Need Opinion - Optic(s) on AR

[Necrosis]

I'd go one of two ways:

Either a 1-6 or 1-8x Primary Arms ACSS scope with 45 degree irons (MBUS PRO are excellent), you could accomplish this for $500-600. This is much better at range and helps to positively identify targets that you can't with your naked eye, but a little slower up close.

Or a red dot (your PRO is fine, I've switched to a Trijicon MRO, Holosun/Sig Romeo optics are also very reliable and a Holosun with the ACSS reticle gives you BDC for extended range) and flip-to-side magnifier (Vortex 3x is quality and affordable). With the red dot plus 3x you give up a little optical quality at range for the fastest sight acquisition up close (which is when it matters most and is most likely what we would experience in a defenive encounter).

 

[BigMike]

Lots and lots of good recommendations on this thread. I didn't read every post but I never saw exactly what you were looking to shoot at 400 yards or how often. Myself, I run Acogs and LVP leupold scopes on the platforms that dont get a red dot. I would venture to say, that with practice, one could hit a man sized target at 300-400 yards with a red dot. If one is trying to hit a dinner plate size target at that range, you have the wrong weapon for that. I do not own one yet, but the leupold vxr patrol runs 1.25 to 4 with a good reticle looks awesome. Acogs are great but you pay for them, when you look through them you know why. I have a mark 4 Leopold that looks better than an Acog, but you have to pay for them as well. The primary arms scopes are said to be excellent quality for the price. I'm not much on offset irons, I find they snag on everything. I like quick detach mounts on the optics. I hope all this helps. Depending on what area you live in, Advebture Outdoors is a great place to fondle optics, but botach and optics planter and sometimes Amazon are the places to buy new. Good luck.

 

[SirBannedAlot]

As far as BUIS goes... how often do optics fail? I mean seriously, for the average Joe that doesn't make a living in the sandbox getting shot at on a daily basis, how often do red dots or scopes fail?

Red dot batteries can go dead if left on, hence why I store at least two spare batteries in the grip of the gun, that you can swap out in about 30 seconds without needing tools.

You can drop and smash an optic I guess... Of course, you can drop and snap off an iron sight as well, and people have...

If this is just a plinking or range gun, or sitting in your bedroom for that 1 in 1 billion Red Dawn scenario, I would think that optics alone would be fine. Pick a robust optic and mount and unless you are tossing it out the window of a moving vehicle, chances are it will never be an issue... Again, tossing the same gun out the window would likely bend or damage irons or BUIS anyway...

Pick an optic that caters to where you will do the majority of your shooting. If this is a plinking gun for medium range, there are lots of options depending on what you want to spend. Anything from a $75 red dot on up.

I like the Vortex Strike Eagles, a lot. Great scopes, reliable, middle of the road pricing and 1-6x or 1-8x will cover you for anything up close out to a few hundred yards. Find the balance. The scope that really zooms in for long range precision work, won't be that great up close and personal, and vice versa...

That's why I like the Strike Eagle or that type of scope. It does fairly well on both...

 

[Bear44]

As far as BUIS goes... how often do optics fail? I mean seriously, for the average Joe that doesn't make a living in the sandbox getting shot at on a daily basis, how often do red dots or scopes fail?

Red dot batteries can go dead if left on, hence why I store at least two spare batteries in the grip of the gun, that you can swap out in about 30 seconds without needing tools.

You can drop and smash an optic I guess... Of course, you can drop and snap off an iron sight as well, and people have...

If this is just a plinking or range gun, or sitting in your bedroom for that 1 in 1 billion Red Dawn scenario, I would think that optics alone would be fine. Pick a robust optic and mount and unless you are tossing it out the window of a moving vehicle, chances are it will never be an issue... Again, tossing the same gun out the window would likely bend or damage irons or BUIS anyway...

Pick an optic that caters to where you will do the majority of your shooting. If this is a plinking gun for medium range, there are lots of options depending on what you want to spend. Anything from a $75 red dot on up.

I like the Vortex Strike Eagles, a lot. Great scopes, reliable, middle of the road pricing and 1-6x or 1-8x will cover you for anything up close out to a few hundred yards. Find the balance. The scope that really zooms in for long range precision work, won't be that great up close and personal, and vice versa...

That's why I like the Strike Eagle or that type of scope. It does fairly well on both...

I understand what you are saying, but couldn't the whole idea also apply to having BUIS?

Why do you have the rifle in the first place? Plinking? Okay, why would you not want to also plink with the BUIS? Just another variation of the game. SD or SHTF? Would you not want the most practical redundancy you can have for that? If you ever were to actually need the rifle, what do you think the odds are that you would need more than 10 rounds to resolve the issue? Not much. But I bet you don't run 10 round mags in your rifle, do you?

As inexpensive and light weight as BUIS are, it's one of the easiest redundancies available and it really could make the difference between still being in the fight and "you ****ed". So why not?

 

[Foxtrot Sierra]

LPVO with offset BUIS

 

[Necrosis]

As far as BUIS goes... how often do optics fail? I mean seriously, for the average Joe that doesn't make a living in the sandbox getting shot at on a daily basis, how often do red dots or scopes fail?

Red dot batteries can go dead if left on, hence why I store at least two spare batteries in the grip of the gun, that you can swap out in about 30 seconds without needing tools.

You can drop and smash an optic I guess... Of course, you can drop and snap off an iron sight as well, and people have...

If this is just a plinking or range gun, or sitting in your bedroom for that 1 in 1 billion Red Dawn scenario, I would think that optics alone would be fine. Pick a robust optic and mount and unless you are tossing it out the window of a moving vehicle, chances are it will never be an issue... Again, tossing the same gun out the window would likely bend or damage irons or BUIS anyway...

Pick an optic that caters to where you will do the majority of your shooting. If this is a plinking gun for medium range, there are lots of options depending on what you want to spend. Anything from a $75 red dot on up.

I like the Vortex Strike Eagles, a lot. Great scopes, reliable, middle of the road pricing and 1-6x or 1-8x will cover you for anything up close out to a few hundred yards. Find the balance. The scope that really zooms in for long range precision work, won't be that great up close and personal, and vice versa...

That's why I like the Strike Eagle or that type of scope. It does fairly well on both...

Ask @bulletpaluza about optic failure, he had a Vortex 1-8x go down at a run and gun not long ago.

Besides the obvious, optic failure or loss of zero, I've walked outside on a humid day and had my red dot completely fog over and be unusable (Trijicon MRO, it has been cat crapped now), mud is another possibility. On anything you might need to use to save your life (which could be any of your firearms one day really) it's never a bad thing to have a backup aiming option. A set of irons is only a couple ounces, what's the harm?

 

[SirBannedAlot]

I guess for me if TSHTF I might grab a rifle that has one, or the other, or both. If society collapses, I have my choice of weapons so I guess I can sort it out then. If it's just a range and plinking toy, I don't see it as that big a deal to have BUIS.

Do you have them on your scoped hunting rifle? Probably not.

 

[Necrosis]

I guess for me if TSHTF I might grab a rifle that has one, or the other, or both. If society collapses, I have my choice of weapons so I guess I can sort it out then. If it's just a range and plinking toy, I don't see it as that big a deal to have BUIS.

Do you have them on your scoped hunting rifle? Probably not.

I do actually lol, (Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle) but on a bolt action it's not always an easy option like ARs.

 

[Mrs_Esterhouse]

A quality 1-6x24mm scope with a 30mm tube in the $700 range is the best setup for an AR-15 IMO. Make sure it's a true 1.00x; you will essentially have a both-eyes-open 'red-dot' on 1x magnification and 6x available if you need it—all in one, lightweight, simple optic. Vortex, Trijicon and Leupold are GTG.

 

[Necrosis]

A quality 1-6x24mm scope with a 30mm tube in the $700 range is the best setup for an AR-15 IMO. Make sure it's a true 1.00x; you will essentially have a both-eyes-open 'red-dot' on 1x magnification and 6x available if you need it—all in one, lightweight, simple optic. Vortex, Trijicon and Leupold are GTG.

It's not quite as good as a red dot because of the eye relief. When you are shooting from different positions, under stuff, etc it's easy to lose your crosshairs in a scope, where I can be any distance from a red dot and still be able to get a sight picture. Just something to think about.