AR plinking scopes

[R3dundantC]

Building my first black rifle, going the bargain route and DPMSing most everything (scored a brand new DPMS A3 completed 20inch upper for $425 at a gunshow today). The gun will mostly be for plinking and rabbits/vermin/etc and as nice as Trijicon is, I'm not feeling a huge need to go out and buy a scope that will cost as much more than my entire gun. So, any suggestions? What do you use?

 

[juk]

I have been researching the same thing for my current builds. The most promising option for my rifle build is the Millet DMS 1-4 scope. It is priced around 225$. It isn't a true 1x...it's more like 1.25x, but it is still capable of "both eyes open" shooting. The reticle is illuminated but if the battery dies it acts just like a standard rifle scope. I've been pretty set on that scope, so I haven't researched many of the others like it.

 

[JonB]

+1 on the millet DMS. That's what I have been looking at too. Seems to be well received by the ar15 dot com guys. I have a Vortex strikefire now, but have astigmatism which means I see about 6 red dots blurred together instead of one red dot. Works fine if I wear my glasses - not so much with contacts. Regular scope may suit me better.

 

[doorman]

I have had one for about a year and a half. It took me a while to warm up to it. I originally had it mounted on top of a "riser" attached to the flat top rail to get it high enough to operate the charging handle. I swiched out the riser for a scope mount form CAA that cants forward so the scope is a little forward of the charging handle. I do OK at 100yds, some in the bulls eye some not. I am shooting a M4orgery with a 16" barrel.

I was able to shoot a turkey with it at 120 yds last deer season so I am really happy with it. I purchased this through Midway for $204 on sale.

RU

 

[wally]

I really like the Millet DMS 1x4, good all around scope, true 1X so with the reticle illuminated its pretty much a red dot and you can keep both eyes open, with the zoom at 4X you should be hitting good out to 300m easy. I think its very good for the price (~$220) but its a big honking thing -- my only real complaint with it.

But my favorite inexpensive red dot for the AR is the Barska M16 Electrosight, about $70. Add a cheap UTG flip up rear (~$30) and you are not out of action when the batteries go dead. I've been very happy with the battery life, but if you leave it on when you put it up, it'll be dead next time. I've even been very happy with it on my LAR-308 while waiting for its back ordered EOTech to arrive.

The Vortex Strikefire is a nice step up at about $150 and will give a true co-witness with the irons, whereas the Barska Electrosight you are using the bottom 1/3 of the optic with the irons, but its parallax-free enough that this still works very well for the initial mounting and shooting with the dot on looknig through the rear aperture. The included 2X magnifier is crap -- looked through it once and threw it away, but its a nice red/green dot setup, I almost always use mine on green.

IMHO if you want something cheap to use while you research and save up for better the Barska M16 Electosight is the way to go. But be aware, most other Barska red dots are crap.

--wally.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

scored a brand new DPMS A3 completed 20inch upper for $425 at a gunshow today

Wow, great buy.

Kinda depends on your definition of plinkig - I tend toward higher magnifications for target shooting and small critters; minimum of a 3-9 or fixed 10. But a 1-4ish like the Millett will certainly work well for plinking at your shorter ranges.

 

[wcwhitey]

I am sure I will get blasted for this but here I go. I have a DPMS Low Pro Classic. I free floated it with a Hogue kit and mounted a Tasco (yes Tasco) 2.5X10 Varmint Scope with the mildot reticle. My available shooting distances are 50 - 200 yards. The gun was put together as a test bed for my reloads. I have into it: $600 rifle, $100 for free float kit and bipod and $90 scope not counting rings which I had. Several thousand rounds later the gun never stops amazing me. The scope is still clear and adjustments are crisp and responsive always back to zero no problem.

I just wanted to throw it out there. Worst case scenario you are out $70 (current price at Midway). Best case scenario you will be giggling to yourself and have a bunch of money left over for mags and ammo. Good Luck, Bill

 

[mordechaianiliewicz]

At closer ranges, a really expensive high quality scope isn't exactly a necessity.

 

[gdcpony]

Try a Konus Pro 1.5-5x32. I put this one on my shotgun and after one season put it on all of my guns. Love it. Diamond reticle that is fast and precise. Close up- bracket it in the diamond and shoot, far out- put the nice fine hairs on it and squeeze. It has proven repeatable and durable. I have 6 and will have more. They can be found in the $60 range, but more likely you'll pay $70-$90 for one online and still under $100 in stores.

 

[sig228]

If you want a good quality plinker scope for that flattop, consider this:

http://www.leupold.com/tactical/products/scopes/mark-AR-riflescopes/mark-ar-1-5-4x20mm/

Non-chinese. Made in the good old USA.

Can be found in the $250 range.

 

[MCEOD]

I've got a NcStar that shoots like a champ. Its 3-9x42 with an illuminated mil-dot reticle. If I remember right, I pay $165 out the door.

 

[R3dundantC]

The Millet is looking like a good option. As far as the NC Star's go, they are certainly priced right, and I hear that they have a lifetime warranty, but as often as I see them at shows or in shops or Google'd, I've never heard anything good, bad or indifferent about them. They seem to be a little obscure so I'm a little weary of 'em. Anyone else have any luck with them?

I found something that kinda tickled my fancy. It's a POSP 8x42 which is what is used on a lot of SVD's and other eastern block rifles. This one is new manufacture and is built on a weaver mount. Easy to use rangefinder and illuminated reticle. It is probably much more of a scope than I need.
http://www.eastwave.ca/products/scopes/posp8x42w.html

 

[The_Hammer_Man]

Fair Warning about NcStar "ACOG'ish" scopes. They shoot loose after awhile. The way to keep it from happening to you is to dismantle the base, score the living daylights out of both the lower and upper mount interface, swab on a liberal amount of JB Weld and then put it back together using red lock tight on the screws.

Before the "NcStar Hate Crew" starts sounding off... I've had one of the dual illuminated acog'ish scopes on one of my rifles for 3 years. I fire that rifle at least twice a month. (Approximately 1-300 rounds per session) and have had no problems with it since I "fixed" it.

My one and only beef with this scope is the thickness of the crosshair.