{"id":2105,"date":"2022-01-20T03:00:11","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T03:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/?p=2105&#038;fishpig=1642646853&#038;preview=true"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:36:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:36:54","slug":"uses-for-a-low-power-variable-optic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/uses-for-a-low-power-variable-optic\/","title":{"rendered":"Uses for a Low Power Variable Optic"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/uses-for-a-low-power-variable-optic\/#Uses_for_a_Low_Power_Variable_Optic\" >Uses for a Low Power Variable Optic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/uses-for-a-low-power-variable-optic\/#The_Low_Power_Variable_Optic\" >The Low Power Variable Optic<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/uses-for-a-low-power-variable-optic\/#For_the_Hunter\" >For the Hunter<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/uses-for-a-low-power-variable-optic\/#For_the_Competitive_Shooter\" >For the Competitive Shooter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/uses-for-a-low-power-variable-optic\/#For_the_Recreational_Shooter\" >For the Recreational Shooter<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Uses_for_a_Low_Power_Variable_Optic\"><\/span>Uses for a Low Power Variable Optic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Uses for a Low Power Variable Optic. <strong>The concept of a low power variable optic rifle <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/riflescopes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"scope\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"207\">scope<\/a> has been around for many years though it remains one of the most underutilized technologies in <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/how-the-impact-ballistics-calculator-helps-shooters\/\">shooting<\/a> sports.<\/strong><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Low power variable optic (<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/lpvo-vs-red-dot-scope\/\">LPVO<\/a>) <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"rifle scopes\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"114\">rifle scopes<\/a> certainly aren\u2019t the new kid on the block. In fact, the first 1x glass was developed in Germany in the 1920s. While the concept has been around for many years, it remains one of the most underutilized technologies in shooting sports.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Critics would argue that LPVOs aren\u2019t powerful enough for ultra-long-range shooting. Additionally, the 1x doesn\u2019t provide the same tactical ability as a red dot. It is undeniable, however, that 1x variable scopes excel in one area over any other type of <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/moa-vs-mrad-rifle-scopes\/\" title=\"MOA vs MRAD Rifle Scopes\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1874\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">optic<\/a> &#8211; versatility.<\/span><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Low_Power_Variable_Optic\"><\/span>The Low Power Variable Optic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Variable 1x <a title=\"adjusting a rifle scope\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/tag\/adjusting-a-rifle-scope\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">scopes give a shooter options without needing to change rifle<\/a> or scope. Consider them the multitool of the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/the-benefits-of-having-a-rifle-suppressor\/\">optics<\/a> landscape. The 1x zoom provides an outstanding field of view for close shots. Moments later the same shooter using the same <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/rifle-scopes-and-extremely-cold-weather\/\" title=\"Rifle Scopes and Extremely Cold Weather\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1592\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle can dial up the zoom to have an extremely<\/a> precise option for longer ranges.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Militaries around the world have been using 1x scopes for almost 30 years, and hunters, competition shooters, and recreational shooters can greatly increase their success by considering the applications of lowering <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/outdoor-life-binoculars-test\/\">magnification<\/a>. See below for scenarios where less is more.<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For_the_Hunter\"><\/span><b>For the Hunter<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over the past several years, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/the-best-rifle-rounds-for-hunting-whitetail-deer\/\">hunting<\/a> glass technology has trended towards higher magnification. While bragging to our friends about killing an animal a mile away carries appeal, the reality is that the vast majority of shots taken afield occur at less than 100 yards.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For hunters, the beauty of LPVOs lies in their versatility. Hunters stalking elk and deer in timber benefit from quick target acquisition and a wide field of view, especially where shots may be narrow. <a title=\"All About Hog Hunting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/all-about-hog-hunting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hog and predator hunting<\/a> often requires quick follow-up shots on when multiple targets are in the picture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vZ2gHYHLdR0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">The Field of View advantage of the <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/riflescopes\/toric-30mm-lvpo-rifle-scopes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TORIC LPVO<\/a> at 1x is undeniable&#8230;Delivering a 105 ft. FOV at 100 yards.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mountain hunters benefit from lighter equipment. Muzzloaders rarely take game beyond 200 yards and benefit greatly from bright glass. Hunters venturing into bear country or pursuing dangerous game need the ability to quickly acquire a target. And a 1x scope can make the literal difference in life and death. The applications in the outdoors are vast. Outdoorsmen and women should at least add lower power optics to their list of possibilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h4 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For_the_Competitive_Shooter\"><\/span><b>For the <a title=\"Competitive Shooter\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shooting_sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Competitive Shooter<\/a><\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As an outstanding \u201cdo-it-all\u201d optic, LPVOs excel on the competition circuit. Tailor-made for AR platforms and <a title=\"3 Affordable Modern Sporting Rifles\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/3-affordable-modern-sporting-rifles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">modern sporting rifles<\/a>, 3-Gun competitions are the perfect battleground. 3-Gun contests commonly stack shots from 2 yards to 300 yards, and carrying a heavy rifle from station to station can greatly drag down time and score.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A compact, lightweight low power variable optic provides competitors a handy and flexible pairing with their <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/videosview\/setting-up-your-tract-optics-bino-chest-pak\/\" title=\"Setting up your TRACT Optics Bino Chest Pak\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1654\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle<\/a>. Scopes with BDC reticles make longer-range calculations a breeze, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/benefits-of-a-floating-center-dot-reticle\/\" title=\"Benefits of a Floating Center Dot Reticle\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1533\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">center red dot<\/a> ups the ante in low light scenarios or cloudy days.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Often an overlooked quality, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/getting-into-prs-shooting\/\" title=\"Getting Into PRS Shooting\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1166\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the compact makeup of LPVOs shines in fast-shooting<\/a> competitions, especially on shorter rifle builds. Weighing in around 20-25 ounces and under a foot in length paired with their multi-use ability, 1x <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/best-spotting-scope-for-long-range-shooting\/\" title=\"Finding the Best Spotting Scope For Long Range Shooting\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1558\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">scopes are perfect for competitive shooting<\/a> sports.<\/span><\/p><h4 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For_the_Recreational_Shooter\"><\/span><b>For the Recreational Shooter<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nothing beats a day at the range. And 1x <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/5-reasons-to-own-a-spotting-scope\/\" title=\"5 Reasons to Own a Spotting Scope\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1197\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">scopes provide the perfect optic<\/a> for plinking steel. Indoor ranges are convenient but loud, smokey, and short. Closer range shots don\u2019t require a larger top-end magnification, and in many cases lower magnification is more pleasurable indoors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Take the same <a title=\"Why the 2.5-15x Rifle Scope is Ideal for Hunting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/why-the-2-5-15x-rifle-scope-is-ideal-for-hunting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle with the same scope<\/a> to an outdoor range for a casual Saturday al fresco. Longer-range <a title=\"5 Tips for Shooting Moving Targets\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/5-tips-for-shooting-moving-targets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">targets and steel are available at most municipal shooting<\/a> facilities and shooting a wide gamut of targets is a large part of the enjoyment.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0If you shoot indoors, outdoors, or a combination of the two, mounting a low power variable optic on top of your steel or paper plinker will open up lots of options for burning powder. Conveniently built to be used in either environment, low power variable scopes deserve a look.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 1x LPVOs are truly the Swiss Army knife of optics. Whether you\u2019re building a multi-use rifle or a rifle for a specific purpose, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/big-bore-builds\/\" title=\"Big Bore Builds\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1382\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">low power variable optics<\/a> deserve consideration. If you\u2019ll <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/videos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" title=\"review\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"952\">review<\/a> your primary needs, the odds are good that 1x will fit the bill.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_2114\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2114\" style=\"width: 552px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/riflescopes\/toric-30mm-lvpo-rifle-scopes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2114\" title=\"Variable Optic\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1-8x24-header-1024x284.png\" alt=\"Variable Optic\" width=\"552\" height=\"153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/1-8x24-header-1024x284.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/1-8x24-header-300x83.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/1-8x24-header-768x213.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/1-8x24-header-600x167.png 600w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/1-8x24-header-150x42.png 150w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/1-8x24-header.png 1350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 552px) 100vw, 552px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2114\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Variable Optic<\/figcaption><\/figure><p style=\"text-align: justify\">","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Uses for a Low Power Variable Optic | TRACT design and engineer performance-grade optics without the added retail costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12138,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2252,2265,2273],"tags":[2474,2475,2483,2493,2495,2496,2497,2498,2499,2500,2501,2511,2512,2625,2797,3032,3189,3326],"class_list":["post-2105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-binoculars","category-rifle-scope","category-tractoptics","tag-binocular-magnification-chart","tag-binocular-outlet","tag-binocular-rifle-scope","tag-binoculars","tag-binoculars-10x-vs-12x","tag-binoculars-12x","tag-binoculars-8-or-10-magnification","tag-binoculars-8-vs-10","tag-binoculars-8x-or-10x","tag-binoculars-8x-vs-10x","tag-binoculars-8x42-vs-10x42","tag-binoculars-for-hunting","tag-binoculars-for-hunting-out-west","tag-extra-topics","tag-hunting","tag-rifle-scope","tag-shooting","tag-variable-optic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2105"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11418,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105\/revisions\/11418"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}