I got a strikefire ll on my AR. I been thinking about getting a vortex a VMX-3T magnifier to put behind it for longer shots. I like how they flip to the side to use only the dot or iron sights. Not sure if I wanna boot $200.00 right now for it. Any thoughts?

I've got the set up you describe, I purchased it for the reasons you did, I'm still undecided whether I like the magnifier or not. I reversed the flip-to-side mount to flip to the right as I'm right hand/right eye dominant, which means it gets in the way of my left eye vision when using the red/green dot in magnified if you have it flip to the left, which helped a bit, but the magnifier adds a lot of weight and I generally find myself shooting with it flipped to the side using just the red dot unmagnified.

None of this is a slant against Vortex, for the money I think the StrikeFire II and the VMX-3T are great devices, really qualify feel to them and very solid mounts. I'm just not sure I like magnifiers regardless of who makes them. That said if you want to find out if it's for you or not the only way to tell really is to try it, and at $150ish Bucks the VMX-3T isn't too painful a price to pay to find out.

IMO if I had had a do-over I'd probably stick with just the StrikeFire, or spend the money I spent on both on an Aimpoint or a Trijicon MRO, and then pick up a low power 3-9x Nikkon P223 scope for longer range work.

I've learned a lesson a hard way. If you want a quick acquisition sight for minute-of-bad-guy accuracy from 0 to 100 yards, get an unmagnified dot. If you need magnification then you need a turret adjustable scope. A dot+ magnifier is a compromise. As we all know, a compromise will never provide the optimal solution.

My hard and expensive lesson incuded an $400 EoTech and $300 EoTech Magnifier. I dumped $700 and added weight to get slightly better minute of bad guy accuracy at 100 yards, which is truly silly. This setup moved off my former 15-Sport to this.

Before:



After:



I'll eventually buy an Aimpoint. I'll buy QD mounts for both the Aimpoint and Scope so that I can switch it out at will.

*Gets ready for the inevitable ribbing of mounting a scope to a bullpup*

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-John

Or a Nikon 3x32

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-John

I will not put a scope on my rifle, for the simple fact once and a while I like using open sights. As far a an aimpoint or trujicon-way outta a price range.

I went that route with various Eotechs and a couple of Vortex WMX-3T's. The Eotechs are now long gone and I still have one Vortex magnifier. Almost everything I have now sits with iron sights only.

These days I am leaning towards a 1-4x, 1-6x or a 3-8x scope as being more practical, especially if a good quick detach mount is available. However, then you are talking $250 to $600 for the scope on a decent low to mid-range one and probably another at least another $100 or so on the quick detach mount.

The Nikon fixed 3x is a decent economical option as well.

Fair enough, I like shooting with irons too, just sharing my feelings on the setup I bought which is the StrikeFire II + VMX-3T, which is what you were asking advice on. Sounds like you should just go for it and make up your own mind if you like it or not.

BTW the Trijicon MRO is like $450, so not really much more $ than a StrikeFire + VMX-3T.

Back when I was new to the AR-15, I ran a budget dot/magnifier combo. I ran a Primary Arms on a cantilever mount with a Primary Arms 3X magnifier.





It worked well on the range. When I switched out optics, I gave the setup to a close friend of mine. He still runs it today.

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-John

My thoughts...

Mounting a magnifier pretty much cancels all the advantages of a red dot... unlimited field of view and eye relief with the added bonus of little additional weight added to the rifle compared to most magnified optics.

With tha magnifier flipped up you no longer have unlimited field of view and eye relief, and with the magnifier flipped to the side you got a bunch of garbage in your face typically weighing over a half pound wth mount.

Most of those magnifier thingies end up in the parts box.

You probably spent $200 on the Strikefire, and by the time you spend another $200 on a magnifier to end up tossing it in the parts box.... you're in the ballpark of an Aimpoint ACO wich sells for a bit under $400 or a Trijicon MRO that sells for a bit over $400.

If you want magnification but still want reasonably fast target acquisition get a 1-4x scope.

I have the Vortex PST 1-4x24 and love it !!

I use a Vortex 3X magnifier with a AimPoint Pro, and it works just the way I want it. It will stay.

I went through the same thing a month ago with a red dot\Vortex Strike Fire II. Returned the whole setup and went with a Bushnell AR 1-4x scope. Love it. Quick acquisition at 1x, and plenty of zoom out to 200 yards. For $145, I don't think you can beat it for the best of both worlds. (depending of course on the type of shooting you do).

Back to the scope versus red dot/magnifier crisis....

I have one with a scope. The other is a AimPoint Pro/ magnifier combo.
Number three being finished for my wife will again be a red dot/ magnifier combo. She prefers that setup. Number four, a 300 blackout, will have a scope.

I'm not a big fan of the magnifier, but that's me. A whole bunch of weight. A better solution (if you have the $) is the ACOG. Magnified for farther shots, but still a red dot useable for close ranges. I love mine.

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Still carrying my S&W 642

Are any of you that run a low power scope (like 1-4x) doing so on a Sport with front post sight? I heard it's a no go cuz the front post is in the way until you get up to 3x or so....

No problem at all. At 1x, the front sight post is barely visible\blurred. by 2x, it's non existent.

I'd love to have an ACOG. Except for what they cost. If I did buy one, and my wife found out, she'd castrate me.