Several Newbie Questions

[Blak1508]

Listen to what MWolf wrote in his post, he has been around the block a lil bit

When I said you get what you pay for, I meant for your optic, the Vortex ones are good in that they have a lifetime limited warranty and are $ less then Aimpoint/ Eotech. The optic MWolf was talking about the H-1 comes in 2 dot sizes, a 2 MOA dot and a 4 MOA dot. If you want a bigger aperture go for the 4 MOA dot. If I were you and anyone else thinking about optics, plinker or not, I would save my money and buy the Aimpoint, yeah it's $$ but better then spending money on one every few years give or take and also if you have the Aimpoint reliability is a non issue. If your OK with a smaller aperture look for the Aimpoint PRO, its bigger adds weight but is just as dependable, IMO for anyone on a budget its the way to go at around 380-425 then add the cost of the mount which if I were you I would op for a lower 1/3 co-witness mount vs absolute. IMO for people just starting out it is much easier to shoot with out having to worry about the absolute co-witness.This is assuming your also running back up irons in addition to the optic. In the stickies above there is a shit ton of information on this. Also there is even more info on how to sight your rifle in using a shorter distance for example I am dead on at 50 yards I did my sight in at 50 yards using my irons and my Aimpoint, then I went to 225 yards and was grouping shots very well at center mass, but wind, other factors have a greater influence at larger distances obviously, but there are gentlemen on here that can shoot their 5.56/223 far past that with great results, I am not there yet

Use good ammo, keep a diary of what you shoot and how well you did when you shot X ammo under X conditions, lube you rifle, and read up, this site is amazing, great information from great people. Do all of this and you should be good to go. Investing in a AR course or class may not be such a bad idea either.

Last thing, I like the Troy's folding BUS better for my rifle, they are metal, the Magpul BUS are great, I just personally prefer the Troy's.


This is the 0 I use and this information and more can be found in the Stickies above.....

[Hmac]

Listen to what MWolf wrote in his post, he has been around the block a lil bit

When I said you get what you pay for, I meant for your optic, the Vortex ones are good in that they have a lifetime limited warranty and are $ less then Aimpoint/ Eotech. The optic MWolf was talking about the H-1 comes in 2 dot sizes, a 2 MOA dot and a 4 MOA dot. If you want a bigger aperture go for the 4 MOA dot. If I were you and anyone else thinking about optics, plinker or not, I would save my money and buy the Aimpoint, yeah it's $$ but better then spending money on one every few years give or take and also if you have the Aimpoint reliability is a non issue. If your OK with a smaller aperture look for the Aimpoint PRO, its bigger adds weight but is just as dependable, IMO for anyone on a budget its the way to go at around 380-425 then add the cost of the mount which if I were you I would op for a lower 1/3 co-witness mount vs absolute. IMO for people just starting out it is much easier to shoot with out having to worry about the absolute co-witness.This is assuming your also running back up irons in addition to the optic. In the stickies above there is a shit ton of information on this.

The OP already has iron sights. IMHO, no point in spending more money on different one, and if he does, Magpul MBUS is perfectly adequate as a backup sight.

I'm not sure what you're talking about when you refer to "aperture" on the Aimpoint RDS. Do you mean dot size? The Aimpoint PRO has a 2 MOA dot. The H-1 and T-1 come with either 2 or 4 MOA. Personally, I can't think of a reason why anyone would want a 4 MOA dot, especially on a rifle that's going to be shot at 50 yards or greater.

Aimpoint PRO can be had pretty easily for $400, and that price includes the mount. That mount co-witnesses slightly above the lower third.

[markm]

I suck at seeing 100 yards with a Carbean site radius too. Rifle? No sweat.

I zero 1" low at 50 so I'm pretty much on at 100. Just use the bullet tip or the double lock end of a hand cuff key to adjust the sight. A sight tool is a lot easier, but you'll find that you never have it when you need it anyway.

[NWPilgrim]

I have the same eye sight issue. The Aimpoint PRO is a great value and sturdy as hell. Only $400 compared to $550 for others, and it includes the mount. I have one mounted for my primary defensive AR.

Some what cheaper is a low power optic and mount. On one of my ARs I have a Wilson Combat mount with a Weaver 1-3x scope for about $250 total.

[uffdaphil]

An affordable optic with a decent rep that is often overlooked is the Ultradot6. I think it the next best thing to my Aimpoint and Eotech.

[Blak1508]

The OP already has iron sights. IMHO, no point in spending more money on different one, and if he does, Magpul MBUS is perfectly adequate as a backup sight.

I'm not sure what you're talking about when you refer to "aperture" on the Aimpoint RDS. Do you mean dot size? The Aimpoint PRO has a 2 MOA dot. The H-1 and T-1 come with either 2 or 4 MOA. Personally, I can't think of a reason why anyone would want a 4 MOA dot, especially on a rifle that's going to be shot at 50 yards or greater.

Aimpoint PRO can be had pretty easily for $400, and that price includes the mount. That mount co-witnesses slightly above the lower third.

Yeah I misused the word aperture, I meant dot size, truthfully I am horrible with words. The OP was saying that at 100 yards he was having trouble, with irons, so given that information and the fact that he does not sound like he will be shooting at distances beyond 100 yards and if so not quite that often, I don't see an issue with a 4 MOA dot, I have seen them go for less, then the 2 MOA H-1 or T-1.

And to repeat again I did recommend the Aimpoint PRO, what I meant by bigger is the optic itself, and yes the dot is a 2 MOA dot. As far as the mount goes, I could not stand it, but I would not hesitate to use it until I bought a better one. I use the LaRue LT-129 and its great.

My fault on screwing up the word apature, glad it was corrected haha, I can just see the look on your guy's faces when your read that..

[Smitty79]

Thanks for all the answers. Believe it or not, I have done lots of searches. More looking for answers to direct questions than anything else.

My AR is for 2 things. First, it is my long range defensive gun. I have a good quality semiauto pistol that I can shoot well. The pistol is meant to be my Oh $&*t gun that I can get to quickly as someone breaks down the door to my bedroom. I also have a pump shotgun for a close range defense gun if I have a minute to get too it.. It has a side saddle and a light. The AR is meant for a "Hurricane Katrina" scenario, Cops not able to get to me soon if I just barricade with the shotgun and pistol, where the bad guys looting the neighborhood realize I am armed and want to mess with me anyway. It is meant for engagements from 25 to 150 yds. If I zero at 50 yds, instead of the 100 I tried, I am confident in hitting man sized targets out to 150, even without my glasses using iron sights. Though who knows how well I will shoot when someone is shooting back. Never had to to that. My time in the military was torpedoes and ballistic missiles. It is also meant to go to the range and poke holes in targets. I don't really intend to shoot it beyond 200 yds. As I learn to shoot it well, I may try some matches at the club. They have a practical rifle match.

On the optic front, samuse recommended looking through a red dot before taking the plunge. Would it be worth the effort to get an Aimpoint clone and take it to the range before spending >$400 on an Aimpont? I suspect the answer it "no". But I don't know for sure.

Cleaning kit going in the range bag. Normally I do it at home. But probably good to have options. I hadn't thought of the multi tool, but that's going in too. What to people think of a small crescent wrench for front sight adjustments? Seems like it would be less likely to damage it than needle nose.

Definitely a great forum. Thanks for the guidance.

[Hmac]

I hadn't thought of the multi tool, but that's going in too. What to people think of a small crescent wrench for front sight adjustments? Seems like it would be less likely to damage it than needle nose.

I'm not sure how you'd use a crescent wrench to adjust a front sight. The front sight tool that Tuna Fisherman mentioned is great in concept, but I found that the little ears that engage the sight post tend to be a little fragile and I've already broken one. I found the Troy sight tool to be better, and it has a hole drilled in it so you can make a little lanyard out of paracord.

Better yet, since you're looking at a multi-tool...consider a MultiTasker tool. http://www.brownells.com/shooting-ac...prod40883.aspx . Among other AR-specific attachments is a front-sight adjusting tool.

[Knightsofnee]

I tried a Burris Tac-30 with a Primary Arms "Deluxe Mount" Which they (Primary Arms) had on sale at the time. This I screwed to my Windham SRC. There was room underneath the ocular for a Troy BUIS. Up front I screwed Troys folding front sight. This seems to work ok. 1x-4x of the Tac-30 works well for aging eyes both up close and at a distance.

[MistWolf]

Listen to what MWolf wrote in his post, he has been around the block a lil bit...

I'm a little slow, though. It's taken me more than 50 years just to get this far!

...On the optic front, samuse recommended looking through a red dot before taking the plunge. Would it be worth the effort to get an Aimpoint clone and take it to the range before spending >$400 on an Aimpont?...

If you buy an Aimpoint and decide you don't like it, you'll be able to sell it & make your money back. Do not make the mistake of comparing an RDS to a magnified optic. Compare it to an ironsight. A 4 moa dot sounds huge compared to the crosshair of most scopes, but it's smaller than the standard AR front sight. Service rifle shooters use post front sights to shoot small groups all the way out to 600 yards.

Some find that astigmatism and dot flare to be annoying- and it is. However, if you sight the Aimpoint for 100 yards, you'll still be able to make good hits by simply laying the dot on your target and squeezing. I have astigmatism and the dot does flare with my eyes but I can still break clay pigeons out to almost 200 yards from the off-hand.

I confess, I am a big battery-phobe. I want nothing on any of my firearms that will affect function or ability to accurately hit the target that relies on batteries because they fail. The Aimpoint is the sole exception. It is that good. Don't waste your time or money on anything less or you'll be disappointed