The following is presented for informational purposes only, no editorializing implied or intended.
Background
As a sixty-something year old guy who has enjoyed the shooting sports for nearly four decades, and has owned at least one AR for the last 20+ years, I’ve been fortunate to have been able to experiment with many different AR sights and optics. These have included at least five different sets of iron sights, two Aimpoints (Comp M3 and PRO), the Leupold Prismatic (twice), three different LPV scopes (SWFA, Bushnell Elite and Leupold VX-R Patrol), two ACOGs, and a long time ago one of those 4x scopes that attaches to the carry handle.
Each of these systems had unique advantages and disadvantages for my eyes: the RDS was tops for two-eyes-open use, but due to astigmatism the 2 MOA dot was more like a 3 MOA by 5 MOA cluster of grapes. The Prismatic offered a sharp aiming point (and I’m a HUGE fan of etched reticles), but I never warmed up to the dot-in-a-circle design. The ACOGs would have been awesome if it wasn’t for my crappy eyesight – due to the absence of an adjustable eyepiece, the chevron and FOV through them was never perfectly sharp. The LPV scopes really worked the best for me, but certainly added more bulk and weight than I cared for. Additionally, I always found myself fiddling with the magnification ring and reticle brightness instead of just focusing on making the shot.
So my KISS carbine was up until recently adorned with only a set of Daniel Defense iron sights. I am a fan of irons, having dabbled in NRA High Power with a SA M1A for a while, but my aging eyesight could no longer use irons effectively: with my glasses on, the target is sharp but the front post impossibly blurred; with them off the post is sharp but the target just a distant blur. As much as I did not want to admit it, I was truly in need of another optical solution.
I had for years considered the Leupold FX-II Ultralight 2.5x20mm, a scope with 4.9 inches of eye relief that weighs a mere 6.4 ounces, and is intended for hard-kicking dangerous game rifles. Everything I had read about it was positive and it evidently has a good reputation for standing up to punishing recoil. I was able to find a few mentions of this scope being used on an AR, but nothing very definitive.
More recently I was on the Daniel Defense website and came across their new optic mount, which is available for 1-inch tubes. A simple yet robust non-QD mount weighing 5.5 ounces, the Leupold scope immediately came to mind: a quality scope in a quality mount that would weigh about 12 ounces combined. After taking some measurements and thinking it through, I decided I would roll the dice and order the mount and the scope. Total cost including shipping for both pieces came to $397.00.
The New Set-up
Now that I’ve had the chance to try yet another scope set-up, here are my observations;
- Scope and mount combined weigh 12.2 ounces (just a half-ounce more than the Aimpoint PRO in factory mount)
- The clarity of the Leupold scope is excellent, though with some minor softness at the edges
- Adjustable eyepiece provides super-sharp reticle focus and FOV without the need for my glasses
- Easy two-eyes-open use
- The generous eye relief and forgiving eye box allow fast target acquisition with minimal blocking of FOV by scope housing and rings
- View through scope is more than sharp enough for defensive use down to arm's length range
- In low light the use of a WML allows for PID of target, renders the reticle sharp and easy to see
- Due to low covered turrets and no protruding nuts or levers on the mount, the entire rig is really slick and snag-free
Maybe it’s the Fudd in me, but I’m not missing variable power and/or an illuminated mil-dot reticle. The simple duplex reticle pulls my eye to the center and on to the target (the center crosshair appears to subtend about 1.5 MOA) and the long eye relief/forgiving eye box greatly aides two-eyes-open shooting. For the 25 to 300 yard range I enjoy shooting with the AR, I’m finding the fixed 2.2x magnification with a duplex reticle a simple yet effective solution. Hold-over at 300 yards is about 12 inches (depending on load) using a 100 yard zero.
My entire KISS carbine weighs 7-pounds, 2-ounces (unloaded) with this scope and mount. Shouldering the rifle, target acquisition is fast due to relatively non-critical eye placement compared to the other scopes I have used. Clarity of view and reticle size/design leverage the precision this upper is capable of producing.
Photos
Scope and mount installed on my BCM 16-inch mid-length ELW BFH rifle;
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Typical precision capability of the rifle/scope combo with my two favorite loads: the Speer LE .223 75 grain Gold Dot load and the Black Hills 5.56 77 grain OTM load;
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The rifle consists of a BCM lower fitted with a Geissele SSA trigger and an A5 RE with A5H2 buffer, the BCM upper fitted with a Surefire 3P (non-mount) flash suppressor. Stock is shown positioned on the A5 tube where I like it, placing my eye well within the generous eye box of the scope;
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For this non-LEO/non-mil shooting enthusiast, it’s a simple aiming apparatus that allows me enjoy my time ringing steel and punching paper: no fumbling with levers or dials, no extraneous decision-making to overwhelm my limited-capacity CPU, all while keeping the rifle light and nimble. No doubt this set up will remain on my AR for the foreseeable future.
I hope those who find themselves in a similar optic-selection quandary find this post useful.
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Originally Posted by Doc Safari
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