EOTech, Trijicon, Aimpoint on a VEPR???

[RTFM]

Ok continuing on with my rifle selection VEPR 7.62x39 and wanting to put an aiming enhanced device on it, also trying to keep the price of said device to at least the price of the rifle and not three times its cost.

Now most of the electrically enhanced sighting devices I see on AK type rifles are Aimpoints: is it considered lipstick on a pig to put anything more complicated on a AK or do the Aimpoints (red dots et-al) just work well with the AK type?

What are the pros and cons and your feelings about the following:



EOTech Holographic Weapon Sight (Model; 512.A65 )


Trijicon (TriPower Multi Powered Reflex Sight Modle TX30)



Trijicon (RX06 Trijicon Reflex II )

Aimpoint (ML2)

 

[BillL223]

Red-dots of almost any manufacture will work fine on an AK or AR platform. With no magnification, I think these are good enough to hit a 6" plate @ 100 yards, maybe a 12" plate @ 150. I have used Millet (a good economical choice), C-More, and currently an Eotech on my ARs. I think Aimpoints are over priced and don't do anything a Millet can't (both "tube" sights). For target aquisition speed, I loved my C-More. Some think they aren't tough enough, I had no issues with mine other then they are a pain to zero. I have one on an IPSC Open pistol which has had 60,000 rounds run through it. I switched to Eotech because of its positive click adjustment feature compared to the C-More. I shot a fairly large Action rifle match this past weekend in Tactical class and noticed a lot using the Eotech.

 

[meathammer]

Out of those optics, I am only familiar with the Eotech. I have one on my AR. Part of my deciding factor was that the Eotech has a 1 Moa aiming dot. It helps when shooting past 100yds. (Doesn't obscure longer range targets) So far I have been more than satisfied with it.


--meathammer

 

[Cesiumsponge]

I have an EOTech as well.

But if you want to stick with something more genuine, try a Russian red dot. Rugged and cheap.

Use these two links for reference. Tantal also sells them and can usually meet or beat anyone's price. I've used him before and I know some of the AK guys have purchased from him too.

http://tantal.kalashnikov.guns.ru/bstkobra.html
http://tantal.kalashnikov.guns.ru/collimator.html

 

[Father Knows Best]

Kobra!

I have one of these on my Arsenal SA M-7S:

It's a Russian Kobra EKP-8-02 on a side rail mount. It is rugged, authentic, quick to mount and dismount, and always return to zero. It has four different reticles selectable at the touch of a button, and about a dozen intensity (brightness) settings. The price is right, too -- about $190 delivered, including the mount, from Tantal at http://www.tantal.kalashnikov.guns.ru. That's a lot less than you'll for any of the other options, especially when you add in the need to buy a mount for them.

Here's what it looks like mounted to an AK:

The pics are from Tantal's excellent site.

 

[FSBS3]

Trijicon (RX06 Trijicon Reflex II ) have this one my M-4 and love it easy to zero and stays there

 

[RTFM]

Father Knows Best
Do you still get a cheek weld or is it higher?
Also is it centerline of the rifle or is it positioned left?

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Awesome, another Kobra owner! Father Knows Best, I have the exact same model, down to the camo'ed carrier Though my numbers weren't highlighted in white; I did that myself with some paint.

I have one on my Saiga-12 shotgun. It'll withstand 12ga magnum loads, so it certainly will handle 7.62x39mm Russian. Its got positive lockup and it's pretty rugged. It has a selector that lets you choose from four different reticles; I use the chevron. The only issue so far is I need to hunt down some spare batteries for it. It also has a blue tint to it through the glass; I don't know if that'll be an issue to you but I like it since it cuts down on glare and reflections it seems. The red dot looks off center because of the side-mount, but it's not. Mine sat a bit high off an Ace skeleton stock, but I had their cheekweld adaptor that made it perfect for my particular face. YMMV

 

[spacemanspiff]

i love the tri-power.

about the only complaint i have with it is that the current model's fiberoptic does not illuminate as brightly as the new acogs. but when i talked to a guy at trijicon a few months back, he said the new models coming out this fall/winter are 'greatly improved'. he couldnt say more or give details, but that was enough for me to plan on buying a new tri-power as soon as possible.

so, if it were me, i'd wait until the new tri-power is released, and then consider if its worth it. probably going to be a bit spendy, if the current model is going for an average of $500, i doubt the new one will be under $650.

 

[GunGoBoom]

In keeping with the spirit of the AK (peasant's rifle), I'd probably put either one of the Kobras or possibly the Meprolight on it.

http://www.meprolight.com/products.asp?id=5

The Meprolight is a poor man's Trijicon Reflex - no batteries needed!

But no question, the EOTech or Trijicon reflex would work fantastic as well. I think the Tri-power would be overkill for an AK (lipstick on a pig) *perhaps*, but not necessarily.

 

[Father Knows Best]

Do you still get a cheek weld or is it higher?
Also is it centerline of the rifle or is it positioned left?

You don't need a cheek weld with it. Like the EOTech HWS and Bushnell Holosight, it is completely parallax-free. That means that the dot is on the target no matter where your eye happens to be. That's what makes them so great. You can move your head and the rifle all around, and as long as the little dot of death is on the target when you hear the bang, you've got a kill.

I haven't taken any precise measurements, but mine seems to be on the centerline or close enough that I don't notice any variance. The side mounts are adjustable, if need be, and Tantal has excellent instructions on his site for how to adjust them. I didn't need to with mine. I just slid it onto the rail, flipped the lever to the locked position, and spent about 10 minutes and a dozen or so shots getting it zeroed. I don't think I had to move the windage and elevation adjustments more than a half dozen clicks to get it dead on at 100 yards.

Father Knows Best, I have the exact same model, down to the camo'ed carrier Though my numbers weren't highlighted in white; I did that myself with some paint.

Yeah, my adjustment dials weren't highlighted in white, either. It makes them a little harder to read, but I'm going to leave them as is.

It also has a blue tint to it through the glass; I don't know if that'll be an issue to you but I like it since it cuts down on glare and reflections it seems.

Mine has the blue tint, too. It seems to work well.

 

[Onslaught]

I think the reason you see more Aimpoints on AKs than EOThingies is the extra height that an EO has... The Aimpoint will be close to the same as irons, while you can't get around the @1" height on the EO.

That being said, I too think I'd give the Kobra a shot since anything else requires additional mounts, while the Kobra slaps right onto the existing mount as Ivan intended.

 

[AK103K]

I have an Aimpoint on my AK103K and a Tasco dot on my SAR1, both on Ultimak mounts. I prefer them over all the others as they are close to the iron sights height(the SAR will co-witness, the Aimpont probably would too with a lower mount). You get the same cheek weld and the rifle shoulders and shoots just like it does when you use just the iron sights, only its a lot faster to make good hits with. Snap shots at pretty much any distance you can hit at are a breeze and fast, up close shooting is even faster. The other rear mounted type sights sit to high and block your field of view and are not as natural to shoot with, at least for me. Same goes for the Eotech and other "heads up" type sights, even when mounted forward on the Ultimak. The rear mounted sights also tend to be in the way and hang up on your other gear.

 

[Correia]

You still need a cheek weld to shoot good. You may be accurate with a sloppy cheek weld (for awhile) but you won't be as accurate. You may be fast, but you won't be as fast. And you certainly won't be both. A good solid cheek weld is one of the prime components of being able to shoot fast and accurately.

That is why I don't care for the higher side rail mount AK optics unless I do something to bump up the stock.

 

[spacemanspiff]

supposedly the tri-power has that 'parralax-correction', but without that cheek weld correia mentioned, it does not hit POA. at 100 yards its about 2-3 inches off. if you are viewing the reticle from the lower left, shots will be hitting the upper right.

still get the good groups though. and if that difference of POI to POA is averaging about 2-3 moa its still going to be combat efficient out to at least 300 yards.

 

[cslinger]

I would personally go with the Aimpoint or Eotech on the Ultimak mount.

I personally would use a Russian optic just because I find them to be inexpensive and very well made. I have a KOBRA that I have had mounted on a .45 Carbine for some time but since it is Sheslinger's USC and she didn't want it on there I took it off and mounted it to my VEPR II.

It looks good there and if you can shoot with your left eye open it makes for a very solid cheekweld.

All in all the KOBRA has been a good optic for me.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

Tantal just got in BP-02s

BP-02 in new and very exciting! Made for the AK rifle, BP-02 is a "low mount' design which will place your optic as low as possible to the receiver cover of your Kalashnikov. It is also provided in a handsome non-reflective black hammer finish! This model also uses the fully adjustable and extremely popular "V" base which is designed for use on AK rifles with standard military style stocks. It is guaranteed to fit all variants of AK including Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian AK-100 and Saiga, Vepr, MPK/MTK-01 type side rails, and more. NOTE: Heavy duty rings are now available.

http://tantal.kalashnikov.guns.ru/bstmounts.html

 

[c_yeager]

Threads like this really make me with that i had a side mount on my Mak-90

 

[Father Knows Best]

Mr. Yeager, fear not! Tantal also has side rail kits for your MAK90, complete with excellent mounting instructions. If you buy any of his optics, he throws the rail kit in for something like $19.95.

 

[No_Brakes23]

Have you given any thought to OKO?

http://www.oktarget.cz/kolimatory_en.html

 

[RTFM]

Never knew of them untill now... Thanks.

 

[GunGoBoom]

I just recently got a BP-02 and have a stern warning for you guys. I just discovered that the rail is way too far LEFT of center when mounted - I don't even have enough clicks on my scope to get close to getting it bore-sighted when on a .308 Saiga. Perhaps the 7.62x39 or .223 Saigas and other AKs are 'skinnier' so that it would work with them. ?? A waste of $45 for me however.

 

[c_yeager]

Mr. Yeager, fear not! Tantal also has side rail kits for your MAK90, complete with excellent mounting instructions. If you buy any of his optics, he throws the rail kit in for something like $19.95.

EXCELLENT!!!