At the 2023 Lucid Optics Ballistic Summit in Raton, New Mexico, gun writers got to shoot with pre-release versions of a new product that’s now ready for prime time: the Lucid Optics E7 closed emitter micro optic, made on the rough-and-ready ACRO platform. I was one of the lucky people in attendance who got to test the new optic. Now it’s available for purchase. This optic is a disruptor in the red dot optic space for a couple reasons. It’s among the first to use the ACRO case/mount design at a working person’s price. The mounting system has shockproofing incorporated into the design, so the Lucid Optics E7 can handle slide-cycling and heavy recoil from any normal carbine, pistol, or shotgun. Lucid Optics’ motto is “On Target, Under Budget.” The Lucid Optics E7 is more than an affordable, weather-resistant, tough optic. It’s also not a red dot, per se. Its reticle is blue, a signature feature on some other Lucid reticles.
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Why blue? Jason Wilson, owner/CEO of Lucid Optics, puts the reasons in terms easily understood. Red light, he says, appears as vibrating to human eyes. It’s inherently unsettling. Blue, on the other hand, appears still. It allows the eye and consequently the mind to relax into focusing as necessary. Blue also shows up more crisply for people with certain vision problems whereas red appears as blurry to them. Wilson’s been on a blue reticle kick since the founding of Lucid Optics and is in the process of applying for a patent for blue reticles.
The blue reticle of the E7 has a circle and delta point that favor a fine focus on target and do not obscure it. Using the point of the delta as the point of aim, the circle allows for some degree of windage/elevation holds when stretching the capabilities of the rifle or shotgun at targets more distant than normal for a non-magnified optic.
This optic has shake-awake technology for convenience and battery conservation. It is 1.78 inches long and uses the ACRO mounting system. The lens is 21mm x 18mm. The housing is tough 7075 aluminum. The field of view is 60 feet at 100 yards. It weighs 2.65 ounces. The high mount of the E7 allows for ready-to-go installation on many battle rifles and tactical shotguns. Other mounting choices might follow in the future. This optic sells for $299.99 by direct order or is available from a number of online retailers.
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