300BlkTalk

Hi everyone,
I, just like many I'm sure, just purchased my first A/R 15 and wanted some suggestions for an optics for it. I was hoping for something with magnification and was told by many that you guys are the best ones to ask for advice. I have only owned firearms for about 5 months now so still really new. Any good suggestions? Price wise if it was under $1000 that would be ideal.
Thanks

Many choices. What will you be using it for and what distances, day/night, etc?

You need to define your parameters of what you are doing.

At first glance it's easy to say a 1-4 or 1-6 power but it depends on what kind of shooting you will do.

For general purpose I would start my look at those focal lengths.

Also what focal plane do you prefer?

Of you aren't sure watch some videos on YouTube about the difference between first and second plane optics.

Also what distance do you want to shoot at or be prepared for? If you will never shoot past 100 yards that's a consideration to take account of.

Optics like the ELCAN are cool. They are not 1 to 4. They are 1 OR 4.

Having a wide angle of view is very important for many applications for a 5.56 AR, but really long optics are more limited to the true application and are more for special use.

Tell me what you intend to do with your AR. If you are going to bench it at 100 yards and greater - then a higher powered scope 12x plus. This isn't the usual use for an AR. In my view, you only see the attraction of ARs in run-and-gun scenarios. In these situations, a red-dot, holo-sight or low-power variable scope (with a 1X setting) are best.
I think this article https://ioutdoorpursuit.com/best-ar-15-optics-scopes/ will help you to choose a better one for your AR 15.

Holosun green dot and the Holosun 3x magnifier. It is cheapie rugged and fun. You get real red dot and a solid 3x option. And the 3x is qd so you can get a little lighter if you want.

The solar option dots last a very long time.

You will get a chance to try both and upgrade later of you want.

It is only a 2 moa dot so if you want better accuracy this may not be for you.

I just used this combo to hit 3in steel at 200yards
https://youtu.be/zDfvPR9pLCI you only have to see the first 30 seconds.

Good luck

alamo5000 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2019 9:05 pm You need to define your parameters of what you are doing.

At first glance it's easy to say a 1-4 or 1-6 power but it depends on what kind of shooting you will do.

For general purpose I would start my look at those focal lengths.

this is good starter advice, but as noted by the highlight - this is going to be the most important peice of information for selection a the most useful optic for you, especailly as a beginner.

Also what focal plane do you prefer?

Of you aren't sure watch some videos on YouTube about the difference between first and second plane optics.

for a beginner, 2nd focal plane should be perfectly fine for the distances a typical 300blk is going to be shot within, that typically being under 200 yds.

Also what distance do you want to shoot at or be prepared for? If you will never shoot past 100 yards that's a consideration to take account of.

Having a wide angle of view is very important for many applications for a 5.56 AR, but really long optics are more limited to the true application and are more for special use.

this goes back to the early part of defining your parameters.... we really need to know what you plan to do with the gun to assist you in the best option for your rifle.

even so- selecting an optic with a good FOV (field of view) at the typical mags you're goingng to be running at is usually a good idea.