Need a scope for my new Colt LE6920..any advice?

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lithnights

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I just pulled the trigger on my first AR15. My Colt LE6920 is on the way and now I want to get a holographic/red dot for it.

I know little to nothing about scopes (I am doing research but still learning) so I'm looking for some help here. My only experience with scopes is shooting a friend's AR15 with an Eotech holographic scope (not sure which model), which I thought was really cool..but about $500 I think.

This scope will be used in the same way as my AR15, which is basically for SHTF situation (self defense), and routine trips to the range to practice. I plan to have this forever.

I obviously don't want to spend a fortune, but if it takes $500 to get a decent scope, I'll do it.

Any suggestions on brands, models, what to look for, what to avoid?

Thanks in advance!
 
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Are you wanting a magnified scope, or a red dot/holographic sight?

If you are wanting it to live forever, you will be around the $500 mark and even above. For red dots/holographic sights, Aimpoint and Eotech are the top contenders.

If you are wanting a magnified scope, I love using ACOGs, but I would not keep a 4x scope on a dedicated defense rifle because it could be a little too much magnification for a close-in defensive encounter. (They are around the $1,000 mark)
 
looking for a holographic/red dot.
Click to expand...

The Aimpoint Pro is a great red dot for a rifle intended for serious purposes. If your were looking for a great red dot for a range toy, the Lucid HD7 is great at 1/2 the price of the Aimpoint Pro.
 
I've had a pretty good time with the Vortex Strikefire @169, they also do a Vortex Sparc @199. Both are lookalike pseudo-clones of their respective Aimpoint influences, only practical downside being that there is .5-1" parallax within 50yds, and zero parallax 51+. Battery ratings are high, but not astronomical like the Aimpoint will be.
 
I have a trijicon reflex II on my social carbine I bought a couple of years ago. It requires no batterys and has no on/off switch. Just pick her up and shoot. I like it alot.
 
Vortex makes good inexpensive equipment. The knockoffs from Primary Arms are decent too. If you want a rock solid piece of equipments that will likely never let you down, go with an Aimpoint. The Aimpoint PRO is really hard to beat for the price.

Personally, I have aging eyes and don't see as well as I used to. Since I don't shoot at anything smaller than a clay pigeon at 100 yards, I run an ACOG TA44S-10 on my AR. The little 1.5X magnification really helps, it's very dependable and it has a reticle similar to that of an Eotech. Of course, the Trijicon costs a lot more than the Aimpoint PRO.
 
Any suggestions on brands, models, what to look for
Click to expand...
Not going to wade into Aimpoint vs EOTech etc - you'll have to make that decision.

I prefer the EOTech, but if you go that route, you might want to consider their newest models with the single CR123 battery mounted transversely. The newer ones are the most compact yet, and word is the transversely mounted battery eliminates (reported?) problems some older models had with recoil affecting battery contact points (recoil in line with the battery).

This may be too pricey for you, but there are cheaper models in the line similar to the XPS3.

BTW-I got mine Jan 2012 from Botach Tactical for $498 delivered (later got $50 back from EOTech rebate). You're on your own with Botach - you'll hear lots of horror stories, but so far, I've never had a problem with 'em.

They often give free shipping and 10% off-EOTech rebates are probably a thing of the past (maybe around Christmas etc?), but make sure you search before buying.
 
The EOTech is what I would look at. The 512 is an excellent deal, to me. Shoots good, AA batteries, get 'em anywhere. Long battery life and it's durable. Once you get used to a holograph, you can't beat it. Lots to choose from tho.. Aimpoint has an excellent rep as well and the PRO is within your price range. So, as usual, it's up to you. Try to shoot some and make a good choice.
 
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Aimpoint PRO is hard to beat. It has a $400 price tag, extremely long battery life and is as rugged as any optic on the planet. EoTech optics just don't do it for me. The reticle is fuzzy, the body of the optic is bulky and the battery life sucks compared to the PRO.
 
I'm ahead of you by about 1 week. After looking at all the options I figured it was better to cry once then twice. I have the same gun and ordered an Eotech 512.

There are so many pros and cons that it will drive you insane. The Eotech has the fastest target acquisition time and a few other things that I liked.

Choose wisely grasshopper, or cry more then once.
 
Wow, great feedback everyone. I really appreciate it.

Sky, thanks for that link. I've already started perusing through it. I did look for existing threads but somehow missed this one. Probably b/c I searched for scope instead of red dot. Learning, learning...
 
Think long and hard 'bout batteries - many folks prefer AA's, but I've been slowly moving to CR123s over the years.
A couple of things to consider regarding batteries:
1. I do NOT use anything but Lithium in my 'spensive toys, since they're not supposed to leak (I've had too many alkalines destroy cheap stuff-not going to take a chance on my expensive stuff).
2. If you do go Lithium, you're not going to save any money by going Lithium AA's - I can get Lithium CR123s cheaper than Lithium AAs.
3. Folks like the fact that AAs are available everywhere - CR123s are becoming more widespread, and since they have a 10-year or more shelf life, why would one not already have plenty of spares at home?
4. Lithiums will work under a much wider temperature range - I have an old Maglite that was in my car's glove box that I cannot get the end off of - alkalines inside, and I'm sure they've leaked (all my glove box lights are now Streamlight PT-2Ls).

All my Streamlight (handheld and weapon mounted) lights use CR123s.
I have a few pocket lights etc with other than CR123s, but all my serious lights are now CR123.
 
I'm a fan of Eotech mainly because it's what I bought years ago and have gotten comfortable with the patform. The new XPS series is the best they've come out with if size is a factor (that's what she said) and what I run on my LMT.

But, I recently picked up a Leupold Prismatic for one of my AR pistols and I'll tell you what, it is very under rated. It's every bit as clear to sight through with both eyes open as other competing optics. It works with or without batteries so BUIS are not a requirement, which saves you $150+ and the weight. It's built amazingly stout and comes with all of the mounting bases you need to set it at the correct height.

I think many people are put off by the objective diameter on the Prismatic but I was astonished at how easy and natural it was to sight through once I had it mounted on the firearm.

I'm not saying it will be the only thing I buy from now on, but I think it should be considered by anyone shopping for high end 1x optics. It has a lot of virtues other sights cannot offer that, IMO, offset it's few shortcomings.
 
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