AR15 Scope
- Thread starter bigmike19
- Start date
Dr Big Bird PhD
New member
I would recommend at least buying some Back up sights and training with those first. One should always have iron sights on a firearm IMO. You should be good at shooting irons, altering windage/elevation/etc, before you spend $500 on a battery powered optic.
Carne Frio
New member
The type of optic would depend on the range that you would be
shooting at and how much to you want to spend. Iron back up
sights aren't that expensive. Magpul makes a high strength
polymer set that is reasonable priced.
shooting at and how much to you want to spend. Iron back up
sights aren't that expensive. Magpul makes a high strength
polymer set that is reasonable priced.
I thought I wanted a Red Dot type site for my AR. Tried one a friend loaned me and just didn't get the warm fuzzy feeling thought I would from it. Ended up scoping it, final decision was for a Bushnell Dusk to Dawn 1.5 x 4. While not a long range set up, it is very very fast at close range, and turned up to 4X its plenty for what I am likely to be shooting with it. My R-15 had no open sites and still doesn't. Trickiest part was getting the base/rings right, turns out the guy at the store where I bought it didn't have a clue and sold me the wrong ones, but I had a set of see-thru rings on hand that were tall enough to line up correctly. Only good use for them I have found.
Lots of choices out there. I have a Bushnell red dot on an M1 Carbine that is very compact and only about $150 so it is cheap enough to try out and see if you like it or not. It seems perfectly serviceable. I would agree on the idea of also getting backup iron sights suchas the Magpul or other brand.
On my home defense AR I have an Aimpoint PRO red dot with a Magpul flip up rear sight. The PRO is the best value in very robust, full featured red dot at $400, I think. It is 2-3 times bigger than the Bushnell but much shorter than even a compact scope. Plus, you don't need to have perfect cheekweld position as the red dot is on target regardless of the angle you view it.
A red dot is great for out to 100 yds for very fast target acquisition, moving targets. The closer you expect to shoot pigs the more I would recommend a red dot. But a low power optical scope can be pretty effective as well especially if range is 50-200+ yds. I have a Weaver 1-3x scope on another AR and like it a lot but for under 100 yds I would favor the red dot.
On my home defense AR I have an Aimpoint PRO red dot with a Magpul flip up rear sight. The PRO is the best value in very robust, full featured red dot at $400, I think. It is 2-3 times bigger than the Bushnell but much shorter than even a compact scope. Plus, you don't need to have perfect cheekweld position as the red dot is on target regardless of the angle you view it.
A red dot is great for out to 100 yds for very fast target acquisition, moving targets. The closer you expect to shoot pigs the more I would recommend a red dot. But a low power optical scope can be pretty effective as well especially if range is 50-200+ yds. I have a Weaver 1-3x scope on another AR and like it a lot but for under 100 yds I would favor the red dot.
EOtech...
I like the cool EO tech sights used by the US Armed Forces. They are robust & hold up to rough conditions. See; www.brownells.com www.uscav.com www.policeHQ.com www.midwayusa.com . Brownells also markets a catalog just for AR/M4/M16 type rifles. They are a top shooting industry/gun owner resource.
Mag-Pul is highly rated for magazines too but I saw a cool AR polymer magazine that goes from green to red so you can check at a glance how many rounds are left.
Clyde
I like the cool EO tech sights used by the US Armed Forces. They are robust & hold up to rough conditions. See; www.brownells.com www.uscav.com www.policeHQ.com www.midwayusa.com . Brownells also markets a catalog just for AR/M4/M16 type rifles. They are a top shooting industry/gun owner resource.
Mag-Pul is highly rated for magazines too but I saw a cool AR polymer magazine that goes from green to red so you can check at a glance how many rounds are left.
Clyde
If you were setting up a home defense rifle I'd say go with an Eotech electronic sight but not so much for hunting. I'd start looking for a 1-3x or 1-4x scope with a true 1x at the low end and I'd mount it a quick disconnect mount. At the low end a Weaver V3 1-3x20 is a very good little dangerous game scope and will work great in a 1" Burris QD P.E.P.R mount. At a middle-price point I'd look at a Vortex Viper PST 1-4x24 with an illuminated reticle. The Viper could go in a 30mm Burris P.E.P.R. or better yet a LaRure Tactical mount.
But the first thing I'd do is add some flip-up backup sights (I really like Troy's sights) even if it's cheap plastic Magpul sights.
But the first thing I'd do is add some flip-up backup sights (I really like Troy's sights) even if it's cheap plastic Magpul sights.
Thank you
Thanks for all the valuable input. I have mounted Troy folding sights front & rear. Found a pretty good deal on an Aimpoint CompC3 red dot sight.
Now...about the mounts. I think I understand the difference between co-witness and 1/3 co-witness. Is one preferred over the other or is it just a matter of personal preference?
Thanks again for everyone's help.
Thanks for all the valuable input. I have mounted Troy folding sights front & rear. Found a pretty good deal on an Aimpoint CompC3 red dot sight.
Now...about the mounts. I think I understand the difference between co-witness and 1/3 co-witness. Is one preferred over the other or is it just a matter of personal preference?
Thanks again for everyone's help.