Optic is good, mount sucks, poor eye relief - Vortex Micro 3x22mm Magnifier

I have this set up behind a Holosun H503C, which looks great magnified by the way. The glass is very clear. The optic itself is small and light. The focal adjustment has a decent range to it (enough for my crappy eyes). The centering adjustment was good enough for me. I can say nothing bad about the optic itself. It's worth every bit of $300. But the fact that the optic is short is actually a hinderance, and the included mount just sucks.

I shoot with my stock fully extended. This optic is at the proper eye relief for me only mounted at T1, because it is so short. At T1, the ocular lens is aligned with the end of the receiver, which is pretty normal for magnifiers. 2.5" eye relief at that point is perfect. But mounting it at T1 means you can't use a BUIS. At T1, in the right-handed configuration, the QD lever is butt up against the CH making it hard to use on the left side. With the magnifier swung out it is also in the way of the CH on the right side. So getting to the CH is just difficult. If you mount it at T4, like you would with any other magnifier, you can mount your BUIS and use the CH easily. You also have to run nose-to-charging handle, which can be uncomfortable for a lot of people. Think about it like this: a Juliet3 is 4.2" long, this magnifier is 2.9" long, they both have an eye relief of ~2.5". So, if you mount both at T4, your face will have to be closer to the receiver with this magnifier. Shorter is not better, although it is lighter.

The QD mount almost never goes back to zero if you take it off. And if it doesn't return to zero, you can watch the reticle jump around the sight picture while (dry)firing. It's not that it's loose or anything, there is a tensioning screw on one side, it's just that the mount allows itself to tighten out-of-place and then slowly jumps back to equilibrium. I have read that you can use Eotech's G33 mount, which will likely be higher quality, but that brings the package up to $440.

I had enough quality and usability issues to warrant returning it. I replaced it with a Juliet3 that has good eye relief, adjustable ocular focus, and works being mounting in the proper position. If you run nose-to-CH, this might be the optic for you. I won't discount it completely because of eye relief, but the mount sucks for a $300 combo. You can get an Aimpoint magnifier + LaRue QD mount combo for not much more, which is likely a higher quality. So I don't see how this product competes, the one "advantage" is actually a hindrance.