Aimpoint/EOTech Alternative

[shootsbad]

Seems like folks who know what they're doing, and who have the money, spring for Aimpoint or EOTech. With a modest income, and a little one on the way, I just can't justify spending $400 on a gun sight. I'm looking for a decent red dot to mount on my AR-15 for closer to $150. What do you guys think?

I've heard the "you should just wait and not blow your money on cheap crap" advice before. Maybe I need to hear it some more, but at this point I'm looking for the sight that will do in a pinch, not the sight needed by professional soldiers. I'm just a regular guy who wants an offense-oriented weapon in case there's ever a reason to use one.

 

[Mags]

Vortex Strikefire is rugged and holds zero it's even NVD compatible the only drawback is on a sunny day the dot washes out. Other than I say save your money up for an Aimpoint, I just found one NIB at MidwayUSA for 274 bucks.

 

[shadowalker]

At that price point I'd get a quality iron sight if you don't have one or take a local carbine training class if you do. You don't have to have a RDS to be effective with an AR.

If you really want a RDS I'd save up a little more and look for a Aimpoint ML2, maybe even used.

Your primary aiming device is not a place to go the cheapest you can get especially if you are counting on it to save your life.

Chinese knockoffs may be fine for some people at the range but they will fail and do you really want that to be when you need it the most?

Buy once, cry once is sometimes hard to swallow but often true.

 

[shootsbad]

Wow, I honestly didn't expect anyone to reply. Thank you both so much for the advice. I bought a Bushmaster ORC just before the election. Maybe I should just get the gas block/flip-up iron sight and a decent rail-mounted iron sight and get good with that. Maybe buy the RDS later. It's sad that I've had the rifle for over a year and I've never even shot it.

 

[shadowalker]

That's what I'd do and a basic carbine class, a RDS does speed people up but only once the basics are there.

On a fighting rifle you'll probably want iron backups to the RDS anyway.

If you have no sights and want to spend as little money and get acceptable quality get a set of Magpul's sights, they make front and rear.

If you want a folding rear look at Troy, if you want fixed Daniel Defense makes a very nice one for around $80 and LMT for about $120. The LMT has elevation adjustment where the Daniel Defense doesn't which is preferred by most people anyway because few people actually use elevation on a rear sight (elevation is controlled by the front post).

Bravo Company USA (The primary BCM outlet) is a good place for most things AR related.

 

[kymarkh]

Take a look at the Primaryarms.com red dot sights. I've had one of his M4 style red dots for a while now and have been very happy with it.

 

[peptoe]

I'd spend the money on ammo and go shoot that thing, I'm sure it came with iron sights.

 

[Jenrick]

The millet Zoomdot and Speedot are both decently priced and work well. Having a RDS of some sort for a SD/HD rifle w/ BUIS is asking for trouble. Me personally, rock river dominator 2 rail, a fixed front post sight, and then whatever optic you decide. Fixed irons are always there to fall back on, and the dominator mount will let you lower 1/3 co-witness your optic.

-Jenrick

 

[george30]

I'm in the same situation as you. Everyone I've talked to says stay away from the Chinese made sights. Alot of people have told me that anything russian made, czech republic, or anything made in other european nations and even japan optics are pretty decent. I'm at the same price point so I'm gonna try to find something at the gun show this weekend. No osprey. I'm gonna be looking for IJK/eagle eye optics, sightmark, truglo, and vector. If I find out that any of those happened to be chinese made I'm not going to buy them.

 

[george30]

I have been looking for a cheap bushnell holosight cause it's made by eotech and is basically the same thing. The cheapest I've seen is around $200 though.