I recently bought a 15-22 as a plinker for my wife. Does anyone have any recommended red dot optics that easily mounts to the picatinny rails. We're new to the rifles.

Thanks

You'll get a lot of different opinions on this. Lots of inexpensive optics out there. I have a BSA that I picked up for $25. It feels like a $25 optic. In the budget optics, Primary Arms seems to be the top pick in the $80 range.

Second recommendation for Primary Arms...

Have one on my 15-22 and my Ruger MKIII Hunter.

Great optics for the $.

...Looks like they're mostly out of stock right now though...
https://www.primaryarms.com/Primary_Arms_s/586.htm

Another vote for Primary Arms. I have a 3MOA M3-Clone on my 15-Sport and it works.

Another suggestion is a Bushnell Trophy "T" dot. It has a 1MOA dot for accuracy, and it has fine adjustments. I just wish Bushnell didn't use an ACOG look-alike housing.

__________________
-John

You might take a peek at the Kruger Optical 1.5 - 5x32 mm TacDriver Tactical Duplex Reticle Rifle Scope. I do not have one myself. However, those who have used and reviewed seem to have positive things to say.

I have an Optisan 1-4x24 Mamba from SWFA that I much prefer to all of the red dots I have tried. I use it Both Eyes Open, co-witnessed and the price is right. The Burris MTAC is good too but it is more then twice the price.

Thanks for the link, I'll take a look

Just for giggles, i threw on a TruGlo TruBright open red dot on my 15-22. I've had great luck with it and so far everybody that has shot my rifle has been impressed. Two color (red and green) , four reticle, and light weight. Most of my shooting has been in bright conditions and i havent had ANY problems. Best addition to my 15-22 for a 100 bucka so far!

Mine is a Tasco Red Dot for about $40. Most red-dot sights will suffice on a low-recoil rifle like the M&P15-22.

I put a Sightmark reflex on my M&P Sport I got at academy for $99. It looks and feels like a much more expensive sight and holds zero pretty good. It doesn't hurt that it looks all 'Call Of Duty' on there

Bushnell TRS-25; great site for around $79

I put one of those on mine as well.

Same here.... $109 at Cabela's

Thing is PERFECT and great quality...

Buddy has a NICE Red Dot on his Ar15 .223 says MINE is better..

can shoot with BOTH eyes open and NAIL the target


lots of GOOD reflects out there......

Thats MY opinion

This may be a little pricey compared to others but I got a Nikon Monarch Red Dot Sight VSD 1x30 Team RealTree APG from Natchez for $160. It's camo but I guess you could paint it black matt if you wanted or pay $100 more for black. It's has a variable dot size as well as variable as brightness. I really like the fact that I can change dot size based on what I'm shooting. Golf balls at 50 yds or paper targets at 25.

Anybody know of a place that has the P.A. micro dot in stock?

I have the same one on mine, seems to work well and it was free from my son.
Free works for me.

I still use the TruGlo Dual Color reflex sight on my PC model competition gun because I like the green reticle patterns as they are brighter an easier to see than red. Normally my open class guns all get C-Mores but as long as this TruGlo works I will be leaving it on.

i just talked to a rep at bushnell today i had to send my trs 25 in for a broke base i sent it in about a month ago and they never sent me any info about what was going on with it i found out today that the trs 25 is backordered until mid july so they offered me there new red dot the first strike bushnell red dot if anyone has any info about this new sight it would be great thanks

I've been using a Primary Arms MicroDot sight for a couple years on my 15-22 and about a year on my Ruger. Great dimestore optics, and the guys at Primary Arms are a pleasure to do business with. They also sell the Bushnell TRS-25 which is very similar, though I prefer the Primary Arms with removable base.



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Can you post a picture of you set up with the Mamba please. I'm really looking into getting one for my 15-22. I have a PA RD on it right now with ADM absolute witness mount. Really want to be able to group better at 100 yards and beyond though.

I also have a Primary Arms red dot. I went with the M4 clone with multiple reticles for my 15-22. I wanted to try out which I like best between a single dot or the circle/dot before I decide on an optic for my full size 5.56 AR15. I also like that their M4 clone uses a single AA battery.

The quality of the optic is very good. I went with the regular included mount and even though it's not the greatest mount it holds zero just fine once it's tightened down pretty good.

Here's a pic of my setup; the 15-22 is on the bottom. Click the picture for larger size.

Quick question. When mounting a red dot at a 45 degree angle along with a scope does the retical get smaller when mounted farther from the eye and make it easier to put on targets? I see lots of setups some mounted close before scope, some mounted beside scope, and some down at the handguard. Whats difference?

No, the appearance of red dot reticule size stays the same, regardless of distance away that the scope is mounted (at least on my Primary Arms M3 that's the case). That is, the MOA stays the same, meaning it's apparent size in relation to the target stays the same. I think distance to the scope is pretty much a user preference thing. Closer gives a larger field around the target, so to me makes targets easier to acquire.

[QUOTE=Nmedeiros;136570228]Quick question. When mounting a red dot at a 45 degree angle along with a scope does the retical get smaller when mounted farther from the eye and make it easier to put on targets? I see lots of setups some mounted close before scope, some mounted beside scope, and some down at the handguard. Whats difference?[/QUOTE


The difference is personnel location and use. Alot of of depends on scope length scope mount location and bullet ejection placement. You don't want the bullet ejecting on the sight or mount.

I have another question. I have a red dot and a scope, I would like to have them both mounted at the same time which would require a 45deg mount. When making adjustments to sight in, I would need to use windage And elevation adjustments if it was shooting low for instance.

I PMed that to you first, then posted here in the thread... Love the setup.

Yes and no. Just because the scope is mounted on a 45 degree mount, doesn't mean that the scope itself is at 45 degrees. In fact, I would still keep its axes horizontal and vertical, so horizontal and vertical adjustments are correct.

HOWEVER - being mounted off to the side, realize that when you change distance, you will absolutely have to come up with new zeros for each distance. Even if vertical zeros are close (like most guns sighted in at 25 yards will be very close, vertically, at 75-80 yards. But your horizontal zero will definitely change. A sight offset to the left and sighted in at 25 yards will shoot to the right at longer distance, and the difference can be substantial.

Red Dot, I got three that I use and love for CQB type shooting & Training. Depending on your budget, Aimpoint is the best but understanding I put this on my full size. The Vortex and Sightmark are very well made Red Dots that will handle the recoil of the 22LR and even full loads of the 5.56. (I find it hard to put a Red Dot that cost more than the rifle on top of it, but that's just me). :
1. Aimpoint ML3....................approx. $550 to $650
2. Vortex Strikefire................. " " $149
3. Primary Arm SM13041......... " " $ 79

Again, I've used all three on all different weapons, 5.56 to 22LR and they hold Zero and recoil... You may find the very in expensive Red Dot not able to handle the recoil of the 5.56 but will work on the 22LR. Good luck on you decisions... See photo below:
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Thanks, I wanted to see how big it was compared to the 15-22 frame. I'll be ordering one for mine.

Currently wearing a PA RD with ADM mount but that will be going on my AKM for now.

Nice camo M&P15-22. You'll love the Mamba!

I love my TRS25 Bushnell... works really well, easy to adjust, quick acquisition

Okay, that makes sense. I was thinking about the red dot on the 45 deg mount, but you would still have the same problem with different distances and the inability to spin the sight to align the axis.

If you have a red dot mounted on a 45 degree mount you have to realize that to use it you tilt the rifle at 45 dgrees to make the sight level. If the sight is level and over the bore axis you can treat it just as if it is mounted on the rail for sight in purposes. However there are many "interpretations" of what constitutes 45 degrees. Most of those offset rails are not low enough to actually put the sight right above the barrel when you tilt the gun . In that case you will have some L/R misalignment, so that you will only get one true distance sighted in. One way to counteract this is to tilt the gun only enough to put the dot over the barrel regardless of the sight orientation. If you do this then sighting it in gets more difficult as the adjustments will be at some angle instead of true U/D and L/R so you will have to adjust both for each change in aim. I have done it both ways. My 3-gun AR has a set of Dueck offset iron sights and they are the only ones that are actually mounted at a true 45 degrees right over the barrel. The closest I have gotten with an offset rail is the Daniel Defense 1 O'clock which is not perfect but can be made to work.
On the question of how far forward or back to mount it relative to your eye, it depends on how you shoot. If you shoot primarily one-eyed like a scope then mount it as far to the rear as possible. You will see more real estate through the dot window. If you are primarily used to being a both eyes open action shooter than mount it farther down the top rail. The dot will look the same size but the window will be smaller. As a result you can easily see other targets outside the window, same as if you happen to shoot an open class pistol with a C-More. I tried this out and can shoot either way. But since I elected to shoot in Tac Optics division I could not use a red dot in addition to my 1-6x scope. Plus I found I could shoot both eyes open with the scope set at 1x. The advantage of the offset iron sights is the fact I have them zeroed at around 35 yards and I know how to keep the front post low to hit consistantly at 50 yards on paper. That way the scope can be set to hit at 100 yards high so I can nail anything I need at 200.
Also if I was using a tube type red dot at 45 degrees I would adjust the orientation so that at my prefered angle of engagement the sight was correct L/R and U/D. Then sighting it in becomes much easier. But for reflex sights you can't do that. I tend to prefer mini reflex sights as offset red dots, like the Burris FastFire, SightMark mini, C-More STS, P-F Spec Ops, or Doctor. I would lump the Aimpoint micro in with the Vortex SPARC as sights that would work there also.

Who makes that enlarged power switch adapter you have on the Mamba? I need something like that