All posts in Scopes

DMR’s and Target ID

Trijicon ACOGsI recently watched a History Channel episode about the UZI and why the Israeli’s moved away from larger rifles like the FAL before most of the European Countries stuck with the G2 and FAL as primary rifles during the Cold War.   With the Foundation of the State of Israeli, urban engagements were the norm and even though the terrain would allow for longer range engagements the FAL proved to be an over kill and was not very well liked.   One of the soldiers mentioned that the FAL was a better sniper rifle but not very good for close engagements because of the recoil and weight of the rifle.   I would agree with that but the biggest draw back I find with the FAL is that it’s not very good for mounting optics.  I’ve had screws sheer off on my mounts after several thousand rounds of ammunition.

Now there are several reliable 7.62 battle rifles that are more easily become a Designated Marksmen Rifle and there are a lot of sturdy, yet expensive optics that better suit the ballistics of the 7.62 round.  Normally, the first step up from red dots and holographic sights are the Trijicon ACOGS because with a minimal amount of magnification at 3.5-4x you are going to to be able to better use of the round.   Trijicon has advanced to another level beyond the ACOG to the VCOG which also claims to be the first focal plane optic.   A designated marksmen has the role of being to engage targets at medium ranges and do the job that the 5.56 round doesn’t do as well.  I have had numerous stories from guys returning from Iraq that have mentioned that they used the magnification from their optics to ID wires that ran across streets to planted IED’s and that’s where Red Dots and Iron Sights don’t cut it.

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The Red Dot Market

Trijicon RMR sightsWe have been adding more and more products to our website in the last year, moving from 18,000 products to well over 31,000 products in 12 months.   When you are cater to the broad customer base that we do, it’s really easy to expand your product line, but the one thing we don’t want to do is expand it with 2nd rate products.   We have people driving up to 3hrs to stop in our store because some of the products we sell like Trijicon, Aimpoint and Eotech and Surefire can sometimes be pricey products to buy online when you haven’t been able to look through it and know for you sure that it’s the correct item for your AR15  or Glock firearm.  Some products like Eotech and Aimpoint have some moderately price optics that have a very good entry level that aren’t crap.

Our phone and email boxes are loaded with new products from various companies going to SHOT SHOW out in Las Vegas that are asking us to stop by their booth, but if we never heard of their Flashlights or Optics, we’re really not that interested in deviating from staples like Trijicon RMR sights , ACOGS,  Aimpoint red dots and Eotech sights.    We have a good selection of the Eotech 512 and 516  optics as well as the Aimpoint Patrol Optics inbound because the reputation of these optics that have been battle proven insurmountable.  Thee optics work well on Russian AK rifles, Remington 870 shotguns, Mossberg 500 and AR15 variants.

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Trijicon ACOGS too much magnification?

Trijicon ACOGSFor many in the Law Enfocement community, it’s really all about zero magnification which is why the Aimpoint Patrol Rifle optics and the Eotech 512 are so popular.  Since some of the local police departments are so well financed compared to others in the State of Pennsylvania, we have been getting asked for more and more tactical optics.  The Trijicon ACOGS are a little too much for most Law Enforcement not only because of the 4x optics but because they cost too much for many Cops.   We recently have moved more towards the RMR red dots and the Trijicon SRS sights to see how people locally would like that and we even kept a few of the TA26SR-10 optics on display with the newer TA44 red and green reticles.

With Trijicon’s Map Pricing policy, many of these optics are not sold out of our store for local customers compared to what we sell them for online.  The TA44 with a red or a green reticle are really considere mini Trijicon ACOGS since they are 1.5x and are very light weight.   The trend in this industry is still moving towards lighter and lighter optics although many in the Marine Corps or Army still prefer the Trijicon ACOGS that we have.   The TA31F-G is the green chevron but for engagements  under 100yds the Mini ACOGS are a battery less Trijicon optic that is a bit more expensive than a red dot but the circle dot has kind of a cross between the Eotech 65MOA circle dot system but without the batteries.

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Looking for a red dot sight? Why not consider the RMR sights

There are plenty of reason to consider this small compact red dot sight.   Yes it is an expensive optic but we’ve seen Police Departments in our area remove optics from Police Officers in training when they showed up with red dot sights that were made in China or were know to be inferior.  Their exact quotes were that any sight that was not made by Trijicon, Eotech or Aimpoint it must be put under review and may not be approved.   We’ve seen most  police officers stick with whatever they could find in the $400 price range and that usually means an Aimpoint Pro or an Eotech, but many forget to consider the Trijicon RMR sights.  There are many different optics to consider but the RMR has a very long battery life and is very lightweight.

Fiber optics have their limits, battery powered optics have their limits and you have to train to fight if your optics fail you.   The Trijicon RMR sights we sell are flying out the door, primarily the RM08 green triangle.   One of the things you have to consider is the brightness of a red dot and not always the size.   A small red dot with a very bright setting may actually block your view as badley as a larger MOA dot.   Sometimes if you want precision you have to consider going to a lower power setting and not always worry about your red dot size.

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Compact sights that get the job done

eotech sights After you gain experience in Law Enforcement you realize that hits matter more than MOA groups.   I’ve been through so much training and had so much range experience that having an accurate rifle does not mean you are going to win a fight.  There are plenty of bad guys that can’t shoot for shit and they still can kill special forces guys if they spray enough gun fire at them.   Ricochet bullets can kill and even body amour mentions on the trama plates that they can cause ricochets so you know bullets don’t always fly straight.  The trend in recent years has been towards red dots and even though Trijicon, Aimpoint and Eotechs have been around for a long time, there are a lot of variations between all of them.  Many of our customers ask for advice but it’s really about what you want to see and  how you use them.

I personally have a strong preference toward Eotech sights and I’m a big fan of the Eotech EXPS2-0 sight.  I have been using Eotech sights for almost 8yrs and only had one battery issue, but wear and tear has to be expected and most of the big name companies have good warranties so you can send them  in for repairs.  My eyes still pickup the Eotech gun sight better than a red dot because red dots always seem to chase the targets to me.   The Eotech sights do have variations in reticles and for longer range engagements you may want the circle with the 2 dot system.  I am a big fan of the Eotech magnifiers.

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Mounting optics on a combat rifle, what you need to know

Trijicon ACOGS for saleI don’t know how many times I’ve walked into Cabela’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods or some gun shop and  picked up a rifle, whether it was a hunting rifle or a military style rifle and noticed that the scope was not mounted correctly.  So many people lack any gunsmithing or armorer skills that they don’t have the slightest clue how to know if the scope is level.   I usually mount all of my scopes while at a firing range, and once I think i got it, I make a few shots on paper, adjust the elevation about 4 MOA and then take a few shots  more, once I know the elevation is adjust the point of impact up or down, and not moving the way the windage adjustmants would move POI, then I know I got it for sure.  Some people seem to not want to put the effort in and when  they see me hitting steel plates at 400yds, they don’t have the slightest idea how I can do it.

The above mentioned are some suggestions on how to verify you have a leveled scope, but you can make things a lot easier by buying an Eotech or an ACOG.   If you want to make your longer range shooting very easy Trijicon ACOGS for sale are probable the best option for you.  For instance, the Trijicon TA01NSN has bullet comp out to 600yds for the  62GR SCBT or the M855 round out of an M4 Carbine.    You will be able to nail targets ad varying distances just by adjusting where you put the crosshairs.  There are other reticles that you can use for different ranges but all of them are things you will want to research.  The Chevron reticles are fast outselling crosshair reticles.

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Aimpoint vs Eotech vs Trijicon and the various options for short, medium and longer range engagements

eotech sightsWe just filled out dealer listing for the Aimpoint product line and this was based on a large customer base that wanted it.   We were actually contacted directly by Aimpoint to carry their product line because so many people came in here and wanted it.  We usually listen to what are customers are asking for and depending on what it is, we fill out the dealer applications and order what we know is going to move.   The Aimpoint Patrol Optic seems to be the biggest hit and not because it’s something fancy, it’s because it’s not that expensive and it gets the job done.  We still have a large selection of combat optics because our customers are Military, Law Enforcement and even just competition shooters.   The Trijicon optics are higher priced but there are certain levels our customers.

If  you want adjustable power, which is something many law enforcement are asking for, you may want to think about the Trijicon SRS sight or go with the Eotech sights.   The most popular sights right now are the EXPS2-0 and the XPS2-0, these Eotech sights have a more compact look to them and can really help remove the bulk from your AR15.   The Eotech 512 is very popular if you want to stick with AA batteries and don’t want to use a Magnifier but with the Eotech 556 you can have the advantage of having left side access to the adjustable power levels and still access them when using a magnifier.   Various gun  owners that own everything from a Windham AR15 to a Spikes or LWRC M6A2 rifle use Eotech sights, why, because they have good reputations for CQB.

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MBUS Sights, Cowitnessing optics, red dots and magnification

RMR08G-7SIf you are unsure of any of those questions when doing your next AR15 build, you need to spend a few days on youtube.com and learn about each individual trade off and asset.   I had to force myself several years ago when I was working on a new M4 selection, that I wanted a close quarters optic that gave me speed and a wide field of view.  I started out with a Bushmaster XM15E2 which is as basic as you can get with an AR15.  No muzzle brake, just two apertures to choose from and with the right kind of ammo for a 1-9 barrel twist, getting MOA is easy.  That was back in the day of carry handle ACOGS and heavy barrels.  Now the trend has been towards lighter and stronger.

I always felt that the AR15 was a great training tool and even youth can learn marksmenship on it, which in my opinion kind of gets lost when you teach with a scoped rifle.  I have taken some of Ruger 10/22 out with red dots on them, but it’s nice to use the Trijicon RMR sights for sale that we get in and let kids shoot balloons and just have fun.   If engagements on targets are under 50yds, iron iron sights or red dots are just fine.  Some law enforcement officers want some type of magnification even if its just a pair of compact binoculars.  It amazed at the number of people that still revert back to those, but sometimes you need it and sometimes you don’t.   If you got the money, there are some nice multitask combat optics from Trijicon that make good use of magnification and red dots.

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Trijicon ACOGS still relevent with all of those Eotechs and Red Dots around?

Trijicon for saleWe’ve started carrying the Aimpoint optics because so many guys coming in from various police departments were referencing that this was exactly what they were trained to use and since it got the job done, they didn’t need another reticle or optic choice.   Aimpoint optics are in various price ranges just like  the Eotech and the Trijicon optics but they don’t have the same features that Trijicon scopes offer.   We were shocked to see so many new Trijicon optics coming out this last year that all took batteries.  It seems that pointing batteries on a Trijicon optic was a against Trijicon Inc’s religion because the fiber optic cables and the Tritium seem to be the staple of the product line.

What do you want to use for close quarters fighting from the Trijicon product line?   Much of the Trijicon ACOGS for sale on our website are for medium to long range engamenets.  I would consider 600yds to be medium ranges for those in the military while most civilians would consider that to be long range.   The Trijicon TA01NSN is an easy transition for anyone that is use to using iron sights because the top mounted sighting platform is really for close up shooting, even low light due to the Trijitium night sight.  If you are use to using a red dot, the RMR sights and now the extremely popular RMR08-G green triangle dot.  There are many differences in dot sizes and reticle options with the RMR sights.

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Trijicon SRS that diod thing?

Trijicon Reflex SightsYes, we are hearing about it, not everyone is complaining but there is definitely an issue with that reflective square that people are seeing.   Moving in and out of buildings and depending on various power settings you will see it.  Considering the cost of the optic and that the fix is to spend another $100 on this optic, it certainly has hit a cord with some of our potential customers.  I personally think that Trijicon is going to have to make a fix or modification to the optic if they want it to sell in the 2014.  The Trijicon SRS sight compared to some of the other AR15 or M4 red dot reticles is very popular with the competition shooters primarily because they have the money and they are willing to be the first to step in line for a smaller compact new technology optic with a 1.75 MOA dot.

I have always been a fan of the Eotech sights primarily because I like the 65MOA circle around the 1 MOA dot but I can see why people want an optic with longer battery life.  There are some pretty big differences between all of the Trijicon Reflex Sights and it’s up to the purchaser to do some research about them.  Some of the red dots have dramatically different dot sizes and there are pros and cons to using a 2 MOA dot, 1.75 MOA dot, or a 6.5 Amber red dot.  I hear from many of our Police officers about wash outs, or drops in reticle visibility when going from bright light to dark rooms so having variable power settings usually is a plus for house clearing. We’ll see what’s new from Trijicon optics this year at Shot Show but let’s hope for a new generation of Trijicon SRS sights.

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