Use and purposes for rifle optics
Optics have multiple purposes. They can be used for Astronomy, Scouting, birdwatching, target shooting, hunting and military purposes. With the emergency of combat optics for close quarter combat, scopes used on rifles have gotten smaller, more compact and sometimes have zero magnification. The point is to give you a good sight pictures and a reticle that is easy to follow.
Many combat optics like Trijicon and Eotech are 4X or less. DMR or Designated Marksmen are using optics made from Trijicon, Zeiss and Leupold that are combat worth but higher magnification since shooting 300-600 meters is becoming the norm in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Rifle Scopes are no longer made with the standard crosshair reticles and may even come in range finding or illuminated reticles.
Another issue you may run into when using hunting style optics on a military style rifle is this. What are you going to do if the optic fails or breaks? Are you going to need to u se a screw driver to remove it or can you detach it quickly? Quick detach optics and accessories can become very important if you have a failure of some sort. For instance, I’ve seen plenty of incidences where soldiers in Iraq took bullets in their optics but the rifles still worked. Always have backup irons on an M4 is a good idea. Not only can batteries on something like a Eotech gun sight go down, but sometimes that can actually get broken from being slammed around or from fragmentation. The Mini 14 ranch rifle is a very manueverable Carbine. Even though the Eotech optic is primarily for military purposes, I’ve found the Eotech to work very well on a Mini 14 Ranch rifle. The MOA dot works well with a gun that can shoot MOA as long as the rifle barrel has not heated up, which normally occurs after the 3rd shot, but from a hunting standpoint, I rarely know anyone that takes 3 shots on any hunting trip.
There is a point where people have to learn to realize that there are a great many firearms manufacturers out there that are making suberb firearms. I’ve heard people claim that a certain firearm was superior in reliability over another. Well, that is true to some degree, but I’d have to say there are some firearms that are in the top tier category and the durability and reliablity differences may vary in extreme circumstances. Take a Glock 17 and put it up against a Sig 226 and you’ll see what I mean. I’m sure the Glock will reguire less lubrication, but there won’t be much difference in 98% of circumstances.
One problem that any hunter already knew was using too much magnification meant slow target acquisition, especially at close ranges. Field of view is even more important in combat than in hunting. In Combat you may be looking at a bad guys face with your reticle right on him, but 6ft to his right is a guy with his sights right on you that you can’t see. I’d have to say that I belive that 3x-4x is probable the best of both worlds. Trijicon knew that even an optic with zero magnification like the Eotech had an edge in some situations so now they have Trijicon ECOS which has a red dot optic which sits on top of the scope. This will eliminate the problem of magnification in close quarters situations.
Keeping a scope cover on your objective and being aware of your flash is extremely important. I highly recommend a flash kill cover for any combat optics and also suggest a cover for your flashlight. Even something like a red lense will help avoid giving away too much reflection. Flashlights are probable the biggest giveaway in low light even if you don’t turn them on. Next time your at the range, put your rifle on the bench and walk down range and look again. Keep in mind that even though you may be 50-100yds away and wearing camoflauge, your fancy schmancy M4 has various points of reflection and even moonlight will have an impact.
Trijicon has also diversified their optics for hunting and target shooting. The Accupoint optics are low-variable power optics that give operators some level of magnification, but still have the speed that Trijicon optics are known for. The Accupoint reticles come in red triangle, Amber dot, Green triangle, and green dot. These have started to show up on bolt action rifles and DMR used in the military. They are reasonable priced and all under $1000 dollars.
For CQB some may prefer zero power optics and just a dot, but for people looking for something that doesn’t rely on batteries and can be used for fast target engagements out to 600yds+. I’m starting to see a lot of M1A and FAL owners swapping out the standard 3-9×40 optics and slapping on the Trjicon Accupoints.ll models in the AccuPoint Series operate battery free—eliminating the potential for failure during critical moments in the field. They also feature Trijicon’s Manual Brightness Adjustment Override, which allows you to control the light output of the fiber-optics during daylight. AccuPoint® riflescopes include other advanced elements like multi-layer coated lenses for superior light transmission with no distortion, quick-focus eyepiece, long-eye relief, and precise windage and elevation adjustments.
Competitive shooters that are looking for rapid engagement optics, bullet comp for fast holdovers should look no further. When you’re engaged in a firefight or defending an established position, you want a battle-tested partner at your side. Trijicon®, the world leader in self-luminous Brilliant Aiming Solutions™ can supply that partner — the Trijicon ACOG®®. In fact, the 4×32 model ACOG® was chosen by the U.S. Special Operation Command (USSOC) as standard issue for all Special Operations Forces.
These are truely the fastest weapon engagement optics on the planet. The ACOGs combine traditional, precise distance marksmanship with close-in aiming speed. Although the ACOGs have many features which are very advantageous for military use, they were developed by Trijicon without government funding.