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Help me with red dots |
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tucansam
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/05/2007 Status: Offline Points: 140 |
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Posted: August/09/2016 at 21:07 |
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Wasn't sure if this should go in the riflescope or tactical section, figured more readership here.
I am debating putting a red dot on a couple of AR15s. I have a Primary Arms red dot now, and its great for the money, but there are a lot of things about it I really don't like. I have decided that I am not a fan of the "micro' red dots. Its like looking through a soda straw. In addition, the Primary Arms has such a heavy blue tint, that I literally could not find targets at the range last time I took it out. The targets simply washed into the background of the berm I was shooting into. I understand that all red dots have at least some tint, and I understand why. Having said that, we have hundreds of Aimpoint PROs at work, and while huge, they are virtually tint-less (I can see the tint but I really have to be looking at it) and the tube itself is so much larger, its much easier for me to get behind. I like the idea of prismatics because I hate batteries in optics, but I understand its a necessary evil. I am looking at the Vortex Spitfire 3x for a couple of coyote guns, and their 1x version has me curious now too. So I guess my first question.... Can anyone with some experience with red dots rank a few in terms of least amount of tint to most amount of tint? I am also looking at the Trijicon SRS and MRO. Both seem to have very small fields-of-view (the ocular looks tiny on both) but I don't have any direct hands on experience. The MRO has a very obvious tint from what I can find online. Haven't looked that closely at the SRS yet. May still end up with a 1x prismatic, or possibly the Aimpoint PRO, but curious what experiences you all have had. Thanks.
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helo18
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: December/02/2006 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 5620 |
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My personal favorite is the Aimpoint Micros.
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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Micro intent is to shoot with both eyes open. I like closimg an eye as well but with both eyes open fov is not an issue
I have an MRO it hs a tint but it is not to bad IMO. Not near as bad as the holosun i habe which i beleive is the same sight as your primary arms. I had a T2 and it hd the least tint of the 3. But i sold it as i like the MRO better overall. I am not a big fan of red dots. Much prefer a trijicon accupoint 1-4x or my swfa ss 1-4 hd. |
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own." |
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tucansam
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/05/2007 Status: Offline Points: 140 |
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Excellent info in your link, thanks. I do shoot both-eyes-open and even then I find the micros are a little too small. Worse still are the little HUD types that all the cool guys seem to be putting on pistols (the RMR style). To me a postage stamp-sized window is just too small, I can never find the damn dot in those things.
I am also not a huge red dot fan, but I used EOTechs daily in teaching for almost two years straight and they are my all time favorite non-magnified optic, after irons (the 1MOA dot in the ones we used allowed us to be more precise than irons). Sadly my moral compass will not let me support a company with my own personal funds that pulled the crap L3 did... But I digress.
I am also a huge fan of the 1-4s, 1-6s, and 1-8s, but I am looking to scope a couple of AR pistols specifically, 9mm and 22LR, and was looking for something quite a bit smaller. The Spitfire 3x seems to be just about perfect, I may simply settle on that and avoid red dots altogether. Thanks for pointing out the larger FOV on the MRO -- any chance you have looked through a standard Aimpoint (Comp, PRO, etc)? Curious to see the FOV difference between the MRO and the larger Aimpoints. |
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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I have looked through comp 4s but not for years and not side by side with an MRO
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own." |
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Rancid Coolaid
MODERATOR Joined: January/19/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9318 |
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Trijicon reflex, no batteries, done.
I have not used the PA dot, but tint so bad it washes out a target is no good. I have an assortment of red dots, for their intended purpose, they are quite good. I have yet to do much with the MRO but will probably be trying one soon. I do have an SRS and it has some good qualities, but don't bother for that price. I'd sell mine tomorrow if I could get close to what it cost. For all the testing and evaluating, I am still stuck on aimpoint micro. They just plane work. And well. And for a long, long time. |
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tucansam
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/05/2007 Status: Offline Points: 140 |
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Thanks. The only Trijicon reflex I would consider is the 1x42, and its smallest dot option is 4.5MOA
In fairness to the PA dot, its blue-ness isn't a factor 100% of the time, but shooting against a particular berm with steel plates of a particular color made it nearly impossible to see the targets. So shooting a coyote in shadow, or a bunny under a tree, might yield similar results. The SRS looked awesome on paper, until I saw the price. Um.... wow. I know the micro Aimpoints have a cult following, and its completely justified from what I have read. I tried one on a shotgun at work and it was OK. But I've tried the PA micro in every position on my upper, from all the way back on the upper to all the way forward, and just can't get the field of view I'm looking for, ever with both eyes open. Gonna try the Vortex Spitfire and see what happens, and possibly look into something like a C-More for another gun. Thanks again to all.
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cheaptrick
MODERATOR Joined: September/27/2004 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 20844 |
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We prefer...Micro enthusiast.
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Steelbenz
Optics Jedi Knight ROLL TIDE ROLL Joined: January/03/2006 Location: Heart of Dixie Status: Offline Points: 5153 |
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Rancid Coolaid
MODERATOR Joined: January/19/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9318 |
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The SRS excels at only 1 thing: shooting from improvised - often weird - positions. At everything else, it is okay. There is a known problem with pointing it at a light source, as the electronics of the dot obscure the dot itself. I emailed them about fixing it and their response was " only first owners get warranty coverage, sorry." I replied I was the first owner (I guess they know it sucks so bad people sell them quickly) and they said "ship it back, we'll decide if it needs repair, or just buy our $100 ARD and it will be fine" - which was something of an admission of the problem.
I bought the ARD, problem solved, and will probably never again buy a trijicon product. When they get it right, it is awesome (ACOG, MRO, etc) and when they get it wrong (SRS, tri-power) they refuse to acknowledge, much less address. There are several good options for you, skip the SRS. |
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Freedom is something you take.
Respect is something you earn. Equality is something you whine about not being given. |
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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I like the Aimpoint scopes particularly the Comp M4 and even better the Comp M4s both of which use a single AA battery and have very long battery life. These are really tough scopes.
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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I also use a couple of the 9000L Aimpoints ---- cheaper. So far so good acceptable for heavy recoil and can be mounted forward in a scout configuration for a lever action or scout rifle or on a handgun with two 30mm rings.
Edited by Urimaginaryfrnd - August/12/2016 at 16:10 |
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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When it comes to clear glass with no need for a battery the Trijicon is a great choice and I really like several models. I have compact ACOGs on two rifles one is a 1.5 the other is a 3x if I were to do it over I would pick the 2x. The compact ACOG is by far my favorite for an AR-15 using a La Rue RCO mount.
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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m1911
Optics GrassHopper Joined: May/05/2016 Location: Maine Status: Offline Points: 48 |
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I had an Aim-Point with flip-down 3X magnifier.....
I was going to buy Trijicon..... But recently picked up a Vortex Razor Red-Dot in 3 MOA. It's almost like the dot is floating in space.....you don't get hung up trying to "look through" something. |
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cheaptrick
MODERATOR Joined: September/27/2004 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 20844 |
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That's nice. Which Aimpoint did you use?
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If at first you don't secede...try..try again.
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m1911
Optics GrassHopper Joined: May/05/2016 Location: Maine Status: Offline Points: 48 |
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I can't remember the model number now......but iit was fairly long and robust with the battery on the right side.
I had a 3X flip up barrel shaped Aimpoint magnifier just behind it. Both were about the same size. Too much stuff.....that's why I like the minimalist size of the Razor Red Dot. |
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