Vudu 5-25×50 FFP scope review

Do good things come in small packages? Chris Parkin assesses the new Vudu 5-25×50, one of the shortest scopes around

EOTech’s new Vudu 5-25x50mm is designed for short-platform rifles, and at just 285mm in length, is optimised for forward-fitting night vision and thermal sights. All other factors are designed around this, but overall the Japanese-made Vudu seeks to impress.

Let’s go through the main attributes… Its 34mm maintube is hard anodised but quite matt/rough, so it does pick up skin dust from the passing movements of your fingertips. The illuminated MD3 reticle is in the first focal plane with a modest mRad layout for an unobstructed image, which I liked for simple measurement, aim-offs and reading misses for follow-up shot. A rubberised button controller sits on the end of the parallax drum on the left side of the scope’s saddle, with on/off and up/down controls for 10 brightness levels. Tiny red dots at centre, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mils are only really visible against a dark background, especially on lower magnification. The lateral and vertical mil markers also feature dots within their designated numbers every 2 mRad, but they can also be a challenge to find. These are probably more intended for the tactical application when using night vision.

The elevation adjustments require ‘lift to turn’ unlocking

The windage dial sits under a screw cap with excellent threads that spin smoothly on and off the scope when making adjustments. It’s labelled left and right of centre and can be reset to mark baseline zero with a screwdriver or coin to remove the cap. The elevation dial shows 10 mRad per turn, so that’s 100 1cm-at-100-metre clicks, though EOTech themselves say this is approximate in their online specification table. This seems to lack confidence for an optic aiming to please the long-range shooters who demand precision. It locks in position, requiring a lift before turning, and features an ascending centre button that pops up to notify you of which rotation you are in. After zeroing on a flat Picatinny rail, I was left with 17mRad left to shoot at longer distances, and the addition of a canted rail would have added more still.

Resetting the elevation turrets is easy

The clicks are tactile without overrun and I found adjustment accuracy in the limited test period to be certainly more accurate than the EOTech website had suggested. A decent manual is supplied, which is a rarity these days, explaining all functional operations of the scope and basics of using the mil-dot system for target measurement too.

Resetting the zero stop after sighting in your rifle requires the serrated, tooth-like cap to be removed before the turret lifts off. A hex key is needed to slacken the inner brass keyed locator, which slides down into position to set the zero stop, and the procedure is simple, with good instructions to steer the task in the right direction for those not familiar with this kind of optic.

The reticle has clear mRad markings

In use, grip on the turret is excellent thanks to the moderate size and serrations, but bare handed, it looks dusty very quickly as even the smooth surfaces collect skin. An extended lever on the magnification control speeds up your zooming capability; this can be removed if not needed as it unscrews. I would Loctite it in if you want to use it; you are likely to lose it otherwise if it comes loose. A fast focus eyepiece on the parallel ocular lens body continues the shark-tooth design theme and allows a crisp reticle picture, which is needed for such a fine aiming solution.

The centre button pops up to indicate which rotation you are within

Optical performance was in line with expectations for this price and spec level. This is not the first optic of this design and brief I have used, and their diminutive proportions mean they won’t match the pure optical quality of their longer-bodied brethren. Having said that, the scope offered a decent exit pupil and eyebox, with plentiful mechanical range and adjustment capability for longer-distance targets or steel shooting.

Windage adjustment is achieved via a capped dial marked with 10mm@100m/ mRad adjustments

There is plenty of tube space for mounting on a Picatinny rail, but separate mounting bases may prove a problem for eye relief. Really, any compact scope like this is going to have mounting caveats you need to consider. As I said earlier, the illuminated red dots were hard to pick up without deliberate attention to their locations, while the illumination control dial to the left side of the scope’s saddle was fiddly – but for daytime use I liked the weighting of the reticle, which struck a compromise between fine aim point and ease of viewing on the hash marks to take precise measurements. Below about 10x magnification, though, you’ll be looking to the illumination system to turn it into a point-and-shoot firing accomplice.

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Posted in Optics, Reviews

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