Optics & Sights

Absolutely! It’s an enjoyable rabbit for sure!

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Hey. Happy Sunday from quarantine @Craig6 @MarkinMT I have two AR’s at the moment(Saint Victor & DPMS, the DMPS has a shorter barrel), I’ve installed the Surefire Weapon Light on both rifles. I installed a bi-pod on the DPMS and have another bi-pod coming to the Saint Victor - they’re so damn cuuute., melts my heart. :slight_smile: Both have slings as well. I’m in the process of order the Vortex Optics VMX-3T Magnifier with built in flip mount, Vortex Optics Rifle-scope Bubble level 30-mm and the Vortex optics Strike-fire II RedDot Sight -4 MOA Red/Green Dot for the DPMS and the Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1x6x24 Second Plane Rifle-scope with the Vortex Optics Cantilever 30mm Mount 2 inch offet. My gunsmith wants me to give him an idea of which direction we should go with the build, my budget is 1000ish. :slight_smile: I want a 6.5 that has mopre of a AR look to it with bolt action if that helps. Thoughts,

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Where do I even start with brands :scream:

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For you @Scoutbob I would gladly make a short list of brands/models for consideration! What type of optic and what do you plan on doing with it?

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That would be awesome! I’m thinking an ACOG or red dot. I’m not planning on shooting at really long distances. (Closest outdoor range is only 100yds).

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Red dots…

@Scoutbob I’m going to assume, you aren’t looking at holographic sights like the Eotech (and the Holosun “clone”).

The “best” red dot is a short list. Aimpoint T-2/H-2, and Trijicon MRO, in my opinion (subject to change).

Aimpoint T-2/H-2 they will run around $700 give or take new. They are phenomenally light. They work fantastically with a magnifier (3x or 6x), but now you are adding another few hundred bucks and additional weight.

Trijicon MRO will run around $400 give or take new. Green dots are available and those a little more. The MRO is not really magnifier friendly. They have a new model that was made for magnifiers, but I’ve seen mixed reviews, so thats a pass, IMO. The MRO “tube” is significantly bigger than the Aimpoint T2/H2 and many folks feel this is a perk, including me. Very good track record, but some folks dislike the “tint” and some folks detect a very slight magnification like 1.05x.

Best Budget Red Dots is a little bit longer list.
Aimpoint PRO (Patrol Rifle Optic) is usually available for < $400 and is an older, larger, chunkier design but is fantastically reliable.

Sig has the Romeo5 and PrimaryArms has the Advanced MicroDot which can usually be found around $150 or less, and are very similar to the Aimpoint T2/H2 in size. If you want a really budget option that doesn’t suck, this is it. Especially if you might want to equip several rifles with the same optic.

Holosun has several models that are similar to the Aimpoint T2/H2 in size and shape. Some of the models have solar power (in addition to battery). The 403 series is a typical red dot, usually around $200 or less. The 503 series has an optional circle-dot (similar to Eotech), usually around $300.

ACOGs and…
If you want to go ACOG… that is it’s own rabbit-hole, and there really isn’t anything exactly like a Trijicon ACOG. They have great ballistic reticles, are literally bomb-proof, excellent glass clarity, most don’t use batteries, and have a long distinguished track record of use by all sorts of door-kickers and crayon-eaters.

There are several flavors that trade magnification for field-of-view and eye-relief. This article over at PewPewTactical gives a good run-down on which one may be “best” depending on how you plan to use it and which set of pros/cons you want. The only downside, IMO, to an ACOG is the price.

As a “kind of” alternative to an ACOG… have a look at some prism optics. They are just like the ACOG in that it is a fixed magnification optic, most come with a ballistic reticle, and they also have eye-relief to consider. This is a pretty small niche market.

Primary Arms has several prism scopes at 1x, 2x, 3x, and 5x. Prices range from about $250-400.

Swampfox has two prisms at 1x and 3x, ranging in price from $280-350. Swampfox is a relatively new brand I’ve been tracking and they’ve had some good reviews on some of their products for “punching above their weight”.

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Thank you very much! I’ve got lots of HW to do I see :sweat_smile:.

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You can definitely narrow down your choices with a few questions.

Red dot at 1x? or Fixed power at 4x (or 1.5x, 2x, 3x depending on model)? Immediately scrub out the ACOG/prisms, or the red dots with that choice. This is the hardest question to answer, depends on your usage. For an HD/SD rifle, I think red dot all day long. HD/Property Defense (think 4legged predators)/Hunting/Range use an ACOG/prism with some magnification makes sense.

Budget? Are you willing/able to pay top dollar for “the best”? Looking for bang for the buck? Or looking to pay as little as possible while maintaining reliability?

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I’m more interested in a fixed Prism style optic. I want a fun range toy. I like the red dot idea because of cost, but I have a longer barrel M&P and I feel like the red dot is a waste if that makes sense. I’m more interested in budget optics that are still descent quality ($400 would probably be my max).

OK, here’s a short list (man, i love helping people spend their money). These should fit the criteria. Good quality, reasonably priced, respectable brand names, solidly built, good glass clarity and field of view.

In no particular order… Swampfox Trihawk, a 3X prism. And Primary Arms GLx 2X or SLx 3X prism. Both brands also have 1X prisms, but that leaves you in the same boat as a regular red dot for magnification. Primary Arms also has a 5x but (IMO) that is a bit high and you will probably then end up getting a small red dot to piggyback or as an offset for close work. Choose your reticle carefully.

Swampfox Trihawk. MSRP $330. Shop around for lower prices (or wait until Swampfox has a sale) like OpticsPlanet has it for $270 right now, in stock. Watch youtube videos and the reviewers will usually have a discount code when buying direct from Swampfox.

Reviews…

Video by Swampfox Mike, he’s very active on another forum I frequent and he goes in-depth on using the reticle. Much of this also applies to other BDC-type reticles from other brands

For Primary Arms, the GLx is their more “premium” line, the SLx is their more “budget” line but really both are quite affordable. Both of these were released this summer so are fairly new, make sure you are getting the GEN3 versions. These also have pic rails on top which is nice if you want to piggyback a small red dot.
Primary Arms GLx 2x Prism, MSRP $370
Primary Arms SLx 3x Prism, MSRP $290

Reviews…

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Awesome! Thank you so much!

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So can I still keep irons on for a prism scope as a back up? I’d like to offset my irons one day, but for now I’d prefer an optic that, I’d for some reason it malfunctions, I could still use irons.

So, two things…

You can absolutely keep BUIS on these. I do not think, at 2X or 3X, that you will see the sights through the window (not 100% sure on that) so you would need to get a Quick Detach mount if you can’t quickly take off the existing mounts. The Swampfox option has an integrated non-QD mount, the PrimaryArms I think you can swap out the mount on the GLx 2X as IIRC it uses ACOG mounts and there for sure are QD mounts available there (but extra cost and might put you over budget). Not sure about the SLx 3x mount. I’m not sure if the youtube reviewers touch on whether you can see irons through the window, you will have to watch all the way through as they may mention it in passing.

Two, is you will probably still be able to use the prisms since they have etched reticles. Meaning the reticle is etched into the glass and is always present even if the electronics fail (or battery dies :stuck_out_tongue: ). Unlike a red dot where if the electronics fails (or battery dies) all you have is an empty window. So short of a really catastrophic failure that broke the glass and the glass fell out you would still be able to use the prism. This is one of the perks for prism optics.

ETA: breaking a prism mounted on a rifle is very likely going to do serious damage to the rifle as well.

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I’m also trying to avoid removing the site post right now. On M&P it’s a part of the gas block, and I don’t really want to mess with that right now :sweat_smile:. Everything on the AR requires me to move something else or add something to the AR :joy:

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No need to remove the front-site post. I can 99% guarantee you will not notice or pay attention to it once you fire a few shots. Not sure the magnification on this image, but your front sight post will look kinda like this looking through the optic

ETA: Even with a red dot co-witnessed or lower 1/3rd you very quickly stop noticing the front post

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Awesome!

I did some for research and video watching. I decided to go with the Romeo 5 red dot. Saw nothing but good on it, and the price tag was easy to swing.

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Romeo5 is a solid choice, its one of my budget choices (inexpensive, but not cheap). I think you’ll be well pleased with it

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Agreed. I have two Romeo 5’s. They are tough, have good optical quality, and hold zero very well. One of the best for the money for sure. I do like Sig products in general.

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