Trijicon TR24 vs Aimpoint M4S Comparison

[Crow Hunter]

Another chapter in my ongoing saga to find the "perfect" optic for my uses. Please bear with me, typing all this in helps me work stuff out in my mind.

My uses defined:

I want an optic that I can put on my "stock" 6920 that can reside under my bed most of it's life but be able to be called upon when there is the proverbial bump in the night. (Which living out in the sticks with 2 rambuncious Labs outside happens more often than you would think)

I would like to find an optic that can be dual purposed for hunting/ranch rifle use so that I will get more familiarity. (Beware the man with one rifle)

It needs to be an optic that will allow me to shoot muskrats/crows/coyotes from 85 yards out to a little over 300 yards.

Lastly, if the SHTF, a New Madrid earthquake in my case, I need it to be capable of being used defensively to defend myself and family. The 2 potential scenarios are sheltering in place or travel roughly eighty miles east to the family retreat by vehicle.

Last night I got in a Aimpoint M4S with a Larue mount and Larue BUIS. I mounted them on a 6920 last night to compare to the Trijicon TR24 w/Green Triangle mounted in a Larue SPR mount that I already had.

Initial impressions:

1. The viewing area within the optic was smaller than I had expected. It is significantly smaller than the TR24. However, it is mounted further forward. The frame of the optic completely ghosts out with both eyes open on both optics. The difference is the feeling of looking through a TV screen (TR24) vs looking through a tube (M4S).

2. The M4S mounted was noticably lighter that the TR24. I was not expecting it to be so much better.

3. The lower 1/3 cowitness is not a problem. The sights aren't even noticeable, especially if you pull up the large aperature on the BUIS, it just ghosts out and if you don't get a good cheek weld you can look right through them or focus on the front sight, your choice.

4. No problem at all with washout with the red dot. But you do have to constantly fiddle with the brightness controls if you go from a dark area to light area. If you don't want to have a flaring dot. If you have it set for a not flaring condition in a dark area and move into a light area, it almost disappears. It is easily usable but it wasn't what I was expecting. I was hoping for a set it for my eyes and forget it. I noticed a big difference when I got up this morning versus when I went to bed last night. The setting that I had it on last night was almost invisible this morning. Towards that point, I think the M4 might have a better battery/switch position that could be more easily adjusted without having to block my LOS with my left hand. The TR 24, there really isn't anything to fiddle with for me, only in the brightest sunlight was the triangle too bright and that was really because I was trying to sight it in, it has an advantage going from bright sunlight to shade because the reticle adjusts to the abient light automatically.

Right now I am actually leaning towards the TR24 as being better for my needs.

Hopefully, I will get the opportunity to sight the M4S in this weekend and do a shooting comparison between the 2.

[fnslpmark112]

Thanks for the review. I have the M4, M3, and TA11F with a T1 on the Larue offset mount. I have been pondering the TR24 for a gun that has no optic. You reviews have been helpful to me. Here are a couple comments:

1. The M4 is meant to be used with both eyes open. So, the looking through the tube thing will not be an issue.

2. For a self defense situation, set the dot to allow you to see it in the worst case environment and leave it alone. It is no big deal if it blooms a bit. Self defense usually means reacting to bad guys at close distance. They will be close enough that blooming does not matter. If they are far away, you have time to turn down the dot if you wish.

[Crow Hunter]

Even using the M4 with both eyes open there is still a sensation of looking through a tube. What I see is a ghosted out tube with a red dot floating, you can still see the inside of the optic.

The TR24, being alot closer to my eye and being larger diameter magnified optic, is literally like looking at a round TV screen right in front of my eyes. You don't see the inside of the optic, just the image and a very faint ghosted out ring of the housing.

I am much more used to "standard" scopes so the Aimpoint sight picture looks strange to me. Not bad, just different.

I have been playing with the Aimpoint settings. I still haven't found one yet that is "good" for me both in the house/outside. Anything that I have for outside the house, when I go back into the house and into a dark room, I get a huge dot and a bright red ring around the inside of the optic. In all honesty, if I were actually going from outside to inside looking for someone, I would be using a light, which would probably reduce the flare. But I won't be using mine this way. The only transitional use it would get would be the difference between going outside at O'Dark Thirty to find out what the dogs are having a fit about versus using the same gun setup to take shots at those damn muskrats in the lake behind the house. Neither of which would require instant changes. It was just something I noticed and something I will need to be cognizant of if I decide on the M4S for this role.

I am glad that you found my little review helpful.

Thanks for your comments.

[fnslpmark112]

Changing the dot intensity gets to be second nature. When I hunt with my Aimpoints, I start before sun rise. It has become automatic to start increasing the dot intensity as the sun comes up. I don't even think about it anymore.

What exactly was it about the TR24 that you didn't like?

[Rated21R]

If I could find a TR24 with the green triangle I would jump all over it like a hobo on a ham sandwich but for now I am happy with my Aimpoint C3 or H-1.

[Crow Hunter]

What exactly was it about the TR24 that you didn't like?

I don't know that there is anything about it that I don't like.

Right now I am actually leaning towards selling the M4S and getting another TR24 to put on my backup rifle but I want to get some actual trigger time behind both together before I make that decision. Right now, I only have dancing in the dark comparisons.

The things that I like more about the M4S
1. Noticably less weight that the TR24
2. Reticle is more visible behind a flashlight.
3. Easy transition to BUIS
4. Perceived increased durability. FJB throws his M4S all over the place. I wouldn't want to do that with the TR24.
5. This is going to sound really stupid but, I play Battlefield and COD online with friends and I use a red dot all the time. The first time I put the M4S on my Colt and pulled it up, it felt "familiar". (I told you it was stupid)

Things I like more about the TR24
1. Magnification
2. More "open" sight picture.
3. I am used to magnified scopes with a zoom feature. When looking out across the lake while playing with the M4S this morning, I kept starting to take the rifle off my shoulder to push up the zoom to see what that great blue heron was doing 200 yards away.
4. I actually like the triangle on the post, it is alot like a big front sight post.

I don't think that you would dislike a TR24. I can just about guarantee you could sell it if you didn't like it.

Last time I checked both SWFA and Cabela's still had some in stock. From talking to Larue, Trijicon had a huge military order and they haven't been making anything for civilians for a while but should be getting back to civilian production soon.

[caporider]

Try shooting the TR24 from a well-shaded position into a brightly lit area to see if the reticle works for you.

Losing the TR24 reticle when you activate your white light in a darkened area is also an issue.

And since your TR24 has a defined eye box, you will be less than pleased trying to shoot your rifle in less than ideal positions like SBU prone.

Decide what your 70% activity is. If it's hunting and plinking, the TR24 is GTG. If it's home defense and fighting your carbine, the M4s gets my vote. And if you want to add a bit of magnification to the M4s, get a 3x magnifier.

[Steve]

Funny i have zero issue running my tr24 in Sbu or rollover or supine

I have had zero wash out issues with it either in shoot house runs and indoor/outdoor transition

and i also have them on slug guns as well

[caporider]

Funny i have zero issue running my tr24 in Sbu or rollover or supine

I have had zero wash out issues with it either in shoot house runs and indoor/outdoor transition

and i also have them on slug guns as well

So you're saying that the TR24 is usable even without a good cheekweld? That hasn't been my experience with ANY variable optic.

Can you be more specific about the shoot house lighting conditions and which TR24 reticle you're using? Thanks.

[bp7178]

From a dim room to outside on a bright sunny day the reticle will not appear bright green as if you were standing outdoor.

The reticle will look like an all black post with a pointed tip. This doesn't effect me.

The eye box of the TR24 is much better than with other scopes i've tried, and the other 1-4x i've owned, the CMR. But, the CMR was pretty shitty.

On 1x with the diopter setting at 0, the TR24 is very quick and easy to use. The scope doesn't present a large obstruction in your field of view. All you see is a blurry black ring.

The glass is very good. It almost looks brighter than not looking through it, its that clear and sharp.

In low light, the scope seems to have an ideal amount of illumination. I would almost call the illumination of the TR24 an enhancement more than illumination. It isn't meant to be super bright. It's meant to enhance the reticle.

The TR24 isn't a red dot, it isn't meant to perform like one.

I bought mine at a local shop for $740 out the door. Money well spent.

In AR optics the magnification problem can be solved one of three ways. Varibable power (1-4x) scope, RDS with magnifier, and fixed power with RDS backup. All of these systems present their own problems and advantages. One major one being cost. Some of these options are well over $2500.