ED-AR 1-8×24 FFP

by moondog on September 8, 2024 with No Comments

Discovery Optics has quietly been making high featured optics in the price tier usually considered “budget”. Discovery sent me a pre-release sample of their new ED-AR 1-8x24SFIR FFP LPVO. This is part of their top tier ED line of optics which utilize Japanese ED glass.

This is an evolution on the ED-AR 1-6×24 not just in illumination but also in the addition of a side-focus parallax adjustment knob. This feature is nearly unheard of in LPVOs. Moreover, this scope is able to focus from infinity to an unprecedented 5 yards; making this optic an option for hunting, NRL22 or precision airgun.

The overall glass quality was bright, clear and sharp. While not quite the same league as the Vortex Razor HD it come much closer than most LPVOs under $500. At launch this scope is selling for a street price of $200 on Amazon and the Discovery Optics website which makes this optic cheaper than Swampfox, Primary Arms and many other budget optics! The retail version does not include rings or a mount; I recommend mounting this on an offset mount for your AR like Discovery Optics and Monstrum QD mounts.

Like other FFP’s, the ED-AR suffers from a thin reticle at 1x. Unfortunately the ED-AR’s illuminator is typical of most LPVO’s, not quite daylight bright and only useful in low light or CQB. I would suggest Discovery offer this optic with a much thicker 1x reticle configuration similar to the Arken EP8 or the Sig TANGO MSR.

Over multiple range visits, the scope held zero. It has a lifetime warranty. With their new service office in California customer service shouldn’t be a problem. If they can keep this unit at this price point the ED-AR has the potential to change the LPVO landscape.