I've got an early 15/22...2011ish...with the Magpull stuff and quad rail....for the last 6 years it's worn a Bushnell red/green; ACOG looking red dot . Big and kind of clunky; but it worked; about $50-60 IIRC, so what the heck!

Well on Wed got a message that the Vortex Viper was on sale for $179.....on Amazon vs. $230 (MSRP of $329).

Viper is much smaller & lighter is a good thing; right???? Paired it with a Dagger Defense quick detach 40x15mm riser....... both arrived today.....( Love Amazon Prime 2 day delivery ),......all less than $200.

Just mounted it ...... wow what a difference. Clean lines, guessing it's 1/2 lb lighter overall , much better field of view. (Wish I could post a picture......long story.) Oh ya; 6 moa dot...picks up fast ......covers 3" at 50 yds but this is a plinker/understudy trainer to my ARs....... so fast and dirty beats "teeny tiny" groups....


Think I'm going to like this set up ...... know the wife and kids will!!!!!!

Anybody else using a Viper on their 15/22????


Range trip will have to wait till the remnants of Cindy pass...................................

I have the Venom (3 moa) on my 15-22 but have used the Viper before on ARs. I find them to be excellent w/ good resolution and crystal clear glass. For what it's designed for 6 moa gets on the target real quick. Congratulations.

I just ordered a Viper yesterday for my S&W Victory, but who knows, it could endup on the 15/22. It's a great price for that optic. I ordered mine from jet.com for $155 using a discount code.

1st range trip report.................................

It's a beautiful "fall" day here in the "Burbs of the Burgh" 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.... All the clients are on a 7/1 fiscal year...so it's Budgets to Boards month... so no one wants to talk to their Lawyer.............so I loaded up and headed to the range about 9:30.

Dang wasn't the only one ........ all the small single bays were occupied..... the portable stands on those ranges allow one to set up at any distance out to 50 yds. So I had to head to the 50 yd range.................................

LOL I "don't" recommend trying to sight in a red dot with a 6moa dot at 50 yds........

My first 5 rounds barely put 2 hits within 1/2" of the bottom corner of a 100yd target.....well at least I had some idea where the shots went........so I cranked it; left 8" and up 8"....... next 5 were 8s/9s at 9 O'clock......... 3 more strings and I'm grouping Xs-9s under the 3" covered by the dot at 50 yds.........

I like this Viper...........good visibility....quick to pick up the dot ..... but not going to be great for teeny tiny groups...... as the dot covers 3" at 50 yds and 6" at 100.........but for fast and dirty training or plinking..... it's getting 2 thumbs up!!!!!

If and when I want small groups I'll just grab one of my CZ rimfires...............

3" at 50yds or 6" at 100yds is still a center mass shot. I bought mine for steel plates, which we shoot at 10yds, it makes for quick target acquisition.

For sighting in I'd recommend starting at <25yds to get on paper and center hits....... then confirm at 50 ....... and check out 100yds

LOL starting at 50 isn't something can/would recommend ..............

what riser is that?

Dagger Defense................... never heard of it before......... but for <$20 on an 15-22...................... so far so good

The dimensions of the riser threw me off. This is the only DD riser I find: Quick Detach Riser Mount | CHKadels.com | Survival & Camping Gear

If so the combined weight of reflex and riser is only 3.5 oz (1.1 / 2.4 oz). Believe my Venom and riser are around 4.5 oz. Great weight savings.

I first included this riser at Amazon but couldn't deal with that theater screen-size link ad. Ridiculous.

That's the one........ only one range trip but; fit was tight and height was good..... 15mm riser (3/5 of an inch) 40mm long.

BAMA...... what riser are you using???

Gotcha. I have the 3MOA Venom on the Vortex RDMQ riser. Strange deal. The description list it as giving a 1/3 co-witness. As I was gathering specs, dimensions, etc it looked to me that it would be absolute / near-absolute co-witness, which is what I prefer. That's what it is; absolute. Vortex Optics - Mount Riser- QR

I tried to shoot a pic through the rear sight to the illuminated red dot but couldn't do. I took an allen wrench and put it through the large aperture to the reflex to show where it hits centerline on the glass, which is where my dot is. I used a quarter and nickel to level the wrench atop the reflex It's actually just a hair under absolute (to me) however the red dot is less than a hair above the front sight post. I like it. Like I said Vortex states the riser provides 1/3" as do several others but I knew it was going to be absolute / near-absolute before I purchased it. Looks to me the Venom was targeted to pistols. The following statement is in the manual: "In addition to the low rail mount, an optional riser mount places the Venom red dot at correct height for AR-15 rifles." Key words being "correct height". But then the RDMQ riser page at Vortex says
"This handy mount quickly attaches the Venom Red Dot to your AR while ensuring the correct lower 1/3 co-witness sight height. The positive lock,one-handed operation makes it incredibly simple to use. Type III hard-anodized machined aluminum construction keeps the package lightweight, tough, and durable."

Got a second range trip in......... the Viper Dagger Defense combo is still tight on the rail....... the Viper's 6 moa dot is easy and fast to pick up ....... and the combo is shooting "under the dot" offhand at 50yds.......

that's about 3" groups........ not the precision/group size I'd get with my CZ 452 bolt gun and scope(generally under 1/2inch off a bench) but that's not what "Dots" are for in my opinion.

I guess we can hunt small game with semi's in Pa. now......... but I'll stick to a bolt gun or maybe one of my Ruger 10/22 mannlichers for that

Sounds good. The 6 MOA at 50 is basically 3" which means you're shooting MOA off-hand. Hard to beat that. I can do a quarter size group at 50 meters with my 3 MOA Venom. But the way I do that as I always have, I visualize where dead center is and adjust accordingly. Quite easy to do when receiving no return fire. Lol As long as I remember I visualize, project, talk the round downrange, whatever a person wants to call it. Works great once you get your mind right.

I was shooting scaled down B-27 silhouette targets (8.5x15 inch paper) the dot covered the head at 50yds......... had 13 of 15 in the black/head.


As long as I can keep them under the dot at 50 I'm ........the 15-22 and .22lr is just not a good 100yd combo IMO.....it's just OK .