As
a general rule, you get what you pay for when it comes to optics...
Red
Dot Scopes:
I have experience with the Aimpoint M2 (~ $400) red dot scope. A
red dot type optic is commonly used on semi-automatic rifles like
AR15's, MP5's, FAL's and I have even seen these used as a backup optic
on bolt guns like the Remington 700. This is a very high quality
scope that is meant to be used with both eyes open. The idea here
is to be able to come up on target quickly (target acquisition) and be
able to fire accurately without losing your field of view (both eyes
open). I have found that my groups have improved a great deal from
using this sight on an AR when shooting for accuracy. The Aimpoint
comes with flip up lens covers which should be repositioned so that when
they flip open the lens cover flips down, otherwise they tend to get in
your way and obstruct your field of view. This sight uses a
battery to power the sight and project the dot, other sights use
Tritium. The battery life is quite good, at its lowest setting the
battery supposedly lasts 10 years. The spare battery compartment
that Aimpoint sells just holds a spare, it does not provide any power to
the sight. There is no off button on this sight, you simply move
the brightness setting of the sight to its lowest setting when you are
done using it. I have used this sight in temperatures as high as
112F degrees. This site have proven to be tough as nails..
I
have used other head up type sights as well, but I prefer the Aimpoint.
The technical specifications for the Aimpoint M2 can be found here on
their website. Other brands
that fellow shooters tend to like are EOTech and Trijicon Reflex.
For mounting the sight, I like the A.R.M.S #22M68 Comp Throw-lever Ring
(~ $100) and the A.R.M.S #22M68-SP full spacer (~ $10), not the half
spacer. This setup allows me to "co-witness". This
means that I can utilize both the iron sights and the Aimpoint at the
same time and the red dot lines up with the iron sites. There are
less expensive options out there if this sight is not within your
budget. If you are strapped for cash, check out the red dot optics
made by Hakko.
Flip-up
Rear Sights:
I like the A.R.M.S. #40 (~ $100) flip up rear A2 sight for use on flat
top AR uppers. When mounted all the way to the back of the flat
top rail, the sight can be deployed quickly with the flick of the thumb
or finger. This sight is very solid and well made. The only
complaint I have about this sight is the smaller aperture is not
standard and the top of it is cut off. This supposedly allow
the shooter to use the sight easier at longer distances, I don't like
it. Apparently they have a model called the #40A that uses a
standard A2 sight, but I did not know it existed when I bought mine.
I replaced the aperture on the A.R.M.S #40 with the standard aperture on
the A2 rear sight for about $10. To do this, remove the pin on the
windage knob with a punch and unscrew the windage knob. This is a
simple 20 minutes process.
Rifle
Scopes: I have had very
good luck with the Leopold "Tactical" Vari-XIII®
3.5-10X40mm Long Range M3 with the mil dot reticule (~ $830) .
Leupold has top notch customer service by the way. Here are the
product highlights from the Leupold website:
"Incorporating
the best features of the Mark 4 M3 and Vari-X III®
scopes, the Leupold Vari-XIII®
3.5-10x40mm Long Range M3 features M3-style adjustment dials that
are specially calibrated and interchangeable for bullet drop
compensation. Adjustment increments of 1 MOA elevation and ½ MOA
windage allow for easy adjustment. A side parallax adjustment dial
allows parallax elimination from a shooting position."
What
I like about this scope is that it has always returned to zero for me.
For example, assume a rifle has a 100 yard zero. If I take a shot
at 100yds (0MOA) then increase the elevation knob to 5MOA then put the
elevation back to 0MOA (the 100 yard zero) the bullet goes in the exact
same place as my original shot. If your scope will not return to
zero, then you will become frustrated and ultimately miss your shot.
I did not find that the Vari-X II®
model scopes returned to zero on a consistent basis, hence the
move to the Vari-X III®.
In addition, the scope comes with a variety of bullet drop compensators
for popular rifle rounds. You put the bullet drop compensator on
the scope that matches the caliber of your rifle and the elevation
adjustments are pre-calibrated for you.
I
have found that the M3 model (as opposed to the M1 model which uses 1/4
minute elevation and windage adjustments) with its 1 minute elevation
adjustments is easy to manage in the field. Although the M1 allows
you to make finer elevation adjustments, the number of
"clicks" you need to make when switching between different
distances can be confusing. For example, with the M3 I only have
to move the elevation knob one "click" whereas with the M1, I
would need to move the elevation knob 4 clicks to make the same
adjustment. At 1-3 hundred yards this is no a big deal, but when
you move from shooting at 800 yards to shooting at 200 yards you can see
that the number of clicks adds up quick.
Spotting
Scopes: The
main things I look for in a spotting scope are quality weight and size.
I like Kowa scopes and they well made. The model I have experience
with is the TS-502 20X (~ $170). This model is a fixed power at
20X, lightweight and compact. I have carried this scope in the
field all day and it is not too heavy or too big to fit nicely in to my
day pack. I have found that for shooting, anything more than a 20X
(20 power) scope limits the field of view too much to be effective.
Mirage can also be a problem with scopes greater than 20X. This
spotting scope is one of the better values I have seen. I mount
the scope on a $20 camera tripod I picked up at a local camera shop.
The tripod can be adjusted from 12 inches to 36 inches and is made of
aluminum so it is very light. Some Krylon camo paint has done a
good job at making it blend in.
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