The world of 1X prism sights can often seem confusing. They’re essentially a red dot sight, but with what can seem like worse eye relief, a worse eyebox, and a dimmer reticle.
So what’s the point? This perspective, while not necessarily wrong, completely ignores the benefits of a 1X prism. Furthermore, the Gideon Advocate does a few things to mitigate the flaws often found with prism optics.
Gideon is a fairly new company in the budget optics market, but it has made a big splash. Gideon optics tend to give you a great return for your money, providing a good optic for not a lot of cash. I’ve met Mike, who runs their marketing, at SHOT a few times.
He’s a great guy and is very honest about their products and their capabilities. You can check out a few of his videos with Forgotten Weapons to see some refreshing honesty. Gideon sent me this optic to test and review.
The Gideon Advocate: Why a Prism Sight?
The Advocate and 1X prisms, in general, have a few major benefits. The first is for shooters with astigmatism. These sights feature an etched reticle, so they don’t blur if your eyes don’t focus correctly. Additionally, if the batteries die, the etched reticle is still there and usable.
I’ve also found that a 1X prism is great when you’re using a weapon light. Red dots can be washed out by white light if they aren’t adjusted correctly. While the prism’s illumination can be washed out as well, the etched reticle is still there and easy to see.
Etched reticles in prism optics can also be more robust than traditional red dot reticles. The reticle isn’t just a dot or a circle and dot; it’s a large segmented circle with a huge triangle in the middle. It’s designed specifically for close-quarters shooting. Its size and the wide segmented circle make it easy to see in both bright and low-light situations, even when it’s not illuminated.
The Advocate still has less eye relief than a red dot, but it has more than I need for rifle use. It’s listed at 3.34 inches, but in reality, I could bring my head uncomfortably far back on the rifle stock and still see and use the reticle with only minor scope shadow present.
The reticle brightness won’t reach the same level as a red dot, but at full brightness, the illumination is visible in bright daylight. The illumination isn’t as eye-catching, but the reticle’s size helps make up for that. Indoors, even in bright light, it’s eye-catching and easy to see.
Key Features of the Advocate
The Advocate is micro-sized for a prism sight, and it’s great to see prisms getting smaller. The optic weighs 7.8 ounces, so it’s not too bulky. The Advocate also makes use of the Aimpoint T-1 pattern mount. The optic comes with a swept-back mount to help with eye relief, but you could swap it for any of the countless T-1 mounts available.
The illumination comes in red or green and has 10 brightness settings. Two of those settings are night-vision compatible.
Illumination is handled by a CR2032 battery and can last up to 30,000 hours thanks to the built-in shake-awake function. After remaining stationary for four minutes, the optic will switch off but power back on when it detects movement.
The field of view at 100 yards is 79 feet. The optic is designed to be shockproof up to 1000 Gs of force and waterproof for up to 30 minutes at 1 meter.
At the Range
I mounted the Advocate to my KelTec SU-16. It’s a fun little rifle I don’t shoot often enough, so it was a good candidate for testing the Advocate. I did a simple 50/200 yard zero and got on target quickly. The 1 MOA adjustments are broad, but for a 1X prism, I don’t feel they are too much. The adjustment turrets give you both solid tactile and audible feedback, so you know exactly how many clicks you’ve made.
I shot with the reticle illuminated in the early evening, and it was bright enough to be easy to see and to catch your eye. The clarity is also great, which isn’t too hard to do with a non-magnified optic. There is a blue notch filter, no distortion at the edges, or noticeable chromatic aberration.
The generous eye relief and eyebox make it easy to go from a low-ready position to drilling the target. I can do ready-up drills in about half a second at 15 yards against a USPSA target. The big circle makes it easy to see and to center on a target.
Performance at Different Ranges
When we moved back to 100 yards, the large triangle in the reticle became a bit big and would obscure smaller targets. I was trying to hit a reduced-size 33% IPSC target that’s about 10 inches tall. At 100 yards, the triangle completely covers this smaller target, and if your reticle covers the target, it’s tough to hit.
If I moved over to a full-sized IPSC target, it was easy to see and easy to hit. This is clearly an optic made more for close-range use. At longer ranges, it’s fine for the most part, but don’t expect it to be a good option for shooting small game at 100 yards.
Past 100 yards, the 1X prism becomes less and less useful, but that’s true of any 1X optic. The difference between this and an unmagnified red dot beyond 100 yards is minimal. Neither are optimal, but both will get the job done.
The Advocate provides an affordable, capable prism optic that can be a valuable alternative to red dots. It’s different, and while it has its weaknesses, there are some serious strengths worth considering.
Specifications
- Magnification: 1x
- Objective Lens Diameter: 20 mm
- Eye Relief: 85 mm
- Adjustment Click Value: 1 MOA
- Weight: 7.8 oz
Star Ratings (out of Five)
Clarity – ****
A 1x Prism has an easy time being clear. It doesn’t require a notch filter, and with no magnification, it’s easier to accomplish. The Advocate is plenty clear with a crisped etched reticle. I’m taking one star off for the larger battery compartment that cuts a little peripheral vision off.
Ergonomics – *****
I love the buttons on top of the optic. I’m not a huge fan of dials on miniature optics. The Advocate is also lightweight and basically red dot-sized, which makes it well-suited for a multitude of firearms.
Overall – ****
The Advocate is a rock-solid 1X prism that carries a light price tag. It’s a worthy alternative to red dots, especially if you have astigmatism, or want an etched reticle that’s not so easily washed out.
Where To Buy
