All posts in Trijicon ACOG

Should you skip steps when teaching people about defensive shooting ?

Ok, yeah, from a scenario stand point there are always variables which can change things, but there are some steps that you should put all of your efforts into transmitting to a new student before  you can take a step back and have confidence they can stand on their own.   First, safe gun handling skills are important, but there are some things that should be taught immediately after that.   I have in several situations had people call me up and ask me where to get a firearm because they were under serious security risks and they had almost zero firearm handing experience.

There is always a balance that needs to be met with each new shooter.  Some people progress faster than others but you really have to watch you don’t skip steps.  Mounting high optics like the Trijicon rifle scopes, namely the ACOGS on a gun may make a novice shooter more proficient but what about close up engagements? Do they know that those crosshairs are going to be several inches above the point of impact if someone was 10ft in front of them?  What would the ramifications of missing by 2 inches ? I can think of scenarios where they could end badly.

Top

Might be our number 1 seller for M4 Carbine optics

We have 1 of the Trijicon TA31F-G ACOGS in stock and it’s been awhile since we’ve been able to get one of these.   For us to acquire Trijicon ACOGS, especially the more popular ones, it usually takes 2-3 months to ge them in.   There have been some major trends away from having  red reticles on combat optics and the Trijicon sales that we are seeing is backing that  up.   This week we sold over a dozen of these Ta31F-G to civillian and law enforcement entitities.   The new kind on the block is the TA26SG because it is so small and compact.

Having the clarity that Trijicon combat optics has puts them in a different category, but having fixed power optics with bullet comp is what puts them over the top.   There is really nothing to dial in on the Trijicon TA31F-G in stock that we are selling and many like the Triangle and green reticle.   The contrast between these optics against a black background really shows the difference between the thin lines that so many crosshairs have and what having illuminated reticles during the day does.   These optics are very fast for medium and short range engagments but give you a fighting chance against targets beyond 400yds.

Top

Color variations as important as camo?

Well, yeah, and that’s one reason i’ve always had a problem with some of the Trijicon ACOGS because they are marketed as combat optics but they make you stand out like a sore thumb in certain environments.  The TA01 is probable what many people consider to be the standard ACOG but many like the idea of having illuminated reticles in day light and there is a major trade off.  If I am deployed in a combat zone,  I want the kill flash and TA01NSN because I don’t want some giant neon strand telling a sniper where my head might be.

If you look closely at what many of our troops are using in Iraq and Afghanistan you will notice that they area very much aware of this.  Many use a rag of some sort oer the optics to limit the visibility.  Its funny that even Trijicon AGOGS as advanced as they are still can still be a liability in combat for the same reason any scope can.   Counter sniping teaches that we can locate any sniper that is in a certain line of sight from us just by the reflection off of his optics.  Even night vision can pick up scope optics at long ranges.  There are always trade offs with firearms and gear.

Top

Scope reticles can make you go crazy

I recently had a friend that is more of a hunter show up at our shop and picked up his first AR15 rifle.   I think it’s fairly common for people to use AR15 style rifles for hunting because there is nothing wrong with using a 10rd magazine and varmint or white tail hunting with one.   There are plenty of places in the Northeast where  you can take deer with a 75gr HPBT and get the job done, shot placement is what it’s all about.  Having a reticle that can give you a little bit of contrast in low light can increase your chances of getting a better shot.   If you don’t have a shot to make, no reticle is going to  help you.

Trijicon optics have very different purposes and even when you are dealing with just red dot optics, there are differences in quality and even just the size.  Too small might be hard to see but our selection of Trijicon Rifle Scopes from the RMR optic that can be mounted on a  handgun or rifle or even the top of an ACOG, to the Trijicon Accupoint rifle scopes.   Bow hunting is even seeing a large number of optics placed on them and this will have a positive impact in areas where there aren’t many places to hunt except for archery or bowhunting.  For a low tech thing like a crossbow, advanced optics gives you much better edge.

Top

Body types and preferences in fit and eyesight

There are a wide range of body types that we deal with when sell tactical clothing and sometimes certain cuts just don’t work out.   Recently we had a huge sale on Woolrich Elite half-zip sweatshirts and we had people tell us they fit them except for the length was too long.   Other people have said they were too tight around the waste.   The truth of the matter is that this is something you really can’t get around.   There are no perfect fitting pants or shirts for everyone.   The tactical market has gotten so big that everyone is going to have to just try things on and find out what works for them.

When it comes to rifles and carbines, gun accessories are going to be customized to your hand size and your arm length.   Magpul gun accessories give you cheek weld options and ever optic including Trijicon Rifle Scopes for sale in our store may need to be adjusted to the shooter.  Everyones face and cheek weld is going to be different and you won’t be a proficient operator unless you know how to adapt your gun to what you find comfortable.   Sometimes you just have to get use to it, but there are always stock extensions or shorting option available.

Top

To each his own combat optics

I have my preferences and I tend to be very traditional when it comes to rifle scopes.   I want thin black lines and I don’t like it when a reticle obscures the target.   Nothing would bother me more than to have a combat optic that covered a target 300yds out that was firing back  at me.  There are a lot of short sighted operators in the weekend warrior crowd that just don’t cut it when they show up at competition shoots.   I see so many people that just lack the proper setup or basic knowledge to engage targets at 300yds +.   Hold overs are real easy when you know what your ammo is doing and you can see your target.

I realize that having an illuminated high visibility reticle means fast target engagements in close quarters fighting, but so does knowing your opic.   The Trijicon TA01NSN is my favorite, not just because of the backup iron sights, but because the reticle is a very traditional skinny line targeting system, I like it.   Those lines are are setup for 62gr SCBT and are very good for giving you 400-600yd shots.   Not all combat shooting is about precision, precision shooting can me slow shooting and that can mean taking on return fire because you aren’t pinning  your target down.

Top

Mounting optics on a battle rifle.

I remember hearing the phrase “don’t put glass on a battle rifle” because it was pretty common in the 1990’s to not have 308 optics that held up to what the FAL and G3 rifles were doing to them.   Many of the battle rifles that were designed in the 1950s and later did not have optics meant for them.  Optics never caught up to combat durability until probable the ACOG  came out.    Even after that the ability to properly mount something like that on an FAL or a G3 style rifle was very difficult.

DSArms still makes the best FAL in my opinion and I own several of them but I have had some issues with the mounts they sell.  After about 3000rds i had a mount come loose and it’s caused me to second guess the design.  The one thing I really like about Trijicon Rifle Scopes especially the Trijicon ACOG is that they can be much easier to mount.   The Trijicon ACOG has a mount that can be screwed on and there is no worry about the reticle turning on you.  Everything will be level right from the get go.  Loctite still has to go on everything that screwd in, but it’s nice to not have to worry about that one thing.

Top

Visibility and profile of firearms

With all of those new hi-visibility gun sights out there the look of the traditional firearm is changing.  It’s not that uncommon to see a firearm like an AK with bright green, yellow or red sights.   Changing the sight color of your gun may dramatically speed up your target acquisition.   I really don’t mind people doing something like this because it’s better than putting optics on your firearm.  Some of the small red dot optics like the RM1 from Trijicon are nice, but they still make holstering the firearm or carrying a firearm like this a little too bulky.  If there was a way to get the sights to fold down, that would be a better setup.

Folding pistol sights would be something that I would love to see some day, if they can do it for a carbine they should be able to do it with a handgun.  Trijicon Rifle Scopes have varying profiles and some of the ones that are used by the military are meant to limit the need for batteries, but there are always trade offs.   I like Trijicon optics, but I do  not like the idea of having a hi-viz target indicator on my carbine and announce where I am.   The TA01NSN is still my favorite ACOG, but been low-profile means less of a chance of getting targeted.   The Trijicon Kill Flash is a much for all owners of Trijicon ACOGS.

Top

Illuminated reticles and night sights

There is much to debate when it comes to low light fighting because as all debates, one change in the situation can alter the entire argument.   Recently I did some not so technical comparisons between some of the Trijicon ACOGS we had in the store and tested them out late at night.  I went from being in a well lit room to walking out into the night and see how the reticles looked.   One thing I did not like about the Trijicon ACOGS at first was going from bright sunny, well light reticle illumination to a dark room with a TA26SG-10.   I was not happy about the 90% change in illumination and for an instant I could not see the reticle when entering a room.

That is one argument I still use when boasting about my Eotech selection of combat sights.  The changes in illumination from the Trijicon Rifle Scopes that are meant for combat is something that you need to train for.   I also tested out the Trijicon TA01NSN to see how that worked in low light.   Once again I went from a well lit room with those nice dark black reticles to nighttime and the center most reticles began to glow.   What I did not like about this optic and reticle configuration was that even in low light, there is still light and the glowing reticle was not easy to see against street lights.   Another issue for reticles that have varying contrasts in different lighting.   If there was a way to regulate the changes in lighting that might make the Trijicon ACOG an even better optic.   Consistent lighting from an optic can mean something.  I am starting to like the Trijicon TA31F-G.

Top

Red Dots on ACOGS

I am really liking the RMR sights not because they look nice mounted on the top of a TA01 optic or a TA31, but because you can put them on just about anything.   The notion of putting a red dot on handguns is a much better idea than laser sights in my opinion because I do not think people will take as long to track a target with this sighting system.   Handguns are hard enough to shoot in tight groups a better sighting system than irons gives you something easy to see with old eyes and low light environments.   It will take less training to teach a novice to use a firearm with a sighting system like this.

If you really want to dress your M4 Carbine down and have a light and fast optic, the RMR system by itself might be good enough for you.  The RM01-33 can be mounted on a Picatinny rail system and the RM01-34 can be mounted on a Weaver system.  There are plenty  Trijicon rifle scopes  out there but don’t over look the simplicity of  a small and compact optic system that doesn’t add too much weight to your weapon.  The trend is towards lighter and faster firearms and optics are moving in that direction too.

Top
1 … 3 4 5 6 7 … 11 Page 5 of 11