All posts in Scopes

Eotech range report on the 512

The newer Eotech gun sights are all being made with the power buttons on the left side and not in the back.  If you have the older models, you’ll probable have some issues like I did with the Eotech Magnifiers.   I had to leave a bit of a gap between mine just so I would be able to get  my hands in between them to turn it off and on.  The way my present M4 Carbine setup is, I can still use the older models, but It should does make it easier to just use your left hand them (if you are right handed) to turn the power up and down.   The magnifiers really make a difference, but its one of those never ending responses  I get about “Couldn’t I just have got an ACOG for that price?”

Sure you could, but you’ll have a lot of trouble using a Trijicon ACOG in short ranges.   If you look at the ranges most engagements take place in, there is almost no need for magnification.   A few friends of mine that were in Iraq said the Trijicon ACOGS they had came in real handy to spot wires from roadside bombs.   The Eotech sights you the widest field of view of any optic I know of and that makes rapid engagements of multiple targets very easy and fast.  Getting the first hits in is more important that how tight your groups were.

Top

Making a rifle into a DMR

The term Designated Marksmen Rifle has been around for a long time, but in the last 8yrs it has really made a comeback.   When the United States invaded Iraq, there was more street fighting and urban engagements that in the first Persian Gulf War.   I remember making some comments to a few friends about what we will see evolved with the military now that we actually have boots on the ground.   We expected to see the M16 replaced by now, but according to many sources, the piston driven versions of the M16 are in service in Special Forces and some branches.  Even rumors that the H&K 416 was used to kill Osama Bin Laden.

You can make any rifle into a Designated Marksmen Rifle.    In my opinion it usually means putting a higher magnification optics like a Trijicon ACOG or  Leupold Rifle Scopes on them.   If you have a good enough operator behind a weapon the standard M16A2 can be a very leathal weapon out to 600yds, especially with the right type of ammo.   There are some really good rounds for longer engagements, but the .308 is probable a better choice.  There are many times where a bad guy sticks his head out and it’s too hard to get them with an M4 Carbine.   The LWRC REPR is probable the nicest .308 gun designed for this role that is actually a few pounds lighter than it’s predecessors.

Top

Some time with the Eotech Flip to side Gen 2 magnifier

I have been using one of these on my LWRC M6A2 for several months now.  It’s taken me awhile to get to where I am at with using it, but it was a learning experience.   When I first looked at these I was trying to decide if I should get an Eotech magnifier or the Mako magnifier.   I figured I would start out with the higher end and work my way down.  The first thing that hit me was the cost of the Eotech 556 I have and the Magnifier were the same as some of the Trijicon rifle scopes that I have been looking at.

I’ve learned to keep my guns in a configuration that they are meant to be in, and M4 carbine is meant for close up fighting so why turn it into a long range shooting weapon.   Eotech gun sights are my favorite for close fighting but there are major drawbacks to using them at medium ranges and in low light environments.   The magnifier gives you that medium range visibility and  helps ID targets and become more effective at hitting targets. with the flip to side mount, it takes a second to go back to close range shooting.  Definitely worth it in my book.

Top

One of my favorites from Trijicon

There are a great many combat optics you can float on your boat, but much of what I like is the dressed down versions.   I still have pretty good eye sight for my age and I find many of these red dot and reticles to blur or obscure  targets and that just pisses me off at times.   I’ve done enough steel plate shooting to know that you can’t see steel plates at 200yds unless they are in broad sunlight and or have a strong contrasting background.   I learned this while looking forward to a day of shooting with my primary firearms instructor when he took me to his Class III friendly range.

I get bored shooting handguns and moved over to the steel Carbine range and starget plinking.   I couldn’t ID a 6″ plate at 100yds with an Eotech and the Red Dot I had on a 10/22 was just as difficult.   I recently picked up a few Trijicon ACOGS and have various Carbines with the Trijicon TA01-NSN.  These optics give you 4×32 visibility and also have backup iron sights mounted on the top.  I believe Trijicon is re-thinking the way they mount sights for CQB on the top of the Trijicons, but the NSN works well.  The drawback to the ACOG is that it isn’t as good in close up fighting, but you can’t beat iron sights for short ranges.

Top

Looking for a good optic for an AK?

I have definitely evolved in my tastes for firearms over the years, but all of us have a starting point and grow from their.   I have always had a lot of respect for Russian semi-autos, because they just don’t have the maintenance issues that many European firearms have.   One of the biggest draw backs to the SKS and AK style rifles is the scope options.  These firearms were never really meant to be shot with optics and with something like the SKS, the mounts are usually part of the top of the bolt covering and once you take this off for cleaning, the rifle will loose it’s zero.  I know a few people that have welded mounts on SKS rifle because they used them for hunting.

The SKS can make a good medium range DMR gun because it can be more accurate than an AK and it’s longer flatter design is easier to shoot off the ground.   The Trijicon rifle scopes that I like for the AK though are the Trijicon TriPower optic this isn’t like the Trijicon Acogs.  This give you 3 options for illumination, one for daytime use and power regulation, low light use and one with a battery backup.   Getting this mounted on an AK gives you a better optic than what you find at gun shows and with Trijicons reputation on combat optics, you’ll have nothing to worry about.

Top

Changes in combat optics are around the horizon

There have been many changes in recent years away from the tradition long tube rifle scopes.   There has been a steady trend away from magnification and most combat optics are now either zero magnification or less than 4x.    There are many things that I wish they made, but technology is not there yet, but it soon will be.  I love the Eotech gun sights, but the dependency on batteries is a major drawback.   The Eotech magnifier is so popular that many are using them with Aimpoint optics.   The wide object and fighter plane combat gun sight really make the Eotech a great close up fighting optic.

There are a lot of preferences  out there and it’s another one one those age old debates, but it’s really all about what you are going to  use a combat optics for which makes it worth the price.  Trijicon ACOGS have had many changes and I often have to refer to the Trijicon catalog to remember all of the changes.   I’ve heard rumblings that the ACOG DOC sights aren’t being made anymore or they are going to be modified because they keep getting sheered off.  It kind of reminds me of the guys bitching about Blackhawk Serpa holsters that got sheered off during a police chase.

Top

Updating a battle rifle with optics

I have on numerous occasions watched people try and turn their AR15 rifles into sniper rifles and long range shooting rifles.   The AR15 has become so modified that it’s really hard to say what it’s limitations are because their are many things that it can do if modified.    I remember when the M1A ruled competitions, but now it’s really hard to find them anymore.   There have been many long range shooting modifications that have made the AR15 a 1000yd rifle.  One thing the AR15 is really known for doing well is being accurate.  I jumped on that bandwagon a few years ago and enjoy the ones that I have.  One thing that the AR15 in .223 is also known for is lack of penetration on hard targets.   With the invasion of Iraq, there have been numerous stories of guys not  being able to shoot through concrete walls to get a BG that was just about a foot on the other side.   The AR15 with M855 or SS109 can penetrate steel at reasonable ranges, but when it comes to taking 300yd shots at hard walls, it is out of gas.

Considering what the M855 round can do as far as penetration, it’s no weakling when it comes to punching through targets, but that energy gets to be useless on anything other than flak jacket type armor.    The M1A or the .308 for that matter is an over kill at close ranges under 200yds and it’s going to do much more than what an AR15 or M16 can do, but when  you get out to 300yds + good rifles scopes, accurate rifles and a .308 are going to hit targets harder, punch through targets harder and save the guys carrying the M4 rifles a lot of ammo and get the job done.    Mounting optics and finding really good and fast bullet compensator on the glass shouldn’t slow you down and will help you get fast target acquisition at medium ranges.

Top

Tactics and gear for the DMR

I guess I’m an old man if I can remember a time before gun forums, but now that Twitter and Blogging has seemed to surpass the usefulness of those discussion forums, modern technology and accessories are sometimes hard to figure out until they’ve actually been fielded for some time.  I’m just starting to realize the importance of having some of the handguards, rifle stocks, and optics that I presently have on some of my AR15 rifles because now that I’m getting more time on the range, I realize that what I am using is really the best configuration for close up fighting.

I remember all of the squabbling I got on a firearm forum for wanting to put a rifle scope on a DSA FAL rifle.   Many use to think  that putting “glass” on a battle rifle was a bad idea.    Now that the M14 has been resurrected as the DMR rifle, putting glass on a battle rifle seems like the best purpose.  Trijicon ACOGs have shown up on many of the former scopeless battle rifles and that 2 MOA rifle can be very effective out to 800 meters if the shooter is up to it.   I have found that for most purposes, I really don’t need more than 3x magnification, but for longer ranges, the M14 or FAL is capable and worthy of more magnification.

Top

Is it time to upgrade your Eotech gun sight?

I finally got on the M4 Carbine bandwagon about 6 years ago after many years of shooting without being much of a black gun enthusiasts.   I jumped on the piston driven carbine wagon and I’m glad I did.   I’ve been getting lots of good feed back from my friends and LWRCI about the Carbines that I own, but I have also shot many DI guns from Daniel Defense that are 100% reliable under extreme conditions, well extreme AR15 conditions.   If you want fast you gotta go with an AR15 platform, there are other nice 556 guns, but the AR15 is really pretty darn close to perfection when it comes to versatility and comfort.   Reliability is something that Magpul Pmags and modern technology has done with drastic leaps.

The Eotech gun sights I used years ago are still working today, but I’ve gotten a little tired of trying to turn them off and on when I have a magnifier in the way.    The side mounted buttons on the newer Eotech make that a non-issue.   I am also having problems with the new magnifier not because of it’s weight or durability, but that it is not compatible with some rear flip up sights.   I have to mount my magnifier a few notches forward of where I want to  place it because it does not clear the rear sight if I move it back.   Time to do some tweaking on the fastest AR15 guns I own.

Top

The reality of gunfights is you rarely need magnification

I took a Carbine course at a western, PA gun club over the weekend and I did it just because I like to take them to observe the students progress from novice shooters to the next advancement.    Many of the Carbine classes I have taken were what I considered to be somewhat below my level of shooting, but since I often get asked to sit in on instructors, I get more than a few  opportunities.   Having the right attitude is something I look for because being in the business world, it is something that I often see lacking, I’ve seen students remove themselves for classes because gear went down and they were so ashamed of the malfunctions that they walked off.   It makes me think these individuals really lacked will power and i wouldn’t want to be in a crisis situation with them.

There is such a thing as a more durable firearm, but there are many things that I have seen people do to less expensive firearms to toughen them up.   Replacing extractors and working parts can give you a good leap forward.   The Trijicon rifle scopes that use to see on the range don’t seem to have the authority that they  use to.   They are still one of the best accurate shooting combat optics, but now that we are 10yrs into close quarters gun fighting in the Eastern part of the world, close quarters combat rarely needs more than iron sights, a red dot or an Eotech.  Taking a step back from the 4x optics is something that should be considered.

Top
1 … 11 12 13 14 15 … 19 Page 13 of 19