TA11 vs. TA33G-H for a coyote gun

[gjj]

Right now, I have an Aimpoint CompML3 and Aimpoint 3X magnifier on my coyote M4 rifle. I am considering setting up another similar gun with an ACOG and the new Larue offset mount for the Aimpoint T1.

Which one of the above ACOGs would you pick? Price is not an issue.

TA11 - Good FOV. Good eye relief. Heavy. Big.
TA33 - Marginal FOV. Good eye relief. Light and short.

The offset mount will allow me to use the T1 to engage coyotes up close when the shooting is fast and furious. The ACOG will help at a distance when it is tough to get a good sight picture (low light and brushy conditions where the coyote blends into the background). I think this might be a better solution than the rifle with the magnifier. Things happen fast and sometimes you don't have the time to rotate the magnifier in place. You also don't want to create alot of movement to give away your position.

I really am torn between the two. I think the TA11 is the better scope. I like the field of view for picking up the coyote fast on the run before he stops for the shot. But, I just don't know if it will be too bulky. I typically walk about 5-6 miles with the gun from stand to stand in a 4 hour period.

Any opinions?

[Gutshot John]

Right now, I have an Aimpoint CompML3 and Aimpoint 3X magnifier on my coyote M4 rifle. I am considering setting up another similar gun with an ACOG and the new Larue offset mount for the Aimpoint T1.

Which one of the above ACOGs would you pick? Price is not an issue.

It sounds like you're saying weight is your primary consideration. Honestly the weight difference between the two is going to be marginal. The TA-11 isn't so much heavier that you'll notice the difference, but if weight is an issue the dual-optic configuration is going to be the bigger weight cost.

I went with the 33 more for pricing issues and I've been very happy with it (I now have 2 one .308 and one 5.56). If price had been no object I would have gone with the 11. The 33 has performed well generally both on the range and in training and it really shined in a DMR class. Inside of that 50 yards either is going to be slower than an RDS, but gets better with practice.

[Failure2Stop]

I really like the TA11s, especially after having been saddled with TA01 and TA31 series ACOGs.
I do not have much time with the 33 series other than playing with them on friends; guns and in gunshops.
While the TA11 is definately bulkier than the 01, 31, and 33 series, I do not find it all that obnoxious. My first one was on an 18" gun, and I am playing with another with an RMR on my 16" 5.45. I primarily wanted to get more time behind the top-mounted RMR to compare to other Magnified/Un-Magnified combos to determine baseline numbers. (Long story short, I am still not a fan of top-mounted mini red-dots, though they are ok if you are willing to invest the time)

I have time behind the Horseshoe/Dot, Donut, Chevron and Crosshair reticles.
Of those I have a strong distaste for the chevron- it just covers up too much at distances past 150 to get the kind of precision I want. That isn't to say that they are terrible, just that I think that there are better options.

I find that I can get the most precision out of the more traditional crosshair reticles such as the TA11JG at all ranges. They are definately slower than most other options though.

I find that I can be really, really fast in daylight from 15 meters out to 150 with the donut, such as in the TA11G. I zero differently than recommended though (100 m, POA/POI center of donut), which changes how the BDC works (which is a whole other can-o-worms).

I think that the Horseshoe/Dot, as on the TA33G-H represents an excellent hybrid, giving good speed, a relatively precise 100 m POA/POI that is distinct enough to drive fast along with a nice, pointy, uncluttered 300 m point and decent references for longer range.

You are paying a lot of money for them, and they are good optics, but I have to wonder if something like the Burris XTR might be an option that will provide you with all you need at a distinctly lower price-point. I know that Gotm4 has one and really likes it.

I am no great fan of ACOGs as a "do it all" optic, but they certainly shine in certain applications. How much more so than one that costs $280 to $490 less with the ability to rapidly switch from 4X to 1X is your call.

[armakraut]

Compared to a compact ACOG, the TA11 is a deathstar, but it's a wild optic, great eye relief, big FOV, bright and very useful donut of doom reticle. I just squish my face slightly down into the stock and it's basically an OEG that is still very bright.

[gjj]

The reason for wanting the ACOG with the T1 for coyote hunting is that I want to hunt with a tactical gun. I want a my coyote gun to be a dual role gun with the best CQB and longer distance capability I can purchase. The hours and hours I spend in the field with the gun will make it second nature in the unlikely event that I ever need a defensive carbine.

Currently, I have done a lot of night hunting and 100s of coyote stands with the Aimpoint Magnifier / CompM3 combination. Under the adrenaline rush and fast pace of coyote hunting, it feels like second nature now.

I suspect the ACOG/T1 combo might even be better. I just am not sure which ACOG to get.

[Failure2Stop]

Most ACOGs will serve you well for daylight hunting, from very close to mid-range.
The reason that mini red dots are popular with the tactical crowd in conjunction with magnified optics (especially ACOGs) is for use in lighting conditions common to indoor fighting with tactical lights. In the tactical arena we don't put MRDs on guns because we want them, it's because we NEED them due to lighting.

The 3X, 3.5X, and 4X ACOGs can be used at close range quickly and accurately as long as the lighting conditions support it. Magnified ACOGs have been used to excellent result in 3-gun competitions for a while, for a good reason- they are bright enough and fast enough at close range with practice while providing easy BDC without the need for a second optic in most conditions.

If you want an optic that can be used at CQB distances and for long range precision in all lighting conditions I would recommend a variable power optic with a good reticle and illumination. The ACOG/MRD is a very workable solution, but if the primary task is to kill coyotes, I would orient the optics to that task.

[seb5]

I know you didn't ask for another opinion but I think with your budget and needs from an optic you might look into the NightForce 1X4 with the FC2 recticle. It will do all you require from CQB to 3-400 easily. If you don't like the idea of the FC2 you can get it with the mil-dot, lit recticle, which would lack some capability up close as compared to the FC2 but would work well for your yotes by learning your hold overs. That optic in an Larue mount is as good as it gets.

[Gutshot John]

In the tactical arena we don't put MRDs on guns because we want them, it's because we NEED them due to lighting.

Could you expound a bit on the issue of lighting and how it factors in to the equation?

I had understood that magnified optics in MOUT allowed the shooter to peek into shadows that would otherwise be obscured by differential lighting, but I get the impression you're talking about something else.

[El Mac]

I've been using my TA-11H (horseshoe dot reticle) here in A-stan. It is a lovely sight, well worth the extra 2 ounces compared to the TA-31 series.

[gjj]

El Mac, can I ask you a few questions about your switch from the TA31 to the TA33?

1. Is the FOV a limitation for you?
2. Do you have any type of mini red dot sight on your gun for CQB?
3. Would you rather have the larger TA11?

If you are too busy to answer, I understand.

P.S. My goal is to hunt coyotes with the very best equiped gun I can build that will also fill the role of SHTF / personal defense gun.