Red Dots... magnifiers... what's good?

[bhbrew]

Looking at either the Primary Arms micro dot or the Bushnell Trs25... paired up with a UTG 3x...

Wondering what you guys thought about that combo or which way to go? Or if you had any other suggestions. Going with the flip-to-side magnifier so I can keep my iron sights on.

any help or ideas would be appreciated.

thanks.

 

[Kayback]

For a budget those are pretty much the gold standard.

The flip to side isn't meant to allow irons, it is meant to allow the use of the red dot up close and further away. With a Primary Arms or a TRS-25 I'd probably forgo the back ups anyway.

KBK

 

[bhbrew]

red dots....

couldn't it still be done in order to co-witness? just thinking the magnifier can sit overtop the sights, and when slid to side, you could pop site up to co-witness with red-dot.

 

[RedNeck Jim]

couldn't it still be done in order to co-witness? just thinking the magnifier can sit overtop the sights, and when slid to side, you could pop site up to co-witness with red-dot.

Yes, you can & that is how my AR is set up... with an Eotech & their 3x magnifier with switch to side mount, Eotech co-witnessed with my Troy folding BUIS.

Truth is, with an AR platform you can do most anything you can dream of. Question becomes, what do you really want to do with this gun, and why. I use a magnifier on my AR because that is my home defense/survival gun & due to the ballistics of the .223, it can reach out much farther than my old eyes can see. But even then, I have no plans on shooting like a sniper, so a simple 3x magnifiers suits my needs perfectly.

However, the ballistics of the 22lr means that I'm shooting inside 100 yds, and generally much closer than that. I am zeroed for 25 - 50 yards... depending on my mood or what & where I'm shooting. Even an old coot like me doesn't need magnification for such shooting, so all I use on my 15-22 is the TRS-25 co-witnessed with my folding BUIS. Now some here get a thrill out of punching the smallest hole possible in a paper target & use much higher magnification, even when shooting 50 yards or less.

Point is, each to his own. Some would laugh at me shooting pumpkins from the garden where I would giggle at shooting paper at a range. Set up your gun for how you want to shoot.

 

[spider2k]

trs-25 is 89.99 with a 20% rebate right now. even if you hate it you can't really lose.

 

[Beuford T. Rimfire]

I'm concidering a magnifier also. Reviews that I've read on the UTG say the optic itself is clear and good quality, but the mount wobbles conciderably. This shouldn't effect accuracy as it is only for magnification, but it could be annoying if you like everything to fit as it is supposed to. Another option for magnifiers is Primary Arms. They have several magnifier options and several mounts to choose from. All of which have pretty good reviews overall.

 

[bhbrew]

Cool thanks guys. Was almost set on the Primary Arms micro... but can't seem to find in stock... was simply going to do an Amazon buy for the trs25 and the utg 3x... may need to look at the quality of the magnifier like mentioned above.

I'll keep digging. really just want for plinking but think the magnifier will be fun to play with. more of a "clearing rooms" kind of guy so I don't see too much long distance shooting in my future. Can always add the magnifier later... because of availability looks like I may roll with the bushnell.

 

[Kayback]

Point is, each to his own..... Set up your gun for how you want to shoot.

Pretty much what he said.

The thing is back up sights are needed if a red dot dies and it is critically - even life endingly- important to get accurate shots off. For the life of me I can't see this sort of need being in the realm of use for a 15-22. Both the red dot's you mentioned are not top tier but still very good sights. The chances of them dying is almost zero. There is a possibility of them running their batteries dry and IMHO easily solved by carrying a couple of spares.

If you want to set it up identically to a bigger center fire, sure. Why not. That's the reason I have "iron" sights on my 15-22. I have never needed them though. Ever. And I am actually contemplating removing them.

What I was trying to say was the flip to side feature isn't to allow the use of irons. It does do that, but that isn't the primary function of it. The primary function is to allow the red dot to be used up close and personal, like it was intended, and to extend the range of the optic marginally.

A 3x behind a 4MOA red dot isn't going to be a precision long range sight. This is one reason Aimpoint developed the 2MOA Micro.

The UTG 3x and either the Primary Arms micro and the TRS-25 is a good setup for close to medium ranges.

KBK

 

[RedNeck Jim]

The thing is back up sights are needed if a red dot dies and it is critically - even life endingly- important to get accurate shots off. For the life of me I can't see this sort of need being in the realm of use for a 15-22. Both the red dot's you mentioned are not top tier but still very good sights. The chances of them dying is almost zero. There is a possibility of them running their batteries dry and IMHO easily solved by carrying a couple of spares.

Agree 100%

If you want to set it up identically to a bigger center fire, sure.

That is exactly the point. I don't have folding BUIS on my 15-22 for backup of my red dot. They are there for training of using the iron sights. Many folks use the 15-22 as a more economical trainer of their real AR. Since I have folding BUIS on my AR, I need them on the 15-22. Anyone can shoot with a red dot but I think you need to train consistently with iron sights.

 

[Kayback]

I also had them on my 15-22 to emulate the Colt SP-1 I get my hands on every once in a while. It is the same reason my 15-22 has a light on it. But since I bought my first Aimpoint in 2000 I have NEVER had one die. My original Comp had a battery life of 50 hours and it used to chew through them, but I've never had one go down. My current H-1 has a battery life of 50 000 hours.

I shoot with irons every once in a while to keep the cobwebs off, but honestly I don't think I'll ever need to shoot without a red dot. Using irons is a good skill, but it is a little legacy these days.

 

[timeighty5]

Cool thanks guys. Was almost set on the Primary Arms micro... but can't seem to find in stock... was simply going to do an Amazon buy for the trs25 and the utg 3x... may need to look at the quality of the magnifier like mentioned above.

I'll keep digging. really just want for plinking but think the magnifier will be fun to play with. more of a "clearing rooms" kind of guy so I don't see too much long distance shooting in my future. Can always add the magnifier later... because of availability looks like I may roll with the bushnell.

I bought a TRS-25 yesterday..in stock at Brownells for 89.99 - trust me, it's the best deal you can find for in stock. I bought the UTG medium riser for about 8 bucks on Amazon to go with it.

I went with the Bushnell over another Aimpoint because this is just a fun plinking gun and mil/leo durability is not needed.

 

[SurfnWolf]

Quick Question.. If you buy the Bushnell with the medium .83 riser will it line up with the UTG 3x magnifier? or do you not use the medium mount? Just curious how well the UTG 3x mag lines up with the Busnell? anyone?

 

[TYSTYX]

I got my Bushnell TRS-25 from Botach for 79 bucks and free shipping. I was going to add a magnifier, but decided instead to switch to a Primary Arms 1-4 x 24 scope.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

The TRS-25 and PA MicroDot are so very similar you won't know the difference in use. They both have a 3MOA dot and typical dime store optic green tint to the glass. The TRS-25 has a slightly (insignificant) larger tube and the PA has mount screws designed like the Aimpoint. Can't go wrong with either.

I don't think much of magnifiers. Extra weight and bulk for little benefit.

I use the PA MicroDot on my 15-22.



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Quick Question.. If you buy the Bushnell with the medium .83 riser will it line up with the UTG 3x magnifier? or do you not use the medium mount? Just curious how well the UTG 3x mag lines up with the Busnell? anyone?

If no one comes along with that exact answer... Marshall at Primary Arms sells the TRS-25 and PA Microdot as well as risers, mounts and magnifiers. He can tell you the combinations that do and do not work together.

 

[sonjason]

I just put a TRS25 with .83 UTG riser on mine to co-witness the stock front sight... Wow I really like it after 50 rounds at 50 yards.

 

[bhbrew]

ok.. so I bought the Bushnell with the utg .83 riser... bought the quick pop covers for the bushnell as well. grabbed a magpul ms2 sling while I was at it. will let you all know how I like it with a picture of my setup. thanks!

 

[foxeye]

I just bought a TRU-GLO red dot with 2x mag and 42mm tube for $69.00 with lifetime warranty for the wifes new 15-22. Not going to use iron sights. Hard to pass up the AR15-22 with threaded barrel/suppressor and 25 rnd mag for $419 out the door. Before I knew it, she wa filling out the paperwork and I asker her what she was doing, and she said buying a gun! Guess I trained her right;-)

 

[prairie]

Have an Aimpoint Micro T-1 mounted on our CMMG dedicated .22LR upper and so far we love it. I have not shot it much, but my 14 year old son has shot several hundred rounds with that combo and likes it.
Also Have an Eotech EXPS3-0 which we want to get more experience with. What little experience I have with both, I prefer the Eotech. My son tends to like the Aimpoint. Maybe my older eyes like the 65 MOA outer circle to center things easier.
Bought an S&W 15-22 over the phone and sent payment over a month ago, but will not be able to get down to pick it up until next Friday (3-29-13). Will try both on that platform as well. Think the Aimpoint T-1 and the 15-22 will be an excellent combination.

 

[bhbrew]

got my bushnell in yesterday. so far so good. like the setup, visibility, etc. got the .83 utg riser and its a perfect co-witness... also got my magpul ms2 sling in. awesome single point sling. pretty excited to get outside and shoot soon!