Inexpensive red dot

[4DAIVI PAI2K5]

Primary Arms

[tb-av]

I purchased two Vortexs yesterday. Also have another T1 on order. Although the TIs are clearly better, there's nothing wrong with the vortex for 150.00.

I'll give the Vortexs as gifts to the guys with the DPMS rifles next season. They will think I'm a swell friend.

Where do you find them for $150?

[tb-av]

. The pa micro didn't pass the submerged in the bucket test, in fact it failed within the first five minutes (fogged up and water in the tube) The sparc lasted over 10 hours, until I pulled it out, no fog, no moisture in the tube....

That's the kind of info I was wondering about. I wondered if the price difference was marketing or not.

[tb-av]

Stick with irons until you decide what optic you want and you have the money.

I'm going to try that a while longer but my eyesight is pretty bad. It really takes the fun out of shooting. Opposite eye dominant, poor vision, contacts... in short order the whole front sight and target looks like blurs and sticks and that's at 25 yards.

another reason I want the more expensive option of a 1x4.

I'm going to switch to shooting .22lr this week so at least I don't go broke trying to work my way through the irons.

[Caduceus]

For cheap chicom optics, the topic would be better addressed at TOS.

Overall, I'd agree. But, he did ask about Vortex, which is made, IIRC, in Wisconsin.

I've no experience with that company but good rep. I have a cheap BSA or something from Dick's on my 10/22, and it's been OK. Even held up to about 300 rounds of 5.56. If you're dead set on a practice Red dot, why not just buy a $50 one for a year? It'll probably hold up that long.

Assuming it's not life-critical, of course.

[tb-av]

I believe Vortex products are manufactured all over the world with QC done at the USA plant.

There are also plenty of respected members here that use inexpensive optics to some degree.

[joshua79109]

I have a SPARC on one of my ARs and it now has a good amount of use (Roughly 3-4000 rounds). I'll be taking it through it's second course soon. I've not had any problems with mine at all. One of the instructors did ask me some questions about it in the last course and he did explain his concern. I showed him my back up AR with the Aimpoint and he said it would probably be better just to go with the Aimpoint but he left it there. No issues with the SPARC.

I'm not trying to make them out to be more than what they are. I just like mine and have had good results with it and have therefore continued using it.

When I bought mine the best price I found was at 3 Rivers Precision. MAC has a video and he has a code to give 10% off if it is still good like when I bought mine. Here's a link to his vid that has the code on it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLXsscsiZ9M

I don't disagree with those who say stick with Aimpoint as I'm sold on Aimpoint. I just ordered another Aimpoint Pro. Aimpoint is certainly well accepted for good reason.

I got the SPARC to go on my S&W AR in 22lr. It never made it there. I put it on a AR that was a light weight build (14.5" barrel and light all around) that had only had irons up to that point. I figured for the price and with the good warranty it was worth the try. So far mine has been a joy.

[tb-av]

Thanks, yes, if my goal was to go red dot I would just save for an Aimpoint and be done. It sounds like the SPARC could take some casual abuse where maybe the PriArms probably can't.

any class I would attend would be for beginners so it would probably survive.

If I can't get my eyes squared away to use iron sights, I think I will go with the SPARC until I can get a 1x4.

[A62Rambler]

I've been unemployed/underemployed for three years. I bought a tritium front sight and am saving for the 1x4 optic. So far that's working okay but my eyes are getting older at a faster rate than my savings are growing for the 1x4. Buying a cheap red dot would not speed the savings so I am sticking with the irons until I just can't use them at all.

[tb-av]

Judging by your user name, we may be about the same age. I used to own a 62 Rambler.... also had a 64.

I thought about the tritium but at $60 I wasn't sure. I did see some cheap colored nylon posts. $6. I thought about getting a pack of those to see if they worked. I figured if they worked the tritium would also.

I've seen some sight paint listed here somewhere but lost the link. Might have been glow in dark, not sure.

Bass Pro shops now carries Vortex for anyone interested. Unfortunately they didn't have a 1x4 nor a SPARC.

I looked through a $99 Bushnell 1x4 and that was not promising at all. I hope the Vortex looks a lot better.