Primary Arms has really stepped up their game when it comes to scopes…
I like them because they have optics available for every price range, and their budget options are loaded with useful features…
Now 2 of their most popular (affordable) scopes right now are:
- The Primary Arms 1-6 (Get Best Pricing Here!)
- The Primary Arms 1-8 (Get Best Pricing Here!)
And in this Primary Arms 1-6 Vs 1-8 comparison, we’re going to dig into how these two scopes are similar AND go through exactly how they’re different…
In the end I’ll tell you which of these scopes I prefer, and you should have all the information you need to determine which is the right optic for you…
Let’s jump into it!
Primary Arms 1-6 Vs 1-8: What Are The Similarities?
Durability And Toughness…
Both the Primary Arms 1-6 and the 1-8 are pretty durable scopes. First of all, they both have a tube made from 6063 Aluminum (aircraft grade aluminum)…
They also both have capped windage and elevation turrets, and they are low profile which makes them less likely to get caught on something or to get snapped off accidentally…
In addition to that, both scopes are waterproof and fog proof. So you shouldn’t have any problems in rainy, snowy, or wet conditions…
And they’re also shockproof, so they can easily handle the recoil from high powered rifles or from more medium-powered rifles like AR-15’s and AK’s.
All in all, I think both of these scopes are pretty tough and reliable.
Lens Clarity And Illumination…
Both the Primary Arms 1-6 and the 1-8 have fairly good lens clarity. When you look through either optic, the lens is pretty clear…
Both have a little bit of blurring around the edges, but considering that these are both budget priced LVPOs (Low Powered Variable Optics), the overall lens clarity is actually pretty good.
In addition to that, these are both second focal plane scopes which means that the reticles will stay the same size no matter what magnification level your scope is on…
Now, both these Primary Arms scopes have illumination. They both use 1 CR2032 battery to be able to power up the illumination, and they both have 12 brightness settings.
The higher brightness settings are visible during the day time, but I personally only use the illumination if I’m shooting at night or in low light conditions…
The reticle is etched on both scopes. So you’ll be able to see it even without using the battery, but like I mentioned before, it’s nice to have that red glowing reticle if you end up shooting at night.
Size Comparison…
The Primary Arms 1-6 and the 1-8 are essentially the same size. They both have a 30mm tube and a 24mm objective lens…
Also, both Primary Arms optics are about 10 inches long, which is fairly compact for this style of scope and they weigh around 16.9 ounces….
That’s actually pretty lightweight for a low powered variable optic, and it’s one of the features I really like about these scopes because I’m personally always trying to keep the weight down on my rifles.
Extra Accessories Included With The Scope…
Both the Primary Arms 1-6 and the 1-8 come with the same accessories… With both scopes you get a CR2032 battery and lens cloth…
In addition to that you get a pair of flip-up lens covers. I really like the flip-up lens covers that come with these scopes because they fit snugly over both ends, and they snap open pretty positively when you need to see through your scope.
Now be aware that, unless you get your scope in a combination deal that includes a scope mount, you’re going to need a mount to use either the 1-6 or 1-8 on your gun…
For both scopes you’ll need a 30mm mount, and right now my favorite mount is the Aero Precision Ultralight Mount.
I like it because it’s strong, super lightweight, and pretty affordable, and I think it goes together really well with either of these Primary Arms scopes.
What Are The Differences?
Scope Magnification…
Primary Arms 1-6
As it says in the name, the magnification range on this scope is 1-6. The field of view at 100 yards is 110 feet on 1 power and 19.3 feet on 6 power…
That’s pretty good field of view (even on 6 power) for a budget LPVO, and that’s an important feature because it allows you to see some of what’s going on around your target.
In addition to that the eye relief on this scope is 3.3 to 3.5 inches. It’s fairly generous, and I think that’s important because it allows you…
…to see clearly through your scope even if you’re shooting from awkward positions such as under a car or around a corner.
All in all, I like the 1-6 range for a low powered variable optic because it gives you just a little bit more range than a 1-4.
Primary Arms 1-8
Again, just as the name suggests, the magnification range on this scope is 1-8. The field of view at 100 yards is 110 feet on 1 power and 14.5 feet on 8 power…
Again, that’s pretty good field of view, and it’s basically on par with the 1-6 scope. In addition to that, the eye relief on the Primary Arms 1-8 is 3.3 to 3.5 inches…
So again, it’s pretty generous and it will enable you to see clearly through your scope even if you’re shooting from awkward positions.
All in all, the Primary Arms 1-8 is on par with the 1-6, but with 2 more levels of magnification, it gives you the ability to shoot at longer ranges.
Reticle Options…
Primary Arms 1-6
The Primary Arms 1-6 comes in a few different versions that have different reticles. The most popular is the ACSS reticle which has built up a bit of a famous reputation.
ACSS stands for Advanced Combined Sighting System, and the reason why it’s so popular is because it gives you a BDC (Bullet Drop Compensator) from zero to 800 yards…
It also includes a chevron in the center, which gives you a great deal of precision, and a horse shoe around the center chevron to draw in your eye and give you speed on 1x power…
Additionally, it has a range estimator and wind holds to use as well. All in all, it’s a very useful reticle for a low power variable optic, and I’m personally a huge fan of it.
Now with the 1-6 scope you’ll need to determine which type of gun you’re going to mount it on before getting it because they have a version of the ACSS reticle for…
- 5.56/5.45/.308 guns
- 300AAC Blackout/7.62×39 guns
- .22LR guns
In addition to that, you can also get the Primary Arms 1-6 with a more simplified reticle called the K.I.S.S. reticle…
This reticle focuses on keeping things simple and basically just has a precise chevron in the center. Between the two reticles, I prefer the ACSS reticle because it gives you so much utility, and it’s pretty easy to use.
Primary Arms 1-8
Right now, the Primary Arms 1-8 scope is only offered with the 5.56/5.45/.308 ACSS Reticle. Again, I love this reticle and think it’s packed with valuable features…
…but be aware that you are limited to mounting it on a gun chambered in one of these three calibers (probably an AR-15, an AK-74, or an AR-10).
Price Comparison…
Unfortunately I won’t be able to give exact numbers in this category because the prices of these scopes are changing all the time…
That being said, you can generally find the Primary Arms 1-6 for around 100 bucks less than the Primary Arms 1-8…
That’s a pretty significant amount, so just be aware that extra magnification on your scope is going to cost you a little bit more money.
Primary Arms 1-6 Vs 1-8: Final Thoughts…
So to sum it all up, both the Primary Arms 1-6 and 1-8 are very durable scopes, they both have pretty good lens clarity, and they both have illumination with 12 brightness settings.
They’re also about the same size and weight, and they both come with the same accessories including flip-up lens covers.
The biggest ways they are different are that you have more magnification with the 1-8 scope, and the 1-8 scope is more costly.
In addition to that, you can pair the 1-6 scope with more firearms than you can the 1-8.
So which scope do I prefer? I prefer the Primary Arms 1-8…
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Primary Arms 1-8x Scope:
I prefer the Primary Arms 1-8 because it gives you more magnification, which gives you the ability to shoot at further distances…
I like to use low power variable optics like these on AR-15s and AR-10s, so it doesn’t really bother me that it only comes with the 5.56/5.45/.308 ACSS Reticle (which I love!)…
Now if you want to save a few bucks or if you want to mount your scope on something like an AK-47 or a .22lr rifle, then feel free to go with the Primary Arms 1-6 because it’s still a great scope…
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Primary Arms 1-6x Scope:
Either way, I hope I was able to show you the major differences between these two awesome Primary Arms scopes!