How many of you go without BUIS?

[voiceofreason]

Not every rifle I have with optics has buis. Some do some don't. Some have irons only.

Also if you have a high-end optic like Trijicon or Aimpoint, the probability of the optic failing is very very low.

I agree that it's low, but things do happen. Come out of an air conditioned vehicle with an optic into hot humid afternoon above 95 degrees and that optic is semi-useless for a minute or more.

I run DD fixed +RDS w/QD personally, but would have a set of MBUS on any gun that could make use of them- so cheap, so useful, so tough.

Having run multiple LPVO on my guns, I've decided for my personal needs, they don't meet my parameters for performance and the cons outweight the pros.

[Doc Safari]

I agree that it's low, but things do happen. Come out of an air conditioned vehicle with an optic into hot humid afternoon above 95 degrees and that optic is semi-useless for a minute or more.

I concur. On a summer evening just at sundown after a good hard rain, my ACOG fogged up sufficiently to be utterly useless. Due to the high humidity, even wiping the lense with a cloth only worked for a few minutes before it fogged up again. Since I was still using the factory thumb nut mount, I could see that it would take precious seconds to remove the optic and deploy the irons. I now only use optics if I can also use a quick detach mount with it.

[Biggy]

Yeah, the odds of needing and using buis’s on your RD sighted rifle are probably pretty slim, depending on which brand RDS you are using, but, as they say shit does happen at times, and it could happen to you and possibly cost you your life. Not talking about a just a play around range gun here, I am talking about ones serious self defense, your life is on the line rifle. If one can not deal with a few ounces of extra weight or scrape together the money for a cheap set of buis,you might have bigger problems. But it’s your life and your decision.

[Renegade0100]

The only rifle I run BUIS is my GTW/SHTF rifle (I always cringe when I see/use those silly acronyms). My other rifles I have out of an enjoyment for the hobby, so I only run optics on them.

[RHINOWSO]

I agree that it's low, but things do happen. Come out of an air conditioned vehicle with an optic into hot humid afternoon above 95 degrees and that optic is semi-useless for a minute or more.

IME it can be longer than that - the optic / glass needs to heat to ambient temps and usually for it to be completely gone / fog free, its on the order of 5 minutes.

Sure, you can wipe it off but it will fog over again in short order until the process is complete. Is it usable? Probably if the target is well defined and you don't need precision, but it's less than ideal.

Offset irons are best in this case, or if you know it's going to occur often, you might be better off with fixed irons and no optic. (GASP).

[Doc Safari]

Offset irons are best in this case, or if you know it's going to occur often, you might be better off with fixed irons and no optic. (GASP).

And there's the rub: optics have to be coddled; irons don't. Ultimately optics have to be considered a "necessary luxury" but a luxury nonetheless.

I say a person should always be competent in irons because you never know when you have to revert to them. Only those with less-than-perfect eyesight who find irons useless due to age or other issues should rely only on optics.

Suppose in our condensation example one were to have the scope cover on the optic while in the vehicle and remove it upon entering the hot humid envirnoment. Would that help? (I've never tried it).

[voiceofreason]

That's why QD exists. If NEEDED, BUIS in 3 seconds.

[CrowCommand]

So if humidity is an issue with RDS, aren't your BUS worthless as well, a la viewing through the glass?

[26 Inf]

So if humidity is an issue with RDS, aren't your BUS worthless as well, a la viewing through the glass?

Yes, this is why they are talking about quick detach optic mounts - to get the optics off the rifle so the sights are clear. Or angled BUIS.

[RHINOWSO]

Suppose in our condensation example one were to have the scope cover on the optic while in the vehicle and remove it upon entering the hot humid envirnoment. Would that help? (I've never tried it).

It doesn’t help - it may give you a few seconds to get a shot if you are ready and then take it off, but the optic is still cooler than the abient air, so it will fog / get condensation on it quickly.

I’ve been trying to use my T-2 with the covers down as an alternative - since the rear cover is clear, you can see the dot and with both eyes open, still make acceptable shorter ranged shots - certainly better that you can with the caps up and fogged over.

I’ve only done it once and it seemed to work - you can and will get some fogging on the clear plastic cover but it happens slower / less severely than with the caps up.