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Evolution of the Combat Optic
- Thread starter cmshoot
- Start date
"Sometimes the guys pulling triggers for real rather than hysterically posting about it on the internet accept the failings of a particular piece of kit, so long as they can work around it and can benefit from the advantages that it offers"
THAT statement was worth reading through the whole article to find.
THAT statement was worth reading through the whole article to find.
thanx 4 sharing
Well, that's cool. I exclusively run LPVOs on my carbines now for all the reasons stated in this article plus the fact they can be focused to the shooter. That's a big deal for older eyes. I have off set flip up BUIS on all the weapons, too.
All of the LPVOs are 1.5x - 6x on a 30mm tube with illuminated reticle and hold over gradients in the reticle calibrated for 55gr to 62gr. 5.56 while at 6x out to 600 yards. With a little experimentation and practice those hold overs are easily adapted to different rounds. Ironically, they are the least expensive optics I own, but are solid as a rock and have been completely reliable. My choice was not based on price point, but on the capabilities of the optic and they work great.
All of the LPVOs are 1.5x - 6x on a 30mm tube with illuminated reticle and hold over gradients in the reticle calibrated for 55gr to 62gr. 5.56 while at 6x out to 600 yards. With a little experimentation and practice those hold overs are easily adapted to different rounds. Ironically, they are the least expensive optics I own, but are solid as a rock and have been completely reliable. My choice was not based on price point, but on the capabilities of the optic and they work great.
Before my eyes started aging, I was really good at iron sights. I won a bunch of awards in club and regional matches with pistols, and I placed middle-of-the-pack at highpower and rimfire rifle matches were iron sights / peep sights were required. But even then, 20+ years ago, I had to admit that I shot FASTER, and more ACCURATELY, with a plain-Jane red dot optic or a simple $30 fixed 4X scope than I did with iron sights. Even good quality iron sights like you'd find on a Springfield M1A National Match, or a High Standard Supermatic Trophy or S&W 41.
Today, iron sights are decidedly inferior and not an acceptable choice anymore for me, not when accuracy counts.
I can do OK with them for self-defense purposes. I can still use a Winchester 94 to pop a deer in the lungs at 75 yards or so with iron sights, but at 100 yards or beyond I need some kind of optic.
In the woods, iron sights aren't just imprecise, but they're SLOW. Even peep sights, which everybody says are faster than open sights. I find myself searching for the center of the peep sight when my view is a mixture of various colors and textures-- pine needles, grass and weeds, pine cones, tree limbs, all in the ring surrounding my target and my front sight. Iron sights work better on a target range where the berm of earth around the target is all uniform-- nice clean dry bare dirt, or grass, etc.
I think a low magnification variable power optic in the 1.5 - 6X range is ideal for most rifles and carbines for the purposes to which I'd put them, which includes occasional use out to 600 yards, but a lot more shooting at 50 and 100 yards.
That being said, one time I put a no-magnification red dot sight on my M1A and was blasting gallon milk jugs and 2-liter Coke bottles filled with muddy pond water out at 200 yards with a lot more speed and reliability than I'd had on prior days trying the same thing with the standard military iron sights. I don't think you need any magnification to shoot 200 yards, or even 300, if you know your target, its size, and if the dot or reticle is thin enough to not cover too much of the target. You don't want your crosshair looking like a telephone pole!
Today, iron sights are decidedly inferior and not an acceptable choice anymore for me, not when accuracy counts.
I can do OK with them for self-defense purposes. I can still use a Winchester 94 to pop a deer in the lungs at 75 yards or so with iron sights, but at 100 yards or beyond I need some kind of optic.
In the woods, iron sights aren't just imprecise, but they're SLOW. Even peep sights, which everybody says are faster than open sights. I find myself searching for the center of the peep sight when my view is a mixture of various colors and textures-- pine needles, grass and weeds, pine cones, tree limbs, all in the ring surrounding my target and my front sight. Iron sights work better on a target range where the berm of earth around the target is all uniform-- nice clean dry bare dirt, or grass, etc.
I think a low magnification variable power optic in the 1.5 - 6X range is ideal for most rifles and carbines for the purposes to which I'd put them, which includes occasional use out to 600 yards, but a lot more shooting at 50 and 100 yards.
That being said, one time I put a no-magnification red dot sight on my M1A and was blasting gallon milk jugs and 2-liter Coke bottles filled with muddy pond water out at 200 yards with a lot more speed and reliability than I'd had on prior days trying the same thing with the standard military iron sights. I don't think you need any magnification to shoot 200 yards, or even 300, if you know your target, its size, and if the dot or reticle is thin enough to not cover too much of the target. You don't want your crosshair looking like a telephone pole!
One thing I learned from CM's carbine and pistol skill-building class from a month ago was that an AR with a red dot optic can be switched from one shoulder to another easily, and shot with good accuracy, if you face the target with an Isosceles stance and if your gun's butt stock is in a reasonably short "tactical carbine" position, not way back there with a full 14" length of pull like you'd want to have on your rifle shooting the National Matches at Camp Perry.
Iron sights, especially military peep sights, are sensitive to your eye relief-- how far your eyeball is behind the rear sight. That's not so much an issue with non-magnifying red-dot optics. And when you switch shoulders with your long gun, you're changing the distance from your dominant eye to the sights.
Iron sights, especially military peep sights, are sensitive to your eye relief-- how far your eyeball is behind the rear sight. That's not so much an issue with non-magnifying red-dot optics. And when you switch shoulders with your long gun, you're changing the distance from your dominant eye to the sights.
Back in the day.
Iron sights.
Just sayin.......
Iron sights.
Just sayin.......
Good read thanks. I ended up with a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6 and love it. The 1x is pretty close to true, for my budget it works great.
