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

[AndyLate]

Keep in mind that I have at least one each of Aimpoint, EOTech, and RMR. My T-2 will likely never be replaced on the HD gun because its a dedicated LW build for my wife (and I prefer the eye relief/eye box simplicity of an RDS for her), so obviously the shooter will come into play. I also don't think LPVO for general issue MIL/LEO is a good idea. But best all around optic for a relatively serious shooter - Razor.

I think your whole post is solid, but I cut it to the last paragraph.

I think a LPVO is a great all around optic even for a less than serious shooter.

The optics on my "HD/Civil Unrest" guns are modest compared to yours, but I think you absolutely nailed the advantages of both the RDS and LPVO.

I have a Aimpoint PRO on the 16" AR I keep in my bedroom closet and a Trijicon Accupower 1-4x on the 16" AR I keep in the other safe.

I really like the idea I can just turn on the RDS and deal with a bump in the night situation. I don't even have to open the lens covers to shoot at close range.

With my eyesight, precision at 75+ yards requires some magnification and that is where the LPVO shines.

Since the odds of my shooting a coyote or deer with my AR are orders of magnitude higher than the odds of using a gun for self defense, the LPVO is the most logical all-around optic for ME.

Andy

[Don Quijote]

The Steiner P4Xi made me dump reflex sights from my carbine.

Objectively (timer) I'm even faster with it than I am with a reflex sight (Aimpoint PRO) in my standard set of close range (5 to 7 yards) drills with equal or better accuracy.

5 yd presentations from low ready to a 3x5 card, average of 10 runs, Steiner: .72 sec, Aimpoint: .76 sec. Double taps to the same 3x5 card at 5 yds and target transitions at 7 yards are also as fast or faster with the P4Xi.

Battery life is a non-issue. The Steiner works without batteries.

PS, there is no "training" needed to transition from an RDS to a LPVO. If you need training for that, you probably need training to open a door too.

[dpb1776]

I was looking at this as maybe being the closest we ever get to an ACOG "red dot"?

https://www.opticsplanet.com/trijico...iflescope.html

https://www.trijicon.com/na_en/produ...=TA45-C-400153

Ever had the chance to play with one mounted? Local gun shop had one. I like it, took it outside and played around with it. only problem is the price

[dpb1776]

I have two sixteen inch BCM's. One with the Aimpoint pro and one with a Leupold VX-r pro 1.5-4. The one with the Aimpoint I use for home defense and classes. The other with the Leupold I use for two and three gun matches, had that scope for over a year now and I really like it. Fast up close and I have shot it out to 6oo yards so far. Hits are easy once you have your holds. At first I didn't like the thick reticle but it has grown on me, not great for absolute precision but it is fast and I can shoot both eyes open with it.

[daddyusmaximus]

For me the answer is my Comp M4s.

A lot of people are switching to the smaller micro sights, and it is a rather bulky unit, but it's also built like a tank. I'm not one of these "save 1.3 ounce" guys. I'm also not so much worried about recoil as I am my gun taking a tumble. Ruggedness counts big for me. If it gets dropped, kicked, or banged around in the back of a truck (or even out of it while driving)... I'm golden. I know it will still work. I'm retired now and will never go on the offense, so I'll never need to shoot my AR for anything other than self defense. That's almost always gonna be a close range deal, unless I'm dealing with a nation state having overrun our borders, or full scale SHTF, and raiders laying in wait...

Besides, I can always flip over the multiplier, and see out farther.

[daddyusmaximus]

Double tapped it...

[VIP3R 237]

It’s hard to beat an aimpoint of any flavor, but for a do it all I like a little magnification. Personally I like the TA33 as much as anything on the market, it’s lighter than most acogs, with longer eye relief.

[RHINOWSO]

T-2 with detachable 3x mag behind it or a Vortex 1-6x24 (PST Gen 2 or Razor).

[Dr. Bullseye]

All engineering solutions are probably compromises. When you enter in a series of parameters, you are shopping for an engineered solution. Aimpoint at $700.00?? What about the Primary Arms push-button, micro red dot, 50K battery life, $159.00?

[SteveL]

I've come to the point where I don't care for RDS or holographic sights at all any more for two reasons:

1. They rely on a battery and absolutely can not function without it.

2. I have astigmatism and they don't play well with my eyesight.

I have also tried the 1.5x ACOG and don't care for it either. IMO it has enough magnification to be annoying but not enough to be beneficial. I feel Trijicon would have done better to make it as close to true 1x as possible.

Nowadays I prefer something with an etched reticle. Illumination is great but an optic with an etched reticle is still useful if the battery dies or the electronics fail.

On the fixed 1x side there's not a lot to pick from. I've tried the Vortex Spitfire 1x and had good luck with it. It's currently on loan to my father-in-law. I'm currently trying out the Primary Arms 1x Cyclops. So far I really like it, even a bit more than the Spitfire. The ACSS reticle is useful for range estimation and bullet drop compensation but in all honesty I feel those aspects are mostly wasted on me. Unfortunately both of these are low cost options made in China. I haven't had any issues with either one but I don't know how durable they'll prove to be in the long run. Things I've seen online, like the review by Mrgunsngear, are favorable. Assuming they're able to hold up these are nice options if you want something other than a RDS/holographic but still want to keep the weight down.

Now we come to LPVOs. IMO these are truly the king of do-all optics. Etched, illuminated reticles combined with magnification anywhere from 4x up to 8x allows you to do pretty much anything. Most of the better ones are very close to true 1x so they're good up close and shooting with both eyes open isn't difficult. They continue to work even if the battery dies. Drawbacks include size, weight, eye relief, and eye box. IMO size and weight are well worth the trade for the capabilities these optics bring to the table. Eye relief and eye box vary somewhat from scope to scope but IMO are manageable without much problem.

Currently I have a Vortex Viper PST 1-4 and a Trijicon Accupower 1-8. I've also had a Vortex Razor 1-6 and briefly tried a NF NXS 1-4. The only one I didn't really care for was the NF and that's only because I didn't care for the reticle in it.

I feel if you're going to run a LPVO then a good throw lever is pretty much mandatory. I like that some manufacturers are either integrating them directly into the scope or including a lever that screws in/out.