Red dot or 1-6 or 1-4 for home defense

[sevin8nin]

I'll put another vote in for a red dot. And we all like pictures so here it goes:
I finished my SBR last year and I wanted it to be a mini-recce kind of set up. I already had a 16" AR with a 2.5-10x scope on it that was plenty good for shooting at distance, but for some reason I couldn't let go of this idea of having a LPV scope on the SBR too. So the first iteration looked like this:

12.5" bbl with a Nightforce 1-4 on it. The illumination was basically non-existent, which during the day didn't bother me I just used the etched reticle. But moving around in the dark in my place I could only see my point-of-aim once I had the flash light turned on. It worked, but I found that I was spending most of my time on 1x, and only using the 4x on a static range.
I had a class scheduled with Baer Solutions and I wanted to use the SBR, but knew from the description we wouldn't be getting out past 25yds so shaving 10+ Ozs off the rifle seemed like a good idea.
Configuration for the class:


Everything went fine, and when I went to the static range next I brought the SBR to practice some stuff and found that, like normal, I had no problems hitting a 12" steel gong at 200yds. The only thing the 4x on the scope did for me was let me shoot tighter groups. But that's not an HD type situation.
I changed things up again and got another rifle with a lightweight barrel and am currently setting it up for HD. Flashlight is in the mail:


Believe it or not it actually weighs more than a pound less than my SBR. Plenty easy to maneuver, comfortable to shoot, and of course no problems hitting steel at distance.

My vote: Red dot.

[Doc Safari]

More than one rifle?

Nice if you have the money. If not, I have found that you pick up nothing faster than a simple red dot. I personally love the ACOG as a best all-around optic where you might shoot from short range to long range, but if I had my druthers and knew the crap would hit the fan only within the house I'd opt for a red dot sight. At close range I don't think anything is faster.

[MegademiC]

I know that a red dot makes a good optic for home defense. The question is whether a 1-6 or even a 1-4 would fulfill that role as well. Obviously, with the variable optic power it gives you the ability to shoot much more accurately at distance. Many of the new ones also appear to be both eyes open at close distances while on 1 power. As such, what do you think.

Imo, 1-4 is viable for HD, but takes more work to get as quick as RDS.
A 1x will never equal a 0x rds... but training can make the difference negligable.

Honestly, if you dont have a real use for a scope, skip it.

[RHINOWSO]

Yeah, I change my Aimpoint Batteries once a year, but they don't need it - they are set at 7 or 8, plainly visible but not maxed out at 10.

[diving dave]

Seems to me another option is to get the LPO with a good return to zero mount. Leave it off the rifle when in "home defense" mode and just run irons with a bright white light. I have Aimpoints and an MRO, but the bedside carbine runs iron sights.

[Wake27]

Seems to me another option is to get the LPO with a good return to zero mount. Leave it off the rifle when in "home defense" mode and just run irons with a bright white light. I have Aimpoints and an MRO, but the bedside carbine runs iron sights.

A decent LPVO will destroy irons all day in CQB.


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[mvasilakis]

I'll weigh in here since I faced a similar quandary not too long ago.

I've been running an Aimpoint H-1 on my main gun for years. It's a solid and reliable optic. I do however have astigmatism and see more of a comma than a dot. I took a Kyle Lamb DM class where Leupold came and gave us an excellent breakdown on glass. I ended up using and buying a VX6 1-6 w/firedot. The dot, to my surprise was round. For some reason it renders a better dot than an Aimpont to my vision. Eventually I got around to mounting in on my SBR and running it.

I found that it was harder to find the dot in unusual positions. (Which Kyle is fond of putting us in. (Once you get to the Street fighter class you get why.)) The glass is great but not a true 1x like the Aimpoint. The scope, along with the heavy badger mount I mated it with, added quite a bit of weight to an already heavy gun. In the end I went back to an Aimpoint for my sbr and the Leupold rides on a 16" DMR gun. I prefer the Aimpoint if all shots will be CQT in nature and the Leupold if I'm doing any kind of distance or mixed distance shooting. The Leupold also doesn't need a battery to work so there's that.

[par-archer]

As long as you have it at 1X there shouldn't be an issue and you are proficient with your variable powered optic.

[Dr. Bullseye]

If you are really doing home defense, bouncing out of bed at some ungodly hour, groggy, disoriented, grab your rifle and try to confront some as of yet unknown threat in your house or on your property----at that point, do you really want to start fumbling with magnification levels? Wouldn't either a low power fixed optic, red dot or irons be preferable to an added layer of confusion at this time?

[Wake27]

If you are really doing home defense, bouncing out of bed at some ungodly hour, groggy, disoriented, grab your rifle and try to confront some as of yet unknown threat in your house or on your property----at that point, do you really want to start fumbling with magnification levels? Wouldn't either a low power fixed optic, red dot or irons be preferable to an added layer of confusion at this time?

As the post above says, leave that shit at 1x. Why the **** would you be fumbling with magnification levels?


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