TA11HG or TR24G? Pros & Cons

[ASH556]

I am about 2 weeks away (c'mon IRS) from purchasing one or the other of these. Money is in no way a deciding factor for this purchase. (I'm getting a special deal w/Trijicon, though, so it must be a Trijicon product to fit my purpose)

TA11-HG
Pros:
Fixed 3.5X Magnification - no fiddling with what magnification to use
BDC /holdover reticle
Rugged/proven design

Cons:
Fixed 3.5X Magnificaion - just messing with it, the BAC seems to work for me, but I have no real use with it yet and am a bit nervous

TR24G
Pros:
Variable 1-4X Magnification - adjust to suit the situation

Cons:
Variable 1-4X Magnification - it'll always be wrong - have to take time to change it.
No BDC/ holdover
Pick your poison: either a nice bright triangle (that obscures the target except wherever you zero the tip for), or a German reticle with a small dot in the center.

My eyes: God blessed me with 20/15 vision in both eyes. I am right eye dominant and a right-handed shooter. As I understand it, these are important things in running an ACOG, and I've seen them come up in the ACOG discussions I was able to find in searching, thus, I include them here.

I was totally sold on the TA11HG as about as close as you can get to a do-it-all optic, but I see so many folks running the 1-4's now, I want to make sure I'm not missing something. Admittedly, the TR24G will cost me less than the Acog, and that is somewhat appealing, but I don't mind paying for the Acog if it truly is the better optic. I've looked @ the Swarovski 1-6, and Leupold 1-8, but those are just too much money. Optic is for the rifle below. General purpose AR. Home defense (inside) is NOT it's primary role. Social collapse, hunting, classes, competition are more along the lines of its purpose. Thanks!
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/DDARLT2.jpg

[Crow Hunter]

I owned a TR-24 G. It didn't work well for me. I did a write up about the whole experience on here somewhere...

Pros:
1. Eyebox was good, almost as much movement as my M4s.
2. Glass clear, better than my Leupold hunting scopes by far.
3. Triangle very bright out of doors.

Cons:
1. Heavy
2. Can't do a triangle, no matter how hard I tried, the triangle confuses me.
3. Too bright in daylight, had to fiddle with the cover.
4. Not bright enough when it is dark, washed out on light colors.
5. Hold overs were annoying because the posts got in the way and the triangle obscured the target.
6. Didn't work for me on my 6920, 1.93 mount too tall, FSP in the way with the 1.54 mount in bright overhead light.
7. Eyebox was almost too big, like a big TV screen in front of my eye and tended to draw me in too much.

I have only fired 1 gun with an ACOG on it, but it was a 10.5 HK416 and I was more focused on the full auto fun and the night vision than checking which model it was. :dirol: It did have a red horshoe reticle in it though, which was pretty cool.

I have however, done a couple of experiments with my Aimpoint M4s with a Aimpoint magnifier and I found that for my uses a fixed 3X would be more of a hinderance than a help.

If it were me, I would probably go for the TR-24 since they are in high enough demand you could flip it, if you decided you didn't like it. It woul be best if you could try them both out 1st.

ETA:

This weekend my brother and I were hitting logs and large dirt clods out to approximately 500 yards with just a Eotech XPS and my M4s. Granted they weren't 1st round hits all the time at varying yardage but it was surprisingly easier to walk the shots in without the magnifier than it was to use the magnifier, you could see the bullet impact the dirt without the magnifier, with the magnifier the recoil would often obsure the bullet impact. (This was with us firing from rice paddy prone, although we weren't in a rice paddy, a corn field actually. :))

[Alaskapopo]

I have a TR 24 G and its a great scope. The TA 11 is the best of the fixed power ACOGs in my opinion. So it depends on what your needs are. Do you see yourself shooting past 300 yards often. If so get the ACOG and an off set red dot. If you see this as a 0 to 300 yard scope then get the TR24. The lack of a BDC keeps the TR 24 from being a good longer range optic. But its fine to 300 or even further because its easy enough at those ranges to hold over. (sight in at 200 with the tip of the Triangle and use the bottom as a 300 yard hold.)

For Crowhunter how does a triangle confuse you? Its pretty simple sight in with the tip and at close range just put the whole thing on the target like a red dot.

Pat

[Crow Hunter]

Pat

I agree, it should be simple. But it doesn't work for me for some reason. :confused: I was trying to whack a swimming muskrat at approximately 100 yards, I couldn't get "in the groove" and find a natural aiming point. I kept having to fight myself to put the point of the triangle on the muskrat. I kept trying to put the triangle on the muskrat, which obscured it, and I would have shot well over it. For some reason, I don't have that problem with crosshairs or dots. My eye is drawn right to them. When I was sighting it in and shooting from a rest, I didn't have a problem. Only under "stress" when I was in a hurry and knew I had to make a shot. (It was making for its den and I knew I would only have a single shot before it dived)

As stupid as this sounds, I even tried "training" myself by playing Battlefield Bad Company 2 and only using the optics that had triangles on them... It didn't work, I couldn't hit anyone... I would shoot over then under, over then under. Must be something with the way my mind/eyes work.

I don't have that problem with squares, like on pistol or AK sights, I shoot with a 6:00 hold with all open sights and I would have thought that I would do the same thing with the triangle, that was actually a selling point to me originally.

But damn it, I just couldn't make it work for me and I really wanted to. (Especially considering the $1000+ I paid for the optic and mount)

[vicious_cb]

The problem with the triangle is that the brightness of the reticle needs to be perfect in order to use the tip precisely. If there is any reticle bloom you wont be as precise.

[mrbieler]

I had a TR24 and liked it, BUT as was said above the lighting needs to be right or it blums.

You have good vision which is helpful. I had a lot of issues with it under magnification. I have progressive lenses in my glasses and I was having issues focusing.

I'm back to simple red dots.

[notofnow]

ok and cool

[Mr. Goodtimes]

I voted TR24 G... I fnger banged one in the shop and played around with it on my rifle, now I have to have one. I think the variable power optics are about perfect for a general purpose 16in gun with the TR24 being the best short of going with a S&B Short Dot.

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

If you cant decide you should just pass the special deal on to a nice guy like me

[rattlesnake]

This weekend my brother and I were hitting logs and large dirt clods out to approximately 500 yards with just a Eotech XPS and my M4s. Granted they weren't 1st round hits all the time at varying yardage but it was surprisingly easier to walk the shots in without the magnifier than it was to use the magnifier, you could see the bullet impact the dirt without the magnifier, with the magnifier the recoil would often obsure the bullet impact. (This was with us firing from rice paddy prone, although we weren't in a rice paddy, a corn field actually. :))

It's amazing how far You can hit targets with a non magnified eo.