The 4 Best 3x Magnifiers for Red Dots – Reviews 2023

best 3x magnifier, 3x magnifier reviews, 3x red dot magnifier

Photo by Shaun / CC BY

Red dot optics, be it traditional or holographic, are excellent optics for short range, close quarters battle. But what happens when we have to engage at longer distances?

This is where magnifiers for these optics come into play. A magnifier should provide a reasonable level of magnification for these long range encounters, and 3x magnification is perfect. These magnifiers need to provide a clear sight picture and shouldn’t limit the clarity of your actual optic. A good magnifier should be easy to install and uninstall with ease. The reason being you may need to quickly detach or attach the magnifier as situations change.

The magnifiers should also remain lightweight and compact. You don’t want to weigh down your weapon when you start adding attachments. The magnifier also needs to be compact because you may have limited rail space for mounting the optic and the magnifier. Lastly, a 3x magnifier should not affect your optic’s zero, and it needs to remain the same with or without the magnifier.

Below we review what we consider the best 3x magnifiers on the market:

Burris AR Tripler

Burris makes some of the more interesting and revolutionary optics in the world. They produce high-quality pieces of glass that have been around for decades. The Burris AR-Tripler is their first dive into the realm of magnifiers. The name AR Tripler does make it sound bound to one particular weapon; however, this Tripler can work on any weapon. It can also work with almost any 1 power optic. It can be tossed on an AK with an Aimpoint optic, then to an AR with an Eotech, and finally an FN FAL with a Burris AR optic. No prob.

The AR Tripler is fitted to a pivot ring. This pivot ring allows the user to instantly pivot the magnifier in front of, or away from an optic. This allows the user to instantly swap between a magnified optic to a reflex optic. The Pivot ring mounts to the actual scope mount and leads to a quick detach rail adapter. So it can easily swap between platforms. Simply line it up, toss it on, and lock it down behind your optic and you are ready to go.

The Burris AR-Tripler is made from high-quality materials that include aircraft grade aluminum, and high-quality lenses. You get 80 MOA of adjustment for both windage and elevation that allows you to easily dial in the magnifier for individual optics. The complete combo system weighs a total of 12 ounces, so it’s quite light. The Burris AR-Tripler commands a premium price and is a premium product. This is one of the best 3x magnifiers for the money.

Eotech G33

The Eotech G33 is Eotech’s very own entry into the magnifier market. While Eotech may have designed the optic and it certainly works well with an Eotech, it can be used in conjunction with a variety of different optics.

The G33 (see full specs) has some noticeable improvements over the earlier Eotech G23 magnifier, including being shorter and lighter, while retaining the 3x magnification. The magnifier provides a wider field of view, and an adjustable diopter for focusing adjustments. Like all Eotech optics, the magnifier is remarkably clear and provides a consistent sight picture in a variety of light conditions. The G33’s lenses are fully multicoated and fog and waterproof. The Eotech is designed to go to war and come back.

The G33 offers an improved mount with a quick detach lever that allows users to detach the optic with nearly zero effort and locks down extremely tight. The G33 has a slap to side mount that allows users to simply slap the magnifier to the side, and it instantly rotates out of the way. The G33 can be adjusted for height by using a small, removable riser under the magnifier.

The G33 is a military grade optic that currently serves with a variety of police and military forces the world over. This magnifier provides a clear sight picture and diopter allows for instant adjustment to achieve the most precise sight picture possible. If you want the very best 3x magnifier, well, you got to shell out the dough and buy this Eotech.

EOTech G33 & XPS2-2 Review

Vortex VMX – 3T Magnifier

Vortex made a large splash in the optic world with their high quality but affordable red dot optics, and continues to rock the boat with the Vortex VMX magnifier. The VMX is a 3 power magnifier designed for a variety of different red dot optics. The Vortex VMX, of course, works perfectly in conjunction with Vortex red dots. The VMX is simple and easy to mount and remove without issue.

The design is lightweight, and at only 1.9 ounces this optic won’t weigh you or your rifle down. The VMX (see full specs) is fully waterproof and sealed with O-rings to prevent water and debris from entering the optic. The VMX magnifier is nitrogen purged to prevent any fog from building up internally. The optic features multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air to glass lenses.

The VMX’s overall design is excellent and is capable of cowitnessing with standard AR 15 iron sights. The VMX offers a versatile length for eye relief and provides a thirty-eight foot field of view at 100 yards.

VMX3-T MAGNIFIER PAIRED WITH EOTECH.

TMS Tactical 3x Magnifier

The TMS AR magnifier is one of the most affordable 3x magnifiers out there. Do not mistake the TMS Tactical magnifier as something that is “cheap,” however. It is affordable but far from being flimsy. The TMS Tactical features elevation and windage adjustments to re-center the dot after adding a magnifier. The TMS Tactical magnifier works with any standard AR red dot and has a 30mm objective lens.

The TMS Tactical magnifier features a rubberized coating to protect the optic from falls and drops. The lenses are fully multi-coated to provide a high level of light transmission and high-quality optical clarity, as well as reducing glare. The TMS AR magnifier performs well in low conditions and excels in daylight conditions.

The TMS Tactical magnifier is available for a song and can work with affordable optics like the Vortex optics, or the big expensive optics like Aimpoint. The TMS is versatile, affordable, and it plain works. At the end of the day, all that matters is that it works.

Conclusion

The best 3x magnifiers are an excellent addition to any weapon running a red dot optic. A 3x magnifier provides a consistent and versatile amount of magnification for most ranges. It’s a good tool to have in the box and allows an effective close quarters battle optic to become a medium range sharp shooter. I believe any duty rifle utilizing a red dot should be backed up with a solid magnifier as a just in case tool.

  • Owner of Reloaderaddict.com, Boyd Smith is a major handgun enthusiast, and although he owns Glocks, he prefers the revolving wheel type. His go-to guns are a Smith & Wesson 642 Performance Center for carry and a Ruger GP100 in the nightstand biometric safe (he has kids). He loads both revolvers with old-school 148-grain Federal Gold Medal .38 wadcutters. It’s OK if you think he’s a wimp. Email him.

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