Category Archives: Shooting Sports

Firearms and shooting sports

Shooting Sports

Arken LH-6 SFP 1-6×24

The Arken EP8 is one of the best FFP LPVOs I’ve tested. So, I was very eager to get my hands on the LH6 when I first heard that Arken was releasing a 1-6×24 LPVO in second focal plane (SFP). I prefer SFP LPVOs because their reticle doesn’t change shape with magnification, and I find 1-6x LPVOs to have more forgiving eye boxes than higher power models.

In physical appearance and build quality, the LH6 is nearly identical to the EP8. The LH6 even shares the same KL-Box reticle that incorporates a ranging ladder into the BDC hold-over markings, making it one of the fastest optics to shoot. Unfortunately, while this design works for the FFP EP8, I find the design to be a bit too busy and cluttered for a 1x LVPO.

I still like the KL-Box reticle, but I suggest Arken simplify it for the LH6. They could remove all of the numbers from one side because they are duplicated on the other. And then remove every other number because people know that between 4 and 6 is the number 5. They could remove half of the L-shaped sizing stadia, and it would still be a usable ranging ladder because you can determine if the target is closer or farther if they are smaller or larger than the remaining L.

Here’s the original (left) and my suggested KL-Box Mod M (for Moondog).

SHOP

Amazon https://amzn.to/3DnlQtN

RESOLUTION (50y)

Group -2 / Element 6

SPECS

MAGNIFICATION1-6x
OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER24mm
EYE RELIEF3.74″
FoV at x1133.5′ 24°
FoV at x621.2′ 4.06°
TUBE DIAMETER30mm
TURRET ADJUSTMENT1/4 MOA
RETICLE POSITIONSecond Focal Plane
RETICLE DETAILSBDC – KLBOX
ELEVATION ADJ180 MOA
WINDAGE ADJ180 MOA
WEIGHT20.6oz
BATTERYCR2032 (Not Included)
Shooting Sports

MidTen Red Green Dot Reflex

MidTen is a budget firearms accessory brand that many consider to be Airsoft grade. Their products typically come in unmarked boxes, and their products don’t have logos. They released an update rifle reflex sight simply named the “Red Green Dot”. A generic name that perfectly matches their generic packaging.

This reflex sight appears to be a beefed up replica of the Ultradot style reflex; made of metal and polymer. Like Ultradot copies, it a rotary selector at the rear that changes an etched mask which changes the shape of the reticle projected. The unit offers a choice of 4 patterns: dot, circle-dot, crosshair-dot, and sunburst. The unit has a metal cage around a large sized mirrored lens but all reflex sights are not as rugged as a holographic EOTech. From personal experience, an airsoft BB hit from CQB distance can chip a lens so extra protection is required for actual airsoft use.

The Ultradot design is simple and reliable but quite a bit out dated by a couple of decades. Two other disappointing aspects of the design is its QD lever and battery. It has a quick detatch lever with a Picatinny base which does not offer a secondary lock, which means it could work itself loose after repeated recoil. Most red dots are powered by a CR2032 coin battery, but oddly this reflex is powered by a 3 x stacked, tiny LR41 button batteries.

I tested the unit on my Ruger 10/22 at 50yrds. I ran over 100 rounds of 22LR and the unit held zero. While 22LR doesn’t have much recoil, in my experience airsoft optics don’t hold zero on firearm even after a mag or two. This reflex may be a cheap as an airsoft optic but it appears to be a suitable to take to the range on a real firearm.

BUY IT

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H8VRFXC 10% Discount Code: B53QR2BD  

Shooting Sports, Social

TMI Live 241226

Aura https://aura.com/moondog

EARLYBIRD Clue: This submachine gun inspired by the CZ Model SA 25

THIS WEEK

Moondog2A

https://youtu.be/7pNa73Y6voM

Moondog Reviews

Moondog Go

EARLBIRD CLUE: This gun was first issued in 1954/56 and used in combat during the 1967 Six-Day-War. And seen used by Secret Service Agents during the attempted assination of President Regan.

THUMBNAIL THIS

WORD(s) OF THE WEEK

Colly

The lyrics to the “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was first published in the 1700s and based on a French poem. What we sing as Day 4: Four Calling Birds was originally written as “Colly” which is a European Black Bird. “Colly” is derived from “Coal-y” meaning black and where Border Collies get their name.

-American Ornithological Society
https://americanornithology.org/four-calling-birds/

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

12 Days of Christmas
The 12 days of Christmas is the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings’ Day).

Stille Nacht / Silent Night
“Silent Night” (German: “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht”) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.

What are your Christmas taditions?

New England Lobster Market https://newenglandlobster.net/

CONTESTS

CVLife EagleTalon 1-6×24 https://moondogindustries.com/december-2024-contest-cvlife/

Next Livestream Thursday January 2

EARLBIRD CLUE: This submachine gun was designed by Maj. Uziel Gal and was first produced by IWI and FN.

HASHTAG DRAWING #uzi

Shooting Sports, Social

DATR FTS Overwatch Mission

Day at the Range is a popular YouTube channel that creates uniquely designed and fun rimfire challenge targets. He shoots them on his channel and encourages other shooters to download them and share their results. This December he created a snowman themed target where we have to protect Frosty The Snowman (code name: FTS) from being melted by evil suns.

I downloaded the target and added some festive holiday colors to the otherwise black and white target. I posted my target at the prescribed 50yrds and after zeroing my scope, proceeded to shoot at each sun. I missed about half of them unfortunately. Worse yet, I hit FTS with one of the misses. I only managed a meger score of 2 points but it was a fun attempt nonetheless.

If you’re interested in the scope I was using in this video, its the new Discovery Optic LHD 8-32×56. A very high magnification scope for a very budget price. I reviewed it https://youtu.be/Jn7LcnJBsbg

You can download this target on the Day at the Range website https://dayattherange.com/fts-overwatch-mission/

Download my Christmas color target

BUY IT

Discovery Optics website 10% Off code Moondog: https://www.discoveryopt.com/DISCOVERYOPT-LHD-8-32X56SFIR-FFP-Z-optics-Scopes.html

Amazon 10% discount code: Moondog832 https://amzn.to/3Ck6nu2

Shooting Sports

OLight OSight Red Dot

Olight is a flashlight company known for making high-performance flashlights for a more reasonable price point than more tactical brands such as Surefire and Streamlight. It was a bit surprising when Olight quietly previewed a micro-reflex sight at SHOT Show 2024. OLight makes weapon lights but is the first flashlight company to make a weapon optic (that I’m aware of).

The OSight is unusual among micro-reflex sights for having an oversized lens window and for being powered by an internal rechargeable battery. Moreover, it is unique in that its lens cover is also its charger and a mini-powerbank capable of recharging the OSight up to 4 times without being plugged into a USB-C cable. Fully charged the unit can run for up to 70,000 hours on low brightness which is impressive.

The Osight functions like a perfectly normal red dot and now comes in a green dot version as well. It also has auto-dimming, motion activation, and auto-off. And like OLight’s other products, the OSight comes in at a reasonable price compared to premium brands such as Trijicon and Holosun.

70,000 hours is a long time, nearly 8 years at low power; and they claim it will run continuously on the highest brightness for 17 days. But why would you need to constantly keep it charged? It seems a bit of an overpowered solution to the problem of changing a CR2032 coin battery. But overpowered for a reasonable price is something Olight is known for. I’ll leave that for the consumer to decide.

BUY

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1GH6X9X?ref=t_ac_view_request_product_image&campaignId=amzn1.campaign.17IKT0XT0KJCA&linkCode=tr1&tag=moondogindu05-20&linkId=amzn1.campaign.17IKT0XT0KJCA_1779735173197

SPECS

Reticle Type3 MOA Dot
Adjustment1 MOA per Click
W&E Travel Range± 45 MOA
Window Size0.94 * 0.85 in (24 * 21.5 mm)
Brightness Settings12 (10 visible & 2 NV)
Max. Runtime70,000 Hours
Power Source OpticBuilt-in 170mAh Rechargeable Lithium Polymer Battery
Power Source Charging CoverBuilt-in 800mAh Rechargeable Lithium Polymer Battery
Charging TypeUSB-C Charging
Dimensions (Length x Width x Height)Optic: 1.77 * 1.18 * 1.29 in (45 * 30 * 32.8 mm)
Dimensions (Length x Width x Height)Charging Cover: 1.38 * 2.01 * 1.73 in (35 * 51 * 44 mm)
WaterproofOptic: IPX6; Charging Cover: IPX4
WeightOptic: 2.12 oz (60 g)
Shooting Sports

Primary Arms SLx 1-8×24

When Primary Arms (PA) introduced the ACSS about 10 years ago (an evolution of the Trijicon ACOG reticle), PA quickly became the must-try LPVO. When PA introduced the 1-8×24 they set a new bar for high-power, budget LPVOs. SupersetCA, Garandthumb, MrGunsnGear reviewed it and raved about it, and I bought into the hype and I bought one.

Because so many other big Guntubers had already covered this optic, I didn’t see a need to do a review of mine. But after I started posting reviews of LPVOs from SIGs, Vortex, even Monstrum, one of the more common comments I’ve gotten is some like “You should try a Primary Arms”. So here I am 5 years after I bought mine, with a review of the PA SLx 1-8×24.

This scope doesn’t come with a lot of accessories in the package. All the magic is in the scope. It has a decent eyebox, pretty clear glass (though not edge to edge clarity), bright illumination, and one of the best SFP combat reticles available, the ACSS.

4 years ago, I had taken 1-8x off my ready rifle to put it into rack storage to make room for optics I was testing for my channel. It was sitting in storage when I pulled it out to test on camera. I discovered that it had a parallax alignment flaw causing objects to shift in position when brought into the scope’s field of view at 1x. I suspect 99% of the buying public would never notice this flaw (I didn’t when I bought it nor in the time I used it).

I contacted Primary Arms about the issue and sent them photos and they were amazing. They called me immediately and sent me a return label and inspected my scope. And this was a 100% joe-blow customer interaction. I had never reviewed their products nor had a contact at PA; to them I was just any other customer. PA confirmed what I was seeing in the scope and sent me a brand new one to replace it. I was pleased to discover this SLx had slightly better glass and illumination than my original scope: Great job PA, twice!

The PA SLx 1-8x may not have the sharpest or flattest glass (fisheye) but I still love the ACSS reticle for its fast and intuitive design. The ACSS is not really great for precision shots over 500 yrds away but honestly, that’s not what I use a LPVO for. I’m looking to engage man-sized targets from CQB distance to an 8″ plate from 150yrds. Sadly the SLx also taught me that more is not better: the trade off in higher magnification with an LPVO is a tighter eyebox at 1x.

The SLx may not be the best. It may not be the cheapest. But the SLx remains my benchmark for a solid, practical, “budget” combat optic.

If you want a detailed explanation of how the ACSS reticle works, check out MrGunsnGear’s video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfVEQXVxi4A

SHOP

Primary Arms https://alnk.to/9xjE2Pt

SPECS

Objective Diameter: 24mm

Magnification: 1X – 8X

Click Value: 1/2 MOA

Illumination: red

Eye Relief: 3.50 in

Reticle: ACSS Second Focal Plane

Exit Pupil: 9.0mm at 1x, 3.0mm at 8x

Length: 10.0 in

Weight16.9 Oz

Battery: CR2032 

Shooting Sports

Discovery ED-PRS GenII 4-20×52

They say “Less is More” that could certainly be said of the ED-PRS GenII 4-20×52 scope. Earlier this year, I reviewed Discovery Optics new GenII revision of their ED-PRS 5-25×56 scope. The GenII EP-PRS boasted improved optical clarity by using Japanese ED glass. So, why would they make a 20x scope when they already offered a 25x? And why would you want to buy one?

The 20x version appears nearly identical to the 25x. In terms of performance, the 20x has a 4x magnification factor which means in theory it should provide slightly a sharper and brighter image when set to the same power numbers as the 25x. In my testing, the differences were too subtle for me to see. But what I could clearly see is that the 20x is slightly shorter, slightly lighter, and slightly cheaper than the 25x.

Moreover, most hunters and target shooters don’t typically shoot a 5-25x scope at its maximum 25x; preferring a setting of about 12x or 16x to improve clarity and brightness. A 20x scope is able to be used at 12-18x. Let me again remind you that the 20x is slightly shorter, slightly lighter, and slightly cheaper than the 25x. It all starts to make more practical sense.

BUY IT

Discovery website (get 10% off with CODE: moondog): https://discoveryopt.com/ED-PRS-4-20X52SFIR-FFP-Optics-Scope.html

or
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZxHRP8

RESOLUION

Group: -1
Element: 5

SPECS

Objective Lens: 52 mm

Magnification: 4-20x

Tube Diameter: 34 mm

Max Elev Adj: 32 MRAD

Max Wind Adj: 17 MRAD

Adj/Click : 0.1MRAD

Exit Pupil: 2.6 – 13.3 mm

Field of View,: 6.1-30.6 ft @ 100 yds

Eye Relief: 3.3 in

Weight: 39.3 oz

Length: 14.8 in

Lens: Japanese ED Glass

Product Reviews, Shooting Sports

Athlon Cronus G2 20-60×86


Athlon makes a wide range of spotters but doesn’t have as storied name recognition as other bigger brands. The Cronus is Athlon’s top tier product line. Their Gen2 UHD 20-60x86mm spotting scope is not in the same class as a Kowa or Swarski, it still does not disappoint. This scope is a beast weighing in at nearly 5lbs, which isn’t surprising given it’s large 86mm objective. This large lens gathers in a lot of light providing a very bright picture especially during dusk.

The Cronus comes with a set of rubber lens caps. The front has a loop for a lanyard but no lanyard was included. The body is rubberized and armored for durability and grip. The body comes with an ARCA-Swiss compatible tripod ring which rotates 180º with indexing for an easy return to 0º. The eyepiece has a large diameter lens for a wide eyebox and a built in retracting eye cup.

The Cronus sports UHD glass which is Athlon’s term for their flavor of Extra Low Dispersion glass. While my testing camera does show some slight chromatic aberration at 60x, this is not noticeable with the naked eye. The image I was seeing was clean, accurate, and sharp from center to outer edge.

The only disappointing aspect of this scope isn’t the scope but its accessories. The padded sleeve style case is designed to allow you to keep the scope inside the soft case while mounting and using the scope on a tripod. While a laudable attempt, the materials and construction feel a bit cheap compared to the the scope. And the lens caps should have come with optional lanyards to keep them retained onto the scope. These issues are superficial and don’t detract from the actual performance of the Cronus.

Athlon sent me their new dual focus model with a fine focus knob sitting on top of the fast focus. This model is not yet released but their standard model with a large focus ring around the tube is widely available.

BUY IT

Ring focus Cronus G2 on Amazon https://amzn.to/3CIiwJh

SPECS

CRONUS G2

Magnification: 20-60x

Objective: 86mm

Eye Relief: .79 – .7”

Close Focus : 29.5 ft

FOV: 117 – 60 ft @ 1000 yrds

Coating: XPL

Glass: UHD

Prism: BaK-4

Waterproof: IPX 7 

Purge Gas: Argon

Weight: 73.5 oz

Dimensions: 15.2 “x 6.7”

Shooting Sports

TMI Live 241204

Aura https://aura.com/moondog

EARLBIRD #olight

THIS WEEK

Moondog2A https://youtu.be/bATNlNzYZCo

Moondog Reviews https://youtu.be/_VZy3HD0H4U

Moondog Go https://youtu.be/3RO4Yya0vg4

THUMBNAIL THIS

EARLYBIRD DRAWING i3E #olight

END DRAWING Olight Beanie #olight

WORD OF THE WEEK

Mandella Effect

Mandela effect, popularized phenomenon in which a group of people collectively misremember facts, events, or other details in a consistent manner. Paranormal researcher and author Fiona Broome conceptualized the effect after discovering that she and others possessed strong, yet false, memories about the death of South African anti-apartheid activist (and later president) Nelson Mandela while in prison during the 1980s. Research has found evidence for a specific Mandela effect concerning the misidentification of certain pop culture images; however, intense debate has occurred over potential causal mechanisms, many of which include pseudoscientific explanations.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/mandela-effect

RABBIT HOLE

Mandella Effect WatchMojo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkO9zO62k-w

Dave Foley on Joe Rogan CERN and Mandella Effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z03gKig0SI

51 Songs you didn’t know were covers. Billy Dee Williams “A Taste of Honey” https://youtu.be/bHLU6JDgnmA?si=jcBagODS4n-eJR9J

CONTESTS

FEYACHI DRAWING

CVLife EagleTalon 1-6×24 https://moondogindustries.com/december-2024-contest-cvlife/

Olight Beanie HASHTAG DRAWING #olight

Shooting Sports

Riton 3Tactix 3x Magnifier

You will find very few reviews of magnifiers on my channel because I’m not a fan of them. I don’t like feel and balance when they are flipped the side and dislike how they block my field of view. But I totally understand why someone would choose to run them. Combined with a light weight red dot, they are slightly lighter than an LPVO without the LPVO’s limitations with daylight illumination. For fans of magnifier/red dot combos, will enjoy the new Riton 3x magnifier.

The Riton 3x is compact and relatively light for a 3x magnifier, including the weight of the QD side-flip mount. It has clear sharp image from edge to edge. You won’t see a big black donut around your scope like most magnifiers. It has a relatively large objective lens and a thin tube which creates a view that appears to be a nearly all image with no visible tube body.

The only disappointing aspects for me was it’s relatively shallow eye relief and side flip mechanism. It’s eye relief is under 3″ which forced me to choke up on my fixed stock. This would be even more problematical for shooters wearing body armor. The spring loaded side flip mount is well built with a locking QD lever system. But the side flip mechanism release button is positioned in the middle of the mount directly over the QD lever hinge. This may have been a deliberate choice to help protect the button from accidental release but it also made it difficult to press it because the QD lever blocked my thumb. With practice I’m sure I may learn to find it without looking but another solution would have been to reposition the release button.

Paired with the Riton 1Tacticx ARD red dot, it co-witnesses with most AR MilSpec sights and when mounted to my G36/22 was nearly centered out of the box. The adjustments turrets are protected by protective ramps and adjustable with a slotted tool like a screwdriver.

As I said, I’m not a fan of magnifiers but if I was forced to use a magnifier, I would use the new Riton 3x.

BUY IT

Amazon https://amzn.to/4eNSJN2

SPECS

Magnification:3X
Parallax Adjustment:Fixed at 100 yards
Objective Lens Diameter:22mm
Lens Coating:Fully Multi-Coated, Full Wide Band, Waterproof Coated, Low Light Enhancement
Field of View at 100 Yards:36.7 ft
Material:6061-T6
Eye Relief:2.75in/70mm
Exit Pupil:6mm
Mount:QD Mouth with Optional Spacer
Length:2.72in/69mm
Weight:7.9oz/224g