What do you prefer on top of your AR?

[GunnyUSMC]

Lets keep this one simple.
I know that there are different types of open sights, red dots and scopes.
If your like me and put backup sights on most of your ARs, that's good, but the question here is what do you prefer.
Now if you prefer something different on different ARs then you can vote for more then one.

 

[Armored farmer]

I really like my reflex.
Very rugged.
Compact
Shoot with both eyes open.
Unlimited relief
Shall I go on?

 

[Axis II]

I don't own one but have shot several setups and i prefer something like a 1-4x scope on them if its for screwing around on the range. If its a coyote/woodchuck punching paper gun i like a 3-9 or larger. I don't really see a need for red dot or fancy irons unless your LE. I get more enjoyment out of hitting small things!

 

[Everready73]

I do a red dot on my home defense gun and 11.5 in pistol. It gets me on target quickest at close range. The mission dictates the optic option usually. I have been moving towards 1x4/6 LPV on most of my 16'' general use ones. I want to do a 14.5in lightweight with a rds and a SPR with a 2x10 or 3x15 as well. I use back up sights, but dont have any AR's set up with just iron sites. I would eventually like an A2 with just sites, but that is not at the top of the list right now

 

[Varminterror]

Horses for courses. Red dots on anything meant for short and fast shooting, scope on top for anything longer.

 

[badkarmamib]

My AR is designed for quick shots within 100 yards. So it wears a red dot. If I am going farther than 100 yards, or for precision, I would want a scope, but that is what my .30/06 is for

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I like a red dot for quick up close work. I have a 1-4x24mm scope on my Hog gun.
I picked up a Primary Arms PAC 2.5X compact scope to try out and found that it finds that happy spot between a red dot and a scope.

 

[Armored farmer]

This is my "go-to" rifle.
It has a 3x nikon bdc zero at 200yds, offset irons adjusted to 20yds, and a streamlight weapon light.

 

[Bartojc]

Lets keep this one simple.
I know that there are different types of open sights, red dots and scopes.
If your like me and put backup sights on most of your ARs, that's good, but the question here is what do you prefer.
Now if you prefer something different on different ARs then you can vote for more then one.

I have a 3x Nikon on my one and only AR. As much as I love it I must admit it is a compromise. For longer distances the 3x is not enough. For up close work up to 50 yards a good red dot or reflex type site would likely be better. Knowing the intended purpose and matching that to the optic is key as always.

-jeff

 

[FL-NC]

It just depends. For self defense (short range encounters, no more than 100 meters and usually a LOT less) I prefer the aimpoint. For patrolling, in a desert, hunting, etc. I like some magnification- 4x ACOG was my go-to for a long time, but I have since moved to variables, 1-6, 1-8, etc. In this case, the ACOG did the job just dandy.

 

[Chuck R.]

Lately I've been using both, a low power variable and a RDS depending on the purpose.

I just finished a 3 day carbine class yesterday, this was my 5th class, but the 1st one where I ran a 1-6X variable the whole time. Based on that experience I will transition to a 1-6X from now on. We did a a lot of presentations from 3-7ys and I didn't find the variable any slower than my RDS, in fact when shooting close (3-7 yards), I found the 1-6X actually faster because I could use the holdover lines for aim points to correct for offset. Zero guess work. We were shooting some real small tgts (some the size of either a 5.56 case head or down to bullet diameter) at 3-7ys, and once I sorted out which holdover line to use at what distance it was actually easy. At 3ys I'm at the top of my lower duplex, at 7ys I use the 350y hash mark and it is dead on. Once we transitioned to 50y targets, some of which were hostage type, limited presentation area, again the 1-6X made making those hits much easier than a standard RDS. We ran several start at 50 and move in to 3-7y so I'd switch to 6X make the challenging hits, zoom down to 1X while moving in.

The 1-6X worked exactly as designed.

 

[imashooter]

Red dots / reflex on mine used less than 100 meters. My only longer range AR has a 4-12 scope. My pistol currently has a "throw-away" reflex that has yet to give me reason to toss it. 50/50 chance I'll install a set of hard sights with larger rear aperture and something quick up front. Awaiting the sale of the new Crimson Trace CMR-300 which will be installed underneath. The pistol (8.5") is for close in work to not exceed 25 meters; intended range is 10 and in.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

I like a red dot and a white light.

I was shooting a little "gopher" spring popper with mine the other day at 200 from an improvised saw horse rest.

Works well.

 

[JeffG]

I have a Tru Glo 3 color dot on top. My backup sights are at 45 degrees off to the right. If the dot goes down, I pivot the rifle to the left and use the irons.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

A dot with co-witness irons for home defense and plinking fun.
Scope for hunting and target shooting.

 

[1911 guy]

Red dot for general use rifles and scopes for range guns and varmint guns.
I won't have a general use rifle that doesn't have iron sights, but I put a red dot on top and co-witness.

 

[SharpDog]

I use a Trijicon big Rx30 fiber optic red dot on close range setups and a Leupold Firedot 1.5 - 5x Firedot for longer range. I find the scout firedot has all the advantages of both a red dot as well as a scope. I use it on my bolts as well as AR's.

 

[Striker]

For SD and "run and gun" scenarios I use a reflex sight, with a 2 mil dot, and am pretty confident out to 150 meters. Beyond that, the the dot tends to occlude the target, and so I have to revert to irons if I need to take a shot past that.

I also have a precision AR set up for heavy bullets with a Leoupold Vari X scope, but this is primarily a bipod/ prone gun. If I'm having a good "dope" day, I'm generally good to 500 meters.

But in in any case, it seems that the older I get, the better I was.....

 

[Skylerbone]

I prefer a RDS because I own a carbine but I started it with irons then moved to a Leupold 3-9X. The scope did what scopes do, allowed me to make tiny groups but it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as bringing the barrel up and engaging multiple targets with a dot. So, in order; RDS, irons, scope.

 

[chicharrones]

What do I prefer on top of an AR? Open sights, Red dot, Scope, or Holographic sight?

I like all of them almost equally, except age has made open sights harder for me to use.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Some ARs are ment to run with ones sights.

 

[jmr40]

I've tried dots but found a low powered conventional scope with 1X on the low end faster, more accurate at any range and much, much better in low light. You can see the dot in low light, but the optics are so poor that you can't see the target. And with some of the better lights mounted on the forend I can light up down range for 100 yards in total darkness and still use the scope if I had to.

I have one AR set up for longer range or more precision work with a bigger scope, but a 1-4X is versatile enough to use up close and out to at least 200-300 yards. While I don't have one yet, one of the 1-6X or 1-8X scopes in a 30mm tube might be the perfect AR optic.

 

[Browning]

1. Trijicon TA33 3x Acog and an A2 front sight and a GG&G rear
2. Trijicon TR22G 2.5-10x56 with a Troy H&K style front and a Troy rear sight.
3. A4 NM
4. Troy H&K style front and Troy rear.
5. A2 front sight and carry handle
6. Probably an Aimpoint Pro and a Troy H&K style front and a Troy rear (in case you haven't noticed I kinda like those)??? I dunno, haven't decided.
7. Probably a PRI fixed front sight and a LaRue fixed rear sight. Maybe, I dunno, haven't decided.

 

[Sistema1927]

I have an old Bushmaster Dissipator that has iron sights. Upgraded to Tritium.

The other AR's, carbines & pistols, all wear red dots along with BUIS.

 

[WestKentucky]

Nothing purely electronic will always be my answer. A2 setup on my Trump day pistol, and scopes on the rest. I don’t mind illuminated crosshairs because they are still useful even if your electronics fail.

 

[LoonWulf]

Ive got a red dot, and a 2.5x scope for my ar. The detacheable mounts actually come back to zero, or pretty close anyway.