Whats your OPTIC of choice for 1st AR15?

BRONZ · Feb 3, 2013

I havs always used an aimpoint but Im really liking an eotech on black ops 2. Lol

ridethemessiah · Feb 3, 2013

Irons.

Didn't know there were any other sights for AR's

davsco · Feb 3, 2013

you need to figure out what distances you will be shooting and what magnification you need based on your eyesight. my one ar has an eotech, super quick target acquisition but no magnification. head shots on 25 yard targets aren't that big of a deal, and i have rung steel at 250 without too many issues. another has trijicon 1-4, 0 magnification and wide field of view for close stuff, and 4x lets me see out a few hundred yards pretty good. another has 2.5-10 trijicon, so not so great on the really close stuff but i can see pretty good out to 600+ yards. generally for most of the 3 gun matches i do, i stick with the 1-4.

clandestine · Feb 3, 2013

Dont buy an EO Tech and a Magnifier or an ACOG. IMO they are terrbile setups. The ACOG is a Foxed Magnification, and the EoTech with Magnifier is more of an afterthought and too Bulky/Complex to be worth the cost.

If you want a Red Dot WITH Magnification then get a nice 1-4X Scope with a LaRue Q.D. LT104 Mount. Best budget grade 1-4 are:

Nikon M223 $300

High End are:

Vortex Razor HD Series $1200
Leupold VX R Patrol $600
Bushnell Elite Tactical Series $1300
US Optics SN-4 Series $1600
SWFA SS HD Series $800-$1000
Nightforce NXS Series $1200-$1400

I prefer a Leupold VX-R Patrol 1-4 with a LT 104 Mount for cost and performance. It has a Red Dot plus 1-4 magnification. The LaRue mount allow quick removal to get to your irons if something fails. Its has Mil/Mil Reticle/Adjustments and the Optical Quality rivals Scopes costing 3x as much.

IMHO, Stay away from EoTechs and Magnifiers, Fixed Power Trijicon Optics (ACOG), Tasco, Mueller, Millett, Burris, and ALL Cheap Chinese Optics.

Russ D · Feb 3, 2013

clandestine said:
Dont buy an EO Tech and a Magnifier or an ACOG. IMO they are terrbile setups. The ACOG is a Foxed Magnification, and the EoTech with Magnifier is more of an afterthought and too Bulky/Complex to be worth the cost.

If you want a Red Dot WITH Magnification then get a nice 1-4X Scope with a LaRue Q.D. LT104 Mount. Best budget grade 1-4 are:

Nikon M223 $300

High End are:

Vortex Razor HD Series $1200
Leupold VX R Patrol $600
Bushnell Elite Tactical Series $1300
US Optics SN-4 Series $1600
SWFA SS HD Series $800-$1000
Nightforce NXS Series $1200-$1400

I prefer a Leupold VX-R Patrol 1-4 with a LT 104 Mount for cost and performance. It has a Red Dot plus 1-4 magnification. The LaRue mount allow quick removal to get to your irons if something fails. Its has Mil/Mil Reticle/Adjustments and the Optical Quality rivals Scopes costing 3x as much.

IMHO, Stay away from EoTechs and Magnifiers, Fixed Power Trijicon Optics (ACOG), Tasco, Mueller, Millett, Burris, and ALL Cheap Chinese Optics.

Spot on! If you can find a Weaver Classic Extreme 1.5x4.5 for a decent price they are a very good option. Made in Japan and the glass is very good with an illuminated reticle. I found one for sub 300$ and have been very happy with it. The only draw back is it is not a true 1x.

jimbobborg · Feb 3, 2013

Geez, an Aimpoint PRO is $400. If you're planning on shooting under 100 yards all of the time, it's a great option and is practically bullet proof. It's great for 16" or shorter carbines.

KimuraFTW · Feb 3, 2013

TRS-25 or Vortex Strikefire.

drewhall · Feb 3, 2013

I have enjoyed my Eotech, but have not had a need for magnification yet. If I was looking for magnification I would probably follow Chad's advice.

Lawman1800 · Feb 3, 2013

All depends on what you plan on using the rifle for. I run an aimpoint pro on my patrol rifle and have been super impressed with it. It rides in my trunk everyday and takes a beating but always holds zero.

-Z/28- · Feb 3, 2013

Another Aimpoint PRO user here.

HT4 · Feb 3, 2013

I am pretty happy with my vortex viper pst 1-4. Excellent quality glass and features/build for the price. If I only had one AR, that's what would be on it unless I really had a high budget. Then the US optics 1-8x would be at the top of my list.

Travis Bickle · Feb 3, 2013

erwos said:
IMHO, the OP has a few different options here:
1. Reflex sight plus flip-to-side magnifier
2. Fixed magnification
3. Variable magnification

I think the OP might be happiest with the Primary Arms 3x, which I believe is getting restocked next week/

I bought a primary arms 3x compact scope a few months ago. It was very good for what it was and what it cost. However I didnt take into account that it weighed a hefty 15.5oz. It was enough to change the balance of my rifle and I ended up trading it.

sailskidrive · Feb 4, 2013

For a red dot I like the Trijicon SRS; for low magnification an ACOG TA011 or 31.

I have a Vortex PST 1-4x on my SCAR 17 and it is pretty decent glass for about $500; albeit heavier than a VW.

I have to agree with Chad on the red dot magnifiers. I had an EOtech magnifier and the glass is mid grade at best and the eye relief is very poor. You're much better off with a quality low power scope and decent rings.

reckless1911 · Feb 4, 2013

swinokur said:
I'm with Boom Boom. I use the Eotech EXPS 3.0 (NV, quick disconnect and 7mm riser). Quick target acquisition and wide field of view with both eyes open are the main advantages to me. I added an Eotech G33 3x magnifier to add some distance capability. Easily moved out of the way when not needed. I have this setup on all 3 of my AR's just to have uniformity in shooting.

what rail and length is that on your AR?

sonofagun1267 · Feb 4, 2013

I went with an EO Tech and Knighst Armament Micro Flip Up Rear Sight. The Eo Tech is great for close quarters, Im not looking to really go hunting with this thing, its more like for home defense. The rear aperture sight will do well for long distance engagements in my opinion.

photoracer · Feb 4, 2013

Better and cheaper would be a good 1-4x scope. The proper reticle can allow you to engage targets out to 600 yards much better than a set of iron sights. Plus one with a good reticle that can be illuminated in a partial circular pattern can easily replace a red dot. After trying some cheap scopes I went with the Burris 1-4x24 MTAC ($363 @ CTD). I know too many military shooters who do not like the Eotechs.

Dogabutila · Feb 4, 2013

I've got a sparc on my training rifle. It's nice. I like the aimpoint better. What you want depends on how much you are willing to spend.

rico903 · Feb 4, 2013

ohen cepel said:
Aimpoint CompM3. Used to it since it's what I was issued. Works well for me.

I'm looking at buying one of these or a CompM4, can't remember the # used from a guy on another forum. Do you find it to be durable? How's the battery life with the AA battery?

Flipz · Feb 4, 2013

Aimpoint T1/H1 fan here. Its perfect in a Larue LT660 QD mount.

Travis Bickle · Feb 4, 2013

Dogabutila said:
I've got a sparc on my training rifle. It's nice. I like the aimpoint better. What you want depends on how much you are willing to spend.

how does the dot on the sparc compare to the aimpoint as far as sharpness goes? Can the sparc shoot holes through paper just as good as the aimpoint?

Whats your OPTIC of choice for 1st AR15?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

Big Brother is Watching

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

AR-15 Savant

Ultimate Member

Oddball caliber fan

Active Member

Active Member

Active Member

I wanna go fast

Dum spiro spero.

Active Member

Legalize the Constitution

Active Member

Member

Competition Shooter

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Active Member

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics