Chad Wallace

May 3, 2025

Review, Optics, Gear

ZeroTech Thrive HD 1-8x24

Chad Wallace

May 3, 2025

Review, Optics, Gear

ZeroTech Thrive HD

1-8x24 Review

ZeroTech Optics sent Rusty and I one of their new Thrive HD 1-8x24 Low Power Variable Optics (LPVO). For a bit I was trying to decide what to put it on. Then SRU and Foxtrot Mike made the decision for me, by sending me a bullpup kit. The new Thrive HD was a perfect fit. ZeroTech’s new LPVO has some great features, some clear glass, and some other stuff.

The ZeroTech Thrive HD 1-8 is the first LPVO in the Thrive lineup. The Thrive series of optics is primarily built for hunters, but that does not mean that there is not crossover into other types of shooting. In fact, the bullpup kit I mounted it on probably won’t see a day of hunting in its lifetime. Unless the random coyote pops up when I have it on hand. Being that the Thrive HD 1-8 is a second focal plane optic, it does lend itself nicely to hunting. However, the way the reticle is set up also works well for run and gun type competition. I think it is more of a dual duty style of optic.

Construction on the Thrive HD is somewhat simplistic. ZeroTech constructs the 1-8 using 7075 T6 aluminum. 7075 is stronger and lighter than the typical 6061 that a lot of other scope manufacturers use in their $450 price range LPVO’s. It weighs in at 22 ounces, which also falls right in line compared to other LPVO’s. As with most LPVO’s, the Thrive HD uses a 30 mm outer tube diameter. The adjustment turrets are of the capped style. This gives it a clean look. Since this is not a scope for long range work, the capped turrets do not detract from anything.

ZeroTech throws a few “extras” in the box that are pretty nice. Up first is the Thrive HD’s flip up covers. These are not your everyday plastic ones. They are aluminum and screw on. Using the supplied tool, you can tighten them down to your preferred location. This is especially nice for the ocular lens with the fast focus eyepiece. Since you need to focus the eyepiece to your eye, you can then loosen the flip cap, align it, and re-tighten it, so it works correctly. The 1-8 also comes with a removable throw lever. This throw lever uses a little rail type attachment. So one just slides it on and tightens the little screw. Also included is a neoprene style one piece scope cover. It is a really nice cover.

When looking at optics, the reticle can be really important. The Thrive HD 1-8 uses ZeroTech’s PHR 4 illuminated reticle. This reticle, for some reason, reminds me of the old German #1 reticle. It is not even close, but here is my best explanation. The PHR 4 has 3 fairly thick crosshairs, 1 up from the bottom and then 1 on each side. These then reduce down to 0.5 MOA thick lines. These lines extend 7.5 MOA out toward the center reticle. There is then a 2.5 MOA space until the center reticle starts. Yes, there is a center reticle. The center reticle is also the part that illuminates. They call this a floating reticle and is more akin to a standard small thin crosshair reticle. It measures 5 MOA. It also has a 0.5 MOA dot in the center. Of course all of these measurements are at 8x. There are 5 brightness settings on the Thrive HD. On/Off and adjustment are a little different than what you might be used to. On the left side of the scope is the battery cap. In the center of the cap is a button. This button is pressed to turn on the red illumination, in the last setting that was used. Just push it again to cycle through the 5 brightness levels. It cycles from brightest to darkest, and then repeats itself. Since the Thrive HD does not have any shake awake function, you will want to remember to turn it off when done. To do this you just hold the button down for about 3 seconds and the illumination turns off. The brightness is not daylight bright, but is very useful. ZeroTech does not sell the Thrive HD as daylight bright, so I was not expecting it to be.

The Thrive HD 1-8 has capped turrets for adjustment. To adjust the LPVO, you must first remove the caps. Underneath are some decently nice knobs. These are easily adjusted with your fingers. The ¼ MOA clicks are a tiny bit mushy, but can be heard and felt easily enough. The ¼ MOA adjustments are a nice feature. A lot of 1-8 LPVO’s have ½ MOA adjustments. These windage and elevation knobs can also be set to zero, after the initial sighting in. That way you at least have a reference when making further adjustments.

I was impressed with the clarity on the Thrive HD. Looking through it produces clear images with no detectable color differences. It did not seem to matter if it was at 1x or 8x, nothing seemed distorted. However, the eyebox on the 1-8 is unforgiving at 8x. You have to be in just the correct spot to get a good image. At 1x, I did not notice any problems getting a clear picture through the eyebox. This is my only real complaint about the Thrive HD 1-8.

As mentioned, I mounted up the Thrive HD to a bullpup. This required me to put it in a higher optics mount. I used a Geissele 1.93 scope mount and it was perfect for the 1-8. You can read the SRU review to find out why the mount is turned around. I mention this so you get the idea of how I used the Thrive HD. This LPVO is really clear for its price range. I would compare it to some optics that are priced a couple of hundred more. It really shines at 1x with the PHR 4 reticle. Then the 8x gives you enough magnification to identify targets easily. The adjustment ring, with its optional throw lever, operates super smooth. Those flip covers take a little bit of getting used to, they are a bit stiffer than the normal ones I use. All those little add-ins are a nice touch too. The Thrive HD did everything I wanted it to do.

The Thrive HD 1-8x24 is a good option for those looking for a LPVO. It is decently priced for the quality and clarity you get. It has a very useful illuminated reticle. The throw lever, to adjust the magnification, is super smooth. You really get a lot of optic for your money with the ZeroTech Thrive HD line. Go check out Zerotech’s line of optics, they might have something that fits with your shooting style.

Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points

Claim to Fame:

1-8 power LPVO with a hunting style MOA reticle

Target Market:

Anyone wanting a LPVO in the 1-8 power range

Features, Benefits, and Specifications of this product:

Focal Plane Second (SFP)
Reticle calibrated magnification power: 8x
Magnification Range: 1-8x
Objective Lens Diameter: 24mm
Main Tube Diameter: 30mm
Main tube Material: 7075 – T6
Turret Index Value: 0.25MOA
Internal Elevation Adjustment: 90 MOA
Internal Windage Adjustment: 90 MOA
Parallax Adjustment Range: Fixed 100 Meters
Exit Pupil Diameter: Low: 8mm; High: 3mm
Eye Relief: 3.58-3.94 inches or 91-100mm
Field Of View @100 Meters: Low: 41.6 m; High: 5.1 m
Field of view @ 100 Yards: Low: 124.8 ft; High: 15.5 ft
Lens Coating: Fully Multi Coated (FMC)
Weight: 22 ounces or 624g
Illumination: Yes
Waterproof Rating: IPX7
Aluminum flip covers
Adjustment tool
Neoprene scope cover

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

G4 reticle

What others are saying?:

Nothing found as of publishing

Our Rating:

Pros:

Good clarity
Easy to use reticle
Brightness adjustment
Throw lever
Premium flip covers

Cons:

Tight eyebox
Only 5 brightness levels
No shake awake brightness feature

Score: 7.50 Good

Favorite Link: SRU Bullpup Chassis review

Chad Wallace

December 14, 2024

Optics, Review

Primary Arms SLx 1-10x28 ACSS NOVA

Chad Wallace

December 14, 2024

Optics, Review

Primary Arms

SLx 1-10x28 ACSS NOVA Review

A few years ago, Primary Arms started making their NOVA fiber dot reticle. This bridged the gap between the Low Power Variable Optic (LPVO) and the red dot. Primary Arms has recently put the NOVA reticle into their SLx 1-10x28 optic. This is huge for those wanting more magnification over the SLx 1-6x24 NOVA.

The Primary Arms SLx 1-10x28 NOVA is packed with features. For starters, they increased the tube to 34mm from 30mm’s in the 1-6. This allows more light to get into the optic and back to your eye. This larger tube lets you see better at lower light levels as well as at the full 10x magnification. They also throw in flip up lens caps to keep the glass clean when not in use.

Next on the feature list is the capped turrets. The turrets are a vital part in setting up your optic. Or at least getting it sighted in. I am not super thrilled with the turrets that Primary Arms uses on this LPVO. The clicks are fine and can be felt easily. My gripe is that they remind me of something that was used on scopes 20 years ago. They are small plastic knobs with a flat piece of metal that rotates to set your zero position. Then there is a tiny recess, in the threads, to line up your “zero” with. I was just hoping for something more like the SLx 1-6x24 NOVA. The caps that cover the turrets are nice. They have good texture to unscrew them. The windage knob cap also has storage for an extra 2032 battery. Yes, it comes with an extra battery already in the cap. On the left side of the LPVO is the brightness knob. It has 11 brightness settings from low light to burn your eyeballs out bright. However, it is not night vision compatible. The SLx 1-10 does not have Primary Arms’ Autolive. However, I did install their Autolive battery cap and it works like a charm.

Eye relief for the SLx 1-10 LPVO is pretty good. Primary Arms states 3.2 - 3.5 inches, which seems about right. I did notice that the eyebox is pretty forgiving. I did not need to be exactly in the stated window to see through the optic clearly. The SLx also has a fast focus diopter so you can adjust the reticle to be crystal clear. Also, on this end of the optic is the magnification throw lever. Of course it goes from a true 1x all the way to 10x. The magnification adjustment is very smooth and rotates right at 180 degrees from 1x - 10x. Primary Arms also uses their removable throw lever. This one is about ¾ inch long. You can get different height ones from Primary Arms, as well as a fold down lever.

Now it is reticle time. The SLx 1-10x28 uses Primary Arms ACSS NOVA fiber wire reticle. This gives you a daylight bright red dot in the center of the reticle’s crosshairs. Basically a red LED travels through a fiber optic cable to the reticle, thus illuminating the reticle dot much brighter than a normal illuminated reticle. The center dot is roughly 0.6 MOA. Some people say the dot is too small to use it like a red dot. I am not one of those people, I love the Nova red dot. The rest of the ACSS NOVA reticle is a Mil based Second Focal Plane optic. So the reticle stays the same size throughout the magnification range. This also makes the Mil subtensions only accurate at the highest power, or 10x in this case. For elevation, there are 4 mil stadia lines below the center red dot. They are spaced 1 Mil apart, with ½ mil dots between them. These Mil stadia are wider at the top and progressively get narrower as you go down the reticle. This is so you can use them to range distance on an 18 inch wide target. On the horizontal stadia, there are 2 dots. These 2 dots represent approximately 3 mile per hour wind holds each. The crosshair taper can be used as a 3rd wind hold. The reticle is very useful for all kinds of things. I am a huge fan of the ACSS NOVA Mil reticle.

When I first received the SLx 1-10x28, I had not received the rifle I was hoping to put it on. Since I had a “Range Day” competition coming up, I mounted it to my Primary Weapons piston AR15. Primary Arms had also sent their GLx 34 mm cantilever mount to use with the 1-10. It is a great mount by itself and puts the optic at just the right height for an AR. During the competition, I was able to use it like a red dot at 3-7 yard targets. Then I moved it up to about 3x to shoot some index cards at 50 yards. The optic performed great for that particular competition. And no, I didn’t win anything. The SLx 1-10 Nova now sits on a Global Ordnance Monolith, which was the rifle I was waiting to install it on. The 1-10 fits the rifle well and doesn’t add too much weight to it. After all, the SLx 1-10x28 Nova only weighs 19 ounces. I have also done a bunch of drills with the SLx on this rifle. The SLx worked great on it also. When I was shooting for groups, I had the SLx’s magnification turned up to 10x. On 10x the targets were easy to make out. The only problem I ran across was that at 10x, the scope is not as clear as at 1x. There was not a bunch of difference, but enough that I could notice. Even though it was noticeable to me, I could still make out 22 caliber holes at 100 yards easily enough.

I am a huge fan of the ACSS NOVA reticle in the SLx 1-10x28. Not only can you use this LPVO as a normal optic, it also can double as a red dot. You can even range targets with the Mil reticle. Pair it with the Primary Arms Autolive battery cap and you have an optic that is ready to go when you are. So if you are looking for that LPVO that has a little bit more magnification, but still can be used fast and up close, give the Primary Arms SLx 1-10x28 ACSS NOVA a look.

Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Quality , inexpensive 1-10x optic with good features

Target Market:

Anyone wanting a quality LPVO at a fair price

Features, Benefits, and Specifications of this product:

Battery Type: CR2032 3V Lithium Coin
Click Value: 1/2 MOA
Exit Pupil Diameter: Low: 9mm / High: 2.8mm
Field View 100: Low: 110 ft / High: 10 ft
Focal Plane: Second Focal Plane
Illuminated MRAD NOVA fiber reticle, red color
Eye Relief: 3.2” - 3.5”
Length: 10.5 in.
Magnification: 1X - 10X
34mm tube
Objective Diameter: 28mm
Total Elevation and Windage Adjustment: 40 MOA
Low Profile Capped Turrets
Warranty: Lifetime
Weight: 19.1 oz.

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

ACSS Raptor and ACSS Griffin reticles

What others are saying?:

5 out of 5 stars at PrimaryArms.com

Coyote Hunting 25-200 Yards

by Coyote Cam -

So, as we all know... the SLx 1-6x24 Nova has been the standard for the red dot bright LPVO with the Gen4. When I saw that they now make the exact same Nova illumination in the 1-10x28, it was time to pull the trigger on a 1-10x LPVO, but with any 1-10x I was a bit hesitant at first... but let me tell you, I am amazed at how clear this is out to 200 yards on 10x.

Now... understand that this is for my dedicated Coyote setup out to 200 yards max, but also I have a heavy brush/timber area that I need to dial it back on and this 1x is running amazing.

The red dot illumination helps when the reticle fades in the sun/tree line, which is why I wanted the Nova, but I needed more than 6x for target identification in dim light.

If you are wanting something for the same reasons as I did, do not hesitate, the glass is actually super clear.