Leupold HAMR, worth the price for two in one?

Having a red dot on top of a magnified optic gives you weird cheekweld (well, no cheek weld). 45 degree mount feels better since you just tilt the rifle and your head isn't floating around in space. I was never fond of the sight-on-top-of-a-sight setup.

$1,300

For less than half the price you could get the Burris Tac30 and mount the Burris Fastfire on a 45° mount. A way more effective set-up in my opinion.

For $1300 I'd buy an ACOG of your choosing and a case of ammo. Use the case of ammo for familiarization with the ACOG and carry on.

If I wore a Rolex watch and drove a BMW 7 Series?
I would pay $1,300 - $1,500 for a HAMR.

But since I wear a Luminox, and drive a Dodge pickup?
I'd have to go with a scope and 45 degree off-set red-dot for about half the price.

My watch and my truck gets me there on time, and a good optic set-up for half as much will too.

In fact, a 45 degree red-dot probably better, as you can maintain a stock cheek-weld while using it.

rc

The 3x and lower ACOGs are really not much slower than a red dot up close. The 1.5x ACOGs are just as fast in my experience.

If I were to pick a do all sight it would be the 3x ACOG with the green horseshoe reticle. I believe thats the TA-33.

Why not just get an aimpoint and 3x mag with a flip mount? That is what I have and it works great, cost around $400 total (used aimpoint and primary arms 3x mag)

Where did you pick up a used Aimpoint for that price that includes a Primary Arms magnifier and a flip mount? Even the older Aimpoint M2's are usually over $350 unless you're buying M68's stolen from the military.

The problem with an aimpoint with 3X magnifier is you now have a 6 moa red dot covering your target.

I find a 1-4 to be much better option.

Not a fan of the AimPoint plus magnifier option.

I haven't tried out the Leupold HAMR, but it doesn't do anything I can't do, and can't do really fast, with a standard ACOG (TA31). Even the x4 ACOGs are entirely suitable for two eye open shooting, and with the fiber optic reticle you're essentially on even footing with AimPoints and EOTechs in close, without needing the piggy back pistol optic.

JustinJ said:

The problem with an aimpoint with 3X magnifier is you now have a 6 moa red dot covering your target.

I find a 1-4 to be much better option.

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Incorrect. The dot is still 2 MOA, everything has merely been magnified 3 times bigger, thus the dot 'appears' bigger but is still the same size (2 minute of angle radius at 100 yards). EOtech's reticle appears to stay the same because the actual dot size is smaller then the minimum angular resolution of the human eye. Basically we round everything smaller then 1 MOA to 1 MOA (angular resolution of the eye has been listed in the 0.7-1.5MOA range if memory holds). An EOTech's center dot is something like 1/3MOA or so, so through a 3x magnifier it "appears" the same size as a 1 MOA dot, for a lack of better vocabulary.

One up side of the HAMR is it does have a 2"+ of eye relief and is apparently a very forgiving optic as far as eye placement goes. Does it do anything over an ACOG? The glass is a little better by some people's estimates, and it does look more compact then a 3x ACOG, but in grand scheme of things? No, not really. Just another option to consider. Browe did come out with a 4x optic that is tailored to the .300AAC blackout, you might want to check it out. Link

4x scope of your choice and offset red dot or irons. I went with a Leupod Mark IV LR/T 3.5-10x and SureFire Dueck offset iron sights on my LMT MWS .308. I have this thing about batteries in my sighting systems, me no like unless it's an Aimpoint. ACOGs are fine but I don't really appreciate their reticle choices and limited eye relief/eye position they offer. The LMT SOPMOD stock works amazing in conjunction with medium Leupold rings, a 42mm objective on the scope, and offset sights. Perfect cheek weld firing using either sight system, prone or offhand. YMMV