Which ACOG for AR-15?

[Remander]

With Christmas coming, I have a chance at actually getting one.

My rifle is a Bushmaster M4 AR-15 .223.

I shoot it at the range at 50 yds to 400 yds, but just for kicks. No competition.

I mainly keep the rifle in the corner at home in case SHTF in my suburban 'hood.

Any of you guys who have similar rifles have any suggestions on which model of ACOG you like?

I "think" I like the red triangle versions such as TA39R-2 (3X) and the TA47R-2 (2X), but I am open to any suggestions.

Would love to hear your experiences with any of the ACOG's, including the reflex models.

Thanks for any feedback on ACOG use with an AR-15.

 

[Andrewsky]

If you want to awe your fellow shooters, get one of these:

Elcan C79

They're over $1,000.

 

[aloharover]

I mainly keep the rifle in the corner at home in case SHTF in my suburban 'hood.

Based on this statement I would opt for one of the lower power models.
I have shot the 4x and 5.5x and you can still do both eye open shooting, but closer in I found it more difficult.
Now if you want to be really trick get the high power acog NSN, or TRD/DOC version. I found it very quick to use. Some people might comment negatively on how you loose your cheek weld when using the second optic, but the idea of the red dot is that you are basically doing a quick point and shoot and <100m if the dot is on the tgt I would squeeze the trigger wether my head was on the stock or not.
For longer shots you just settle down and use the ACOG.
I personally like the Cheveron vs the donut. And I love the ranging reticle. All in all the ACOG is a great system. I just wish the .308 reticle 4x was easier to get, I would have one on my FAL in a second.

Shoot me a PM and I can give you a range of pricing.

Pete

 

[Frog48]

For what you describe, a red dot might be a good choice. It doesnt sound like you really need any magnification.

 

[DougW]

My son went with the TA31F 4X on one rifle and an Aimpoint ML2 on the other. He redeployed in late September back to US soil, and he actually has not handled these two rifles yet. He rigged them out based on what he worked with in the sand box. I would probably suggest the dot sight for your use. I have an ML2 on my carbine, and it is fine for CQB type of stuff at 3 gun matches, but I use a 20"HB with a bit bigger conventional scope for the matches, due to the fact that targets can be at 3 to 300 yards, and the stages are timed.

 

[tsidorus]

I had an ACOG on my M4 and swapped it for the EOTECH. If you want magnification just get a flip mount 3x and the best of both worlds, besides the EOtech is much cheaper. I about pooped myself when I looked up the price of the ACOGs. Sure they are nice but I dont think they are that nice. Besides I would see magnification more of a liability than asset in an urban "SHTF" situation. Im sure there are some ground pounders that can speak to this (Im just an aviation guy with no deployment exp so take my advice with a grain of salt)

-Tsi

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

I love the TA31, which is what I have and use.

 

[trbon8r]

I like the TA11F. It is bigger than the TA31, but the extra eye relief on the TA11F was more to my liking.

 

[Zak Smith]

TA11. More eye relief (2.4 vs. 1.5") and larger exit pupil make it overall faster than the TA31 series.
see
http://demigodllc.com/articles/fighting-carbine-optics-short-guide

 

[Double Naught Spy]

My rifle is a Bushmaster M4 AR-15 .223.

I shoot it at the range at 50 yds to 400 yds, but just for kicks. No competition.

My first was a TA11 with a red donut reticle. At 3.5x, I soon discovered just how much magnification that really was and found that it was too much for quick shooting up close (inside 50 yards). There simply wasn't enough field of view. The reticle is 4 MOA which makes for a 2" footprint at 50 yards and that was fine. However, at 400 yards, it is an 16" footprint, or about torso width. For me, that was really a bit too big.

I found the fiber optic to really enhance the reticle for daylight shooting. That was cool. The problem is that in bright sunlight, there would be the issue of "reticle bloom." I sometimes cover it with a piece of tape if it is a bright sunny day and I am not in the shade.

My next one was a TA01 with red reticle. The crosshairs and 4x power made for much better precision shooting at distance and simply did not obliterate as much of the sight picture. The reticle looks like regular black crosshairs in the daylight and glow red at night. I like the red over the whitish of the TA01NSN which has the same reticle.

If you are just plinking, I think the actual crosshair reticles are better. They may not be as fast for getting a quick sight picture as for CQB competition shooting, but as you said, you aren't competing. If I was going to compromise or split the difference, then I think the Chevron of the TA39R might be a good way to go.

FYI, the drop scale reticles are calibrated, I believe, for 62 gr. military ammo fired from a 14" barrel when fired from a level position (not up or down hill). I don't ever seem to be shooting the correct mix of attributes and so the drop scale can be a pretty rough approximation. You may want to verify at just what ranges your rounds hit for each of the tics on the scale. Up close, it won't matter so much, but at 400 yards, it may be significant.

FYI, the TA01NSN iron sights are crap. They are so crude that you will likely be faster and more accurate simply sighting down the length of the rifle. Basically, the sights stick up above the scope and have been made thick so as to not get torn off when they snag on things (and they do) and so the front sight is way too thick and the rear sight's aperture too small for the overly short sight radius.

 

[Zak Smith]

The way to shoot quickly within 50 yards with a TA11 is to keep both eyes open and not look "through" the scope.

 

[strambo]

I was issued a TA31...I think the longer eye relief and a touch less magnification like the TA11 would have been much better. I wasn't complaining though, since I got to use a $1000 scope without spending my money. If the Taliban didn't run away so fast, the tax payers would have really gotten their $$ worth.

 

[dscottw88]

How many different type of ACOG scopes are there? Not including the reflex, or the really really large and long range magnified kind. I'd like to know the pluses and minuses to each, but can't seem to find any graph listing them.

 

[Zak Smith]

http://www.trijicon.com/user/parts/parts_new.cfm?categoryID=3

 

[rero360]

Acogs are great, I'm not a big fan of the Elcan or M145 as I'm used to it, way to much parallax and almost no eye relief. YRMV

 

[possum]

i like the ta31 and the nsn model they are both great and i would be proud to have either one on my personal guns, i use the ta31 at work and it is an awesome accesorie that i can't believe that i lived so long without.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I run a TA11 and I would cast my vote for the TA11F or TA33... both have good eye relief and exit pupil. The TA33 is a like a compact TA11F with a smaller field of view.

 

[IV Troop]

ACOGs are not bad optics but are not particularly flexible. Personally I use a 1.5x5 illuminated Leupold in a Larue mount. On 1.5x it is simply like shooting with a red dot sight. 5x allows for target discrimination.


It has served me very well and I would not trade it for two new ACOGs

 

[KC&97TA]

In the personal inventory, I have a RRA Entry Tactical, all tacticooled, I use an Aim Point Comp M2 and an ACOG TA31F, for optics.

FWIW: the Comp M2 spends 90% of it's time on the rifle, I don't get much time to shoot it out past 50m.

On my issued Weapon a M16M4, is an Aimpoint Comp M4, I didn't have much faith in the longer range ability of the scope, but have been shooting Engineer Stakes out to 324m cold bore, generally I've fired only a hand full of shots past 200m in combat, most engagements have been under 70m. The ACOG more so comes into play trying to reach out past 400m. An Aimpoint when zero'd at 200m puts you 1" high at 100m and 2" low at 300m, so it is still capable if the operator has enough experiance and knowledge to do so, 400m is about a 18" drop if I remember right, which is hard to over come, with out turning the screws. Aimpoint also has a line of magnafiers that add on behind thier scopes.

For up to 400m, I'd advise you to go with the Aimpoint Comp M4, it's the best thing on the market right now, runs on a AA battery, not cheap at $700, but I've watched the military rep bounce the thing of the concrete and it'll still hold zero, my men and I have broke 4 M2's this year, just by the shear volume of rounds we shoot in training men, so far none of us, nor any of my students has broke an Aimpoint (or an ACOG for that matter).

 

[Dienekes]

I put a 1.5 x 24 ACOG *compact*, amber triangle (TA 45, I think) on my BM M4gery with integral carry handle about a year ago. Check the comparative specs out for yourself, but the combination of compactness, light weight, low line of sight, generous FOV and eye relief sold me on it. Haven't run it out past 300 yards (the combo will stay inside a pie plate if I do my part) with M193, but 1.5x isn't as limiting as you might think. As for close range speed, it's very fast.

I looked at a variety of things before choosing this unit--I forked over $700 plus 7% CO tax for it. After a year and about 1500 rounds of regular use I would buy it again in a heartbeat. At twice the price, if necessary. It is one of those rarest of all things--a compromise that does just about everything well.