The red dot is matchless when it comes to illumination intensity. They tend to offer extremely bright illumination while riflescopes have poor illumination and prism scopes fall in the middle. The nice thing about the latter two is that you don’t need illumination to keep running the sight. If the illumination dies, the illumination dies – that’s it. You still have a reticle to work with.

Things just keep getting better. The PA SLx MicroPrism has 0.25 MOA adjustments. You could get real precise if you wanted to. It has a good and competitive FOV of 38 feet. Mounting hardware is included to provide multiple mounting heights. Even though the eye relief is only 2.7”, it’s still better than the eye relief on alternative 3x scopes.

Prism opticsfor sale

The iconic feature of a prism scope is the fixed magnification. Unlike reflex red dots that have 1x (non-magnified) power and LPVO scopes that have low and variable magnification, the prism scope has only one magnification setting.

The cost for a Vortex Spitfire isn’t outrageous like other prism scopes (*ahem Trijicon), but it could be out of the realm of affordability when the 3x fixed power scope hovers around $400-$500 at discount prices. Going from a Vortex Sparc AR or a Crossfire II, both with 1x magnification and both of which are reflex red dots, to the 3x Spitfire will cost twice the price.

Types of optical prisms

In my opinion, the Blackbird is more ‘red dot sight-like’ than the Marksman. It’s lightweight, compact, and easy-to-use. Plus, it’s cheaper too!

What I especially like about the Blackbird versus the Marksman is the mount. Though the T15 mounting bolts are passable, there are two of them and they both engage the integrated recoil lugs on the base. Both lugs fit in the slots of a Picatinny rail and help to minimize that forward and backward recoil movement and stress on the mount and scope. For symmetry’s sake, I would’ve liked to have seen longer lugs. By the way, the mount itself is removable.

Opticalprismglasses

Whether you’re topping your AR-15 or bolt action with a prism scope for home defense or some close to mid-range hunting, the Primary Arms SLx 3x32 Gen III prism scope must be considered. This model is designed to cater to the 300 Blackout.

The SLx 3x32 scope has an AR-height riser and would be fantastic on a 300 Blackout AR-15 given the ACSS CQB 300BLK/7.62X39 reticle. The BDC portion provides holdovers out to 600 yards.

If you’re looking to go from 25 yards to 250 in the same sitting and maybe a long-range shot could be a possible occurrence, a prism scope with a reticle for drop will improve your accuracy.

Of course, the battery powering it must be considered as it varies between scopes and manufacturers. While the battery-free ACOG offers fiber optic and tritium illumination, I’d still say that LED illumination offers far more versatility in said conditions and they’re easier to replace.

What I like about Swampfox is that they’re really good at providing options. You can pretty much choose an optic and have your choice of illumination color and reticle in the MOA, MIL, or BDC. In this case, you can opt for the Trident MOA or Trident BDC reticle in either red or green illumination. These reticles could take you as far as 800 yards based on a 50/200-yard zero! Now that’s long-range for a 3x fixed prism scope I reckon.

For a prism scope, I love that it’s incredibly compact – probably the smallest in the entire industry to date. It’s almost 3” in length and it weights 7.95 oz. It also takes a CR2032 battery that runs to around 29,000 hours. Based on these specs, it sure sounds like a reflex sight – it isn’t.

2xPrism optics

There’s no getting around the fact that many will opt for Trijicon just for the bragging rights alone. Given its cost, I’d brag ACOG ownership too. The 3.5x35 is a combat-proven optic as it was implemented by United States Navy SEALs in 1991. Even though it’s pricey, it has battle-grade quality behind it.

The Swampfox Trihawk 3x30 prism scope earns high recognition for its many features from reticle and illumination options to Shake N Wake, a huge FOV, a long battery life, and more. Not only is the Trihawk feature-packed, but it also comes with some especial accessories.

Uses ofprisminoptics

The Trijicon ACOG 3.5x35 isn’t new, and neither is the ACOG 3x30. I opted to highlight the 3.5x35 because it’s still technically in the 3x family of prism scopes, but it’s every bit the epitome of someone wanting “just a little bit more.” Any more than this is a 4x scope.

Illumination is provided via the CR2032 battery to power 11 brightness settings. Based on the battery type alone, you can expect some long-lasting performance probably in the few thousand-hour range. I will point out that this scope isn’t night vision compatible!

In general, the prism scope warranty must be considered. Warranty coverage is not universal. Some are superior being unconditional, and other warranties require documentation before providing any repairs or replacements. Most warranties these days are lifetime, but the specifics will matter.

What I find impressive about the Spitfire 2 is that it’s on the smaller end of the spectrum for a prism scope. It’s only 3” long and weighs 9 oz – that’s exceptionally competitive in size with a reflex red dot.

If you’re considering the extreme ends of the budget, Monstrum is a consistent manufacturer of inexpensive optics with a plethora of prism scopes in their inventory. Of course, the Trijicon ACOG is a longtime favorite with a military background. There are advantages to the ACOG though you will pay steeply for it.

If you intend to have rapid, close-quarter engagements, a lightweight prism sight with a simple reticle would be extremely beneficial.

Even though illumination isn’t mandatory, it’s still extremely beneficial to have to improve reticle acquisition and visibility especially in unpredictable and busy environments and certain ambient conditions.

However, it does come with the integrated rail, it has capped turrets, and it has 0.25 MOA adjustments too. I actually like the ‘look’ of this scope over the MicroPrism to be honest as well as the beefed-up mount with the integrated recoil lugs and huge crossbolts. You can also remove the riser and put this on an AK or a carry handle as well, just FYI.

I’m happy with the skeletonized mount design to help shave weight and bulk. The T-10 Torx crossbolts aren’t my favorite size for mounting the base, but I do like that the Spitfire comes with a low-profile mount in the box too.

The illumination is powered by a CR2032 battery and is controlled via 2-button operation on the left side of the body. The big knob on the right side is the battery compartment.

The eye relief is actually pretty good. Monstrum states 3.5-3”, and I’d say that’s about right. I love that the turrets are actually audible. They have impressive ‘clickability’ (not a word), as in, they’re about 100 times more crisp than I thought they would be. Given that I picked this up for around 50 bucks, I wasn’t expecting much, so the positive adjustments were a fantastic surprise.

Though the SLx 3x32 Gen 3 scope is simpler, I ranked it behind the MicroPrism because of its narrower FOV, larger size, and I don’t like how close that illumination knob is to the elevation turret – that does and will continue to bother me.

We purchase as many of the optics for our tests as possible, and run them through their paces to make sure they will perform at the range and in the field.

Keep in mind that the more complicated the reticle is, the slower it is to use. If a drop reticle is provided and the intention is to use it for distance, it’s best to be in supported position with the time to make an accurate shot. Also consider that the reticle is likely small and you only have 3x magnification.

Overall, prism sights are a better option for astigmatism than reflex red dot sights. The design of the reflex sight (projected and reflected reticle) is more likely to produce dot distortion in astigmatic eyes. Prism scopes use a prism with an etched reticle that's more compatible with astigmatism.

Though the ACOG has magnification, it has the BAC (Bindon Aiming Concept) that basically helps to improve ‘both eyes open’ shooting. The benefit to this is that you get to maintain your full peripheral vision for situational awareness.

If you’re finding that you need to shave weight and/or length, if you’re consistently running your LPVO at max mag and using the piggybacked/offset RDS for close shots, or if you just need to simplify the rail, the prism optic must be considered.

For the money, it’s not the most durable scope around. I can imagine that with some good abuse you’re going to shatter a lens easier than you than think you will. I also doubt that it’s completely waterproof. You actually have a two-piece body where the ocular bell is attached to the objective body via four hex screws. Even though the Marksman appears to be built like tank, and I’m sure the frame can take a beating, I have my doubts about the internals and the mount keeping zero.

I suspect that prism scopes are coming back into popularity because of their middle-ground benefits. They fill the gap between CQB red dots and LPVO scopes, especially providing an advantage over LPVO scopes with piggybacked micro red dots.

Given how tough the ACOG is, you can use it on whatever you want without fear of shattered lenses, internal fogging, or losing zero. It’s shock-resistant for use on a .22LR all the way to a .50BMG. I’d still be careful with that though because the eye relief is only 2.39”.

The eye relief still stinks for a prism scope at 2.6” – it’s the way it is, however, the field of view is excellent at 37.9 feet. That’s a FOV to rival the Monstrum prism scopes but isn’t quite as wide as the Swampfox Trihawk.

Vortex competes in the prism sight industry with the Spitfire series of scopes. The Spitfire HD Gen II 3x prism sight is no cheap alternative for a red dot sight - it’s a mid-tier optic in the least. Built with a reticle for drop, the Spitfire intends to take you to distance.

For those with astigmatism or who want the benefits of an always-ready reticle in a compact package with just a little extra magnification, the cost is worth it. Plus, Vortex has a pretty good warranty that I believe was a major contribution to their success in their early days. You could consider them the OG pioneers of the unconditional and unlimited warranty.

As previously mentioned, a huge benefit of prism scopes is that the reticle is glass-etched. This means that the reticle is always visible even without illumination. It really is the perfect compromise between a variable power scope and a red dot sight.

The eye relief on the Trihawk prism sight is only 2.36”. While it sucks, it’s not any worse than using a red dot and 3x magnifier combo. Eye relief of 2-2.5” is common for magnifiers. Even so, that’s still doable eye relief – just don’t be putting it on a heavy kicker or anything like that, ya know?

I think 3x prism scopes are excellent for close-range work mostly between 25 to 300 yards max in my opinion. In this fashion, I’d consider it a combat sight for rapid shots. Reticle simplicity is a valid and very relevant consideration.

Prismscopes

The optical quality is actually pretty good. The reticle is extremely visible. It’s one of the most easy-to-see reticles I’ve seen in a red dot sight – reflex and prism. It’s probably because the dot is 3 MOA, and the circle is 60 MOA in size.

The Shake N Wake feature is awesome, and the Trihawk still runs the illumination to a max of 3000 hours. The Shake N Wake will help to conserve the battery life of the CR123A battery but remember you don’t actually need it since you have a glass-etched reticle on board.

Both the red and green illumination work very well. It’s exceptionally bright and works well for daytime conditions. I really like that I don’t have to fight a stiff diopter – it’s smooth sailing to get the setting you need… it’s actually a little too smooth and you may have to adjust it again because it can be unintentionally moved.

The Monstrum Marksman 3x30 is one of the most popular and highly ranked red dot sights in the prism scope market. It’s a budget scope for all intents and purposes and its value and performance for most recreational applications makes it a very salable optic.

First off, there are many that will pick up the Marksman and immediately strike it out because it does feel heavy in the hand. It is quite big at 5” long, and it weighs exactly 16 oz. It’s definitely not an itty-bitty thing – it has a prism inside there people, c’mon!

Unfortunately, prism scope battery runtimes still don’t compare to that of the reflex red dot sight. The best may offer a few thousand hours’ worth of runtime off one battery and/or may have a motion sensor to help conserve battery life.

Prism scopes have very different specifications than a non-magnified red dot sight. Their specs are a lot closer to an LPVO than a red dot. While red dots have unlimited eye relief, field of view, and perhaps parallax, the prism sight is severely limited in comparison.

The eye relief is pretty bad compared to a red dot. Going from being able to put the red dot anywhere on the rail to being compelled to put the prism sight around two inches away from your eye makes for a very different experience. Additionally, the eye box tends to be very restrictive. Expect eye relief specs between 2-3”.

At first appearance, it looks like there’s a lot going on with the SLx 3x32 Gen 3 prism scope, but it’s just that Primary Arms have crammed in an integrated Pic rail on top of the sight. It’s a good move. You can put a micro HUD pistol sight on there I suppose for rapid CQB engagement.

Though there is a diopter, it’s more likely to help compensate for far or near-sighted vision than do anything at all for astigmatism. Even then, the diopter is usually limited in dioptric correction, so it’s not a cure-all for those with vision problems.

As a prism sight that has illumination but doesn’t require a battery to provide it, the ACOG is unlike other prism sights – it’s unique. However, I’d say the fiber optic is a side benefit with the fact being that the ACOG is a hulk of an optic - it’s built to last.

The Swampfox Trihawk 3x30 prism scope comes in cheaper than the Primary Arms SLx MicroPrism and the Vortex Spitfire 3x prism sights. However, the Trihawk has a few things that it just does better. It does long range (800-yard holdovers!), wide FOV (52 ft!), and battery conservation (Shake N Wake!) better. Unbeatable for the money? Yep.

While there are lower and higher fixed power prism scopes, the 3x seems to be a popular choice as it provides a good balance between weight/size and magnified performance.

The nice thing about prism scopes is that you can have reticle options because it’s laser-etched onto the glass. There are various patterns from simple dots and circles to dots and horseshoes with BDC or MOA drop crosshairs, etc.

The SLx MicroPrism. All-purpose. Compact. Long-lasting daylight bright illumination. The Primary Arms SLx MicroPrism 3x23 prism scope is now a household name. It’s used as a standard to compare high performing prism sights. The ACOG isn’t the only standard anymore.

From my hands-on experience, I like the Blackbird 3x30 over the Monstrum Marksman. The Blackbird is shorter, more compact, and it essentially has the same features as the Marksman from its 30mm objective, 0.5 MOA adjustments, circle dot reticle, and 39.3 ft FOV (on paper… Read the full review for details!).

The parallax will be fixed for a prism scope just like it is for a riflescope that doesn’t have a side focus or an adjustable objective. This is usually somewhere between 100 to 150 yards, and I’d say is appropriate for 25-300 yards for the type of work a 3x prism scope would primarily be employed in. Unless otherwise specified, it’s customary to assume that a prism sight has fixed parallax at 100 yards.

If you’re after bonus features and a compact size, I would say to spend the little bit extra for the SLx MicroPrism. If you want that one optic to do it all on your .300 BLK, stick with the Gen III prism scope.

I love the ACSS Raptor reticle – it’s feature-loaded, it works, and it’s so easy to see and use. The only thing I will warn you about is that it does appear to be small. I’d say it will be particularly useful for rapid use up to about 200 yards, but it will require a supported position to use the BDC portion.

One of the most iconic features of an ACOG is the fiber optics. This provides the battery-free illumination to the reticle. Come lowlight conditions, the tritium kicks in to provide that glow.

In total, a 3x prism sight is a red dot with fixed magnification of 3x. It incorporates a reflective prism for its optical system, a glass-etched reticle, and illumination. Though it has low and fixed power, it is still considered a red dot sight best for close quarter use to a few hundred yards. For more detailed information, check out our What is a Prism Scope guide.

In my opinion, the Primary Arms MicroPrism 3x23 prism scope isn’t missing anything. It’s feature-loaded and ready to go. For the money, it’s a solid must-have and up there with the top 3x prism scopes.

Though the SLx MicroPrism looks a bit ‘aesthetically lumpy’ in my opinion, it appears to be well made. The turrets are exposed and flush with the sight body. PA stuck the illumination knob/battery compartment on the left side of the body. The MicroPrism appears to be a one-piece scope, so there are some great indicators of its propensity to handle weather and abuse.

Though all 3x prism scopes provide the same amount of magnification, the specs vary between them and performance is far from equal. Far from the physical attributes of the prism sight, there are quality differences to consider between them.

On average, the best 3x prism scopes are usually seen between the $300-$500 range. They’re more expensive than some of the most popular reflex red dot sights but can also be just as costly as a RDS and 3x magnifier combined.

I’m okay with that as it serves to replace a 1x reflex red dot and a 3x magnifier with benefits unique to that of a prism optic.

The Trihawk has a huge objective lens of 30 mm and a ginormous field of view of 52 feet at 100 yards! The FOV is significantly wider than the 30-something-ish range of alternative 3x prism scopes. It’s obvious that the Trihawk is the 3x scope to beat if you’re specifically after the widest FOV.

Prism sights do not have night vision (NV) technology; however, some are NV compatible. This means that prism scopes that are compatible with NV image intensifier tubes (IIT) have illumination that is dim enough that will not damage it either in the initial activation or in long-term, repeated use.

In general, there’s a lot one can do with 3x magnification. Good eyes and practice can stretch the distance to 600 yards plus some with only 3x power. However, most are not using such limited magnification for marksmanship rather than for CQ combat for up to 100 yards, 300 yards at max.

The Monstrum Blackbird 3x30 is one of the cheapest prism sights, and it’s markedly obvious that Monstrum dominates the budget prism scope market. For around $50-$100, the Blackbird 3x shows how far recreational optics have come over the years and that they’re not as bad as you might think they are.

The field of view is also limited as a 3x prism scope obviously has magnification. Typically, the wider the FOV, the easier it is to follow moving targets, make rapid shots, and acquire/see more in the sight picture especially for follow-up shots. The expected FOV for a 3x prism sight is in the 30-ish feet range. Anything smaller could be considered narrow while very wide FOV is upwards of 40 feet at 100 yards in my opinion.

It’s almost typical that what I feel fits the physical and aesthetic appeal of a prism scope also means additional weight and length. There are the extreme exceptions, like the Vortex Spitfire HD and the PA SLx MicroPrism sights, but most of the time I automatically think 4-5” lengths and 11-16 oz weights. Well, the SLx 3x32 scope fits the cookie-cutter in my head with a 5.6” (approx.) length and 18.4 oz weight. This ain’t your compact red dot sight at all.

Magnifiers have fixed magnification and consequently are not compatible for use with a prism scope that also has fixed power. Some 1x prisms are compatible with magnifiers, but it is not a rule. Both optics have eye relief requirements and restricted field of views that affects the sight picture.  If you’re considering 3x magnifiers to pair with your red dot sight, steal away to our Best Red Dot Magnifiers roundup!

After hundreds of hours of hand-testing scopes & red dots in the field and at the range, and thousands more hours researching and writing about them, we feel we earn the title of experts when it comes to optics!

Our combined decades of experience from plinking and varmint hunting, to big game hunting and competitions has been integral in putting together this round-up of the best 3x prism scopes.

Prism opticsred dot

Another not so great spec is the field of view of 28.9 ft. The 0.5x magnification does contribute to some of that, but it’s unremarkable for sure.

On top of that, the Trihawk comes with flip-up caps and a killflash in the box. The killflash is a unique accessory that not too many manufacturers include. I want to say that Swampfox is the only one that does but I could be wrong.

Overall, prism scopes and standard scopes are different in design and serve different purposes. The prism scope is a red dot sight intended for close quarter use with the ability to go further if needed. A standard scope uses a series of lenses in specific assemblies to provide much more magnification for a variety of applications.

As is expected of Trijicon, they provide a plethora of reticle options for the scope. The most popular are calibrated for the .223/5.56 and .308/7.62. With their BDC reticles, I’m pretty sure the center aiming point is intended for a 100-yard zero which is more than suitable with a 3x scope.

What does the Spitfire have going for it? It’s got weight and compactness on its side, clear glass, and an unbeatable warranty.

The AR-BDC4 reticle is designed to take you out to about 650 yards. The BDC features a 1 MOA center dot and a 19 MOA (approx.) segmented ring. Whether you use it to distance or not, it’s obviously going to be a very visible reticle for CQB to mid-range applications.

6xprismoptic

The reticle is super easy and fast to use, and the illumination is bright. I have mistakenly left it on and come back to a dead battery inside the period of about two weeks. To be fair, I’m almost certain it was the battery that came installed in the scope when I got it, and it would not be a surprise if it was a weak battery to begin with. A bonus battery is included in the box.

Some prism sights are barely a hair longer and heavier than red dot sights and this includes the weight of the mount too. Most 3x prism sights are also much more compact than LPVO scopes.

Prism scopes simplify the rail. You can essentially replace a red dot sight and a magnifier with just the one prism sight on your rail.

In general, between the weight of LPVO scopes and the non-magnification and battery dependence of red dot sights, it was only a matter of time before prisms acquired the spotlight again. The best 3x prism scopes offer a balance between scope size and magnified performance.

You can still run the reticle in black if for some reason you lose or don’t want the illumination. There are 13 settings of which the max setting is daylight bright. You also have the AutoLive feature which is Primary Arms’ motion sensor tech – faanncy. The MicroPrism is also night vision compatible.

Between the build integrity and the off-positioned mounting crossbolts, I can see it being unreliable on a truck gun, for hunting, and for home defense. This is the type of prism scope that will be awesome for recreational uses between 25 to 200 yards. There’s a lot of fun to be had with that. Have at it!