Re: Help with choice of 1-4 optic for AR
I've had the PST and the Trijicon. I still have the Nightforce.
As far as the glass quality goes, the PST and the Nightforce were about on par. The Trijicon was at the bottom of the list. Not that it was bad, just not as good.
The PST is a fine scope, especially for the price, but I had my gripes about it. Just subjective things that made the scope less ergonomic for me. I really hated how sharp the knurling is on the knobs. Although the build quality is good, it just didn't instill the sense of confidence that I get with the Nightforce. If you hold both in your hands at the same time, you'll know what I'm talking about.
The Trijicon is nice too, but the illumination system is less than perfect. There are situations, although limited, where you can loose the reticle altogether. Still, no piece of equipment is perfect. I was just really disappointed in the quality of the glass. I'm not really turned on by illuminated reticles just for the sake of having them. In really low light situations, there were times when I could see the reticle and nothing else because I just wasn't able to see though the scope. Like it just wasn't gathering enough light.
On one particular rifle, I started out with a TA33 ACOG. I tried out a Sightron SII Big Sky 1.5-5X and found that I could see better through the Sightron in low light than I could with the ACOG, so I sold the ACOG. In my quest for a cool piece of gear, I also tried a TR24. Again, I opted to stay with the Sightron because I got better low light performance.
For me, the Nightforce was it. I really don't recall the illumination on the PST being more visible in the daylight. Neither are intended to be daylight illuminated reticles.
The Nightforce is what to go for if tough is what you want. If you just want the bells and whistles, but ultimate toughness can take a back seat, then save yourself some money and get the PST.