I agree. Folks are gonna have to be realistic about their needs. My general recommendation is if they intend to scan for targets more often than not then I recommend the G33 or similar 3X. If they generally know where their target is at or need that extra magnification for PID then the G45 is more ideal. I personally opt for the G33 or Aimpoint 3XC for overall, general use.
I love my G45, I find myself using it more than my G43….. thank you for all you do your opinion sways my purchases. If you need a G43 for review I don’t mind sending you mine if needed.
I would recommend considering the G45 for a medium+ range gat with a 1 MOA dot, and the G43 for a shorter setup or a 2+ MOA dot. I have both magnifiers now. The G43 is still pretty new to me, but my initial impression is that I really appreciate the extra 2x magnification with the G45, but also really appreciate the extra FOV with the G43. I think it all comes down to use case. The G4x-series magnifiers are awesome in general! I put my G45 on a 14.5 do-it-all with a EXPS3-2, which has two very precise 1 MOA dots, the bottom of which lands at 400m with heavier 5.56 loads. It's a pretty sweet LPVO alernative. The G43 will live on a 11.5 with a T2. The T2's 2 MOA dot suprised me with how broad it is when magnified even just to 3x, but since the setup is intended for 0-200m, it's still precise enough for those medium range, small target hits.
Thank you! Your scope, red dot, and magnifier videos are always the most instructive and detailed on TH-cam. I appreciate the time you take and the research you do for each video.
Why does nobody (except Sig) make 4x magnifiers? I feel like 4x is really the sweet spot. Similarly why does nobody (except Trijicon) make 4x prism scopes? Magnifiers and prism scopes really seem to be 3x or 5x.
To me bumping up one times isnt that big a diff your not going to see anymore with 4 than 3…. To me now it’s moving up 2 or 3 times you really get an improvement in magnification… the Sig magnifiers btw are nice also before the micros came out altho its DEF NOT a Eotech lol
@@LovesM855A1Doesn’t that same argument apply to 2x and 4x? Why buy a 3x when a 2x with higher fov and eye relief could be more usable with similar magnification etc. It’s all give and take.
G45 paired with EXP3 is the best in terms of the image quality. Even Aimpoint doesn't look as good(especially around the edge), I'm guessing, due to the smaller window size, tho Aimpoint has very good glass and as little tint as possible as a red dot.
You should try the 503g ACSS. Still made by Holosun, but with a Primary Arms sourced emitter. It is perfectly crisp and clear even under 5x magnification.
it's a pity that you didn't show what the combination of g45 with EXPS or Vortex UH looks like when it comes to the reticle view. This dot in the HWS would be much smaller compared to the dot in the collimators.
My question is: why is Primary Arms the first company (that im aware of) to add a ranging reticle to their magnifiers _even though_ i can think of three other red dot manufacturers that have some form of BDC in their dots? I asked Aimpoint and EOTech if they plan to add an optional ranging feature, but im just some guy so i doubt theyll change.
I will be the first to agree that if you want a magnifier that you should not cheap out. With that said I went with the Primary Arms 3X LER Red Dot Magnifier - Gen IV with the flip to the side mount and didn't considering the total real estate that the combo used. I would have been better off going with a LPVO instead of the Red Dot and magnifier combo. At 450 dollars the G45 5X Magnifier is approaching a mid-tier LPVO along with the expense of the Red Dot. Considering that the Magnifier has a shorter Field of View and shorter Eye Relief isn't a LPVO a better solution if you don'y mind a little more weight? I suspect that dialing down to 1x on the LPVO is about the same as flipping the Magnifier up on the red dot. I do understand that you can detach the Magnifier and just run the Red Dot, but how often does that happen?
As someone that has both setups and is more into long range shooting. I have tried the 4 top tier LPVOs and unless I am in a great shooting position, my eotech exps3-4 and g45 are much better out to 500-600 yards. Which is a shame too because I like scopes a lot more than red dots. They are both on Unity riser and ftc and their total weight with the mounts is 26.6 ounces. A top end LPVO with a mount can weigh less actually, but not by much. If you are talking about shooting much further than 5-600 yards, an lpvo could be a better option but you are gonna have to pay for it and they aren’t as easy for some at distance a a traditional mid power scope. Anything less than 500 yards, I would say leans very heavily towards the red dot an magnifier but again, you need to pay for quality.
@@Heywoodthepeckerwood Thanks for the intel. I take it The FAST Optic Riser is for the EOTech? How do you account for wind holds using the EOTech reticle, KY windage?
@@Quality_Guru yes. Kentucky windage. Which is easier for me in odd positions than using a reticle. Especially when you practice at distance, it becomes second nature. People get caught up in the Christmas tree reticles while shooting at their max range but they aren’t as useful within 500 yards or so without a spotter and a very stable shooting position. If you get good at ranging distance with your eyes only, you can get good at realizing distance off target as well. Tho, this all goes out the windo at longer ranges. I used large cardboard targets (8’x8’) at distance to get used to my windage holds in various conditions.
I like the magnifier, but see the wisdom of both setups. I like the brightness/size of the Holo reticle at 1x vs LPVO, and that I can take it off to lighten up the rifle if I’m not shooting beyond a certain distance on a given day. Cheers
Just to add my 2 cents. This works well with the nicer holosun optics. I have it behind a 515ct and the reticle is perfectly crisp. The only issue is that on brighter settings the dot will bloom a little but that’s kinda a universal issue for dots with magnifiers. Second the lateral and vertical eye box for this thing is truly miniscule. And that’s very noticeable when paired with taller mounts like the unity. I have a primary arms 5x microprism and the eye box on that is noticeably more forgiving. If you plan on a lot of positional shooting under the magnifier, especially with taller 1.93+ mounts I would say stick with the 43. If you want something more for talking a well stabilized shot at distance take the 45
Ive had numerous Sig, Vortex, and Primary Arms magnifiers in addition to cheaper ones and I thought the G45 was the best overall but still not worth the price for my use.
There is no optic out there (well one possible exception that I haven't tried....the UH1) that is as clear, refined and crisp under magnification as an Eotech is. It's one of the great attributes of the holographic sight. Yeah as an overall package, it definitely has its cons but an Eotech stands out in 4 aspects: under magnification, field of view, speed and shooting passively with night vision.
Thanks for another great review! Some info I was looking for but couldn't find anywhere online, that maybe you might know, is how big is the objective lense and eye box on this?
Notice that not too many people talk about that mount and how it kind of gets in the way of the charging handle and also blocks the window a little bit when not in use. I prefer the side folder mount for those reasons, that and it sits lowers that way
So what magnifier has the biggest eyebox and most eye relief right now? Honestly that's my only concern at this point, with the 3X micro from PA I have to get literally right up on the back of the charging handle to see what I need to.
@@LovesM855A1 I know that’s why I didn’t ask for their comparison to Eotech. I’m looking for a budget magnifier for home defense / range. And Tripp Focus has broken a lot I admit lol
@@tannicapple to me, my opinion and I have these is get a Sig XDR and a Juliette mag combo….. its not bad at all the emitter is crisp in xdr and you get circle dot like eotech or just dot…. I didn’t know you were looking for budget is why I was like ? So my bad. Anyways so far Ive had great success and if you want to go cheaper than a xdr get the plain romeo…… they are pretty dang tough if you look up torture test on the tubes….. tripp loves them and even he hasn’t broke any! Anyways just my opinion and experience so I hope you find a combo for YOU.
Should have compared it to Slx 5x microprism as I don't think there is much difference between their magnifiers and actual microprisim scopes except glass etching and illumination electronics.
I have a Eotech Xps2-2 on a unity riser 2.26in. Was hoping to see you use this behind one to shoot out to distance. Want to run this setup on a X95 Tavor
Just got a sig Juliet 5 and I have it all the way back on the charging handle and the eye box is awful, I have to crank nose to charging handle. Is this just the nature of 5x magnifiers or is there a mount I could get to bring the magnifier back a bit
So I know how bad this is going to sound. But I was surprised and I suspect you will be to. I recommend trying out a newest generation version of the 5x Monstrum magnifiers. I know, I was skeptical but figured why not give it a try. It's surpsingly good. Obviously not of eotech quality but surprisingly good.
I've owned both and in my opinion the micro is lighter, more affordable, and overall good but the G45 is all around better particularly considering it's more forgiving eyebox and better mount.
Showing how a magnifier, well, magnifies any optical and reticle imperfections of the base optic is VERY helpful. I’m not sure I see how a 5x magnifier would be preferable to a 1-5x LVPO. I have a 3x Eotech magnifier. It works well and looks good. However, I don’t like it flipped out to the side when not in use.
11:21 Im failing to see how practical a 5x magnifier would be over a 3x. You loose a lot of field of view and AR’s are not that accurate. I think after 300 yards you’d be better off switching to a 308 bolt gun
Well you can remove it in a quarter second with the push of a QD it comes on….. and your slx whatever is not up to the task of what a Eotech anything can endure…. A slx pa is NOT a battle anything! U cant compare…..
@@LovesM855A1 Please upload a video of you removing anything QD in .25 seconds. If you can go from hands at ready position to mount removed in .25 seconds, I'll put my slx in a blender and upload the video.
@@LovesM855A1 We talking about eotech who was sued by the Federal government? The same eotech that delaminates? Holosun is battle proven so it must be better 🥴
@@BasedF-15Pilotwhat is true is that. The Slx is a sportsman’s optic. The eotech is a military optic that is absolutely more durable than you our I will ever care about. If that matter to you continue to blend your slx.
It is a magnifier. It isn’t a red dot, or a holographic sight. Sorry for $650 American dollars for a magnifier I am out. Vortex magnifiers are 300-450 Street price and have a lifetime warranty. Sorry Eotech.
@@theayeguy5226paired with something like a eotech with bdc reticle, on a 308 rifle, it'd probably be at home there, but that's pretty niche use case. 3x is a far better general use magnification
I agree. Folks are gonna have to be realistic about their needs. My general recommendation is if they intend to scan for targets more often than not then I recommend the G33 or similar 3X. If they generally know where their target is at or need that extra magnification for PID then the G45 is more ideal. I personally opt for the G33 or Aimpoint 3XC for overall, general use.
I love my G45, I find myself using it more than my G43….. thank you for all you do your opinion sways my purchases. If you need a G43 for review I don’t mind sending you mine if needed.
I prefer the G19 to the G45 and the G43X to the G43.
🤣🤣
@@baron1c yeah I can say not bad picks at all especially to g19! Lol
@@LovesM855A1the g48 with shield arms mag is the same footprint, same capacity as the g19 but slimmer..
I would recommend considering the G45 for a medium+ range gat with a 1 MOA dot, and the G43 for a shorter setup or a 2+ MOA dot.
I have both magnifiers now. The G43 is still pretty new to me, but my initial impression is that I really appreciate the extra 2x magnification with the G45, but also really appreciate the extra FOV with the G43. I think it all comes down to use case. The G4x-series magnifiers are awesome in general!
I put my G45 on a 14.5 do-it-all with a EXPS3-2, which has two very precise 1 MOA dots, the bottom of which lands at 400m with heavier 5.56 loads. It's a pretty sweet LPVO alernative.
The G43 will live on a 11.5 with a T2. The T2's 2 MOA dot suprised me with how broad it is when magnified even just to 3x, but since the setup is intended for 0-200m, it's still precise enough for those medium range, small target hits.
Thank you! Your scope, red dot, and magnifier videos are always the most instructive and detailed on TH-cam. I appreciate the time you take and the research you do for each video.
Why does nobody (except Sig) make 4x magnifiers? I feel like 4x is really the sweet spot. Similarly why does nobody (except Trijicon) make 4x prism scopes? Magnifiers and prism scopes really seem to be 3x or 5x.
To me bumping up one times isnt that big a diff your not going to see anymore with 4 than 3…. To me now it’s moving up 2 or 3 times you really get an improvement in magnification… the Sig magnifiers btw are nice also before the micros came out altho its DEF NOT a Eotech lol
Unity is coming out with a 4x magnifier as well as Meprolight. To me, they look like the same OEM just the Unity comes with an integrated 2.26 mount.
@@LovesM855A1Doesn’t that same argument apply to 2x and 4x? Why buy a 3x when a 2x with higher fov and eye relief could be more usable with similar magnification etc. It’s all give and take.
Vector makes a 4x prism that is supposed to be decent.
I had one and it was great! Great eye relief(around 4”) and clear glass - kind of regret selling it 😭
G45 paired with EXP3 is the best in terms of the image quality. Even Aimpoint doesn't look as good(especially around the edge), I'm guessing, due to the smaller window size, tho Aimpoint has very good glass and as little tint as possible as a red dot.
Great review sir. As thorough as is needed and as concise as is wanted.
I love your reviews but to point it out, the Eotech magnifiers are also tanks. They are multi year battle proven and that is worth a lot.
True that…. Annnnnnnd thats exactly why I bought both the g45 and 43 because it will last a lifetime and kids its passed onto….
Excellent review as always thank
Thank you very much.
You should try the 503g ACSS. Still made by Holosun, but with a Primary Arms sourced emitter. It is perfectly crisp and clear even under 5x magnification.
Loved my 503g
it's a pity that you didn't show what the combination of g45 with EXPS or Vortex UH looks like when it comes to the reticle view. This dot in the HWS would be much smaller compared to the dot in the collimators.
My question is: why is Primary Arms the first company (that im aware of) to add a ranging reticle to their magnifiers _even though_ i can think of three other red dot manufacturers that have some form of BDC in their dots?
I asked Aimpoint and EOTech if they plan to add an optional ranging feature, but im just some guy so i doubt theyll change.
a ranging reticle wouldn’t be needed within the magnifiers range anyways if you have a good zero
I will be the first to agree that if you want a magnifier that you should not cheap out. With that said I went with the Primary Arms 3X LER Red Dot Magnifier - Gen IV with the flip to the side mount and didn't considering the total real estate that the combo used. I would have been better off going with a LPVO instead of the Red Dot and magnifier combo. At 450 dollars the G45 5X Magnifier is approaching a mid-tier LPVO along with the expense of the Red Dot. Considering that the Magnifier has a shorter Field of View and shorter Eye Relief isn't a LPVO a better solution if you don'y mind a little more weight? I suspect that dialing down to 1x on the LPVO is about the same as flipping the Magnifier up on the red dot. I do understand that you can detach the Magnifier and just run the Red Dot, but how often does that happen?
As someone that has both setups and is more into long range shooting. I have tried the 4 top tier LPVOs and unless I am in a great shooting position, my eotech exps3-4 and g45 are much better out to 500-600 yards. Which is a shame too because I like scopes a lot more than red dots.
They are both on Unity riser and ftc and their total weight with the mounts is 26.6 ounces. A top end LPVO with a mount can weigh less actually, but not by much.
If you are talking about shooting much further than 5-600 yards, an lpvo could be a better option but you are gonna have to pay for it and they aren’t as easy for some at distance a a traditional mid power scope. Anything less than 500 yards, I would say leans very heavily towards the red dot an magnifier but again, you need to pay for quality.
@@Heywoodthepeckerwood Thanks for the intel. I take it The FAST Optic Riser is for the EOTech? How do you account for wind holds using the EOTech reticle, KY windage?
@@Quality_Guru yes. Kentucky windage. Which is easier for me in odd positions than using a reticle. Especially when you practice at distance, it becomes second nature. People get caught up in the Christmas tree reticles while shooting at their max range but they aren’t as useful within 500 yards or so without a spotter and a very stable shooting position. If you get good at ranging distance with your eyes only, you can get good at realizing distance off target as well. Tho, this all goes out the windo at longer ranges.
I used large cardboard targets (8’x8’) at distance to get used to my windage holds in various conditions.
@@Heywoodthepeckerwood eloquently put just like the rest of your build I imagine
I like the magnifier, but see the wisdom of both setups. I like the brightness/size of the Holo reticle at 1x vs LPVO, and that I can take it off to lighten up the rifle if I’m not shooting beyond a certain distance on a given day.
Cheers
I hosted a gas gun match last weekend and my buddy was running this and a eotech exps3-0. He killed it at the 430-530 yard targets
Thats on him, not this
Can you review the Swampfox Raider micro prism? It would be a good comparison to the up and coming Primay Arms 1x GLX micro prism and the 1x SLX.
Just to add my 2 cents. This works well with the nicer holosun optics. I have it behind a 515ct and the reticle is perfectly crisp. The only issue is that on brighter settings the dot will bloom a little but that’s kinda a universal issue for dots with magnifiers.
Second the lateral and vertical eye box for this thing is truly miniscule. And that’s very noticeable when paired with taller mounts like the unity. I have a primary arms 5x microprism and the eye box on that is noticeably more forgiving.
If you plan on a lot of positional shooting under the magnifier, especially with taller 1.93+ mounts I would say stick with the 43. If you want something more for talking a well stabilized shot at distance take the 45
Eotech is the bomb. Love my exps 3-0.
Ive had numerous Sig, Vortex, and Primary Arms magnifiers in addition to cheaper ones and I thought the G45 was the best overall but still not worth the price for my use.
Love this channel!
There is no optic out there (well one possible exception that I haven't tried....the UH1) that is as clear, refined and crisp under magnification as an Eotech is. It's one of the great attributes of the holographic sight. Yeah as an overall package, it definitely has its cons but an Eotech stands out in 4 aspects: under magnification, field of view, speed and shooting passively with night vision.
UH1 is indeed clear under magnification like Eotech is.
Thanks for another great review! Some info I was looking for but couldn't find anywhere online, that maybe you might know, is how big is the objective lense and eye box on this?
Notice that not too many people talk about that mount and how it kind of gets in the way of the charging handle and also blocks the window a little bit when not in use. I prefer the side folder mount for those reasons, that and it sits lowers that way
Agreed.
Can't wait for you to test the arken 1-8.
Swampfox tomahawk 2 review coming?
So what magnifier has the biggest eyebox and most eye relief right now? Honestly that's my only concern at this point, with the 3X micro from PA I have to get literally right up on the back of the charging handle to see what I need to.
Probably the G43 followed by the HS HMX3
@@sodajones2576g43 has awful eye relief
Excellent review but it was a shame not to show an EOTech or Aimpoint.
Do you have experience with the Vortex magnifier or PA GLX magnifier? If so which do you prefer?
NEITHER of those compare to Eotech, again those are NOT battle optics nor reliable, how many pa “cyclops” has tripp focus broke on his channel……
@@LovesM855A1 I know that’s why I didn’t ask for their comparison to Eotech. I’m looking for a budget magnifier for home defense / range. And Tripp Focus has broken a lot I admit lol
@@tannicapple to me, my opinion and I have these is get a Sig XDR and a Juliette mag combo….. its not bad at all the emitter is crisp in xdr and you get circle dot like eotech or just dot…. I didn’t know you were looking for budget is why I was like ? So my bad. Anyways so far Ive had great success and if you want to go cheaper than a xdr get the plain romeo…… they are pretty dang tough if you look up torture test on the tubes….. tripp loves them and even he hasn’t broke any! Anyways just my opinion and experience so I hope you find a combo for YOU.
Should have compared it to Slx 5x microprism as I don't think there is much difference between their magnifiers and actual microprisim scopes except glass etching and illumination electronics.
C_Does - so anything above a 3x is no longer "a fools errand"?
Get that Sig Romeo 8T review 😋
Facts
I have a Eotech Xps2-2 on a unity riser 2.26in. Was hoping to see you use this behind one to shoot out to distance. Want to run this setup on a X95 Tavor
Can u or have u done a video on the swamp fox saber?
HRF Concepts 3D printed cover is waaaaaay better. Love it on my G45.
How do the turrets feel? Any clicks?
Eotech collab with primary arms for an acss holographic Reticle. WITH SHAKE AWAKE
As long as its primary arms reliable, not eotech "reliable".
Just got a sig Juliet 5 and I have it all the way back on the charging handle and the eye box is awful, I have to crank nose to charging handle. Is this just the nature of 5x magnifiers or is there a mount I could get to bring the magnifier back a bit
With the unity mount and g43x can you run kac flip up rear irons?
I’m new to this stuff ended up getting a holosun hm3x base on your review . What kind of equipment do you use to record what you see thru your sights?
Is there any way you could do a review of the Steiner t6xi 2.5-15 with the SCR mil reticle?
How is it so far? Anyone? I want to buy this magnifier.
Is this footage from last year?
DAMMIT CAN WE GET A SIG ROMEO 4T/PRO/XT PRO WITH JUILIET 4 MAGNIFIER REVIEW??
So I know how bad this is going to sound. But I was surprised and I suspect you will be to. I recommend trying out a newest generation version of the 5x Monstrum magnifiers. I know, I was skeptical but figured why not give it a try. It's surpsingly good. Obviously not of eotech quality but surprisingly good.
Compare to Juliet 5x? I was able to buy that with an upgraded Romeo 5 XDR for only $230.
Yes but the sig stuff is no where inline with quality or durability with Eotech and I have a couple sig combos with the xdr ……
Cause it’s made in China
Why can’t EO just make a 4x. I want more than 3x but if I’m going to buy a 5x I’ll just get a LPVO… beyond frustrating
Why does the promethean lp1 get crapped on all the time? Worth buying? duty use? thanks.
At its cost? No, buy a real holographic eotech
@@stephen_crumley I have a few eotechs, I just don't like that they don't stay on
Because it was incredibly astroturfed. It’s mid at best. Extremely heavy. With poor performance for the cost.
@@MyLonewolf25 thanks lone wolf =)
The LP1 is functionally a less durable Holosun 512 with more weight, less features and a worse warranty backing it up
Do the juliet 5x micro
I've owned both and in my opinion the micro is lighter, more affordable, and overall good but the G45 is all around better particularly considering it's more forgiving eyebox and better mount.
I have the G45 sitting in front of the EXPS3 on my MK18. Easy shooting....
Swampfox raider pew? 🤔
Showing how a magnifier, well, magnifies any optical and reticle imperfections of the base optic is VERY helpful.
I’m not sure I see how a 5x magnifier would be preferable to a 1-5x LVPO. I have a 3x Eotech magnifier. It works well and looks good. However, I don’t like it flipped out to the side when not in use.
Eotech doesn’t get magnified and night vision capability
11:21 Im failing to see how practical a 5x magnifier would be over a 3x. You loose a lot of field of view and AR’s are not that accurate.
I think after 300 yards you’d be better off switching to a 308 bolt gun
You, your ammo, your barrel or a combination are just garbage because 14.5’s are accurate to like 750 lmao go watch “mountains mullets merica”
this thing meant to be behind EXPS 3-4 or 3-2
Uh.. or any dot.
I have decided to go for the middle ground between 3x/5x and I’m going with the Unity fast ftc 4x 😎
I wouldn’t spend the money for the eotech magnifier it’s over priced, I have the Vortex 3X and it works great and much cheaper.
Mounting nearly a pound onto the rail is a heavy price to pay for 5x. (pun intended) I'd rather just grab a SLx 5x at 8.5oz
Well you can remove it in a quarter second with the push of a QD it comes on….. and your slx whatever is not up to the task of what a Eotech anything can endure…. A slx pa is NOT a battle anything! U cant compare…..
@@LovesM855A1 Please upload a video of you removing anything QD in .25 seconds. If you can go from hands at ready position to mount removed in .25 seconds, I'll put my slx in a blender and upload the video.
@@LovesM855A1 We talking about eotech who was sued by the Federal government? The same eotech that delaminates? Holosun is battle proven so it must be better 🥴
@@BasedF-15Pilot 🤣😂🤣 well aren’t we awful damn literal ?? And regardless of me you should do yourself a favor and put that slx in blender anyways…..
@@BasedF-15Pilotwhat is true is that. The Slx is a sportsman’s optic. The eotech is a military optic that is absolutely more durable than you our I will ever care about. If that matter to you continue to blend your slx.
$650....???? Ridiculous
Quality costs.
Just say you’re broke
Buy once cry once 🤷
It is a magnifier. It isn’t a red dot, or a holographic sight. Sorry for $650 American dollars for a magnifier I am out. Vortex magnifiers are 300-450
Street price and have a lifetime warranty. Sorry Eotech.
Agreed and eotech is not my favorite company
Just say you’re broke and like supporting China
the Vortex micro 3x is $200 and compares favorably to the G43/G33
People buy eotech so it’ll last in a situation where companies don’t exist and can’t warranty your stuff
@@mynamejef7963 it is just a magnifier. Not too much to break. Vortex all day long.
5X is probably too much. The traditional (proven) mag range for this purpose has been 3x - 4x.
"Proven" by who, for who?
@@jamesstephenson2346 consensus
@@theayeguy5226paired with something like a eotech with bdc reticle, on a 308 rifle, it'd probably be at home there, but that's pretty niche use case. 3x is a far better general use magnification