1-4x vs Micro...

[MiamiAttorney]

Hey all,

I'm fairly new to AR's and have an optics question.

My goal is to become basically proficient in the defensive use of the weapon. I expect to attend about two classes a year, regular drills, etc....

I have an H-1 4MOA on my shotgun and it works great for that, but (probably thanks to my moderate astigmatism) I see a significant amount of fuzz, comet tail, shmutz, whatever-you-call-it around the dot.

Once my AR arrives, I'm inclined to grab a LaRue 751, pop the H-1 on the AR, put the ghost sights back on my shotgun, and start putting some serious rounds through the AR. However, I'm seeing some deals locally on 1-4 scopes, particularly the Trijicon TR24.

Is the H-1 gonna be a problem for 25-100 yds? Is it worth paying the $600 or so (plus finding a mount) to try the TR? I can afford to try it out, but I'd rather sink cash into ammo than kit I don't need.

Or should I just get some damn contacts? Start with irons instead of the Micro?

[cop1211]

You should become proficient with your iron sights first.

I have a T1(x2),M2,NF FC2,and a TR24 red triangle.

I am blind as a bat, and have worn glasses/contacts my entire life.

If I had an astgmitism it would bug the crap out of me.

I would say to either get the contacts which might or might not fix the astigmatism, and go with a second T or H1.

The TR24 is a nice optic I find it just as fast for cqb as the T1.

Daylight shooting the optics are super bright and clean and fast to pick up. It's also nice if you plan on doing some longer range shooting.

The only down side for some is the weight but its not really noticeable when you are using it.

If you go with the TR24 I think you'll be happy with it.

It has good glass and a generous eye box.

[The_Swede]

If the intended use of the weapon is inside 100 yards just mount the Aimpoint on your AR and go shoot. That's the kind of stuff were they really shine.

[papasan]

for close quarters, self defense the H1 will be quicker. red dots are fine out to 300y or so for man-sized targets.

that being said, my next AR will have a 1-4~6x but I'm expecting to use it further and on smaller targets. I have my CQB covered adequately for now.

--edit--

btw, you're probably seeing trails because you have the gain cranked up too much. turn it down until you can just see the dot.

[MiamiAttorney]

Thanks all.

I'm guessing this is hard to quantify, but how significant is the difference between a red dot and a 1-4x for inside 100 yards? Do I really lose much if I go with the Trijicon?

btw, you're probably seeing trails because you have the gain cranked up too much. turn it down until you can just see the dot.

Gain is low. The lifetime of squinting at books and computer screens is the problem.

[Egret18]

I have the same issue. Without my glasses the dot in my T1 looks like a 4 MOA line. With my glasses it is better but still has a comet tail. I am seriously thinking about selling or trading it for a 1X4 as a scope may help with my vision

[MiamiAttorney]

I have the same issue. Without my glasses the dot in my T1 looks like a 4 MOA line. With my glasses it is better but still has a comet tail. I am seriously thinking about selling or trading it for a 1X4 as a scope may help with my vision

I'm curious to see if anyone in our boat (I'm assuming you also have an astigmatism) has switched to a 1-4x and can comment on the results.

[BrigandTwoFour]

Inside 25 yards, I have not noticed any significant difference in speed between using my EOTech or my TR24X on 1x when standing on a square range and running drills.

In fact, I don't notice much difference between them out to 200 yards. However, the 4X magnification gets more useful for target ID or shooting anything past 250 yards or so. However, and this is a big deal, the TR24's thick reticle post makes shooting past that point a bit more of a challenge. If you go this route, you NEED to learn how to use the reticle. I am fine with it out to about 350, but beyond that it starts obscuring targets.

The RDS shows it's benefit when you start shooting from less than ideal positions and shooting support side. The TR24's eye box is very forgiving, but not as forgiving as an RDS. Inside 100 yards, I see no benefit of the 1-4x over a quality RDS. Save the weight penalty and go with the RDS.

If you have issues with astigmatism, the 1-4 will obviously be clearer. Another option is the mini ACOG (TA44S) at 1.5x.

[Voodoo_Man]

Ive had my h1 for a while, it replaced a burris mtac.

Under 25y my times drop noticeably with the h1. The 1-4x did not do me any good until I started doing 150y+ work and even then it was annoying because of the optic.

I will probably end up getting another 1-4x optic, those us optics dfp look awesome.

It depends on what you use it for. 98% of my shooting is sub 300 and most is sub 100. Do I need magnification? Not really.

[shootist~]

I'm curious to see if anyone in our boat (I'm assuming you also have an astigmatism) has switched to a 1-4x and can comment on the results.

I have both as well as astigmatism, not to mention aging eyes. You won't have any comet tail issues with a magnified optic. In my case the comet tail syndrome is much less with the 3.6 MOA Micro (mine is a painted R1), than with a 2 MOA Comp ML3.

Once upon a time I did fine to 300 Meters with 2 & 4 MOA Aimpoints, and still do "OK", depending on the light (with the Micro currently working better for my eyes). Now I'll take a magnified optic every time for anything over ~150. The ability to shoot much further and see hits on steel is also a plus - for me.

But for the house gun it's the Micro Aimpoint hands down - super long battery life is very important (I never turn mine off), but mostly because it's superior for low light. The Aimpoints also co-witness with the BUIS as a backup - not magnified optic will do this (even a true 1x).

If money is not a serious concern, get both - and use both till you decide what works best for you. A spare or 2nd option is never a bad thing.