M&P 15T need optics advice

tight0023

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Hello All,

I'm new to this site as well as AR 15's in general. But I'm not new to doing my research before purchasing.

I've decided to get a M&P 15T (CA version for the People Repukick of California, thank you idiot politicians).

I am having troubles deciding between optics. The rifle will be used mainly at the range out to 100 yards. I like the idea of a red dot sight and a magnifier to go with it. I found the primary arms site and they have some good deals on eotechs with a free 3X magnifier and QD mount. I've also seen the Lucid HD7 and you can get an adjustable 2x-5x magnifier. I just don't like the fact the Lucid is manufactured in China!

I'm sure this question is asked a lot but technology changes SO fast that I don't want to make purchases off of older recommendations.

I will be going to the cross roads of the west gun show in October and hope to compare different red dot sights there.

Any other reccomendations on the M&P 15T are welcome as well.

Thanks!
 
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I would recomend finding a cheap Tru-Glo and shooting that for awhile with no magnification. It will give you an idea of whether thats what you want and it may be be all you need.
 
I have to agree with JimF....I always wanted a red dot and after I put one on and shot it for a while, not on my Sport but another semi rifle, I became disenchanted with them. Mostly I think because of the size of the dots but also because I also tend to use more than 3x or even 5x. At 100 yrd I love to be able to put three shots in a 1" square and I could never get that resolution out of a red dot. My Dad just gave me a Tasco ProPoint, one of the nicer models. I put it temporarily on a new Marlin 22 that I had purchased and when the rifle is way more accurate than the sighting system. I was able to shoot good groups but I have put a 4x scope on it now and am shooting better groups. A lot of people here have red dots, eotechs, magnifiers, holographic sights and they love them but I think that they used their rifles until they figured out what direction that they wanted to go. Sorry for the Rambling, one of my AR's has a 6-24x50 scope and one has a counterfeit eotech, they both do well to a hundred yards, the scoped one does real well out beyond 250yards
 
Congrats on picking up a 15T. Where did you find one in Calif? I have been looking for one of those.
 
I have both a Lucid HD7 and a Burris AR332 and as much as I like the Lucid, I put the Burris on my M&P. It is 3x, will let you change the recticle from normal (black) to Red or Green with the ability to change the brightness levels and has a BDC. It will also work without batteries with black being the normal. I did mount it on the QD mount Burris sells and I highly recommend it.
If you want a Lucid, you can't go wrong, but with my eyes, I needed some magnification.
 
Thank you for all the responses everyone. I watched some youtube videos last night. It looks like the best bang for the buck might just be the Lucid HD7. I'm not very happy it's manufactured in China but the design is great. I like that it will auto adjust to the lighting conditions as well as the 2x magnifier you can buy that screws on. I may just do that for now.

Calif1313 I have not purchased the rifle yet. I will be searching soon though. I will let you know when I find some that are reasonable.
 
I have a cheapo 2 MOA 1X red-dot on my OR, and really like it.

It's works great for hitting 8" steel out to 200 yards at the range, and I can hit 15" steel out to 400 yards, consistently with the right holdover.

If you want to punch tiny groups on paper, you need a regular scope.
 
I like my Burris AR-332 as well, but I'm sure you can't go wrong with either of the other 2 mentioned.

How far of a range have you shot comfortably with Burris? My eye sight isn't that great and wondering if I'll need something that can go to 5x in the future? I was thinking about adding a magnifier with a flip to side mount possibly.
 
Most if not all of Primary Arms stuff including the free 3x magnifier they are throwing in are made overseas just FYI. Its all very good stuff though! I know you said you like the idea of a red dot but there are some really nice 1-4x scopes out there with an illuminated dot. I actually owned one made by Primary Arms that was very nice! I just ended up wanting something with more magnification. Reguardless of what you decide do buy a good quality QD mount like those made from American Defense or Larue if its in your budget.
 
If possible I would attempt to try out both setups prior to making a decision. I was lucky and had that opportunity through friends of a friend and eventually settled on a Aimpoint PRO and Primary Arms 3XLER magnifier with a AD swing mount. Accuracy out to 100 yrds is decent enough for me, but that is as far as I will attempt to shoot for grouping. If you are thinking that you will eventually go past 100 yrds in the future I would look into the scope option. Good luck in your search or optics, took me a couple of months to decide on a red dot and a few more for the magnifier.
 
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How far of a range have you shot comfortably with Burris? My eye sight isn't that great and wondering if I'll need something that can go to 5x in the future? I was thinking about adding a magnifier with a flip to side mount possibly.

I can hit 6" steel plates at 400yds consistently with the Burris, but I still got decent eyes.
I would look at the Nikon M-223 scopes as well, might be a better fit for what your wanting.
 
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