Do you fight inside the ring or outside?

[USSA-1]

Training article for you guys.

http://www.usshootingacademy.com/content.aspx?id=26

[Blake]

How far forward is too far forward?? I mount my Aimpoint T-1 at the forward most portion of the upper receiver. Is this too far forward. The saying goes, mission drives the gear, but I was under the impression the standard mounting location was the front part of the upper receiver. I have a Larue Poboy Special that I leave room for, but I still mounted my old M2 at roughly the same location before I got the magnifier. I'm certainly not an advocate of mounting an optic on handguards. I just never thought about doing it "as far back as possible".

[Kaos]

http://www.usshootingacademy.com/CM_...rik%20Lund.pdf

that's the article he's directly referring to.

Good read, definitely something to get your mind moving. Can't wait to see some of the more experienced folks' thoughts on this.

I don't notice the "Ring" personally as I shoot with both eyes and this creats an "unlimited" field of view for me...but I can see merit in this.

[markm]

I'm certainly not an advocate of mounting an optic on handguards.

I've been wondering about this lately. If you mount and Aimpoint at the rearmost position on a Free Float Handguard, would that be BAD?

I can see the downside of mounting something on a handguard that isn't fixed to the upper receiver, but I don't see any potential for shift on a FF system.

[Kaos]

I've been wondering about this lately. If you mount and Aimpoint at the rearmost position on a Free Float Handguard, would that be BAD?

I can see the downside of mounting something on a handguard that isn't fixed to the upper receiver, but I don't see any potential for shift on a FF system.

I wouldn't want an optic on hadguards unless I had no choice (a1/a2 upper and no gooseneck mount etc). One issue is possibly zero, though with locking guards like larues this becomes less of an issue. Heat is the other issue that could crop up.

I've heard rumors of eotech optics being mounted straight above the chamber and the internals frying from the heat. Haven't heard the same from aimpoints mounted here though. (metal housing, and generally not being so low to the rail)

[rob_s]

Everything goes in cycles. What was old is new, what is new was old.

[No.6]

Thanks for the link. Printing it out to read.

[Iraq Ninja]

Maybe I am just crazy, but I always refer to aimpoints as sights, not scopes. Not sure why the author uses the term. To me, its a mindset issue. I think of looking down a scope, and looking thru a sight... but thats just me...

As for inside the ring or outside, I don't even notice the ring when shooting with both eyes open and focused on the target.

[markm]

One issue is possibly zero, though with locking guards like larues this becomes less of an issue. Heat is the other issue that could crop up.

So removing zero as a problem since we've established that a FF is basically an extension of the upper.. I still don't see the down side. Everyone is always saying that the heat is in the upper receiver in a DI gun anyway. I noticed that Costa runs one of his Aimpoints way out front with a cantilever mount. If one wanted to run a dot way out front anyway, why not just mount it to the back of the FF rail?

I know Eotechs don't like heat, but I'm picturing an aimpoint in a mount just in front of the handguard. That's a long way for heat to transfer... through the top rail, through the mount, and to the optic.

[USSA-1]

Blake,

Don't think of placement in terms of "too far forward", it's more about how to position the scope to maximize its performance. I would submit that mounting it more to the rear accomplishes that goal.

I don't notice the "Ring" personally as I shoot with both eyes and this creats an "unlimited" field of view for me

As for inside the ring or outside, I don't even notice the ring when shooting with both eyes open and focused on the target.

The Fighting Through the Ring concept is not so much about the ring obscuring or blocking your vision as it is about not having to shift your visual focus outside of the ring to find your next threat, if possible. Having your threats inside the Ring translates to quicker transition times on multiple targets because you don't have to shift your vision outside of your scope to find the next threat.

Regardless if you shoot with one or both eyes open, your dominant eye will be guiding your focus through the Ring. Even with both eyes open, you will still need to shift your focus outside the scope to find the next threat. If you can get a larger field of view that allows more threats inside that field of view then you'll be able to transition to the next target without shifting your visual focus outside the scope, which saves engagement time and makes you faster.

Maybe I am just crazy, but I always refer to aimpoints as sights, not scopes. Not sure why the author uses the term. To me, its a mindset issue. I think of looking down a scope, and looking thru a sight... but thats just me...

Yeah, I can see that. I think its just semantics. I hear sights and I think iron sights. I hear scopes and I think optics.

On the EOTech heat issue, I run an EOTech on an 11.5" upper with a suppressor which generates a lot of heat. Never had an EOTech fail me. Just my experience.

I appreciate you guys taking time to read the article and participating in the discussion.

Thanks,
USSA-1