Suggest an AR optic

[wch]

In need of some opinions on current optics for my AR...

[MrWolf]

What will you be using it for and how far? Red dots seem to me to be the ticket but it depends on what your needs are.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup there used for so many different things. If self defense is your main consern a red dot especially one like a sig romeo 5 that comes on automaticaly when you touch the gun or an aimpoint that can be left on for years on a battery is a great choice because who wants to fumble for switches when something goes bump in the night add a set of backups for if your battery fails or you cant get one. If its a dual purpose hunting/self defense gun something like a vortex or burris 3x prism scope is great. They are fast too if you practice (but not as fast as a 1x dot) and have the advantage that even if shtf and you cant find batteries they still have a black reticle which a red dot doesnt. Disadvantage is there heavy and dont have the greatest eye relief and have to be mounted far back which about eliminates any use of back up sights on your gun. Another option is a lit reticle 1x4 scope. But good ones are expensive and again you cant use back ups and if you go cheap you will end up with a lit recital you cant see in daylight. Then you have scopes. I dont go with the extreme high powered varmint or tactical scopes on a 556. There 300 yard guns for the most part and a good old 3x9 is hard to beat if your shooting your ar at long range.

So my plinking and self defense guns have red dots. My short range (out to 150 yards) deer guns wear prisim sights or low powered scopes. for My target and varmint ars and my longer range deer guns I like a scope that tops out at between 6x and 10x. Most of the time when hunting fields for deer there set at 6x. Now if i could only have one ar it would be a 556 with a red dot and flip up sights. Probably half my ars are set up just like that with sig romeos, aimpoints, vortex sparc's. I do prefer the romeos though. Aimpoints are EXPENSIVE and back in the day were the choice because they had no competion in battery life and ruggedness. Vortex are rugged but you need to turn them on and they time out after so many hours and thats the last thing youd want in a gun fight. Vortex comes on with just a light bump of the gun and goes off in 3 minutes if the gun is absolutely still or can be turned right off if you carry it in a vehicle. My first one is 3 years old now and on the same battery. I have 6 of them and theyve all proved to be reliable. I buy the AAA battery model because AAA batterys will probably be the last batterys still available if shtf. They can be bought for around 200 bucks a 150 if you dont mind the coin battery model. Heck of a sight for that kind of money. But what your not going to do with one is test loads at a 100 yards or shoot many moa groups at a 100 yards.

[RU shooter]

I have a compact low power prism scope on mine ,sorta a compromise between a red dot and a regular scope . Reticle is always there and in low light it can illuminate . Red dots don't work well with my eyes so went with the prism scope .

[smithnframe]

Google Hawke , can’t beat them for the money!

[wch]

I think that the range would be 100 to 150 yards, (the caliber is 223), low light conditions possible.

[MaryB]

I use an AR Optics(Bushnell) 3-9x40 on my AR. I can dial it down for closer in, crank it up for those 500 yard prairie dog shots. Mounted in Nikon P223 rings that get it high enough for my messed up neck.

Low light performance was almost equal to a $1200 scope when we passed them around at the LGS. They were rolled into a cardboard tube so we didn't know which was which and the only downside to them is slight edge blur compared to the high end scope. Surprising performance for a $225 scope!

https://i.imgur.com/v4RU7SD.jpg

[Bazoo]

Trijicon reflex II was nice on the wife's AR. Only issue is you would wash the triangle out if pointing right at a light in dusk or dark. No batteries required but eventually it gets dim like night sights. Just offering the option.

[wch]

Thank you!
That's one heck of a recommendation!

[chill45100]

I have used the Bushnell Elite Tactical in low light conditions and have found them very good. The one on my AR is the ET1624SJ. This one is pricey but the best I've used so far. full discloseure here, I'm selling my AR and kit.

[Ickisrulz]

I have two Trijicon MROs. I like them a lot.

[Randy Bohannon]

The Leupold Patrol 1-5 with the fire dot, best bang for your money, UTG 3-9 amazing value for cheap chink scope.

[Lloyd Smale]

I think that the range would be 100 to 150 yards, (the caliber is 223), low light conditions possible.

if low light is a factor you eliminated the redots and reflex sights and for the most part even the prisim sights are just so so. What you want is a 1x4 1x6 2x7 or 3x9. 3x9 will give you probably the best glass per dollar spent because they make so many of them they usually sell cheaper. Something like a leupold freedom, sig sauer whiskey (i have two that im impressed with for a 150 bucks). Vortex diamondback, Nikons are out because who knows how long they will service them now. Burris is another 200 buck or less good choice. Now i would have scoffed at randys utg suggestion a year ago but pick up a couple of there red dots when they were selling cheap on delta team tactical and there a heck of a red dot for what i paid. Yup you can go full tilt and buy a trijicon. Ive got an acog and a accupoint each on an ar but i could by 10 good units for what those two cost me. Lots of money for not needing batterys when battery life today is measured in years not hours. But that said it is an advantage. What i dont like are sights like eotechs and other reflex sights. But thats just me. Theres good choices if you want one of them too. I am just to used to round and dont care for square. That an eotecs battery life isnt great.

[Lloyd Smale]

I have used the Bushnell Elite Tactical in low light conditions and have found them very good. The one on my AR is the ET1624SJ. This one is pricey but the best I've used so far. full discloseure here, I'm selling my AR and kit.

never used one of them but the elite 3200s and 4200s were great scopes. Had to many problems with the lower priced bushnells though.

[Lloyd Smale]

go here in our own classifeds the burris is a heck of a good deal. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?413888-Ruger-77-357-w-bolt-and-trigger-upgrades-and-4-scopes-for-sale&p=5052117#post5052117