new to scopes! need opinions!

treycann10

treycann10

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so i am looking for a scope for my AR. i previously had a vortex red dot but i want some magnification. i am looking into a 1-4x scope. i have three narrowed down.

Burris Fullfield TAC30
Vortex Crossfire II
Bushnell AR Optics

which would be the best bang for my buck? my rifle is set up to be a CQB rifle/SHFT rifle. but i also love sitting at the bench trying to make the tightest group i can out to 300 yards. opinions please!
 
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I'm certainly no expert but if I were shooting paper targets at 300 yards and wanted tight groups, I would want the top number to be somewhere around 18X however I may be older than you. I'm not sure that one scope can do both of these things well depending on your definition of "tight groups".
 
i should of stated that shooting at 300 wasnt with this rifle, i have a .308 for that. If possible i would ike to shoot that distance with this ar and the scopes i listed. My primary purpose is cqb and shft.
 
If you're really going to use it for CQB and end of the world stuff, then you need a good optic.

Trijicon ACOG in my opinion is the best, period. Personally I like the TA33. Yeah, it's expensive, but for serious self-defense you need something that will work the first time, all the time, every time. The scopes you listed don't fit that bill.
 
I have a Nikon M-223 1-4x on my AR. I don't have any experience with the models you listed. These are great for hitting 12" targets from pistol range out to 500 or 600m. Tiny groups at 300 is not really what they're meant for. Quick target acquisition and fire.

I found that my scope does not work well with a fixed front sight. The fuzzy post at 2-4x is distracting and your eye tries to bring it into focus. So cowitness is probably out of the question.

DSC_0364%20Copy_zps6okaqpzo.jpg
 
Take a look at the Millet DMS
I have a couple Vortex 1-4x24's but would like the donut dot reticle of the Millet a lot more
 
If I believed in the whole end of the world scenario, and I don't, I would be using a better scope than any you have listed. The Leupold VXR would be a good place to start and has a solid record of dependability.
 
treycann10 said:
so i am looking for a scope for my AR. i previously had a vortex red dot but i want some magnification. i am looking into a 1-4x scope. i have three narrowed down.

Burris Fullfield TAC30
Vortex Crossfire II
Bushnell AR Optics

which would be the best bang for my buck? my rifle is set up to be a CQB rifle/SHFT rifle. but i also love sitting at the bench trying to make the tightest group i can out to 300 yards. opinions please!
Click to expand...

Based on the criteria highlighted, the best bang for the buck will be an optic that is battle worthy. The optics you listed are range worthy.

CQB and precision paper punching at 300yds really aren't in the same ballpark.

Narrow your criteria. Otherwise, you may end up with an optic that isn't best suited for anything you want.
 
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Learn to shoot your irons for CQB/SHTF duty.

Get a higher power scope to shoot long range at the range.

I think everyone here is taking your stated goals too literally. What you mean by SHTF is going to be different than what others think of for SHTF. Some people here equate SHTF with the apocalypse. Be more specific. Just an HD gun? Civil unrest, rioting, looting defense? Situations like that and basically any legally justified shooting you do will be within irons/red-dot sight range.
For your situation, chances are the money you spend on a scope will only be to enhance your leisure time at the range.
 
And if you're truly new to scopes and need help figuring out what magnification you'll want, think of it this way-

Shoot your irons/RDS (no magnification). Figure out the distance and group size you're happy with (and be realistic. Only being happy if you can get dime sized groups at 300 is not.)
For example, if you shoot your irons/RDS and you get 3" groups at 100 yards, and you're happy with that, then 2x magnification gives you the same presentation at 200 yards, 3x magnification gives you the same presentation at 300 yards, etc.
Basically, scope magnification makes the target appear X times closer. A 200 yard target through a 10x scope looks like it's 20 yards in front of you. In converse, if you can only get the group size you want from 20 yards, and want to shoot that at 200 yards, then you'd need a 10x on the scope.
 
McE said:
I think everyone here is taking your stated goals too literally. What you mean by SHTF is going to be different than what others think of for SHTF. Some people here equate SHTF with the apocalypse. Be more specific. Just an HD gun? Civil unrest, rioting, looting defense? Situations like that and basically any legally justified shooting you do will be within irons/red-dot sight range.
For your situation, chances are the money you spend on a scope will only be to enhance your leisure time at the range.
Click to expand...

When someone says they are designating a rifle CQB/SHTF, that tells me they are depending on it with their life. An optic mounted on such a rifle is in that category or not. A list of $200 and under optics is not.

"Just HD" ? Like when your adrenalin is pumping and you grab your AR out or the safe, quickly turn around and whack the optic upside the safe, it's okay if the dime store optic lens falls out?

An optic failing at the range may result in disappointment and a ride home. An optic failing in any self defense situation, apocalypse, civil unrest or HD may result in a ride to the morgue. I think that's literal enough. :D
 
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Who said anything about a dime store optic? I'm advocating irons for HD. Unless you live in a mansion with long range shot possibilities, you are going to be undoubtedly faster with aiming, better with peripheral vision awareness, and better handling with just irons. Even with just a front sight post, you'll be bad-guy accurate within 25 ft.

ACOG? For HD? Who cares if it will survive you banging it on your safe, it will get you killed trying to peek through a 4x optic within 25 feet.
Evaluate your situation appropriately. If your situation involves chasing terrorists through a warehouse, then by all means disregard this <25ft thing.
I say you don't need optics slowing you down inside the house, whether you have to take off covers, find the on button/switch, search for the reticle, whatever.
Surely someone will say "but professional competitors all use red dots" or something like that. If there ever was a competition where all shooting is done within 25 feet, and all that matters is hitting IPSC C-zone sized targets on the clock, I guarantee no one would bother with optics.
 
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I have flip up sights on 45 degree mounts for close up work or if something happens to the optic. No need to remove the scope, just rotate and continue. After popping the sights up first of course.
 
For the range, not SHTF purposes.
That's why I specified in my other post that a scope would just be for the range.
 
McE said:
For the range, not SHTF purposes.
That's why I specified in my other post that a scope would just be for the range.
Click to expand...

The OP identified two things.
1. CQB/SHTF
2. Precision paper punching 300yds.

What was you suggestion for the 1-4x DMS? 300yd precision paper punching?
 
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He very promptly indicated the 300 yard bit wasn't for the same rifle. We're not trying to suggest an optic that's good for both CQB and precision 300yds.
I'm not going back to edit my posts to reflect the turn in conversation toward super serious SHTF concerns. Be as difficult as you want, my suggestion for 1-4x was just something along the lines of what he was already looking for, whether it was appropriate for the future convo or not.
 
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Leupold 1-4X VX-1 or VX-2 for better optics at a higher price. There is
no difference in the reliability or waterproofing of the two. All Leupolds
are built to the same durability standards and carry a lifetime warranty.
 
treycann10 said:
so i am looking for a scope for my AR. i previously had a vortex red dot but i want some magnification. i am looking into a 1-4x scope. i have three narrowed down.

Burris Fullfield TAC30
Vortex Crossfire II
Bushnell AR Optics

which would be the best bang for my buck? my rifle is set up to be a CQB rifle/SHFT rifle. but i also love sitting at the bench trying to make the tightest group i can out to 300 yards. opinions please!
Click to expand...

treycann10 said:
i should of stated that shooting at 300 wasnt with this rifle, i have a .308 for that. If possible i would ike to shoot that distance with this ar and the scopes i listed. My primary purpose is cqb and shft.
Click to expand...

The OP states that his primary desire is for SHTF/CQB. I may not have been an English major, but he also posts that he would like to be able to shoot tiny 300 yard groups with his rifle/scope set-up.

I have shot enough game past 300 yards to know that a 1-4 power scope will work, but shooting tiny groups at that range requires using the scope in ways that it really isn't designed for. Iron sights would probably be better for tiny 300 yards groups, but that takes a certain amount of dedication and specialization to be able to do so.
 
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