ZP5 with the THLR reticle, and it's beyond excellent in usability. But it's optimized more for precision and speed at longer ranges. The modified one in the S2H is going to be even better for the distances and circumstances I'm using an AR at, and given all the available info, it's 100% worth waiting a few more months for. It's definitely worth considering.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

What’s the purpose of the rifle?

 

[Shivaess]

I’m splitting my original 18” LPVO build into two rifles: a precision-focused 18” with high magnification (18-24x) and a 14.5” with a 1-6 LPVO for general use.

I love shooting my .22 with a 6-18x scope and want a similar but more capable experience with 5.56 at distance. Both rifles will primarily see paper and steel at my local range and BLM land, but I’d like to try PRS and two-gun at some point.

I’m an experienced photographer, so I appreciate good glass and don’t mind investing in middle/upper-tier optics. I already have a 45° offset red dot and plan to experiment with a 12 o’clock mount down the road.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

I’m splitting my original 18” LPVO build into two rifles: a precision-focused 18” with high magnification (18-24x) and a 14.5” with a 1-6 LPVO for general use.

I love shooting my .22 with a 6-18x scope and want a similar but more capable experience with 5.56 at distance. Both rifles will primarily see paper and steel at my local range and BLM land, but I’d like to try PRS and two-gun at some point.

I’m an experienced photographer, so I appreciate good glass and don’t mind investing in middle/upper-tier optics. I already have a 45° offset red dot and plan to experiment with a 12 o’clock mount down the road.

Copy.

So I think on the 18” I wouldn’t go too crazy on the magnification. IMO, 15ish power would be adequate…no more than 20 with that NX8 option you’re considering. Like I said, I’m considering a NX8 2.5-20, but it would be on a 6 ARC.

I’ve been happy with an NX8 1-8 on one of my 14.5” rigs. It does distance well for a tactical rig.

When you say splitting…I’m guessing you’re going to split the duty of the lower receiver with two upper receivers. This may work for a bit…however, you’re better off building two complete rifles that are purpose built for an intended purpose.

 

[justinspicher]

What do mean by a similiar at distance with the 556?

 

[Shivaess]

Copy.

So I think on the 18” I wouldn’t go too crazy on the magnification. IMO, 15ish power would be adequate…no more than 20 with that NX8 option you’re considering. Like I said, I’m considering a NX8 2.5-20, but it would be on a 6 ARC.

I’ve been happy with an NX8 1-8 on one of my 14.5” rigs. It does distance well for a tactical rig.

When you say splitting…I’m guessing you’re going to split the duty of the lower receiver with two upper receivers. This may work for a bit…however, you’re better off building two complete rifles that are purpose built for an intended purpose.

I built a second lower already. I am splitting a ddm4v7 pro I purchased as a complete rifle. New lower is an ambi griffin with an A2 and Magpul PRS (considering going to a PRS lite later, but i got this one for a song). Putting a 14.5 DD m4a1 ris iii on the old DD lower. Currently planning on putting the pst gen ii 1-6 on the 14.5 for general use and putting a higher magnification mpvo on the 18” with the offset red dot.

I am aware the above options are probably pushing magnification further than the platform can really support, but not by a ton. After doing the research I’ve done i came down to the above two scopes because they give me the ability to spot my shots on paper at 200 yards while being short enough (size and magnification wise) to be usable at 4x or less magnification. I was also looking hard at the next nx6 3-18 and my backup scope was the pst ii 3-15 if I didn’t think the extra $$ was worth it. That said the reticle options on most of the 3-18 options I’ve seen have been lackluster at 3x (similar to the 2.5, from what I’ve read) and they’re close to the same weight and 1-2 inches longer. I’m honestly leaning towards the 4-24 atm because I think the illumination will make the 4x at least, if not more so, usable than the 2.5-20 at 4x. It’s too bad because if the 2.5-20 had a more functional reticle at the low end (or even enough brightness to function as a pseudo red dot) it would be a home run. But everything I’ve seen and read is that the reticle is only really usable above 4x. I’m working to get my eyes behind the 2.5-20, folks certainly like it.

Thank you for the feedback!

 

[Shivaess]

What do mean by a similiar at distance with the 556?

I guess I’d mean being able to call my own shots at ~300-500 yards similar to how I can call my own shots at 100-200 with the 22. If nothing else I’d like to be able to see holes at 200-300 and have something I’ll be comfortable stretching out to the limits of the round when I get the chance (fire season on BLM land here in CO is going to be unpleasant this year).

The 18” upper with a suppressor and A2 buffer should be very soft shooting and reasonably accurate based on what I’ve read/spec’d out. I know it’s not a 6arc upper, but for getting back into shooting I figure it should be a blast and I’ll leave adding additional calibers to my collection for later.

Thanks for asking!