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Scopes on AR15's suggestions..ideas

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Buying dirt cheap is a good trial. It is a good intro to types of sights and some basic fundamentals. Like dot subtension in a red dot versus fine crosshair reticle in a scope. Many dot sights subtend a significant moa number rendering them useless beyond a certain range.
 
Tinpig said:
View attachment 779797
I've had the little Barska 4x20 Scope for years. Designed to slot into the AR15 carry handle, it mounts and dismounts easily with one fingerscrew.
For a $50 scope it's always been reliable and accurate.

Tinpig
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I had an original Colt, think it was 3.2x, I bought while in the Army, for my M16A1. Sold it to a buddy when I ETS'd, wish I'd have kept it. I have a Bushnell Banner 1.5-4.5 on mine now, because that's what my son had on it when we traded, but that may may soon change. I'm thinking of the AR Optics 1-4, or I could mount my Bushnell First Strike red dot on it. I don't like the photoreceptor on it, though.
 
I have a Nikon Monarch 5 with the BDC reticle on a RRA predator. I have it sighted to 600 yards using Hornady 75 gr. BTHP bullets. This is the predator model that I use for hunting coyotes and prairie dogs and have taken a couple of deer but it is a heavy rifle. On my other AR, that I use as a home defense is the M&P 15 carbine I have the Vortex Prism 1X by 3X Prism. With 3 power I have only taken out two 200 yards with the same bullets as above and will probably shoot farther but have not shot beyond 200. The reticle is fantastic and you have a choice of red or green. I find that green works best in daylight.
 
IndianaBoy said:
Any optic acquired for $25 is going to be such a piece of junk as to be unrepresentative of the performance of a quality example. Buy a $25 scope won't help you understand if you want to buy the $400 version, because a $25 cheap variable is going to be disgustingly bad........
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Yeah, I've heard that my 3 NCstars, 1 Bushnell, 1 Sightmark, and 2 Fieldsport optics will self destruct and kill pandas...

But so far, after a handful of years on ARs and AKs, they've all held zero and are great for plinking.

They helped me decide what expensive optics to buy later and I'm not running carbine classes with them.

Regardless, I'm just baffled that an aluminum tube with a piece of etched glass with an electronic red dot on it is worth more than a modern handgun.

Again, I vote start cheap and see what you like.
 
You know it's funny, a buddy drew up a round vented guarded heavy barreled AR15 in 1974 with a folding set of irons like one of the Swiss rifles of the time and instead of a carrying handle a scope rail. He planned to mount a Weaver from the bottom , drilling a tapering holes in the charging handle slot. Also had a fishtail MG-34-ish stock on his drawing

He was widely proclaimed a nut.

Meanwhile my understanding is that there are about a million A1 and A2 style rifles out there so it seemed a legitimate question.

For al I know the OP might be scoping a flat sided SP1 from 1968.

I would point out that if one is scoping a carrying handle upper (oddly using that for a carrying handle was a horrible sin in the 1970's US Army) I would suggest getting something like the check piece offered on the A2 HBAR MATCH rifles or some such to allow one to take full advantage of the use of a scope.

Personally I would rather spend $75 on a long tubed 3x9 made in China scope to find out I did not like a scope so long it interfered with my carrying the rifle comfortably than a $350 scope to toss in the closet when I learned that. Or pocket change for a shorty scope to learn I did not like trying to line up to prevent parallax error than a Four times more expensive shorty to learn the same. Or a supper cheap red dot to learn it covered too much target at three quarters of the range I might shoot at than sending some optics guy's kid to dental college.

Shoot I might eve BORROW un used scopes from buddies to find out what I physically liked before worrying about optics quality.

Oh dopey me. Also grumpy and currently sneezy, Doc.

-kBob
 
This is kind of a weird thread to me. OP’s questions are so non-specific I wouldn’t know where to start in offering advice.
 
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Right now I have the aforementioned Bushnell TRS-25 on my AR. Good optic but I definitely would want something a bit more robust and easier to use when money allows. Like an Aimpoint PRO.
 
GunnyUSMC said:
Here are two that I like.
View attachment 779764
The top one is The Vortex Optics SPARC red dot and is powered by one AAA battery
http://www.primaryarms.com/sparc-ar-red-dot-2-moa-bright-red-dot-spc-ar1
The lower is the Primary Arms PAC 2.5X scope.
http://www.primaryarms.com/primary-...-scope-with-patented-cqb-acss-reticle-pac2-5x

You can catch them on sale if you keep an eye open.
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Thanks Gunny; just brought it home today.....I used to be a trained observer...looked at this AR15 before I bought it and did not even notice that it had no sights......so now I am trying to decide on scope or open sights......can't believe I missed that...maybe that is why it was only $499.95..
 
Jim Hathaway said:
Gunny does the Vortex Fire Redot shown in the link you sent for $149.00 just clip right on with a couple of allen screws and no drilled holes needed??? Thanks for the suggestion.....Jim Hathaway
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The sight comes with a clamp on the base that will attach to the rail on the top of the rifle's receiver. Just mount it to the front of the receiver and go have some fun.
 
GunnyUSMC said:
The sight comes with a clamp on the base that will attach to the rail on the top of the rifle's receiver. Just mount it to the front of the receiver and go have some fun.
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How far out can you see the red dot is what I meant....?? Thanks
 
The size of the dot is rated in minuets. A 2 min. dot will cover 2 inches at 100 yards. The sight does not project a light, just a red dot in the sight tube. You can get larger dots like 3 or 4 min. but those are only good for close range or guys with bad eyesight. The sight will have a brightness settings that you can turn up or down depending on how bright it is where you are shooting.
I've shot up to 100 yards with red dots, pass that I like a scope.
 
I went for the Vortex StrikeFire II Red Dot Cantilever Red/Green @ $179.95 -$9.00 discount for retired LEO/Military......Thanks to the Gunny for leading me to the Vortex line of optics.......
 
GunnyUSMC said:
The size of the dot is rated in minuets. A 2 min. dot will cover 2 inches at 100 yards. The sight does not project a light, just a red dot in the sight tube. You can get larger dots like 3 or 4 min. but those are only good for close range or guys with bad eyesight. The sight will have a brightness settings that you can turn up or down depending on how bright it is where you are shooting.
I've shot up to 100 yards with red dots, pass that I like a scope.
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Went for the Vortex StrikeFire II Red Dot Cantilever Red/Green @$170.95 incl my discount....thanks for your help and answering my questions..
 
Jim Hathaway said:
There must be shooters out there that have added scopes or laser sights to their AR15?? Looking for ideas and/or suggestions........Thanks
Click to expand...

I use a Leopold Firedot 1.5-5x Scout configuration for hunting or a Trijicon RX30 big 42mm red dot for home defense. Whenever I mention adding a scout scope to an AR I generally get flamed but I have them on 2/3 of my rifles (bolt and semi) and I like them. Works like a red dot and also as a scope. If you run out of batteries, you still have the scope reticle. Both the Leupy and the Trij are priced on the higher end, but you get what you pay for ...

unnamed1_zpsee736fb4.jpg

https://www.leupold.com/scopes/compact-scopes/vx-r-1-5-5x33mm-scout

You can get the scope at Amazon (best price) Cabelas or Optics Planet, probably other places:

https://www.amazon.com/Leupold-119675-Scout-Metric-FireDot/dp/B00M44NL2Y
 
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SharpDog said:
I use a Leopold Firedot 1.5-5x Scout configuration for hunting or a Trijicon RX30 big 42mm red dot for home defense. Whenever I mention adding a scout scope to an AR I generally get flamed but I have them on 2/3 of my rifles (bolt and semi) and I like them. Works like a red dot and also as a scope. If you run out of batteries, you still have the scope reticle. Both the Leupy and the Trij are priced on the higher end, but you get what you pay for ...

View attachment 780125

https://www.leupold.com/scopes/compact-scopes/vx-r-1-5-5x33mm-scout

You can get the scope at Amazon (best price) Cabelas or Optics Planet, probably other places:

https://www.amazon.com/Leupold-119675-Scout-Metric-FireDot/dp/B00M44NL2Y
Click to expand...
Thanks for that.....lots of information...
 
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