All posts tagged AR15 optics

Eotech sights, 512 vs 516 and what about magnifiers?

eotech sights I remember being to ranges when I was a kid and seeing the guys with the AR15s and the 3-9×40 scopes and thinking that was the pinnacle of coolness.   If you are target shooting, hunting or on a really tight budget, something like that might be good for you but for close quarters defensive applications, the need for magnification is very low.   Most Police Officers we deal with don’t even see the magnifiers on their guns because many of those guys are even on even tighter budgets.  They use what they know they need and Trijicon ACOGS are something rarely  used in the Law Enforcement community because they don’t need a rifle scope with 3.5X or 4X.  That actually can slow you down with your AR15  or M16 carbine.  The Eotech 512 with the AA Batteries is still the most popular but the XPS and EXPS optics have gained traction because they are lighter and smaller.

On some of my Daniel Defense M4 carbines I am running an Eotech 512 because I find the AA batteries to be more common, but if you bulk buy and stock the CR123 batteries they will work well for you.   Many of the guys running the Eotech sights with the CR123 batteries use those because the weapon mounted flashlights like the TLR1, TLR 3 laser combo use the same batteries so mixing up the battery types is somewhat of an issue.   Battery life can be betwee 600 hrs and 1300 hrs but for domestic purposes having access to batteries shouldn’t be an issue.  Keeping AA batteries or CR123 batteries around is something that should just be as important as having 5.56 ammunition.   If you want magnification you can run a Gen 3 magnifier later.

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Reviews on the Trijicon reflex and Mini ACOGS

Trijicon Reflex Sights I have always run Eotech sights on my LWRC AR15 carbines but the optics that have turned me on recently are the TA44 Mini ACOGS.  These 1.5×24 ACOGS have low magnification but the circle/dot reticle kind of reminds of the Eotech gun sight.  I have never been a huge fan of the Red dot because they seem to be too blurry for my eyes and I don’t like all of that haze.  For clearing houses I understand why people like them but the Trijicon Reflex sights like the RX30 are much clearer with their dot recticles than any red dot I’ve used.   There is now a very small 1.75 red dot called the Trijicon SRS sight which is a sealed reflex sight.  There is almost zero “tube effect” when looking through these and they take up very little space on your rail.  I still run a quad rail and have not jumped on the Magpul MOE yet but this is important to me.

There is so much to accessorize about the AR15 now but that is a good thing since all of us have different arm lengths and different tolerances of weight.  Several of the new Trijicon Reflex sights like the Trijicon SRS01 and SRS02 are ground breaking optics with their solar/battery powered red dots.   I would like to see something more along the lines of a solar/battery powered Eotech sight but maybe Trijicon will come out with a circle/dot solar powered optic like the TA44.   I would love to see something like that in maybe a 30mm optic.

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Optics, batteries, tritium and fiber optics!

There are huge differences in the types and applications of various combat optics.   When many people think about red dot optics there are big differences in the way that they are setup.  Some come with mounts, quick detach ones or thumb screw.  The differences between Aimpoints, Bushnells and C-more red dots are considerable and it’s not just the quality of the optics.   I am very picky about clarity of reticles and it’s kind of funny that the more I use Trijicon optics, the less I like red dots and Eotechs.   The thing that always hits me are the costs of Eotech sights, but the TA26 or TA44 scopes are so clean and crisp compared to the Eotech or C-more optics.

When do you really want an ACOG?  Trijicon ACOGS are really a medium range optics, optics like the Trijicon TA31F-G for saleTrijicon TA31F-G for sale are just simple that.  Sure you can nail targets out past 600 yards with them, but if you want close range engagement you will probable want a different setup.  The RMR sights that are mounted at the top of an ACOG will cost more, but it really all depends on what you want to do with the sight.   Optics that take batteries are going to be around for a long time, as a matter of fact The TA02 is a new battery powered optic, but the new thing is going to be rechargeable and solar powered optics.

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Some feedback about the Trijicon SRS

Trijicon Reflex Sights We’ve only been selling the Trijicon SRS sights for a few months and finally got some good feed back about why people wanted them.   The number one reason people like this sight is it’s something different and has a slight advantage over the Aimpoint red dot sights.  The solar battery powered SRS sight gives you years of battery life from just one AA battery.  We have done side by side comparisons between the Eotech XPS sights and the Aimpoint and if you want a compact optic, and you want the most rail space available to you, the SRS and the Eotech XPS or EXPS sights are the way to go.  Not all of our customers really cared about the battery life which was actually surprising.

Some of our customers really wanted the Eotech just for the wide visibility and that famous gunsight reticle.   The one thing we learned when we brought in the Trijicon Reflex sights were the that it was more compact than an ACOG and really good clean red dot unlike some less expensive brands.   Being able to have a crisp dot and the multiple power settings  and a great low maintenance optic is something the Eotech bashers wanted.   I personally am not a huge fan of red dots because I prefer more precision but the SRS red dot is the smallers red dot optic we sell.

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Eotech configurations vs ACOGS

I started out with an Eotech 512 because I basically thought that AA batteries were so common in my home that that was my best option.  I was right, but I learned real fast what the limitations were for the Eotech sights when I was engaging targets at 300 + yards with it.   Those optics are really fast for close up fighting which is why most of our Law Enforcement Officials want them, but they, along with any red dot, will actually be difficult to use at longer ranges.   I find the haze from red dots to be annoying but I personally have never had to use one in a house clearing situation.    The Eotech XPS sights and the EXPS sights are more compact versions with different power switch locations.

Eotech sights while many may claim are slowly becoming outdated, are still very popular.  Sometimes it’s not just what is higher tech, but the Eotech sights that we sell are so well known that sometimes it’s hard to deviate from something that you know works.   I have yet to see somebody complain about their Eotech not holding zero and the quick detach options are very appealing.   The one thing I will say that is you really need to put some thought into how much magnification you want on your Carbine before you buy and Eotech sight because I know many people that got the optic, magnifier combos and later said they basically purchased a Trijicon TA01NSN .

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Trijicon M4 Optics what bullet weight?

You do have to be careful who you listen to when you shop around for optics for your M4 carbine.  In recent years it is not that uncommon for people to be using 75gr or 77gr ammuntion in their M4 Carbines, and if you change the bullet weight of  your round, you can void the purpose and  uses of your bullet compensator.  I know several people that think there is no difference between the M855 and the M193 round when  you sighting in  with a Trijicon ACOG, but this is not the case.  If you are using something like the Trijicon TA01NSN optics and you want to engage a target at 400yds, there is going to be a big difference in where you hit.  If you pay attention the ballistics of the ammunition you are using and you use the good stuff, you should be dead on with your Trijicon sighting system.

I use an LWRC M6A1 with a Trijicon TA01NS which is my favorite optics, primarily because I can never really adjust to anything but crosshairs on my reticle.  I have used  the TA31F-G on occassion but the Trijicon TA01NSN is still my favorite optic.   The iron sights are an added feature which do sit high, but an easy transition from medium range to close quarters combat shooting if need be.   You also have a night sight on the front sight.   You can always swap out the iron sights for one of the RMR sights if you want to.

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All those gun sights and no idea what you want until you pick it up and loo through it

As a retailer of Trijicon rifle and handgun sights, we hear it all the time that customers had no idea what the products were like until they looked through them.   There are so many variables with the Trijicon ACOGS and the differences between each, even though not much to an experienced shooter, can be some what overwelming when  you have no idea what the lines are.  I had to have a meeting with my Trijicon Sales Rep to find out what all of the specs were and how some of these were sighted in and aimed.   Those simple X crosshairs are somewhat a thing of the past and what use to be the M16 gunsight on the Eotech is now a low tech combat optic.
Low tech might be the way you want to go with your optic but chosing between having optics that are battery operated and fiber optics can also be a hard one.  Many people have moved away from 4x optics on their guns because they don’t do you all that good in close up fighting, the Trijicon Reflex sights for sale are a good competition to red dot and Eotech sights.  You can get a wide field of view from the Trijicon RX30A-51 which we have in stock in our store with the amber dot.  This gives you a defined illuminated dot that does not haze or look blurred like red dots.  You get a similar field of view as the Eotech 512.

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Moving away from battery reliant optics?

I remember when Eotech sights and red dots were showing up on gun ranges about 15yrs ago and how high tech they were.  They were because you were basically getting an F16 gun sight on a Carbine and it was so easy to see targets and engage them quickly.   I have good eye sight for my age but there have been many times I have taken friends and family members as well as students to the range and people had trouble looking through optics.  The best thing about low magnification optics is that is less of a problem for them.  Aimpoint is still probable the king of the red dots but Trijicon has the SRS red dot out now and we have a few of them inbound.

Having AA batteries around for your firearm optic is easy and it’s a very common battery to find.  There have been design changes to Eotech sights because it was common for the gun sight to have issues with the battery contacts when the batteries were put in forward in relation to the firearm.  I assume it had something to do with barrel harmonics but I have witnessed this first hand.  The smaller CR123 batter is being used more than the AA batteries and you’ll get a shorter smaller optic.  There are always trade offs with firearm optics and even trijicon is moving towards battery powered optics.

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You need to know what you want and here’s the best place to find it

Rifle optics are probable one of the hardest things to ship for online because so much of the product is spelled out in words and sometimes you will know if you want something just by picking it up.  I’ve seen several combat optics from outside a glass display case but didn’t get a chance to look through them.  The way that glass technology has improved, so much about optics these days are etched in the glass.  I still  have one of my first optics I got off of my  Uncle that actually  has a wire hanging over the glass for crosshairs, it fogs up but still is accurate.

The differences in application for Eotech, Aimpoint and Trijicon are pretty fast and the optics really are not that all alike.  I remember the first time I saw  Trijicon ACOGs these looked all fancy but the TA01 that I shot through back then is no where near what Trijicon optics are now.   I have Trijicon night sights on several of my handguns but never really made use of them, I guess that’s a good thing, but now that they are making high visibility sights for shotguns that have dramatically changed as far as sighting systems.  The optics we’ve sold the most lately were the green reticle acogs and that was mostly because we had them in stock and people could stop in our showroom and hold them before buying.

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Probable the best all around ACOG?

There isn’t a do it all rifle scope, but some day there will be.  Technology always improves and better weapons and technology is always down the road.    Half a Century ago the military made the decision that the 7.62 round was more than what was need for most combat operations and changed over to the M16.   Not only was the 5.56 round a adequate round you could easily issue 2xs as much ammunition.   Combat optics normally meant an optic that magnified up to 10x and were not suitable for use on semi-auto or full auto weapons.  That is now ancient history and Eotech gun sights, Aimpoint and Trijicon are up to the task.

There are so many different types of optics from Trijicon that are worthy of being put on  your M4 Carbine, but the best one in my opinion is the TA01NSN.   The back up iron sights are already there and really are more of a secondary close range optic.  The 4x magnification on the Trijicon ACOGS can slow you down under 50YDs and you may be better off just moving your eyes to your secondary sights.   No flip up sights or flip to the side.   Eotech gun sights are outstanding for short range shooting and seem to be very popular in the Law Enforcement Community.   Aimpoint and Trijicon seem to be more geared towards Military operations and longer deployments.

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