AR Sponsor
Posted: 7/24/2017 2:05:20 AM EDT
| Hey fellas! Recently just picked up my first AR (Colt LE6920 OEM2). Been practicing a lot with my BUIS (magpul) and now I want to buy an optic. Here is my problem, I can't decide between a red dot (Vortex/Holosun) or a Primary Arms 1-6x scope. I had the opportunity to test out both on a friends rifle and I like each of em. The weight with the PA scope is heavy but I'm sure I can get used to it. I especially like the ACSS on the PA (I know there is a holosun red dot with the ACSS). Here is the kicker, where I live our ranges only go out to 100yards.. Is it worth it to get a 1-6x scope if I can't practice past 100 yards? I live in an urban city and my rifle isn't my home defense weapon. More of a SHTF option. I'm leaning towards the red dot, but wouldn't mind getting some more opinions on the matter, appreciate any feedback, thanks. |
|
Quoted:
Due to the concerns you mention and the limited range I'll agree on red dot. |
| Normally I'd say a 1-4, 1-6 or 1-8, that's the way of the future it seems but being limited to 100 yards in the city I'd recommend a good quality reddot with a magnifier just in case you do need to reach out or take a precise shot at that 100 yards. Personally I'd skip the Holosun and other similar brands. Save up a bit longer and get a good quality brand reddot that you can bet your life on. The Vortex Strikefire is an excellent reddot for the money and won't crap out on you when you need it the most. We have 3 of them and I consider them the best affordable reddot for the money. There are also others out there for a bit more money that will serve you well. You have a good quality AR, why put a cheap optic on it? |
|
Quoted:
Normally I'd say a 1-4, 1-6 or 1-8, that's the way of the future it seems but being limited to 100 yards in the city I'd recommend a good quality reddot with a magnifier just in case you do need to reach out or take a precise shot at that 100 yards. Personally I'd skip the Holosun and other similar brands. Save up a bit longer and get a good quality brand reddot that you can bet your life on. The Vortex Strikefire is an excellent reddot for the money and won't crap out on you when you need it the most. We have 3 of them and I consider them the best affordable reddot for the money. There are also others out there for a bit more money that will serve you well. You have a good quality AR, why put a cheap optic on it? |
|
Save your money a little longer and get an Aimpoint PRO. They pop up all the time on the EE in the mid $300 range and if you wait for the sales you can pick up a new one for about the same price. I'm slowly phasing out my cheap optics because they just don't perform as good. But if you absolutely have to have a RDS now go with the Strikefire. I've had a couple over the years and they were go sights, only real issue is the battery life isn't as good.
Unless you have an eye condition that makes using a Red dot difficult to use I would not go with a 1-4/6x scope with the range limitations you have since it would be a waste. |
|
Quoted:
Save your money a little longer and get an Aimpoint PRO. They pop up all the time on the EE in the mid $300 range and if you wait for the sales you can pick up a new one for about the same price. I'm slowly phasing out my cheap optics because they just don't perform as good. But if you absolutely have to have a RDS now go with the Strikefire. I've had a couple over the years and they were go sights, only real issue is the battery life isn't as good. Unless you have an eye condition that makes using a Red dot difficult to use I would not go with a 1-4/6x scope with the range limitations you have since it would be a waste. 
|
| You'll appreciate the 6x very much at 100yds. Without that magnification you won't be able to see your hits on the target at that distance, at least not without binoculars or another spotting scope. While 1x is plenty good to get hits on a man sized target at 100yds, you'll get much better groups with magnification. Of course, you could also use a magnifier behind a RDS at the range... |
|
Quoted:
Save your money a little longer and get an Aimpoint PRO. They pop up all the time on the EE in the mid $300 range and if you wait for the sales you can pick up a new one for about the same price. I'm slowly phasing out my cheap optics because they just don't perform as good. But if you absolutely have to have a RDS now go with the Strikefire. I've had a couple over the years and they were go sights, only real issue is the battery life isn't as good. Unless you have an eye condition that makes using a Red dot difficult to use I would not go with a 1-4/6x scope with the range limitations you have since it would be a waste. |
|
Quoted:
OP Id watch PSA's Daily Deals and pick up a Vortex Sparc AR + 10 pmag combo. Usually goes for around $200. I have the Sparc AR and love it and you will need some extra mags. |
|
Quoted:
You'll appreciate the 6x very much at 100yds. Without that magnification you won't be able to see your hits on the target at that distance, at least not without binoculars or another spotting scope. While 1x is plenty good to get hits on a man sized target at 100yds, you'll get much better groups with magnification. Of course, you could also use a magnifier behind a RDS at the range... |
|
Quoted:
Damn thats a steal! Do they usually announce through their email listing or should I just check their website daily? Quoted:
Quoted:
OP Id watch PSA's Daily Deals and pick up a Vortex Sparc AR + 10 pmag combo. Usually goes for around $200. I have the Sparc AR and love it and you will need some extra mags. Warning - Your Wallet & Credit Card will HATE you for it. Palmetto has some screaming good deals on their site that can make 'Financial Discipline'.... rather difficult... 
|
|
Quoted:
Sign up for the E-mail Deal Alerts... Warning - Your Wallet & Credit Card will HATE you for it. Palmetto has some screaming good deals on their site that can make 'Financial Discipline'.... rather difficult... |
|
Quoted:
Does being right eye dominate count haha. But yeah I agree it would be a waste since my range is limited. Only thing I don't like about the strike fire is that it is 4 MOA plus seems a bit bulkier than the sparc 2 or sparc ar. I see that the aim point pro is around the same price as the trijicon, maybe I might just break the bank. |
|
Quoted:
The 4MOA dot does kind of suck if you want to shoot for groups at all. That is one of the reasons why I ditched the Strikefire. Back when I had my strikefire the Spark wasn't available otherwise I would've bought one of those. Size wise the Strikefire is similar to the PRO. |
|
Quoted:
I see. Thanks for that info, I didn't know they were similar in size. To be honest I don't care for the bulkiness of em and the weight. Really narrowing it down to either the SPARC AR, SPARC 2, or the Trijicon MRO. Of course the Trijicon is double both of those optics in price so I'll have to take that into consideration if its worth it.  .
|
| From someone who thought an RDS and magnifier was the right combo, I ended up with a Steiner 1-4x. I have a slight astigmatism, so the 1-4 works better for me. I did not like the magnifier weight. Weight of a Low powered magnified optic I have gotten use too. Optics with the max power 6+ will also weigh more than 1-4x. The Steiner P4Xi has an excellent daylight bright illuminated dot. Reticle is very clean and simple. But if you are considering SHTF, consider that you might not be able to find replacement batteries in a long term situation or at least consider highly efficient RDS like the PA Advanced Microdot or Aimpoint Micro series. So the prism/etched lens optics would be a better choice. Electronics can fail or lose power and having an etched reticle will ensure there is always something available. |
|
Quoted:
I was browsing the EE and there was a hell of a deal on a like new PRO this morning. The seller only wanted $250 for it, so deals on those are out there if your quick enough. I wasn't fast enough this time . |
|
Quoted:
From someone who thought an RDS and magnifier was the right combo, I ended up with a Steiner 1-4x. I have a slight astigmatism, so the 1-4 works better for me. I did not like the magnifier weight. Weight of a Low powered magnified optic I have gotten use too. Optics with the max power 6+ will also weigh more than 1-4x. The Steiner P4Xi has an excellent daylight bright illuminated dot. Reticle is very clean and simple. But if you are considering SHTF, consider that you might not be able to find replacement batteries in a long term situation or at least consider highly efficient RDS like the PA Advanced Microdot or Aimpoint Micro series. So the prism/etched lens optics would be a better choice. Electronics can fail or lose power and having an etched reticle will ensure there is always something available. |
|
I agree with the previous posters. Save up for an Aimpoint. I just bought a new PRO for $385.00 delivered to my door. Used Aimpoint RDS are sold everyday on this sites EE section
I like scopes, always have. A quality illuminated 1-4, 1.25-4, 1.5-5 will give you the best of both worlds. Magnification and fine cross hairs is ideal for superb accuracy. Dial it down and turn on the illumination and you can use like RDS. Leupold's 30mm VX-R scopes are an excellent value. |
|
Aimpoint PRO, they are amazing. I shoot to 200 on 18X18 steel targets with mine consistently.
I have not put the time into it to try and improve the distance, yet. I also run an M2 and M3 on a couple of my other rigs, zero issues out to 200. The 2 moa dot size of the M3/PRO far outperforms the 4 moa of the M2. |
|
Quoted:
I agree with the previous posters. Save up for an Aimpoint. I just bought a new PRO for $385.00 delivered to my door. Used Aimpoint RDS are sold everyday on this sites EE section I like scopes, always have. A quality illuminated 1-4, 1.25-4, 1.5-5 will give you the best of both worlds. Magnification and fine cross hairs is ideal for superb accuracy. Dial it down and turn on the illumination and you can use like RDS. Leupold's 30mm VX-R scopes are an excellent value. Quoted:
I agree with the previous posters. Save up for an Aimpoint. I just bought a new PRO for $385.00 delivered to my door. Used Aimpoint RDS are sold everyday on this sites EE section I like scopes, always have. A quality illuminated 1-4, 1.25-4, 1.5-5 will give you the best of both worlds. Magnification and fine cross hairs is ideal for superb accuracy. Dial it down and turn on the illumination and you can use like RDS. Leupold's 30mm VX-R scopes are an excellent value. Quoted:
Aimpoint PRO, they are amazing. I shoot to 200 on 18X18 steel targets with mine consistently. I have not put the time into it to try and improve the distance, yet. I also run an M2 and M3 on a couple of my other rigs, zero issues out to 200. The 2 moa dot size of the M3/PRO far outperforms the 4 moa of the M2. |
|
Quoted:
Seems a lot of people are recommending the Aimpoint PRO. At around $400 (maybe even below that price if I get lucky), it seems doable with my budget. I like the fact that it is 2 MOA, however I do not like the weight of it or it's bulkiness. I do prefer smaller RDS, is there a significant reason to choose the PRO over something like a Vortex SPARC/AR or the Holosun I mentioned earlier? I know you get what you pay for and the Aimpoint is probably a better made optic overall. Does the PRO have a bigger field of view than a smaller RDS? I guess I'm just trying to justify the cost and size/weight of the PRO over a smaller/lighter, cheaper RDS. I bought my PRO on the EE LNIB for $335. 
Edit: Really boils down to what role you want to fill. Are you wanting to punch small groups into paper? Ring plates out to 1-200? Hunting? Etc... I have no Sparc experience, alot of guys like them. Primary Arms rds are a budget option as well as Bushnell trs-25. I would not run on a rig that I may want to use to save my life, but I run them on some of mine, issue free. |
|
Quoted:
I like a 30mm tube over a 20 mm.(Micro vs Comp/PRO). I bought my PRO on the EE LNIB for $335.
Edit: Really boils down to what role you want to fill. Are you wanting to punch small groups into paper? Ring plates out to 1-200? Hunting? Etc... I have no Sparc experience, alot of guys like them. Primary Arms rds are a budget option as well as Bushnell trs-25. I would not run on a rig that I may want to use to save my life, but I run them on some of mine, issue free. |
|
Quoted:
Wow thats a good deal you got. I guess it would be used for hitting steel at 100 yards at most. 50 yards more often than not and some closer targets for CQB training. But besides that I have my Glock or Mossberg for my home defense weapon. So it will mostly be a range optic and incase of a SHTF scenario. Narrowed it down to either the Aimpoint PRO or the Holoson w/ACSS reticle.
Watch the EE. |
|
Quoted:
PRO. You won't regret it.
Watch the EE. |
| To answer your question yes the PRO will have a better field of view than say a Holosun or Vortex microdot. There is a fairly significant weight difference too but I think the overall quality of the sight plus the clarity of the glass (and of course FOV) more than make up for it with the PRO. The included mound on the PRO is pretty slick too and supposedly repeatable. You could take the sight on and off without issue and not have to pay extra for a QD mount. If the size and weight of the PRO is a deal breaker for you but the price is not, yo may want to look at the Trijicon MRO. It's small, light weight, has great FOV, similar battery life and durability and costs virtually the same. Ymmv. |
|
Quoted:
To answer your question yes the PRO will have a better field of view than say a Holosun or Vortex microdot. There is a fairly significant weight difference too but I think the overall quality of the sight plus the clarity of the glass (and of course FOV) more than make up for it with the PRO. The included mound on the PRO is pretty slick too and supposedly repeatable. You could take the sight on and off without issue and not have to pay extra for a QD mount. If the size and weight of the PRO is a deal breaker for you but the price is not, yo may want to look at the Trijicon MRO. It's small, light weight, has great FOV, similar battery life and durability and costs virtually the same. Ymmv. FOV is a different term than the context you provided. |
| Aimpoint PRO has a "clear aperture" (exit pupil) of 26mm and a 30mm objective whereas the Vortex Sparc (for example) has an objective of just 22mm. Granted the PRO does have a much larger housing, but even with that disadvantaged, I'd suspect it still has a little larger "FOV" than the micro-dot when viewed from the same angle/distance. Could be wrong, I'd have to see them side by side. |
|
Quoted:
To answer your question yes the PRO will have a better field of view than say a Holosun or Vortex microdot. There is a fairly significant weight difference too but I think the overall quality of the sight plus the clarity of the glass (and of course FOV) more than make up for it with the PRO. The included mound on the PRO is pretty slick too and supposedly repeatable. You could take the sight on and off without issue and not have to pay extra for a QD mount. If the size and weight of the PRO is a deal breaker for you but the price is not, yo may want to look at the Trijicon MRO. It's small, light weight, has great FOV, similar battery life and durability and costs virtually the same. Ymmv. |
|
Quoted:
Yeah I have decided to go for the PRO. After watching numerous review videos I've made my mind up. It has a good track record, battery life, the mount is pretty awesome, and the look is kinda growing on me (I'm sure I'll get used to the weight with time). The MRO has crossed my mind BUT the mixed reviews here and there have thrown me off plus the PRO is cheaper. If I was to buy a new one off the EEL, does the warranty transfer to me or not because I am not the original purchaser? According to the Aimpoint website I don't think I would be eligible for the warranty if I bought it second hand (but new). That being said, if you want the warranty, check out SKD tactical site. I see them on sale crazy cheap alot. $385 new last I looked, IIRC? |
|
Quoted:
I think you will have more fun shooting at 100 yd range with a 1-4 scope. If you look for Leupold VX-R 1.25-4, Vortex close out 1-4 PST or the new Steiner PXi 1-4 with a light wt mount like the Aero Precision you will enjoy shooting your rifle more.
|
| aim point pro all the way . I also have a voretex strike fire , cmore sight , bushnell trs25 , primary arms 1x6 at the price point you have I would take the aimpoint pro and never doubt my decision . I have killed deer at 100 yds , took out ground hogs at 75 yds and can ring my 8 inch gong at 200 yds easy enough . its always on , always ready and seriously the optic's weight really is insignificant . |
|
Quoted:
Just when I'm sure I've made my mind up on the PRO, someone comments recommending a scope. Then I end up looking at the scopes again and watching video reviews then have doubts on which to get LOL. Wish I could just say f**k it and get both. How do I close the thread so I stop being easily influenced Flip a coin. (Just buy yourself a PRO.)
You can easily get your $ back IF you change your mind. |
|
A little advice, especially if new to rds.
Don't be afraid to experiment. I thought I was gtg on my setups. I ran mine all the way back, and had all of them set up as absolute cowitness. I moved them to the front of the receiver top rail and now run lower 1/3 mounts and it is a world of difference for me. More consistency and easier to shoot. Good luck! |
AR Sponsor