The AR15, they don’t work for everything
After I see the enormous amount of stuff that people are mounting on AR15s, I enjoy watching the shit to skill ratio that many M4 owners deploy. I don’t want to come off as an elitist, but I still hold a grudge against many in the AR15 crowd from all of the years I didn’t own one and listed to all of the prima donna’s boasting in the late 1990’s. It seems that some think the the .223 or 556 round is more leathal if it is fired out of an AR15 than it is in any other similarly chamber rifle. I’ve seen so many times at gun ranges where a guy shows up with atleast $3000 on his M4 and is spending his entire day shooting at 25yds-50yds. I have no problem training in those ranges, but that is fighting territory which the M4 does a good job in.
While this may sound like I’m being overzealous, I have also kept tabs on the number of guys that refuse to shoot those same guns at the 600yd ranges that are right next to them. I like to ask them if they have shot over there, and the answer is the same, nah, I don’t need to. Well, what’s the point in having a 600 meter reticle on rifle scopes like the ACOG and never knowing how to hit targets at those ranges? It’s not all about point and click, you will miss targets with enough wind, and engaging threats and distances means more travel time for the bullet and just because you see it in the crosshairs at 600 meters, doesn’t mean your bullet is going to hit it 2 seconds later. I read about a gun fight that took place in the early days of the Afghanistan invasion where a couple guys in a downed helicopter couldn’t take out a bunker at 600yds and almost ran out of ammunition. The enemy kept ducking under cover and kept shooting and ducking back in. A good 7.62 that penetrated cover or had more range could have meant the difference.
I’m so old that I can tell you about the day I was on a firing line and saw my first Trijicon ACOG. The first time I saw it I thought it was some kind of toy. The bright neon strand stood out that I just couldn’t understand why a combat optic was so visible. I guess I read too many sniper stories where optics gave away a snipers position due to sun glare, and it was always something I thought about even when hunting. I’ve spotted other hunters before just by see that split second flash from the tree line and I can completely understand how patience can be the key to winning a sniper battle.
It’s always up to the operator to determine which configuration works best for him, but with the reliance on battery operatored optics and high mounted optics, it’s really a good idea for a user to consider the what ifs. What do you do with your Eotech if the batteries die? What happens if the optics come loose ? Scope mounts can come loose and even break, I’ve seen this happen on M1A rifles, AK, FAL and AR15s on several ocassions. Sometimes its a good idea to train yourself to be able to hit a target without even a rear sight. There have been several times where I actually forgot to flip up my rear sights on my co-witness configuration and just used the sight picture from my Eotech optic and the front sight post. I never missed what I was aiming at and it was actually good practice for me.
Optics have multiple purposes. They can be used for Astronomy, Scouting, birdwatching, target shooting, hunting and military purposes. With the emergency of combat optics for close quarter combat, scopes used on rifles have gotten smaller, more compact and sometimes have zero magnification. The point is to give you a good sight pictures and a reticle that is easy to follow.
There is a point where people have to learn to realize that there are a great many firearms manufacturers out there that are making suberb firearms. I’ve heard people claim that a certain firearm was superior in reliability over another. Well, that is true to some degree, but I’d have to say there are some firearms that are in the top tier category and the durability and reliablity differences may vary in extreme circumstances. Take a Glock 17 and put it up against a Sig 226 and you’ll see what I mean. I’m sure the Glock will reguire less lubrication, but there won’t be much difference in 98% of circumstances.
Keeping a scope cover on your objective and being aware of your flash is extremely important. I highly recommend a flash kill cover for any combat optics and also suggest a cover for your flashlight. Even something like a red lense will help avoid giving away too much reflection. Flashlights are probable the biggest giveaway in low light even if you don’t turn them on. Next time your at the range, put your rifle on the bench and walk down range and look again. Keep in mind that even though you may be 50-100yds away and wearing camoflauge, your fancy schmancy M4 has various points of reflection and even moonlight will have an impact.
Trijicon has also diversified their optics for hunting and target shooting. The Accupoint optics are low-variable power optics that give operators some level of magnification, but still have the speed that Trijicon optics are known for. The Accupoint reticles come in red triangle, Amber dot, Green triangle, and green dot. These have started to show up on bolt action rifles and DMR used in the military. They are reasonable priced and all under $1000 dollars.