mrjohns
Member
I'm about to buy a Primary arms red dot. Can you give any sugestions to which one and why you picked it?
Which primary arms red dot?
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Clark Kent
Member
I went with the m4 due to it's smaller dot size and use of a common AA battery. I like the m3 mount better though, how it allows you to mount it further down the receiver but keeps it off the hand guard
the_new_guy
Member
Great thing about primary arms red dots... You cant go wrong.
Pick up the m4. If you like it, great. If its not for you, throw it up for sale on the forum and it will be snatched up quick. Use that money to try the m3, or multi (m3's big brother).
Pick up the m4. If you like it, great. If its not for you, throw it up for sale on the forum and it will be snatched up quick. Use that money to try the m3, or multi (m3's big brother).
Just bought the M4 last week. I fired it over the weekend and I loved it. I don't have much experience with red dots other than my Tasco I about at Wallyworld.
What I liked.
-2 MOA
- Uses AA batteries
-Can cowitness without buying any sort of riser
It is much bigger and a bit heavier than I expected. This doesn't bother me. I actually like giving the 15-22 a bit more weight.
If size and weight is a factor then go with the Micro.
If you mostly plan on shooting short distances say 25 yards, then you may want to look at the reflex red dot.
What I liked.
-2 MOA
- Uses AA batteries
-Can cowitness without buying any sort of riser
It is much bigger and a bit heavier than I expected. This doesn't bother me. I actually like giving the 15-22 a bit more weight.
If size and weight is a factor then go with the Micro.
If you mostly plan on shooting short distances say 25 yards, then you may want to look at the reflex red dot.
<---doesn't know much about red dots... could you expand on why the reflex would be better at shorter distances? Is the reflex NOT good at 50-75 yards? Thanks! -Brad
Well I don't have much real world experience with red dots besides lurking around the forums and reading posts.
From what I gather, the PA reflex is a 5 MOA and a 2MOA (M4) would be more suitable for longer distances. This is not saying you can't shoot the 2 MOA at 10 yards and the 5MOA at 100 yards.
TrashmanNYC
Member
^^whats MOA? 
^^whats MOA?
Minute Of Angle, or 1/60th of a degree. Basically it equates to 1 MOA is 1 inch wide at 100 yards, and 2 inches wide at 200 yards. And so on and so forth...
TrashmanNYC
Member
Thanks, but what does that mean?
For instance, a 4 MOA red dot would completely cover up a fist sized target at 100 yards and cover up a head sized target at 200 yards. The smaller the dot, the more precise you are able to aim at further distances.....
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TrashmanNYC
Member
So you would want a lower MOA for longer distances?
Generally yes. 2MOA dot covers two inches of the target at 100 yards, 4 inches at 200 yards, 1 inch at 50 yards. If you are going for accurady on a 2 inch target at 50 yard, a 5 MOA dot is not what you want because it covers 2.5 inches at 50 yards - no way to know if you are centered. Some will say you can put the dot at the 6 o'clock position and solve that, but I haven't found that to be as effective as small dot on target.
TrashmanNYC
Member
So what would you use a 5MOA for? Seems like it wouldn't be good for anything.
From my limited experience, this is what I believe.
A red dot is supposed to be give you a quicker sight picture and are not intended for precise targeting.
So a 5 MOA is still useful to quickly acquire targets at shorter distances than a lower MOA. I personally do not have any combat experience so please take what I say with a grain of salt. I would prefer a larger dot (5 MOA) is I was in a combat situation and there were several enemies within a close distance (less than 50 yards). This way I would think it is easier to see the big dot and acquire the target. Even though a 1-2 MOA dot could be very precise and bright, a 5 MOA dot that is just as clear and bright would be faster to see.
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ChattanoogaPhil
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If used for both eyes open fast target acquisition, then a 1x red dot 4-5MOA can be quite useful. If you are precision shooting at paper with a red dot, which a red dot is not good for (compared to a magnified optic with crosshairs), then a smaller dot can be helpful.
I use a red dot on my 15-22 because I like to bounce soda cans and shotgun shells around from an unsupported position. So... a 1x red dot with unlimited eye relief and field of view and a dot that is easily picked up (larger dot) is the way to go. If I put a 10x scope on the rifle I'd spend all day trying to find where the soda can or shotgun shell jumped to. However, If I was going to sit at a bench and aim at a small area on a piece of paper then I would use that 10x scope (or higher magnification) and ask the question- What good is a red dot for at all? It all depends on how you use your rifle as to the utility of the optic.
Speaking directly to comparable rated dot size I can tell you this-- On a sunny day most folks I have met crank up the power on their 1MOA EOTechs so they can see the dot more easily. With the power cranked up, the small 1MOA dot flares up larger than my 3MOA Primary Arms MicroDot which does not require to be on more than mid power levels to be easily seen with a crisp edged dot. I'm not knocking EOTechs, their optics are high quality and superior to anything Primary Arms puts their label on, but rather just relaying my observations as to how people I have seen typically use them and the utility of dot size among recreational shooters. YMMV
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One of the reticle choices on the PA M4 is the 2 MOA red dot surrounded by a red circle (approx 20 MOA). Makes it real easy to acquire targets and don't have to crank up the power causing flare.
Years ago I moved to red dots because it was an excellent solution for aging eyes and the resulting blurry iron sights.
Years ago I moved to red dots because it was an excellent solution for aging eyes and the resulting blurry iron sights.
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