AR 15 Scope: What Do You Recommend?

[crabby]

Just bought a couple of Les Baer ARs ("Police Special"). I have EO Tech on my other ARs ... but I am looking for something with a little bit of magnification (maybe 2-3X or even adjustable 3-10X). I would like to stay in the $500 range (OK ... LET'S UP THE PRICE RANGE TO $800) Wonder what others use? Got any recommendations for me?

By the way, carry handle is removable ... ready for any scope or sight.

One other question: I will probably leave iron sights on one of the Les Baer ARs (giving it to my son). Doesn't someone make a front blade and rear sight that can easily be replaced with the original ... but is more visable? (Trintium, Hi Viz, White Outline???)

Thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom.

ADDITION: I already have an AR for my "house gun." Perhaps my use of the phrase "Personal Defense" might have been misleading. I am referring to using this AR outdoors ... with the potential of making some longer range shots.

Edited November 23, 2008 by crabby

[PatD]

$500.00 is pretty inexpensive for a magnified sight. Remember you'll have to purchase a mount/rings as well. A trijicon accupoint might fill your needs but it is a little more expnsive than $500.00 especially with a mount/rings.

A used Trijicon ACOG might be a good bet too if you could find one in your price range. Perfect for an AR platform and available in a fixed 3.5 or 4 power.

[HSMITH]

If it is for self defense I want something that will go down to 1.5x at the absolute upper end, true 1x is what I really want. The best I have personally seen is the Meopta K-dot, 1x on the bottom and 4x on top end, you can illuminate the reticle or shoot it black. It is a little out of your price range but well worth the extra money to me.

The other set up I want to try is an Aimpoint with a flip up 3x magnifier.

[crabby]

$500.00 is pretty inexpensive for a magnified sight. Remember you'll have to purchase a mount/rings as well. A trijicon accupoint might fill your needs but it is a little more expnsive than $500.00 especially with a mount/rings.

A used Trijicon ACOG might be a good bet too if you could find one in your price range. Perfect for an AR platform and available in a fixed 3.5 or 4 power.

I paid $1,200 for an ACOG for my SOCOM 2 ... regardless of the mount I used ... it ran out of adjustment range. Sent it back to Trijicon 3 times ... but still had the same problem. One bad experience really turned me against ACOG.

[SharonAnne9x23]

check the optic zone. they list Trijicon Accupoint 1.25-4x32 for $499.00

[DougCarden]

I have an AIMPOINT with the 2min dot, and it has 1X with the glass on it. It does make a difference for me and it is on my hard use M4......I like it a helluva lot more than the EOTECH.

FWIW.....

DougC

[HighVelocity]

I have an Aimpoint Comp M2 with 4moa dot on my house rifle and I like it a lot.

[el pres]

Well it's going to sound "tacticool" but for "self defense" I'd go with an Aimpoint or

an EOTech with cowitnessed (or back-up) iron sights. Reason I say that is if your in a hurry and

need to just grab it off a shelf then you may not have time to turn it on, not that it

takes very long.......Mall Ninja !!

I'd go with an ACOG illuminated as it is always ready and can be used as a dot sight but you've already

made your choice against that. All the magnified scopes are worthless....(not advantages) in a house.

Why not just go irons ??

.02

Edited November 23, 2008 by DIRTY CHAMBER

[Jeff686]

I bought a good Leupold fixed 6x power and mounted a Doctor piggy-back on top of it.

[smokshwn]

I would suggest sticking with the Eotech's and back up irons on a defensive rifle.

I can't for see a defensive situation that would require magnification but if you feel you absolutely need some magnification (or just want it) I would second the suggestions for the Meopta, Nightforce 1-4, US Optics 1-4, or the S&B Shortdot.

Edited November 23, 2008 by smokshwn

[crabby]

Well it's going to sound "tacticool" but for "self defense" I'd go with an Aimpoint or

an EOTech with cowitnessed (or back-up) iron sights. Reason I say that is if your in a hurry and

need to just grab it off a shelf then you may not have time to turn it on, not that it

takes very long.......Mall Ninja !!

I'd go with an ACOG illuminated as it is always ready and can be used as a dot sight but you've already

made your choice against that. All the magnified scopes are worthless....(not advantages) in a house.

Why not just go irons ??

.02

I have my "house gun" ... with EO Tech and back-up iron sights. I just wanted to equip one of these Les Baer ARs with something that had a little magnification (who knows when you might want to make a longer range shot ... or might NEED to do so).

[crabby]

I bought a good Leupold fixed 6x power and mounted a Doctor piggy-back on top of it.

I know that ACOG makes a 3 or 4 power scope with a Doctor already piggy-back on it. Did you buy the Leupold and Doctor separately ... and then piggy-back them? I assume you did.

BTW ... thanks to all for the great comments.

[ebg3]

I have two Accupoint 1.25-4X scopes, a red and an amber, and I like them a lot. I have one in a Larue extended mount and the other I have on a Hahn Scout rail with Warren QD rings, it's OK, but not as clean looking and simple as the Larue mount.

EG

[crabby]

What about ACOG? Yeah, I noted that I had a bad experience ... but was it a fluke? Have any of you had problems with running out of adjustment room?

If I knew that it would work well and that I would be able to zero it in with adequate adjustment ... I might lean toward the ACOG TA31DOC or TA31TRD. Yes, it is a lot more than my stated price range ... but the thought of a 4X ACOG and DOC Optic sounds great.

Am I being too hard on ACOG? Anyone use the TA31DOC/TRD?

[el pres]

I use the ACOG TA-31RCO, When I took it out of the box and mounted it on an M4 with

the factory mount, I think I put in "1 click" up or down to sight it in at 100. When I moved

it to a 20" and changed the mount, I think it was like 4 clicks up for 100 ???

In the 3 or 4 years that I've owned it I have not touched the windage adjustment so far on two

different guns. I just shot Rocky Mountain last Sep. with first shot hits at 500 and 600 with that scope ??

Running out of adjustment ???

[crabby]

I use the ACOG TA-31RCO, When I took it out of the box and mounted it on an M4 with

the factory mount, I think I put in "1 click" up or down to sight it in at 100. When I moved

it to a 20" and changed the mount, I think it was like 4 clicks up for 100 ???

In the 3 or 4 years that I've owned it I have not touched the windage adjustment so far on two

different guns. I just shot Rocky Mountain last Sep. with first shot hits at 500 and 600 with that scope ??

Running out of adjustment ???

Not enough adjustment for elevation. It would consistantly hit high (though POA was dead on). I changed mounts and even took it to my local gun-smith (who is a USPSA Master shooter) and he fired it and tried to adjust it ... but he had the same problem. AGOG first returned it without a note ... on the second return trip they said that they switched out the springs ... on the third return trip - same thing.

[00bullitt]

For a magnified combat optic with true 1x and robustness.....I always recommend the Leupold CQ/T. It is 1-3x with a huge field of view on 1x. It has an illuminated(amber)circle dot reticule.

The CQ/T is one of my favorite optics and well suited for shots to 400 yards.

There are many others but this is the scope I always recommend.

[el pres]

I use the ACOG TA-31RCO, When I took it out of the box and mounted it on an M4 with

the factory mount, I think I put in "1 click" up or down to sight it in at 100. When I moved

it to a 20" and changed the mount, I think it was like 4 clicks up for 100 ???

In the 3 or 4 years that I've owned it I have not touched the windage adjustment so far on two

different guns. I just shot Rocky Mountain last Sep. with first shot hits at 500 and 600 with that scope ??

Running out of adjustment ???

Not enough adjustment for elevation. It would consistantly hit high (though POA was dead on). I changed mounts and even took it to my local gun-smith (who is a USPSA Master shooter) and he fired it and tried to adjust it ... but he had the same problem. AGOG first returned it without a note ... on the second return trip they said that they switched out the springs ... on the third return trip - same thing.

I dont understand POA was on ?? Where did it hit at what yardage and where were you trying to sight it in

at. Were you using the Binden concept (two eyes open or capping it off) after about 20yds. they get really screwy

hitting extream low right ?? Maybe you just had a lemon, but Trijicon, being the company they are, should have

caught that during service ??

[crabby]

I use the ACOG TA-31RCO, When I took it out of the box and mounted it on an M4 with

the factory mount, I think I put in "1 click" up or down to sight it in at 100. When I moved

it to a 20" and changed the mount, I think it was like 4 clicks up for 100 ???

In the 3 or 4 years that I've owned it I have not touched the windage adjustment so far on two

different guns. I just shot Rocky Mountain last Sep. with first shot hits at 500 and 600 with that scope ??

Running out of adjustment ???

Not enough adjustment for elevation. It would consistantly hit high (though POA was dead on). I changed mounts and even took it to my local gun-smith (who is a USPSA Master shooter) and he fired it and tried to adjust it ... but he had the same problem. AGOG first returned it without a note ... on the second return trip they said that they switched out the springs ... on the third return trip - same thing.

I dont understand POA was on ?? Where did it hit at what yardage and where were you trying to sight it in

at. Were you using the Binden concept (two eyes open or capping it off) after about 20yds. they get really screwy

hitting extream low right ?? Maybe you just had a lemon, but Trijicon, being the company they are, should have

caught that during service ??

Dominant eye was opened, other eye was closed. I was able to get Windage dead on. But as yardage increased ... point of impact would rise (though POA remained constant). It has been about a year ago so I can't remember exactly ... but as best as I can remember - at 25 yards point of impact was about 2 inches high. The point of impact continued upward as the distance increased. Again, I took the ACOG and SOCOM 2 to one of the most respected gun-smiths in Tennessee. There simply was not enough elevation adjustment (regardless of various mounts).

Anyway, that is old news. I guess any company can produce a lemon.

[el pres]

You were sighted in at 5-10yds. ??? PM Sent !!

[warpspeed]

First choice would be an ACOG model TA01

Second would be an Trijicon Accupoint 1.25 - 4x.

[VegasOPM]

I would say a Leupold Mk IV, CQT- but that is just because that is my newest, favoritist scope. I love how the reticle transitions between light and dark, switching from black to orange.

Plus you can always pull it off and beat an attacker with it.

[brass-hog]

+1 on the Meopta Illuminated K-dot. It is the best thing going!

[mikegot38]

If it is for self defense I want something that will go down to 1.5x at the absolute upper end, true 1x is what I really want. The best I have personally seen is the Meopta K-dot, 1x on the bottom and 4x on top end, you can illuminate the reticle or shoot it black. It is a little out of your price range but well worth the extra money to me.

The other set up I want to try is an Aimpoint with a flip up 3x magnifier.

AGREED!!!

[Jeff686]

I bought a good Leupold fixed 6x power and mounted a Doctor piggy-back on top of it.

I know that ACOG makes a 3 or 4 power scope with a Doctor already piggy-back on it. Did you buy the Leupold and Doctor separately ... and then piggy-back them? I assume you did.

BTW ... thanks to all for the great comments.

Yes, bought the leupold, then found a 'glue on' piggy back adaptor for the Doctor. I forget who made it, but they are now discontinued. You can buy a scope ring with the Doctor/Jpoint adapter that does the same thing (actually better, since it is not permanent).

If I can find pics, I'll post them.