The Budget LPVO Killer

Yeah that’s right, could the new ARKEN OPTICS EP-8 1-8×28 FFP LPVO with their new KLGRID Reticle be the one? Well, I'm in the process of finding out and so far it’s really good! So let’s do a quick overview.

Magnification

• 1-8x

Objective Diameter

• 28 mm

Eye Relief

• 3.74 inches

FOV (Field of View) at

• 1x 121.15' 22 deg

FOV (Field of View) at 8x

• 14.56' 2.78 deg

Tube Size

• 34 mm

Turret Adjustment

• 0.25 MOA / 0.1 MRAD

Reticle Position

• FFP (First Focal Plane)

Reticle BDC

• KLGRID

Elevation Adjustment Range

• 110 MOA / 30 MRAD

Windage Adjustment Range

• 110 MOA / 30 MRAD

Illuminated Reticle

• Red

Turret Rotation

• CCW (Counter Clockwise)

Throw Lever

• Integrated / Removable

Weight

• 21 oz

Color

• Matte Black

Battery (Included)

• CR2032

Flip-Its Included

• Yes

Sunshade Included

• No

Now let’s cover what I think are the highlights that make the Arken Optics 1-8×28 FFP LPVO w/KLGRID reticle a heavyweight in its class and that really stand out to this LPVO enjoyer.

First, the KLGRID reticle (from Arken’s website)…

“The KLGRID reticle is a MIL-based Christmas tree reticle designed for precise holdovers and corrections with minimal turret adjustments. It features a 10 MIL holdover grid with 0.5 MIL subtensions, providing clear references for accurate elevation and wind corrections various engagement distances.”

Jay, whats this mean in Minuteman speak?

Well, from being able to get behind the optic and get some range time with it, it means the retical gives clearer and quicker holders when adjusting for wind and distance. Check out the illustration below for reference.

The reticle has a crisp and clear image, a 28mm objective lense, and combined with a generous eyebox and eye relief (3.74”) it is very comfortable to use and easy on my eyes, especially in lower light situations such as heavily wooded areas.

At 1x you get a true 1x experience with an easy to use horseshoe reticle (more on this in a moment) and with the first focal plane (FFP) you get consistent measurements across all magnification levels. So if mid-to-longer range distance shooting is your thing, this reticle will likely make you a happy guy.

Reference the above graphic again to see the difference in reticle from 1x to 8x.

Turret adjustment…

The 0.25 MOA / 0.1 MRAD turrets are larger than found on most LPVO's in this class making for easy adjustments (when needed because the KLGRID reticles Christmas tree design really eliminates on the fly adjustments) that have tactile and audible (but not too loud) clicks.

Magnification adjustment…

A lot of LPVO's in this class have a very stiff throw lever design. Most of you should know what I'm talking about. But the throw lever and magnification adjustment on the EP-8 1-8×28 FFP LPVO is very smooth yet solid. It is not going to get bumped and moved while you’re moving and you’re not going to struggle with adjusting the magnification when in the prone and under diress.

Flip-up Scope Caps…

Most companies cheap out here and us users usually just toss them. But Arken Optics did it right with a sturdy set of caps that will fold all the way open laying flat against the top (or side) when open.

A few more standout features include:

• 9 brightness and 2 NV settings for the illumination

• There are 3 recoil lugs on the included mount

• The EP-8 1-8×28 FFP LPVO comes already leveled on the mount (but as with anything always double check before use)

• Beefy 34mm tube design will take a beating

• Oh, did I mention the generous eye box and eye relief? Because it’s really that good.

We’ll have a few follow up reviews on this optic over the next few weeks as we get more field time with it.

But I can pretty confidently say that this will likely permanently find a home on my go-to rifle setup (seen above). I like it that much already! You’ll also see more on this in the August newsletter in our discussion on LPVO’s.

Currently ARKEN OPTICS has the EP-8 1-8×28 FFP LPVO on sale using code: ARKEN.

If you’re looking for a new LPVO, I would seriously consider this.

Now for the Horseshoe reticle at 1x…

When using it at 1x, the center dot on the Eotech like horseshoe Reticle is near impossible to see without illumination. This isn’t a huge deal but it stood out to me. My first look through I thought there wasn’t a center dot, but low and behold it just needed the illumination turned on. Like I said, not a deal breaker but worth noting.

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