Rifle Scopes Optic choice for “go to” carbine

[Jmccracken1214]

I’ve got a Springfield saint edge, I want to set it up as my shtf type rifle. My main use rifle, however you want to put it.
Would like to use it for close quarters but have the option for 300-500 yard shots if possible. I’ve got irons on it, trying to decide if I should go with a 1-6 or a red dot or 1x prism?

Want to keep it light as possible

 

[502Chevelle]

500 yds is a pretty long way for a red dot. Even a 2min dot will be completely covering a lot of targets. There are a lot of scopes in the 1-6,8,10 range that should work good for you, in all different price ranges depending on your budget. Would also add, you may be able to shoot a red dot on a range at 500, but in real life, I would like to zoom in a little and make sure of what I was shooting at.

 

[army_eod]

Only one answer for a real go to war optic for you. Trijicon ACOG. That is what the . mil uses.

 

[deersniper]

Vortex 1-6 or 1-8
VCOG 1-6 or 1-8
NF ATACR 1-8 or NX8 1-8


People smoke crack talking about these fat shots with a red dot. If you start shooting at something it’s not going to sit there standing up with its shoulders square for you to lob rounds at

 

[koshkin]

Only one answer for a real go to war optic for you. Trijicon ACOG. That is what the . mil uses.

They are kinda going away from that...

ILya

 

[Jmccracken1214]

They are kinda going away from that...

ILya

What are they going to?
When I was in, we had CCO aim points and acogs 2009-2015

 

[koshkin]

I’ve got a Springfield saint edge, I want to set it up as my shtf type rifle. My main use rifle, however you want to put it.
Would like to use it for close quarters but have the option for 300-500 yard shots if possible. I’ve got irons on it, trying to decide if I should go with a 1-6 or a red dot or 1x prism?

Want to keep it light as possible

If your primary use close range, get a red dot so that your irons cowitness through it. That will give you the most speed.

Then get a magnifier in a QD mount, like Vortex Micro 3x. Keep it off the rifle most of the time Put it on when you might want to take a longer SHOT.

ILya

 

[koshkin]

What are they going to?
When I was in, we had CCO aim points and acogs 2009-2015

For general purpose use, they are going to LPVOs bit by bit. As ACOGs in service age out, rather than getting them refurbished, they will be probably be replaced with LPVOs.

Personally, I like prismatic scopes quite a bit and use several of them (Elcan Spectre 4x, Mepro X4, Crimson Trace 3.5x) usually with offset RDS or irons, but as far as the military goes, the future is not with fixed power prismatic scopes.

There are all sorts of tenders and trials going on that get more and more of them into the system, so you will be seeing them used in ever increasing numbers. All that remarkable amount of R&D that has been going on with these scopes is not over yet, so we will see some interesting developments as we go along.

ILya

 

[roostercogburn98]

FN Scar 16 with Bushnell SMRS II Pro and factory irons

 

[DedicatedShooter]

Only one answer for a real go to war optic for you. Trijicon ACOG. That is what the . mil uses.

I too, used to think ACOGs were cool. Then I saw how many would break during annual rifle qualification and laughed when we were told to "smack to ACOG with your multi-tool after establishing your BZO to set the prism". I also hated the bruise I would get on my brow because of the lack of eye relief.

For the price of an ACOG, I think there are better options, especially since ACOGs are now well over a decade old technology. I understand how it was chosen for the military though, it's a decent one-size-fits-all solution and certainly improved marksmanship by getting away from iron sights...though I still feel that initial instruction should be given with irons to teach the basic principles and to allow for on the fly windage and elevation adjustments. Using Kentucky Windage with the ACOG isn't ideal for a paper target range.

 

[stilesg57]

I’d add that if your conception of SHTF doesn’t mean punching holes in paper or ringing steel plates, then energy on target matters. In which case...you may want to rethink the realistic usefulness of 5.56 beyond 300yds.

I have a light 1-4x24 (Steiner P4Xi, 21oz all-in with qd rings) on my go-to 14.7” pinned carbine in 5.56 because I want at least 1x per 100yds and it’s not a useful round after 400yds anyway.

 

[CageFighter]

FN Scar 16 with Bushnell SMRS II Pro and factory irons

what kinda accuracy u getting with it?

 

[army_eod]

I have the 4X ACOG on one of my ARs and it works well. I don't plan 500 meter shots but could see well enough to hit.
I can hit 300 meters with irons. So there's that. Anything past 300 meters, I can call for 155 fire.

 

[stilesg57]

Btw, if you’re going for light weight and close range (where 5.56 is best anyway), you need to be thinking red dot only. The lightest LPVO or other optic out there plus mount is gonna be 3x the weight of a micro red dot. So it becomes a question of how important the magnification is to you, which is typically range-related.

 

[Jmccracken1214]

I’d add that if your conception of SHTF doesn’t mean punching holes in paper or ringing steel plates, then energy on target matters. In which case...you may want to rethink the realistic usefulness of 5.56 beyond 300yds.

I have a light 1-4x24 (Steiner P4Xi, 21oz all-in with qd rings) on my go-to 14.7” pinned carbine in 5.56 because I want at least 1x per 100yds and it’s not a useful round after 400yds anyway.

If someone, in that situation is 300+ I guess if I was stationary.. I’d use my 308 or 6.5 bolt gun

 

[Jmccracken1214]

Btw, if you’re going for light weight and close range (where 5.56 is best anyway), you need to be thinking red dot only. The lightest LPVO or other optic out there plus mount is gonna be 3x the weight of a micro red dot. So it becomes a question of how important the magnification is to you, which is typically range-related.

True. I may just run a red dot and use irons for 200-300 yard shots

 

[roostercogburn98]

what kinda accuracy u getting with it?

Hits what I want within reason for 223/556 capability. Never actually printed on paper for group size with the scar. I have my SPR for small ish groups.

 

[Cherodjr]

Check out the Steiner S432! I have one waiting on my Seekins CQ PDW