It’s not often that an optic breaks tradition enough to be called disruptive or novel. Generally, in analog (non-electronic) optics, we have product-line extensions or linear evolutions of form and function.
As an example of this evolution, we saw the standard 3-9x variable-power riflescope morph into 5-25x precision scopes, and we saw the renaissance of first-plane reticles, which had an earlier moment of popularity in the 1970s, become standard-issue gear for long-range precision shooters. Similarly, we saw the rise of LPVO scopes, those 1-6x and 1-8x24 optics, ascend in proportion to the popularity of AR-platform carbines.
Electro-optics have become the fertile field of innovation. Laser-rangefinding scopes, like Burris’s Eliminator, are so disruptive that they’re banned in some hunting seasons, and the rise of image-stabilization has enabled users to hand-hold high-power optics.
But with its new Vudu 3-9x32, EOTECH has introduced a tiny variable-power riflescope that’s both novel and potentially disruptive in its size, performance, and engineering. The scope, designed to fit mini-ACOG mounts, offers the sort of close-in target acquisition that you might expect from a Trijicon ACOG or prism scope with the added advantage of variable power to engage targets at longish distances.
The 3-9x32 Vudu, introduced this summer, weighs just 16 ounces and measures 6.8 inches long. It’s built around a second-plane hash-style MOA reticle that features 10-step red illumination of the center 2/3 of the reticle. Turret dials, tuned to ¼ MOA click values, are capped and re-zeroable.
The Vudu ships with a rail mount, but the mounting dimensions on the 30mm tube are so tight that there’s no ability to cheat the optic back or forward in the single ring. In order to achieve proper eye relief, simply move the entire unit rearward or forward to the next slot on the mounting rail.
EOTECH has smartly observed that, even at 3x, the Vudu might offer too much magnification for close-quarters engagement, so provides an optional red dot reflex sight. For an additional $370, the Vudu, which retails for $1,059, comes with an EOTECH EFLX mini sight and rail mount that can be positioned on top of the Vudu or at a 45-degree offset.
The Vudu is built in Japan and uses premium Japanese glass. The controls are tight and precise, and the entire unit is durable as you might expect for a modified battle optic.
The second-plane HC1 reticle features a center aiming dot (3.6 MOA at 3x and 1.2 MOA at 9x) with a series of descending long and short hashes that provide 90 MOA of elevation holds. The windage hashes are similarly spaced and offer 60 MOA of references on either side of the center dot.
The 10-step red illumination fires up the center dot plus adjacent hashes as well as 60 MOA of elevation hashes. At low magnification, the illumination effect isn’t quite as precise as a single blazing dot, but it’s coherent enough to allow for fast both-eyes-open snap shooting.
PROS AND CONS
The new platform has more versatility than even EOTECH may have imagined when this scope was on the drawing board. Yes, it’s optimized for AR-platform carbines, but in our testing, we found it a marvelous precision rimfire scope, and I spent the late summer ringing steel out to 400 yards, then engaging a series of dynamic steel targets inside 50 yards.
I wouldn’t hesitate to put this scope on a turkey shotgun, a slug gun, a straight-wall cartridge carbine, or even a dangerous-game rifle. In its breadth of utility, it’s a useful comparison to Designated Marksman scopes like Leupold’s Mark 5HD 2-10x30 or Nightforce’s ATACR F1 in 1-8x24.
The Vudu’s second-plane reticle isn’t quite up to the long-range performance of those peers, but it’s extremely useful for mid-range target engagement, and the addition of the red dot makes it a decent close-in scope, though it’s not quite as ergonomic as an ACOG or larger reflex sights.
Two elements hold back the bantam Vudu from optical greatness. The first is the lack of parallax. Because the parallax is fixed at a distance inside 100 yards, targets beyond 100 yards are distractingly fuzzy. I fussed and fiddled with the diopter and simply couldn’t get a crisp picture at distance. I also observed a fair amount of fishbowling, or dishing of the image.
Then there’s the matter of the turrets. There’s virtually no indexing, which makes re-zeroing the dials difficult, and you can forget dialing to distance since there’s no way to tell how far you’ve advanced the dials. That’s not a problem if you zero the scope at distance and then cap the turrets and don’t fiddle with them again. But the turret clicks are a little indistinct and it’s easy to overrun the zero.
Those are significant shortcomings, but they don’t dim the innovation and overall brightness of this remarkable hand-sized tactical scope that has surprisingly good talents for a hunting optic.
EOTECH Vudu SFP 3-9x32 Specs
Magnification: 3-9-power
Objective Lens: 32mm
Tube Diameter: 30mm
Exit Pupil Diameter: 10.7mm to 3.6mm
Twilight Factor: 9.8-16.9
Field of View: 38-12.7 feet at 100 yards
Eye Relief: 3.1-2.5 inches
Reticle Plane: Second
Reticle Type: Illuminated HC1
Illumination: yes, 10-step intensities
Turret Click Values: ¼ MOA
Adjustment Per Revolution: 30 MOA
Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 90 MOA
Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 60 MOA
Weight: 16 ounces
Length: 6.8 inches