The "Best" All-Around Optic for your AR?

[Don Quijote]

Ive actually seen people struggle quite a bit with magnified optics and that-s why I posted what I did.

What did they struggle with?

[Don Quijote]

I agree its not a good option for new shooters as a pick-up and go option.

Well, a loaded rifle is also a bad choice as a "pick-up and go" option if you are brand new to shooting.

Everyone needs some basic instruction in something they've never done before. Many people can self teach (I am one), but those that can't or won't can be up and running with a basic riflescope inside of ten minutes with minor mentoring.

This whole notion of "training" often gets overblown here as some big production requiring "vetted" instructors and other ridiculous stuff. For more advanced topics, sure. To just be able to effectively aim a rifle using a magnifying scope, no.

I guarantee you that if I tossed an Aimpoint to someone who's never used one and said "here go to town" they would be clueless as to what to do.

If you know how to use a reflex or holographic gunsight to aim a rifle, then you also know how to use a magnifying scope set to 1X. The use of the occular focus is obvious if you turn it far enough. From there, shooting using higher magnification is self explanatory.

[Doc Safari]

What did they struggle with?

Any kind of magnification and a lot of people I've dealt with can't hold steady enough offhand. Our range only has one good area for bench resting and it's usually full. I hate shooting with newbies pretty much anymore.

[Don Quijote]

Any kind of magnification and a lot of people I've dealt with can't hold steady enough offhand. Our range only has one good area for bench resting and it's usually full. I hate shooting with newbies pretty much anymore.

That isn't not knowing how to use a scope. That's not knowing how to shoot.

Have they ever heard of the sitting and prone positions? I bet not.

[Doc Safari]

You'd have to see our range. It's pretty inhospitable for prone or sitting. But I see time and again people who suck at shooting with magnified optics who shoot with red dots just fine.

[RHINOWSO]

Well, a loaded rifle is also a bad choice as a "pick-up and go" option if you are brand new to shooting.

Truth.

And some people just suck at shooting in general.

My idea of a pick up and good weapon is a 12ga pump with OOO Buck. At least they'll make a lot of noise when they start shooting.

[Don Quijote]

But I see time and again people who suck at shooting with magnified optics who shoot with red dots just fine.

And why is that? Because they can't see their wobble. When they can see it their technique falls the **** apart. They still suck. Poor is the craftsman who blames his tools.

These rationalizations don't exist with people who don't use gear as an excuse.

[Doc Safari]

And people get butthurt if you criticize their technique.
Some people want to think they shoot fine and choose their gear to prove it. Lol.

[Don Quijote]

And people get butthurt if you criticize their technique.
Some people want to think they shoot fine and choose their gear to prove it. Lol.

And that's why I keep to myself when I shoot

[shadow93]

LPVO is the best general purpose, closest thing you will get to a do it all, optic for the AR. I know Wake27 disagrees with the LPVO for LE work but I've got to a Razor-E for my duty rifle. The brightness of the dot combined with the wide FOV of the razor make it as easy as running my Aimpoint Pro was on this rifle before hand for quick shots and in close work. The benefit comes from the fact that I can scale everything up to 6x. It isn't so I can take a 600yd shot with my duty rifle its to be able to see and identify better. Recent example of why a LPVO should be considered more for LE work: We had a barricaded armed suspect a couple weeks ago. While SWAT was being called out the bearcat was brought out to the scene but until all of SWAT was able to get into work one of the patrol guys was put in the bearcat hatch as an overwatch position. He only had a vortex red dot on his gun. How much more useful would the ability to zoom in have been? What if the guy came out with a hostage before SWAT snipers got there? The LPVO would be the more capable optic for that scenario and had the guy needed to transition to an entry team going back down to 1x with the red dot turned up, he would have been able to fill that role too.

I run a Razor because that's what I was able to afford, if I wanted to cut the weight down a little bit the Kahles K16i would be the best optic. All the benefits of the razor but 4oz less weight before the mount. Theirs a reason those two optics have become the go-to optics for LPVOs.

Now my house rifle (AR Pistol) fills a different role for me. Its currently running an RMR01 on it that I need to sell but I'd prefer a T1 on it. Its meant as a lighter weight, shorter, more simple gun where its only role is meant inside the house or on a road trip inside a truck since its foldable. I don't need the ability to zoom with it for its intended use.

The short answer though is if I had only one of my rifles to pick it would be my duty rifle with the LPVO by FAR over the others.


edit. Also, 1.93" mount on the LPVO. My neck appreciates it on a long day and it makes shooting the rifle with my soft armor or PC MUCH easier.