AR 15 Red Dot/Scope Combo

[MikeStone]

Just bought my first AR!! Now I am looking at optics. Any advice on the Red Dot/Scope Combo? I was kinda thinking about something like the Burris in the link (1-4x24 with a FastFire red dot). The price is a bit...steep.

Most of my shooting is at paper, but I'm lining up a hog hunt soon. Thanks!

https://www.primaryarms.com/Burris_Full ... 433-ff.htm

[cyphertext]

Take a look at this one and see what you think... can use like a red dot on 1x and then bump it up to 4x.

http://www.bushnell.com/all-products/ri ... w-down-pcl

[The Annoyed Man]

That Bushnell is basically the same thing as the Burris. The Burris can be obtained without the Fastfire. BTW, $499 for a combo like that isn't that much money at all.

Look at it this way.....
The Fastfire III by itself retails for around $250: http://swfa.com/FastFire-C1811.aspx.
The Fullfield Tac 30 sells for $300: http://swfa.com/Fullfield-TAC-30-C1692.aspx.
The PEPR mount sells for $75: http://swfa.com/Burris-AR-Tactical-Mounts-C1694.aspx

So....

$250 +
$300 +
$ 75 =
$625

All of a sudden, $499 looks like a pretty good deal, doesn't it?

That Bushnell scope by itself costs $228: http://swfa.com/Bushnell-1-4x24-AR-Opti ... 61352.aspx.......... but that doesn't include the mount.

The Burris reticle can be switched between off (black), red, and green:


The Bushnell reticle is very similar, but is on (red)/off (black) only:


The reticles in both scopes function as "red dots" at close range. The Bushnell has a built in cat-tail to make zooming in/out a little easier. You can get one for the Burris...... or not. I have them on two of my scopes, but neither are CQB optics, and both are long range milling scopes.

The Bushnell is a first focal plane scope (FFP), and I believe (but I'm not certain) that the Burris is a second focal plane (SFP) scope. Normally FFP is more desirable, but it is also more expensive, but that desirability has more to do with glassing back and forth between long and short range shooting, so that the subtensions on your reticle will be valid at all magnifications. In the role that either of these scopes is likely to be used at, I don't think that's really an issue. Given that Bushnell is selling a FFP scope for less than the Burris SFP scope, I would ask in what other areas Bushnell is compromising, to be able to sell a FFP scope for 70-odd $$$ less than Burris's SFP scope. Nothing in life is free.

Add to all of that the fact that the Bushnell price I've quoted you here does NOT include a mount—which you'll still have to buy if you get the Bushnell—it is my opinion that the $70 or so savings on the Bushnell isn't really a plus.

At this price range, you're going to be just as happy with one as with the other. BUT...... unless you can find that Bushnell being sold as a package including a mount (and any other geegaws, like that Fastfire), the combined price of the scope and the mount will be more than the combined price of the Burris scope and a mount. For example, in their MTAC line, you can get a 1-4x24 Burris MTAC with the same reticle as above, and a PEPR mount, for $410..... already a $90 savings compared to the package you're looking at: http://swfa.com/Burris-1-4x24-MTAC-30mm ... 61993.aspx.

But $499 for a package that is that inclusive is not that much money. A single Aimpoint Micro with a mount runs $600. A Vortex VIPER PST 1-4X24 runs $600 without a mount. A Trijicon ACOG with a cheap mount is well over $1,000........ if that helps to put things into perspective for you.

[gigag04]

I have a fastfire II I would part with. NIB.

[rotor]

Just got a Leupold VX-R 1.25-4 firedot pig plex. $499 at Optics Planet- Mount not included. So far looks like it will be great.

[The Annoyed Man]

Just got a Leupold VX-R 1.25-4 firedot pig plex. $499 at Optics Planet- Mount not included. So far looks like it will be great.

I thought of including that one in my above post, but the OP was balking at $499, even though it included a mount AND a backup RDS. I have a VX-R 1.5-5x32 Scout scope on my Gunsite Scout. The VX-R line is a decent choice for medium priced scopes.

Personally, I've decided that a backup RDS is just unnecessary gingerbread, and that a good set of backup iron sights is more practical as a backup system. They should be either mounted on angle mounts, or paired with an optic with a quick-release mount. My wife's carbine has an EOTech with co-witnessed BUIS. My DMR has a set of Magpul MBUS Pro iron sights mounted on the rail (angled mounts don't work that well for me), and either a Trijicon ACOG or a Vortex Viper PST 4.5-16x50 scope, both attached to BOBRO quick release mounts, depending on how far I'm going to be shooting on a given day. I didn't really plan it that way, but I ended up with far more invested in good optics/sights than I spent on building the rifle. In hindsight, I'm glad I did. As my eyes have deteriorated due to aging (I'm going to be 62 tomorrow, by the way), the difference between high quality optics and cheap optics has become increasingly important to me.

[cyphertext]

I agree with Annoyed Man, just threw the Bushnell out there because it is cheaper than the Burris. But the price for that combo isn't that bad, especially if you have more than one firearm. I wouldn't mount the Fast Fire on top of the scope, I would just put it on another rifle.

[mrvmax]

Not a bad price for scope and mount:
http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.ph ... unt-2.html

[MikeStone]

Once again you've all been very helpful...and showed me how much I have to learn! $500 isn't alot...if I hadn't just dropped $1200 on a new Colt!

[nyj]

The other option is a red dot with a magnifier.

[cajunautoxer]

I used a MTAC for over a year for 3 gun. It's really a great scope for the price. If you keep a eye out you can get a TAC30 combo for less than $400. Heck IIRC I bought my MTAC combo for $500

[cyphertext]

Once again you've all been very helpful...and showed me how much I have to learn! $500 isn't alot...if I hadn't just dropped $1200 on a new Colt!

What Colt did you get?

[MikeStone]

Once again you've all been very helpful...and showed me how much I have to learn! $500 isn't alot...if I hadn't just dropped $1200 on a new Colt!

What Colt did you get?

Actually a Colt Competion CRE 18. I know that it's made my under license, but it had everything I was looking for. It'll do waaay more than it's owner!

[cyphertext]

Once again you've all been very helpful...and showed me how much I have to learn! $500 isn't alot...if I hadn't just dropped $1200 on a new Colt!

What Colt did you get?

Actually a Colt Competion CRE 18. I know that it's made my under license, but it had everything I was looking for. It'll do waaay more than it's owner!

You will have to let us know how it shoots!

[MikeStone]

Ended up putting a Leupold AR Mod 1 3x9-40 on it. 0.66 group at 100 yards...and I'm just learning how to shoot.