Now that the dark days of the L3 Harris/L-3 Communications ownership of EOTECH are over, the company is truly able to reach out to American citizen gun owners, not just go after military contracts. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is good news for you.
Several years ago, EOTECH released a professional-grade line of optics under the Vudu moniker. These pieces of rifle glass, on par with Leupold and Nightforce, quite naturally had commensurate price tags. The folks at EOTECH, however, listened to their customers and now have a brand new sub-category of quality rifle scopes priced more affordably, though they will not be “cheap.” If you are looking for a “cheap” scope, look elsewhere.
Vudu X Rifle Scopes
At press time, EOTECH has scheduled the new Vudu X line for full release in the summer of 2024. Being a powerful and influential member of the media, I was able to procure examples of their new rifle scopes for testing and review.
For the moment, there are two units in the Vudu X stable, a 1-6×24 LPVO and a 2-12×40 variable powered rifle scope. Let’s take a look at the specifications for each one.
1-6×24 LPVO / SFP
Thanks to the failed Global War on Terror, the “Low Power Variable Optic,” or LPVO as the cooler kids now call them, became a thing. Prior to GWoT, most variable powered rifle scopes were 3x to something; 3-9x and 3-10x being the most popular.
The Vudu X 1-6×24 has a 24mm objective lens and a 30mm tube. The reticle adjustments for both windage and elevation are ½ MOA with a total adjustability at 160 MOA. Both the windage and elevation knobs are recessed and capped. The scope is 10.3 inches long and weighs 17.8 ounces.
This is an SFP or Second Focal Plane rifle scope. There will be two reticle options available. The unit I had on hand used what EOTech calls their DP1 reticle. The BD1 (ballistic drop) reticle will also be an option. Both reticles are illuminated with 10 power settings that use a single 2032 battery.
The large focal lens body incorporates the magnification ring which is standard for the LPVO design as well as others. There is no parallax knob and fine tune focusing is accomplished at the rear with an ocular lens.
2-12×40 SFP
The other rifle scope in the Vudu X line is a 2-12 unit with 40mm objective lens and a 30mm body. This optic is a more traditional style scope as it has ¼ MOA windage and elevation adjustments and includes a parallax adjustment knob on the left side, opposite the windage knob. Like the 1-6x model, the adjustment knobs are recessed and capped. Total MOA adjustability is 80.
Also, like its brother, the 2-12×40 model is a second focal plane optic and is available with either the DP1 or BD1 illuminated reticle choices. The 2-12×40 that I had on hand to review had the BD1 reticle. The ballistic drop hold overs are calculated at 2, 4, 6 and 8 MOA.
The 2-12×40 scope weighs in at 21.1 ounces and has an overall length of 12.6 inches. As with the 1-6x model, the magnification ring is located on the focal lens and a removable, quick throw lever is included with each scope. For fine tuning the optic to your eye, the 2-12x had an ocular lens adjustment.
Range Testing
For my range testing I decided to use the same platform; an AR-10 .308 Winchester rifle. Prior to heading out, I mounted the two new EOTECH scopes into identical AR-style 30mm scope mounts. These mounts used a single base mount screw which enables me to quickly swap the glass in the field.
The first scope I mounted was the 2-12x40mm SFP. To get on paper quickly I put the target at 25 meters. Doing the math and calculating the corrections, I was in the center after three shots using a Black Hills 168 grain BTHP load.
Naturally, the impact at 100 yards is different than at 25 meters. However, only two shots were needed to establish a solid 100-yard zero. The rifle and scope combination produced solid, reliable groups. Clarity and focus with the new Vudu X optic were superb.
Next up was the 1-6x24mm LPVO. I repeated the steps to get on paper at 25 meters and then I moved the target to 50 meters for a final zero. Again, the 25m BZO was quickly set to primarily get the windage right. A few rounds later I had 50 meter dope and was reliably printing respectable shot groups.
I used the quick throw lever and magnification adjustment was easy. If you don’t like or want that option, the lever can be removed.
As mentioned, I have just begun my testing with the Vudu X scopes and I am looking forward to stretching them out this summer. For now,EO all signs point to a high quality product with great potential for shooters who want a close to mid-range optic from a reliable company.