Meprolight is a brand most known for its handgun iron sights, from tritium night sights to fiber-tritium, self-illuminated adjustable sights, and more. Lately, they have been busy innovating within the optical space, releasing new red dot optics and three magnified optics. The new scope offerings include a 1-8×28, a 3-18×44, and a 6-36×56. These three scopes are all first focal plane with MRAD reticles and are loaded with practical features. As an avid multi-gun competitive shooter, I had to get my hands on the Low Power Variable Optic (LPVO) 1-8x scope to see how it compares to similar models and see for myself if it’s a scope I would consider using in competition. I asked Meprolight to send me the MVO 1-8X28 FFP M1, MRAD riflescope to review, and found the value of the product much higher than the price tag.
LPVO 101
I think learning how to use an LPVO scope is a rite of passage as a gun owner, kind of like how everyone’s first gun is typically a Glock or Smith & Wesson. I remember the first scope I ever bought, a 1-6x magnification second focal plane scope with a simple BDC (MOA) reticle. Of course, back then, I didn’t know what I was doing, and there also weren’t many 1-8x or 1-10x scope options like there are now.
Now, after over a decade of competitive shooting experience, I wouldn’t recommend a second focal plane riflescope or anything other than a MIL reticle. The MOA reticle, to its credit, makes it easy for a newer shooter to learn how to use holdovers on a target. But the MIL reticle makes it easy to go from an LPVO to a higher-level magnification scope like the 6-36×56, where MILs are the name of the long-range game. It’s also much easier to communicate in MILs since most shooters use this reticle, and there’s no need for conversion math.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
One piece of advice I’ve received and would like to pass along is always to buy more magnification than you need. The reason for this is that when you max out your magnification level on a target, you have a small field of view. This can make it challenging to see any misses on target, which is important feedback to watch for. In shooting competitions with multiple long-range targets, being overmagnified can slow you down when hunting for the next target because of the lack of field of view. I now always recommend a minimum of an 8x power.
MVO 1-8×28 Riflescope Features
Throw Lever Extension
When you’re competing in fast-paced run-and-gun style shooting competitions, it is all about speed. There are a lot of stages designed with rifle targets set at various distances to force a shooter to change magnification levels. Close-range paper targets and even targets set at 50-75 yards are simple enough to use 1x power, but a plate rack at 100 yards or targets set at 500 yards are going to need a higher level of magnification. This is where a throw lever is crucial. An extended throw lever is easy to grab hold of and turn to increase the magnification level quickly.In most cases, you can use your support hand’s thumb only to move directions and can do this without having to stop looking through your scope. Without the lever, you need at least two fingers to rotate the magnification ring, and this can require visually looking for the ring.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Red-Green Illumination
I once competed in a long-range night match…with a scope that didn’t have illumination. You can imagine how well that turned out. Now, I’d rather have illumination and not need it than need it and not have it. The Meprolight 1-8x scope features red and green reticle illumination, which illuminates the entire reticle, not just the center dot or an outer ring. I can give you dozens of examples of times where I’ve had to shoot a stage in low light and could have used illumination. There are competitions where you start shooting as the sun is still rising, or shooting after the sun has set. There are match venues where stages are built into the forest, through a shoot house, in a vehicle, and more. Because you never know what your environment could be like, it helps to have illumination.
Zero-Resettable Windage & Elevation Turrets
You always need to sight in your riflescope to the ammunition you plan to use, whether it’s for defensive use or competition. I typically foul a new AR-15 barrel with cheaper, lighter-grain bullets like 55-grain loads and get a rough zero set up at 50 yards to start. After that, I will use 75-grain or 77-grain ammunition that I plan to use for long-range shots in competition to zero the riflescope at 100 yards. The zero-resettable windage and elevation turrets adjust 0.1 MRAD for every one click increment. This gives you the ability to zero the gun more precisely.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
While you’ll more than likely choose to hold a specific number of MILs for long-range targets, some people might prefer to dial the number. Meprolight designed the turrets so you must pull them outward or upward to make adjustments. What I appreciate most is that the markings are mirrored underneath the elevation turret. Hence, as you rotate to the specific mark you’re looking for, it is easy to line up and confirm you’re at the correct elevation.
Mount Reptilia AUS & Bubble Level Mount
The Meprolight 1-8x riflescope has all the features you need from an LPVO and is built to be rugged and durable. With that said, a good quality scope needs a quality mount that is also tough and can take a beating. The Reptilia AUS mount is one of the most solid scope mounts I’ve used. It’s available in different diameters and height levels, depending on your use case. It mounts to any M1913 Picatinny Rail and uses an anti-snag spring-loaded nitride steel clamp with a custom bolt mounting system that allows you to tighten the screws with a T-25 Torx or flat blade driver.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
The AUS mount can also be paired with various offset mounts, ROF mounts, a diving board, and other options Reptilia makes. One attachment I added to my setup is the Bubble Level offset, which easily installs on the left or right side of the AUS mount via any four of the mounting locations. I learned a lot from competing in the precision rifle series and now will always use a bubble level if I can when trying to shoot long-range targets. Finally, it’s important to note that Reptilia makes all its products 100% in the USA.
Final Thoughts
I have spent a lot of time with this riflescope, mounting it to various AR-15s to see how it handles recoil and maintains zero. It’s been thrown in dump barrels, dropped, thrown in a range bag, and used in extreme heat with zero issues. The glass clarity is excellent, and all the controls are easy to use. The diopter is easy to adjust and set to your eyesight. The reticle is nearly identical to what I use now, making it an easy transition to this riflescope.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
There are only two LPVOs I currently trust in competition, but after reviewing the 1-8x riflescope from Meprolight, it’s about to be three. The price tag makes it easy for someone to get started with a quality LPVO without breaking the bank in the process. Overall, I’m impressed with this design and excited to try the bigger scopes soon!
WHY OUR ARTICLES/REVIEWS DO NOT HAVE AFFILIATE LINKS
Affiliate links create a financial incentive for writers to promote certain products, which can lead to biased recommendations. This blurs the line between genuine advice and marketing, reducing trust in the content.
