Best red dot sight/scope under $100 for my 15-22?

[JeffDeMello]

I use a TRS-25 and I picked up one of these for $60- 1x30 True Fiber Optic Green dot sight sighting system
by GRG MFG on Amazon.
I even tried it on my M&P 15TS and it worked good.

 

[cyphertext]

We ain't fancy around here. To zero an optic first start out by shooting at a small object on a dirt bank.

I don't own a piece of dirt bank that I can shoot on, so I have to go to a range. Those guys like it more when you at least look like you know what you are doing!

 

[gwpercle]

Take a look at Millet red dots. Midway is selling them from fifty to eighty dollars right now. Have had an SP-1 with 2 MOA dot on a Ruger Mk II 22 LR for 13 years and it's still working. Bought another last year for Model 64 S&W in 38 special (it replaced a Tasco pro point that just never did work exactly right) ... the SP-1 is compact and sweet. Easy mount, easy sight in, doesn't cost arm and a leg. Good product for the money.
Gary

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I don't own a piece of dirt bank that I can shoot on, so I have to go to a range. Those guys like it more when you at least look like you know what you are doing!

I was at a range called Prentice Cooper a few years ago. 50 yard paper target area with dirt backstop. A guy was a couple shooting stations down from me rattling the fillings out of my head with a 7mm mag. On and on and on... must have gone through two boxes. I was about ready to pack up leave but he took a break and had a puzzled look on his face, so I said hey how ya doing? He starts telling me how he just can't hit the paper with his new scope. So I ask if he would like some help to which he gratefully replies yes. I point to a small weed on the bank and say shoot at that. He missed it by about a foot low and left. He's got a .25 moa scope so I tell him to crank it 96 clicks. He looks at me like I'm nuts but does it anyway. Now I tell him to shoot at his paoer target. He again looks at me like I'm nuts. Bang. Hole in target. Then he looked at me like I'm a genius.

We all need to keep in mind how puzzling this simple stuff was our first time.

 

[imashooter2]

At 25 yards, remove the upper and the bolt. Put the upper on bags and look down the barrel to center the bullseye in the tube / aperture. Without disturbing the upper on the bags, move the sights to the bullseye. Confirm by looking through both apertures several times. Reassemble. Shoot. Make the final adjustments to get your bullet strike where you want it.

 

[trololol]

Scope for under $100 - Nikon Prostaff rimfire 4x32. You can usually find them for around $89, sometimes cheaper. If you look around a little more, you might be able find a 3-9x40 or a P-22 within your price range.
Red dot for under $100 - Bushnell TRS-25. Price is around $80, sometimes cheaper if you're lucky. Yes it is a Bushnell but it is a pretty good sight for the money and it works well with an AR 15 too.
Irons sights - If you change your mind and want to stick with irons, I would recommend upgrading them. I really like the Magpul Mbus flip up sights. You can't go wrong with practicing with irons.

If you have trouble sighting in, I usually start off shoot close at a really large target like a giant cardboard box and work my way from there.

 

[cyphertext]

Irons sights - If you change your mind and want to stick with irons, I would recommend upgrading them. I really like the Magpul Mbus flip up sights.

I don't consider Magpul MBUS as an "upgrade" over A2 style sights. Granted, the stock sights on the 15-22 are probably UTG, vs. LMT but they work well. Once they are sighted, you can use the rear drum to adjust for elevation and return to zero, no tools required.

Magpul MBUS are fine as a back up sight to an optic, but I would not even consider them for an iron sighted only gun. I run the fixed, A2 style sights on my .22lr AR, and on my 5.56, I have a Matech folding rear sight... still has the ability to adjust elevation for known distance. Both of these rifles also have a red dot sight.

 

[gotfish]

I'm a big +1 on Primary Arms for the micro red dot. I've had them on 15-22's and my 12g shotgun and they've been flawless. And very few companies offer their level of service if anything ever did go wrong.

 

[Rundover]

Someone here says it best and it goes something like this:

Buy cheep, buy twice.

Its true, trust me. Just get the best you can afford and if you have to spend a little more for a better product you will be better off.

 

[cyphertext]

Someone here says it best and it goes something like this:

Buy cheep, buy twice.

Its true, trust me. Just get the best you can afford and if you have to spend a little more for a better product you will be better off.

So what are you suggesting he buy? It is a big leap in price from a Bushnell TRS-25 or a Primary Arms micro dot to an Aimpoint or Eotech. If he stays with the tried and true budget optics, he will be fine. If he goes off the reservation and tries a budget optic that none of us have or have heard of, that is when he will get into trouble.

He has given his budget, and several have given him some options within that budget. I've always loved the "spend a little more" argument... that is what many told me when I bought my M&P 15 Sport... "spend a little more and get the Colt". Twice the price is not "a little more"...

 

[SW01SS]

So what are you suggesting he buy? It is a big leap in price from a Bushnell TRS-25 or a Primary Arms micro dot to an Aimpoint or Eotech. If he stays with the tried and true budget optics, he will be fine. If he goes off the reservation and tries a budget optic that none of us have or have heard of, that is when he will get into trouble.

He has given his budget, and several have given him some options within that budget. I've always loved the "spend a little more" argument... that is what many told me when I bought my M&P 15 Sport... "spend a little more and get the Colt". Twice the price is not "a little more"...

Well said. I will buy twice, but the 2nd time it will be for my regular 5.56 AR15 whenever I get one. And at that point I'll most likely dish out the money for an Aimpoint or Eotech. For a 15-22 I don't see any problem with a budget optic. Hell my 30 dollar open style red dot off Amazon randomly started working again today and I was consistently destroying the middle of the target with hundreds of consecutive rounds. Battery has probably seen about 50 hours so far so it's already lasted well past the $100 Sightmark Ultra 25 hour life span. I don't know what was up with it last time I was at the range but today it was flawless and I am extremely pleased with it for only 30 bucks. Unless SHTF neither the gun nor optic will see any kind of serious abuse. I have decided on the Primary Arms Gen III red dot (not the micro one). However, since my current red dot is doing great again I am no longer in a rush and perhaps might save up for something in the $200 dollar range (even though I'm having a hard time justifying spending even that much for this rifle), or spend the money on a scope since as long as my cheapo red dot keeps doing it's job then I will have close range shooting taken care of. However I cannot justify buying an optic that costs more than the gun itself and even if I wanted to theres no way I could afford it. Thank you guys for all the suggestions. Really helped out.

 

[Vinney47]

...my 30 dollar open style red dot off Amazon randomly started working again today ...I don't know what was up with it last time I was at the range but today it was flawless .... However, since my current red dot is doing great again...

I'm just scratching my head a little about how you can seem to be so excited about an optic that randomly works or doesn't work. That's the type of thing most people criticize about a product, and drives them to upgrade - not stick with it longer. But I digress...

The PA red dot is a solid choice, and I think you'll be very pleased with it whenever you decide to pull the trigger on it. I think once you get past the $100-$200 price point you really get hit with diminishing returns, and any gains you see don't really factor into the 15-22 the same way they might on a combat rifle.

 

[trololol]

Remember, you can't hit anything unless you spend at least a grand on optics
But realistically, you will be fine with the options listed above that fit within your budget. You are not going to be using you 15-22 for a HD or SHTF gun anyway. And if a $30 red dot floats your boat, then go with it (just don't tell anyone on this forum ) It really depends on where you have your priorities as to where you should spend your money. Our job here though is to make you spend as much money as you can

 

[trebor127]

Phew i cant even fully fill my gas tank for $100

if the $50/$100 optic goes bust, just keep buying more

an Eotech and G33 here cost over $2000

Keith

 

[jp223]

Can't go wrong with Primary Arms

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I've had a Primary Arms MicroDot on my 1522 going on four years. It cost about $100. PA optics are on a lot of these .22s. If folks were having troubles and having to replace them I'd think we'd be hearing about it. Maybe I missed a post, but I can't remember anyone posting about a failed MicrDot on their 1522. Anyone?

Now I bet a lot of folks have bought an new AR, put a PA MicroDot on it and eventually replaced it with an Aimpoint or EOTech. But the great thing about the MicroDot is it can be used on about anything, including handguns.

My Aimpoint H1 cost $600. Having an extra $600 (Actually $500 less the $100 MicroDot) in the stock market the last four years has returned about 65%. So now I got a working PA MicroDot and over $800. Buy once cry once? Buy cheap buy twice? There are other alternative happy endings.

 

[SW01SS]

I'm just scratching my head a little about how you can seem to be so excited about an optic that randomly works or doesn't work. That's the type of thing most people criticize about a product, and drives them to upgrade - not stick with it longer. But I digress...

Well after some more thought I believe it may have been that the battery got just a little bit loose and not that there is a problem with the sight. The battery knob is part of the knob that turns on the dot and raises/lowers brightness so perhaps it came loose on it's own or I loosened it, and then retightened as I turned it on yesterday allowing it to work as it should. It's extremely accurate and holds zero, I don't feel like I should just trash it after the first and only malfunction which may have been my fault. If it were to have a problem again then I would most definitely not be excited about it anymore...

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

So what are you suggesting he buy? It is a big leap in price from a Bushnell TRS-25 or a Primary Arms micro dot to an Aimpoint or Eotech. .

That's a really good question.

I like the small MicroDot style red dot, so I've chosen both the $100 PA and $600 Aimpoint for different applications-- recreational reliability and military grade reliability. Who is making a $300 MicroDot, and what application does it serve that is worth paying 3 times the price of the PA but not require the utmost reliability of an Aimpoint?

Vortex has a new SPARCII that is somewhere between $200-$300. Rastoff recently bought the previous version SPARC but posted a less that glowing review. What else is there in the MicroDot style world?

 

[SGT_Lindy]

Nor here in Mississippi. Most of the time, when putting on a new sight, we just shoot at paper. If we miss the paper... we get closer. Then once we are in the ballpark, we back up & finish the job.

Yeah I take a white sheet of paper and draw a small black circle on it and put it at 25 yards with a 22 rifle. Move sights/dots/scope until they are in the black. Rocket science its not especially at 25 yards and with a 22.

My vote is for the TRS-25, I got it and a UTG 1/3 co-witness mount for $85ish off of Amazon.

 

[Vettely]

I'm a big +1 on Primary Arms for the micro red dot. I've had them on 15-22's and my 12g shotgun and they've been flawless. And very few companies offer their level of service if anything ever did go wrong.

P.A. Is a great company that stands behind what they sell.