AR15 + ACOG Question

[fbernar]

I'm writing here because I bought an AR15 last week and I am absolutely loving it. I am thinking about using it to go hog hunting here in Florida and I am wondering what type of optic site I should use on it.

I see that many people who buy AR15's or build them purchase ACOG's for them. I'm here wondering if that is good for what I am trying to do (hunt hogs) and also trying to understand why so many people buy them for AR's. Is it because most people buy AR's for SHTF/HD/Range use? Or do ACOG optics also help tremendously when hunting? Any input will be appreciated!

(This thread is not trying to ask if ACOG's are worth $1000, I am asking what is it most often bought for and used for.)

 

[gotboostvr]

The ACOGS are favored because they're dead nuts reliable. You pretty much can't break them, they never loose zero, and due to the fiber optic lighting and the trinium reticule, it's always lit up. They're a fixed power sight but can still use the "both eyes open" shooting technique.

I want one, but decided the aimpoint was more practical (and affordable) for my needs.

But I am heavily considering putting a Millet DMS-1 on a rifle which is a 1x4 variable with a battery powered illuminator, so it can run as a red dot, or a magnified scope.

 

[Pete D.]

I have an ACOG for my AR-15. It is the basic 4X32 TA01. I like it very much. It is one of the brightest, clearest scopes that I have ever had the pleasure of looking through.
Being a PA hunter, I cannot use that combo for hunting.
Pete

 

[mdauben]

Honestly? I think a great percentage of people who buy them do so in large part for the "gee-whiz, it's milspec!" aspect (well, at least that's why I would want one!).

There's no doubt that it's a high quality optic and built like a tank, but for the use you described I think you would be just as well served by the same sort of civilian rifle scope that you would put on any other hunting rifle.

Just my opinion.

 

[TonyAngel]

Personally, I didn't like any of the 3-4X ACOGs. Most were plagued by either short eye relief or a narrow field of view. They are also expensive for what they are and you can get better in terms of glass quality and flexiblity for about the same or less money. I do, however, have to admit that I run a 1.5X ACOG (TA44S-10) on my AR. I like it because I don't have to worry about electronics, I find the little bit of magnification to be a benefit to me, the eye relief is really long and forgiving and I suffer from astigmatism, so I get a clean reticle as opposed to what I see through a red dot scope. It's also small and light.

 

[esheato]

I have an ACOG (TA33) and while I like it immensely, I can see where it doesn't fit every application..

I bought it for quick, heads up, both eyes open shooting with minimal hold over points. I like the no electronics aspect and how they're fairly indestructible.

For hog hunting, I think a low magnification, illuminated reticle would be perfect. Your AR is 223? Something like the Burris Fullfield TAC30 or the XTR Tactical.

 

[USAF_Vet]

My M-4 in Iraq wore an ACOG, and can attest to them being deat nuts relaible and impossible to break.

In '05, my last tour in Iraq, I was blown out of a hummvee when an IED went off. I landed directly on the M-4 + ACOG. During the firefire that ensued, I scored COM kills reliably with the same weapon, after flying 30 feet and striking the pavement with 250+ pounds of me and gear landing on top of it.

Now for Hog hunting, I cannot attest. Personally, I'd want something with a bit more stopping power than the 5.56 NATO for hog. I've heard they can be a bit tougher than the average human.

 

[X-Rap]

I have a 4x32 on one of my carbines and so far I am satisfied with it, I do have an EOtec and trij. reflex on others and they fit a nitch as well. The one i use the most for hunting is the one with the 2x7 Leupold plain jane.
So far I feel I shoot the EOtec better all around than the others from a purely defensive/ combative standpoint. Those who bring up the battery/electronics issue with the EOtec have a point and for a gun to grab up ouick and shoot in close quarters, I will take the one with the Reflex sight anyday.

 

[Strykervet]

I trained Squad Designated Marksmen using the ACOG TA01 NSN model on top of an issue M4 modified with some other doodads. I could get those guys to hit steels out to 600m+ (you can shoot past 600m, but it isn't a guarantee you'll hit the target with a mil-spec M4).

The scope? Built like a tank, useful in low light, can even use it with PVS14 night vision on a head mount if you can line it up behind the scope. The army NSN one that has the yellow stadia worked best for us, the fiber optic ones another unit got kept having problems, they had to keep duct tape over fiber optic to keep it from getting too bright in the daytime. The tritium only ones work fine, they are cheaper too.

I like the ACOG so much that when I got a scope for my FAL, I just got a TA01B for it. Love that ACOG. They are fast and easy to use, accurate, can take a beating, and have fine glass for the price. In my opinion, they are peerless. Elcan makes a nice scope that is similar, but better suited for machineguns. Were they to modify the mount, Elcan would be competetive to Trijicon.

But I agree with the other guy on here. 5.56 is cutting close for hogs. A 6.5 Grendel, better still a .50 Beowulf may be better if you want to use the AR platform (use a 7.62 ACOG for the Grendel). 6.8SPC II should do it well too. I've seen hogs DROP, like NOW using the .50 Beowulf. In some circles, it has the following as the premiere hog gun, particularly among some in AR. But for the Beowulf, which is a 200m weapon, the red dot sights work better (but they have to be tough ones!).

 

[ThePunisher'sArmory]

I see that many people who buy AR15's or build them purchase ACOG's for them.

The ACOG was built for the M4!!! It comes with a built in carry handle mount! You have to add on the 1913 rail mount. It will be great for any hunting in 4x. If you can shell out the cash buy one and never look back!!

 

[esheato]

I could get those guys to hit steels out to 600m+

I routinely shoot my 16' AR with the 3x TA33 to 600 yards. Using calibrated handloads to M855 specs, it's extremely easy to shoot 12x12 steel and hit nearly every time.

 

[arizona98tj]

But I am heavily considering putting a Millet DMS-1 on a rifle which is a 1x4 variable with a battery powered illuminator, so it can run as a red dot, or a magnified scope.

Since the Millet DMS-1 was mentioned, I'll toss in my two cents on it as well as the ACOG.

I love my ACOG....a 3.5x power with a BDC crosshair reticle in very bright green.

As for the DMS-1, I use to have it on my M&P15 where the ACOG now resides. The Millet has been moved to my backup AR. The DMS-1 is large and quite heavy. I like the 1 to 4 power and really like the dot in a donut reticle. NOTE: The illumination is NOT bright enough to show up in sunlight. So if you think you'll be running a 1x red dot configuration, guess again....you won't be seeing any illuminated dot. It is a Chinese made optic and the glass isn't the best either. Mine got whacked pretty hard and it no longer illuminates anything inside, day or night. It does keep zero very well.

Now you know why I have an ACOG....and unfortunately, I don't want to buy two so the backup AR gets the hand-me-down.

 

[Zak Smith]

Here is the framework in which to evaluate an ACOG


article | Fighting Carbine Optics

 

[DougW]

I have a TA31F on an M4'gery that is sweet. My son has the TA01NSN and it is sweeter!

 

[Cal-gun Fan]

I think that the ACOG is very expensive for what it is. You are definitely paying for a name and "coolness factor", IMO.

For an AR, I would rather have something that gave the rifle greater capabilities. I'd recommend a Viper PST. I looked at their 1-4x as a possibility for my AK, and while the reticle didnt really float my boat for the AK, their scopes seem to be of pretty good quality.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I have 2 ACOGs. Great glass. Very stable. Very tough. Have shot 2 hogs using my TA01. Don't have a complaint about it in that regard.

I did not pay full price for either. I purchased at times when there seemed to be a good number available of the models I wanted. Still, they were not cheap, but overall, I think they were a good value.

 

[Ro1911]

I think you are looking at the wrong type of gun entirely for hogs, personally I wouldn't use such a small round on what can be dangerous game I'd look more at a rem. 700 in .30 06 or if you really want a semi auto an M1 or M1a

 

[Bovice]

The aimpoint micro is a pretty sweet sight. I suggest it because I have one and really like it! Larry Vickers did a torture test on a Daniel Defense M4 with one mounted on it. It survived a pretty decent sized blast towards the end of the test with only the rear lens breaking during the explosion. However, the dot was still visible and it still held zero. Should be plenty durable for hog hunting and definitely south of $1000.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I also use the Aimpoint Micro for hogs. It is a 4 MOA red dot sight. It may not be conducive for making more precise shots at longer ranges. It also has no magnification. It is a fine sight, but in a different niche.

Also decent is the Vortex Sparc with just a 2 MOA red dot and 1/3 the price of the Aimpoint Micro. The Sparc works well and the smaller dot makes shooting the gun more precisely quite a bit easier and out further.

I think you are looking at the wrong type of gun entirely for hogs,

The AR15 is a fine platform for hunting hogs.

 

[henschman]

One of the biggest reasons people get an ACOG is for reliability. Another is its great reticle design... it is designed to get quick first-shot hits on man-sized targets at any distance within the rifle's max effective range. It would work fine for hogs, but the ranging features of the reticle wouldn't be as useful. The scope is designed to range 20" wide targets, which is the average human shoulder-to-shoulder.

Most hog hunting probably occurs at short range... usually well under 100 yards. The ACOG would work well, but a red dot would work better. The ACOG is kind of a jack of all trades, master of none. It can do CQB, close range, medium range, and can reach on out to 6 or 800m. You can pick an optic that will do any one of those things better than an ACOG, but for a do-it-all scope for any situation, and for switching quickly between different situations, it's hard to beat.

I would think hog hunting would be limited to short range though, for which a red dot would not be any kind of handicap. I'd go with an Aimpoint, myself.

 

[C-grunt]

I think that the ACOG is very expensive for what it is. You are definitely paying for a name and "coolness factor", IMO.

I whole heartedly disagree with you on this statement. When you spend 1k on an ACOG you are paying for the ruggedness and the Tritium/fiber optic reticle. Not to mention the pretty decent glass used. Name another optic that dies what an ACOG does.

ACOGs are not the best optic at really anything. They dont make a great CQB choice and they are not very good for shooting small groups at distance. But they are great as a combat optic where a firefight could change from 10 to 500 yards pretty quickly.

Just because people buy them for the "coolness factor" doesnt mean the ACOG isnt one of the best combat optics on the planet.

 

[Jeff White]

The ACOG was built for the M4!!!

Just a little historical clarification. The ACOG was built for the M16A2. I saw my first one during the Infantry Conference in Building 4 at Ft Benning in 1986. The TAO1 is (or was then) calibrated for M855 out of a 20" barrel. The M4 was a prototype with only a few in existence at the time.

I bought my TAO1 in the Spring of 1989. It has a 3 digit serial number and I paid $625 for it (police dept price direct from Trijicon). The originals had a reticule with a dot in the middle of the duplex which was supposed to make it usable at close range. Mine is 22 years old and the red tritium is still glowing.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Mine is 22 years old and the red tritium is still glowing.

The half life of tritium is about 4500 days or 12.3 years. So you should still have more than 1/4 left and I would bet it is still very useful for low light situations. My oldest is only 10 years old and still works great.

 

[fbernar]

People commented on whether my 5.56 is good for hog hunting are deviating from the topic. This is not to discuss if it is good for hog; bottom line is it is. I have friends that hunt hog with theirs and they have told me along with others on this forum that SHOT PLACEMENT matters more than caliber and I tend to agree. You could have a 7.62 but if you shoot a hog near the rear it will still take more than one shot. Back on topic please.

 

[wingman]

I prefer eotech for close work and scope for target I really see no advantage
with the ACOG other then combat.