Barely know how to shoot an AR15, should I buy an optic regardless?

[rojocorsa]

As a relative newbie, I must say that the whole deal about learning irons first is quite dogmatic--which is no surprise to anyone here.

I never really gave the topic question until I was debating whether I should invest in a scope for my .22 bolt trainer. I decided that I will scope my gun, but after I get a self-loading rifle. All my current weapons use a turnbolt, so I guess I'm starting at the lowest possible place. More experienced shooters told me that a scope presents its own challenges, and my guess is that this applies more or less to the RDSs.

What I realized is that there are different kinds of shooting, the precise and the "combat effective" or "good enough." I think a good shooter should know about both and when a certain type is called for and so forth.

Anyway, thanks M4C members for helping to break down this dogma. Like always many threads here have changed my way of thinking, and I try to pass it on to others. Keep up the good work.

Virtually all of my shooting is done with traditional tangent sights (think AK sights). To me even a rear peep sight is like a small luxury, so I hope being a relatively decent marksman with tangent sights pays off somehow later. The only perk I know so far about starting waay at the bottom is that Mosin recoil isn't that bad, and semi-autos don't have recoil whatsoever.

[Merc8541]

Use both, train in the same manner you would fight for your life. Become proficient with both just in case your optics fails. Have the optic in case you need it might give you that extra edge you need to come out on top.

[friendlyfireisnt]

Any shooter worth his ass can shoot just as fast with Irons.. if not faster than with an electronic.

Even good old KevinB of KAC, and a guy with ACTUAL experience admitted that he's just as fast with irons. It was just that the RDS was easier to use in the adverse conditions of real combat... smoke, dust, darkness, etc.

Sounds like a solid reason to have a RDS for a HD weapon in my mind.

Really, I see this debate as the difference between using what can work and what can work better.

Example: I once confronted a burglar attempting to gain entry into my residence. I confronted him while carrying a single action Ruger revolver in .357 magnum.

Did it work? Yup. He jumped from his 2nd story perch and ran very quickly away. Am I under the illusion that it was the best tool for the situation? Hell no. It was what I had and what I was comfortable with. Had I needed to pull the trigger, I have no doubt I could have hit my target accurately, and put him down, but to say it's the best choice would be wrong.

If that situation were to happen now, there would be significant differences, purely based on my belief that in a situation where my life, or the life of my family members could possibly be at risk, I want every possible advantage possible.

Today, a burglar would have to get through the GSD, and would face me while I am carrying my defensive carbine which has a RDS and a light. That setup works better and gives me more advantages over what I had used previously.

I think people who are new to the AR-15 should most definitely learn to shoot with irons. I feel it's a critical skill to have.

But I see no reason why a person should hamstring themselves by waiting to get a RDS when that piece of equipment can grant them a significant advantage in a stressful, dangerous situation where they can use every possible advantage.

[elia.jon1]

as long as you go with a good quality optic it should be a good addition to whatever "battle" rifle

[ray0351]

run with the crowd, get a nice holo sight with a buis. learning how to engage your target with the buis is the same conceptual marksmanship skills as the standard carrying handle.

[rockapede]

Use both, train in the same manner you would fight for your life. Become proficient with both just in case your optics fails. Have the optic in case you need it might give you that extra edge you need to come out on top.

I agree. My social carbines will always have red dot sights and BUIS. I see no reason for new shooters to handicap themselves for a while until they master one type of sighting system. Get both, learn both.

[markm]

Sounds like a solid reason to have a RDS for a HD weapon in my mind.

Possibly in certain circumstances. But the added bulk and clutter of an RDS isn't worth the outside chance that there'd be some slight advantage to the dot.

I've been wanting to buy a C3 or a Pro to play with a little to see if I could grow to like it on an AR... I just keep finding better ways to spend the 400 bucks though..

[sadmin]

I went with irons first because I had such a difficult time with them. It wasnt intuitive to me to use a circle as opposed to a notch, which is what I learned on. After a took a class with irons only, I then took another with a RDS. Im far from skilled, but I also opt out of having a RDS on my HD carbine. I did pick up a PRO last week and really like it compared to my xps2; but both are far too chunky to me for my HD gun.

[60buckscash]

I understand the romance of Iron sites out to 200yds on a bulls eye, but you are talking about low light up close shooting. I vote for the RDS. Keep it 1x and have a set of BUIS that you can cowitness.