Magnifiers vs Prism Sights

Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to compare magnifiers and prism sights. These two types of sights are very popular among a variety of shooters today. These types of optics have been utilized by end users ranging from casual weekend shooters to armed professionals in harsh situations. Our goal with this blog post is to go over these two types of optics while highlighting their differences and how they compare to each other. Without further ado, let’s examine magnifiers and prism sights.

What is a Magnifier?

A magnifier unit is an optical device which is designed to be mounted behind an unmagnified optic. Like the name suggests, these units will provide a fixed level of magnification. Magnifiers typically use mounts which allow them to be flipped out of the way or removed entirely when not in use. Mounts of this type highlight one of the biggest benefits of running a magnifier as one can easily swap between magnified and unmagnified shooting. One can quickly transition from using just a red dot or holographic sight for up-close shooting to longer range shooting in seconds with a magnifier. While most mounts for magnifiers allow for rapid deployment and removal of the unit, there are also some fixed mounts which exist. These mounts are static in nature and cannot facilitate fast transitions between magnified and unmagnified shooting. Magnifiers are usually available in multiple magnification levels. These kinds of optics can be had in 3x, 5x, and 6x varieties to name a few. These magnification levels tend to be on the lower side, allowing a user to have a versatile setup which works up close and at further distances. These lower magnification levels can even be appreciated at closer ranges. A shooter will have a better view of their target and can potentially make more accurate shots. This can be the difference between making more more A-Zone hits or not.

What is a Prism Sight?

Prism sights are closer to traditional style scopes than optics like red dot or holographic sights. Optics of this type will feature an etched reticle. This is to say that one will able to see the reticle at all times, regardless of whether or not the sight is being illuminated. As far as illumination goes, one will find that many of the prism sights on the market use batteries or a combination of tritium and fiber optics. Prism sights are available with or without magnification. This is particularly evident with the various ACOG models Trijicon produces. One can find models in various magnification levels such as 1x, 3.5x, 4x, and 6x varieties. Some prism sights, such as the Elcan Specter DR, are capable of switching between different levels of magnification. It should be noted that prism scopes of this type are quite rare and definitely not the norm. The level of magnification of a prism sight will also compliment the specific reticles available in certain offerings. Options with higher magnification levels will generally possess more intricate reticles than those in lower magnification ranges. Prism optic reticles will typically feature some sort of bullet drop compensator (BDC) reticle in models with higher magnification levels. These reticles will also typically feature some means to approximate the range between the shooter and their desired target. Additionally, these reticles can be calibrated for specific calibers and barrel lengths. Unmagnified options will typically have a more simplistic or less complex reticle to help facilitate faster shooting.

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Pros and Cons: Magnifiers

Pros:

Provides a user of an unmagnified optic with the ability to utilize magnification when shooting.
Can often either be flipped out of the way or detached entirely when not needed. This allows an end user to transition between close range and longer-range shooting on a dime.
The addition of a magnifier allows an end user to reach out to further distances and become more precise at closer ranges. A little bit of magnification goes a long way at any distance.
These optical devices do not require batteries to use as they are simply magnifying an existing optic.
Most magnifiers are compatible with a variety of mounts. These mounts are available in a variety of heights and styles such as flip-to-side and flip-to-center.
Magnifiers do not need to be zeroed. They simply need to be adjusted to ensure that the reticle is visible in the center of the optic.

Cons:

Not a standalone sighting system. Requires the user to have an existing unmagnified optic to use practically.
Adding a magnifier to your sighting setup inevitably takes up more space. One may need to move their optic and possibly rear sight (if they are using one) when mounting a magnifier unit.
The addition of a magnifier will also add more weight to your setup. Simply put, bolting more things on to your firearm will make it heavier and can potentially change the way it handles.
You will lose the ability to cowitness with your iron sights (if you run any) when your magnifier is deployed.
The reticle of a red dot sight will likely experience a blooming effect when viewed through a magnifier. This is due to the technology used to display the reticle of a red dot sight. This effect is lessened or negated completely when using holographic sights.

Pros and Cons: Prism Sights

Pros:

Prism sights are standalone units which do not have to rely on another optic or component to achieve their primary function.
The reticle illumination methods used in prism sights make the sight more accommodating to shooters with astigmatisms than red dot sights.
Etched reticle means that the reference point from aiming will always be present. The reticle does not depend on a battery to be visible.
Can be acquired with or without magnification, affording more options to a prospective buyer.
Many prism sights can accommodate small red dot sights in a piggyback configuration. This allows an end use to essentially have two optics without having to rely on an offset mount.
Many prism sights are compatible with a variety of mounts. These mounts can vary in their height and provide the shooter with quick-detach capabilities.

Cons:

Most magnified prism sights do not allow the end user to adjust their level of magnification. Unless one is running something like an Elcan Specter, one will not be able to adjust their magnification level on a prism optic.
One will not be able to cowitness iron sights with prism optics as they could with red dot or holographic sights. This is due mainly to the position most sights must be mounted along with the potential magnification they offer.
Generally, prism optics have a tighter and more restrictive eyebox than magnifiers do. This is to say, one will need to be more aware of their eye relief when mounting their prism sight.
More susceptible to issues regarding parallax than red dot and holographic sights. One will need to be mindful of their head position and eye relief when acquiring a sight picture.
Generally, illuminated reticles on prism sights will not be as bright as those on red dot sights and holographic sights. This is mainly noticeable on the battery powered prism sight offerings and not the options which are powered by tritium and fiber optics.

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Who Makes Magnifiers?

Magnifier units are currently offered by a variety of manufacturers. These companies include Aimpoint, EOTech, Trijicon, Vortex, and Holosun just to name a few. These types of optics are generally manufactured in China and the United States. Magnifiers are available in many different price levels. This means that budget-oriented and premium offerings exist, providing shooters with a variety of budgets to browse potential options.

Who Makes Prism Sights?

There is also a fair amount of prism sights available on the market. These sights are manufactured by companies such as Trijicon, Vortex, Armament Technology, and Hawke Optics. Prism sights are typically made in China and the United States. Like their magnifier counterparts, prism sights are available at multiple price points. A potential buyer will be able to peruse both budget-friendly options and premium offerings when it comes to prism sights.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, these two types of optics are incredibly viable and are worth considering for your use. Both setups will afford a high level of versatility to a shooter. Different shooters will prefer different optics setups. The individual will need to determine which of these setups best fits their use cases and preferences. Regardless of one’s selected optic setup, they should strive to build proficiency with what they have. To do this, one will need ammo. Whether you are training with 9mm Luger, 5.56x45mm NATO, 7.62x39, or something else, True Shot Ammo has you covered. As always, happy shooting. Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at sales@trueshotammo.com for more ammo options. View more posts about optics:

Magnifiers vs Prism Sights