All posts in Scopes

Understanding optics and reticles

There is so much back and forth behavior when it comes to accessorizing AR15 guns and and the optics that go on them.  Luckily I was not in the category of people that spent $1000 on optics and then switched to something else later.  I was smart enough and had enough life experience and also a very small amount of money in a bank account so I started off with an AR15A2.   I still believe that after starting a new shooter out on a 22lr rifle preferable a  bolt action, once a shooter can handle a 22lr gun, the AR15A2 is the next best step.

When it comes to not having a  lot of money to spend but you know you want serious equipment, it really comes down to Trijicon, Aimpoint and Eotech.   There are pros and cons of each but none of them will do everything.  Trijicon Rifle Scopes and give you a very wide range of optics for hunting and combat but to this day the Eotech still holds its own for close up fighting and fast shooting.   In close range fighting zero magnification is the best but there are some options like the TA26 which is 1.5x magnification and gives you a light edge over zero mag.   This may mean the difference between identifying a weapon from a cell phone at reasonable close ranges.

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Not sure what combat optic to put on your M4?

If you know you want a fighting optic on your gun but you don’t know which one to get, well put your thinking cap on and do the Think Think Think that Winnie the Poo does.  Do you want a close up fighting gun for home defense, house clearing or do you want to shoot your reloads through it and do some long range shooting.   There is no such thing as a do it all optic yet, but there are multi-use combat optics.   The real problem you will have if you don’t figure out what you really want is a heavy or bulkier than necessary firearm.

Some combat optics like the TA01NSN-RMR can be very bulky but they are worth their weight in gold if you need something like that.   The Trijicon TA01NSN is a dressed down version of that but can eliminate the need for adding on backup iron sights.  It’s our call if you want that extra backup, but this particular ACOG already gives you a backup option.  I have friends that get MOA with the iron sights on this optic so you’ll have to realize that the gun is as good as you are.

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Hottest Seller for the M4 Carbine from Trijicon

Sometimes we get a new product from a company that just flat out blows away the previous production line, but recently we have noticed that our most consistent selling M4 Optic is the Trijicon TA01NSN ACOG.   This is probable the most practical setup without over complicating the system and putting higher mounted parts on the already high sitting combat optic.   The Trijicon TA01NSN has backup iron sights for close up fighting.   For those trained with iron sights, nothing gets you back to the basics and away from glass optics that those metal or composite posts.

One of the best things about the ACOG system is the optics come already mounted.  We have all witness some shooters have a really difficult time with long range shooting because the optics they are deploying are not leveled properly.  The Trijicon TA01NSN like it’s fellow ACOGS can come on a carry handle or it’s only mount.  Nothing to adjust with the optic like you have to with scope rings, these optics are already leveled and once they are sighted in they can be removed and should remained zeroed.

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Trijicon TA26S vs the Eotech design

There have been several changes with the Eotech combat optics, but the biggest one is the position of the on and off buttons.   Now they are all being made on the left side because we now know that an M4 Carbines rail system can get pretty crammed up with sights and gear and the best place for the optics was not in the back, but on the side.   When Eotech started to realize that just a little bit of extra magnification was a big deal for a combat soldier, they released the Eotech Magnifiers for slightly over 3x.   This helped soldiers spot wires or identify weapons on and individual even if it only meant getting a better view from 75 or less yards.  And that’s what 3x optics does.

Trijicon is well know for their 3x and 4 power combat optics, and  you can’t beat the ACOG for it’s combat worthyness, but it still is not a close quarters combat optic.   The Trijicon ACOGS are highly visible and if you put Irons on them like the Trijicon TA01nsn, your going to have you head mounted high on the optic, the same goes for any dot sighting system like the TA31ecos-g.    Those are fancy combat optics, but try fighting out a window and you’ll be wishing for something smaller and compact.   The Trijicon TA26SG-10 is has a shorter housing and is lighter and gives you a lighter Carbine in the end.   The Trijicon TA26SR-10 is the same thing with a red reticle.

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Rogue Elite is now a Trijicon Showcase account

We’re proud to announce they that Rogue Elite is now a Trijicon showcase account.   This means that when you stop by you’ll get to check out more and more of the items that we have listed on our website and we’ll be a full line stocking dealer.  Everything from night sights to scope mounts and Trijicon ACOGS and Accupoint rifle scopes.

One thing that has kept Trijicon rifle scopes about the rest is that Trijicon optics don’t need  batteries like other rifle optics do.   Trijicon rifle scopes are making grounds in the hunting community and was one of the first to introduce green reticle rifle and military scopes.   There is a very big difference in certain environments when it comes to the styles of reticles and green reticles have really caught on.  Keep an eye on our new showroom because it’s getting bigger and better every month.

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Red vs Green reticles

Last fall i picked up my first crossbow which was a Horton Vision Crossbow.  I got it at Cabelas for about $850 as a Combo with a nice optic with an illuminated reticle and bolt compensator.   This was a very unique crossbow and definitely the most quiet.    At first the illuminated reticle seemed to be secondary to me, but it had an option to be green or red.   I didn’t understand the level of thought put into the optic until I started using it in the woods.   The green reticle was probable the best one in the brown and yellow woods I was in and I stuck with that for the entire day.

The newest and probable best selling optic we have right now is the Trijicon 1.5×16 ACOG.  This is a Mini ACOG and will can be used with traditional ACOG mounts, but there is a smaller more appropriate mount for it.   Trijicon ACOGS tend to be a medium range optic, but these 1.5×16 give you a minimal amount of magnification, but zero battery use.  There are other reticles available besides the red ring and the green ring, but the green ring reticles are now the most popular selling although many of our LEO are still using the red reticles.

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Dots, Chevrons, Crosshairs and horse shoes

Rifle scopes  and gun optics have gotten easier to use in some regards, but the diversity of the reticles from various manufacturers is something that is starting to give me a headache.   Things were much simpler when it was about a thin crosshair a duplex, European reticle with a pole, illuminated reticle, dot or Eotech gun sight.   Its far more complicated now, but somebody finally realized that not all rifles are designed for the same thing.   When ACOGS started getting a lot of notice and showing up on a firing range I was in awe, but then I realized that the eye relief on them was a limiting factor in close range fighting and you really might want to keep those iron sights on the gun just incase.

I really don’t like deviating from thin crosshairs on a rifle scope because I’ve already seen one too many time that many reticles can obscure your target and what is the point of not being able to see an enemies head pop out behind a tree at 200yds  because your red dot is blocking the entire target.   If you get a CQB optic you may be limiting your rifle scopes ability to see further out and now you’ve got a problem with medium to longer range targets.   The TA01NSN will always be my favorite Trijicon ACOG just because you can quickly transition from glass to iron sights with very little movement.  Mechanical devices like the Eotech magnifier are nice but that is one more thing that can break or come loose on your gun when a simpler approach might be a better option.

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Do you have a favorite combat optic?

I think it’s safe to say that if it comes down to the wire, it’s between Trijicon, Aimpoint and Eotech.   I’m still amazed at how well Eotech holds their own even though we are on the verge of a technological shift with gun accessories.  The first combat optic that impressed me was the Leupold CQT because it gave you an optic that was meant for close up fighting that didn’t get dead on  you when the batteries died.   The CQT is a nice optic but nobody gives you the field of view that the Eotech gun sight gives you.   Field of view in a gun sight means faster target acquisition.  It only takes a 2 second test on a firing range.

Even at ranges under 100yds you still might be at a disadvantage with anything other than an Eotech.  There is one optic that I think is my favorite other than the Eotech.   The Trijicon TA01NSN  gives you the medium range gun fighting ability, but the trusty iron sights mounted on the top get you back to the basics.   If you learn to shoot properly with both eyes open your field of view is as good as your eyes and this is something that can get lost in the realm of combat optics.   Don’t forget to keep your iron sights on your M4 Carbine.  It might be tempting to just put a scope on it, but the what ifs do happen.

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Something to consider for AK optics that’s new

I’ve gone through many trends with firearms and optics.   Most people start out with iron sights and a bolt action but there is nothing wrong with starting someone out with an AR15A2 style gun.    In my opinion all combat firearms should have backup iron sights on them and every AR15 style carbine has that option.   Some firearms do not handle optics very well, especially many of the battle rifles that came out of the NATO Countries in the last century.   Optics have gotten stronger, but some mounts just don’t hold up in the real world.   The AK style of firearms were very limited with the types of optics that  you could mount on them.  If you have a side rail you would have to worry about some serious cheek weld issues due to the heights of various optics.

I recently watched a video on the Personal Defense Network where Rob Pincus goes over some improvements that you can make to the AK rifles to improve the ergonomics.   One optic that I have fallen in love with recently is the Trijicon ACOG 1.5×16 ring and dot.  You can get them in red or green ring and in my humble opinion, these optics give you a real reason to not get an Eotech gun sight.   The Eotech will give you a larger field of view, but the 1.5 magnification gives you a little help in identifying something just a little further out.  The red ring has more clarity than the Eotech gun sight and didn’t have the haze that some optics give you.

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Eotech magnifier gives you distance

We’ve heard time and time again from our friends and customers that are serving in the military that the Eotech gun sights are the fastest combat sights around.  I recently got to check out some of the optics coming from Trijicon and they are really making some nice 1x magnification gun sights also.   It’s been over 2 decades that the ACOGS have been around, but it seems that just about everyone and their dog has them on an AR15 and in many cases, the Trijicon ACOG is a bit of an over kill depending on the gun sights that you are using.   We got a first hand account today about a guy using a Trijicon gun sight in a police call that identified an individual that was thought to have been holding a gun.  Someone with a standard Eotech gun sight could not identify an object in his hand and there was a call to shoot.

The only real drawback to the Eotech gun sights besides magnification are the batteries they are using.  Some people have issues with the CR123 Eotech sights, and mostly want the AA battery versions.   At some point someone from Eotech is going to have to come out with a non battery illuminated version of the sight because given the trends and technological advancements I have seen in the last decade, anything that is battery powered now is going to be obsolete in the near future.   Flashlights are going to get better when it comes to being rechargeable and holding power and gun sights should be self illuminated or controlled without battery power.

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