All posts tagged AK optics

Reticles it’s not always how you think it works, Trijicon RMR Options and circles, triangles and dots

Trijicon RMR Sights

I have noticed a trend towards the triangle reticles since some red dots can look real fuzzy and one thing that Trijicon Red Dots don’t have are blur.  Clarity is something that Trijicon can alway praised about.   Horeshoe reticles give you the ability to see through your aiming point and hold a target within the reticle as opposed to putting the red dot or crosshairs on the target.  Sometimes this is a faster way of engaging a target and it was probable some of the Elcan optics that I shot with that I originally started seeing “hollow” reticles.   If you have a triangle reticle like the Trijicon RMR08G, you can still have pin point precision by using the top of the triangle for your zero and holding the triangle over center mass.  It pays to look through optics to see what you feel comfortable with, one down side to the ACOG models are the eye relief but the larger TA11’s tend to much more friendly.  Either way, you might have to learn to adapt to the optic if  you have a certain expectation from it.

I am often learning how to use various optics because every manufacturer designs an optic a certain way, but so many people don’t read the manual or know the specs.   Some of the Trijicon ACOGS are designed for 55gr flying out of a 20inch barrel, some people won’t know the difference but anyone shooting steel plates at a distance are going to notice it.   The Trijicon TA01NSN is meant for an M4 with a 14.5 inch barrel with the 62gr SCBT round.   There are always variations with those bullet velocity due to the quality of the manufacturer but if you shoot something like M193 or American Eagle 55gr you’ll do well with what your ACOG was traditionally designed for.   If you know what your bullet is going to do at a certain distance you can always learn holder overs, but being able to do range estimations and fast shots isn’t going to be easy unless it’s designed into your reticle.   Just like some people start off with a zero magnification optic like Aimponts and Eotechs, you can buy an ACOG and get the mount for an RMR at a later time.  Like always, Trijicon RMR sights will cost you the same as most optics, but I can’t think of anyone that comes close with this dual platform.

 

Top

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.

Top

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.

Top

Trijicon SRS sights for sale!

Trijicon SRS sights for saleLet’s start off talking about close quarter combat optics and why they are meant for close quarters.   First of all, you are going to want a zero magnification optic with the widest field of view or probable not more than 2x even though the majority are rarely more than 1.5x.   Everyone has different eyes and not everyone picks up colors the same so these opinions are mine and not something to be taken as a rule, but understanding the reasons why low or zero powered optics are good for close up fighting is important because fancy accurate optics don’t mean anything at 50yds and under in determining who gets a hit and who doesn’t.   You can probable blind fold someone and let them hip shoot at those ranges and they might be able get more hits on paper in a faster time period than someone actually aiming.

Quick detach mounts is probable the way to go for any optic especially one being used for self defense.   A broken optic is something you don’t want in the heat of a fight and the Trijicon SRS sights for sale like the SRS02 is the best configuration.   Some  people want laser sights on their guns and others just want a red dot.  4 MOA red dots seem to be very common but a dot that sizes is 12inches at 300yds and that is not going to be a practical optic for any medium range engagements.  The Trijicon SRS quick detach SRS02 as well as the SRS01 have a 1.75 inch red dot which makes medium range and more precision shooting.  With 1 AA battery this solar powered AR15 combat optic might give you up to 5yrs depending on how much you use it in available light.   This very precise red dot has a shorter housing than any of the Aimpoint optics

Top

Batteries, Tritium, Fiber optics and now solar panels? Yep!

Trijicon Reflex Sights It’s been a while since we’ve seen major technological improvements or changes in the shooting community.   I remember the first time I saw an ACOG on the range with the fiber optic cable and thought it looked like some neon toy and then I realized what the technology was all about and why having a red colored reticle could help your eye acquire a target quicker and having a reticle designed with a bullet compensator was also extremely useful.   Although you can be very precise with an ACOG they are meant for speed more than sniper work but I have seen plenty of them used in designated marksmen work.   If you were hunting with a rifle for the most part, deer are taken from under 100yds but the ACOG gives you the ability to hit targets 600-800 meters depending on the work you are doing or the configuration of the reticle.

Recently there was a new red dot put on the market from Trijicon.   There isn’t much of a difference between one brand of red dots and the other if they are battery powered other than the durability of the optic, but the new Trijicon reflex sights like the SRS01 and the SRS02 are revolutionary in design now that they have integrated solar powered optics that pull from a battery if there is no available light.   We’ve done some of our own tests with these optics and can tell that this technology is going to carry over to other products and it’s just the beginning.  The SRS sight has a 1.75 MOA dot which I know of no other red dot that is smaller than 2 MOA.   At low power this optic can be very precise.

Top

Reviews on the Trijicon reflex and Mini ACOGS

Trijicon Reflex Sights I have always run Eotech sights on my LWRC AR15 carbines but the optics that have turned me on recently are the TA44 Mini ACOGS.  These 1.5×24 ACOGS have low magnification but the circle/dot reticle kind of reminds of the Eotech gun sight.  I have never been a huge fan of the Red dot because they seem to be too blurry for my eyes and I don’t like all of that haze.  For clearing houses I understand why people like them but the Trijicon Reflex sights like the RX30 are much clearer with their dot recticles than any red dot I’ve used.   There is now a very small 1.75 red dot called the Trijicon SRS sight which is a sealed reflex sight.  There is almost zero “tube effect” when looking through these and they take up very little space on your rail.  I still run a quad rail and have not jumped on the Magpul MOE yet but this is important to me.

There is so much to accessorize about the AR15 now but that is a good thing since all of us have different arm lengths and different tolerances of weight.  Several of the new Trijicon Reflex sights like the Trijicon SRS01 and SRS02 are ground breaking optics with their solar/battery powered red dots.   I would like to see something more along the lines of a solar/battery powered Eotech sight but maybe Trijicon will come out with a circle/dot solar powered optic like the TA44.   I would love to see something like that in maybe a 30mm optic.

Top

Probable the best all around ACOG?

There isn’t a do it all rifle scope, but some day there will be.  Technology always improves and better weapons and technology is always down the road.    Half a Century ago the military made the decision that the 7.62 round was more than what was need for most combat operations and changed over to the M16.   Not only was the 5.56 round a adequate round you could easily issue 2xs as much ammunition.   Combat optics normally meant an optic that magnified up to 10x and were not suitable for use on semi-auto or full auto weapons.  That is now ancient history and Eotech gun sights, Aimpoint and Trijicon are up to the task.

There are so many different types of optics from Trijicon that are worthy of being put on  your M4 Carbine, but the best one in my opinion is the TA01NSN.   The back up iron sights are already there and really are more of a secondary close range optic.  The 4x magnification on the Trijicon ACOGS can slow you down under 50YDs and you may be better off just moving your eyes to your secondary sights.   No flip up sights or flip to the side.   Eotech gun sights are outstanding for short range shooting and seem to be very popular in the Law Enforcement Community.   Aimpoint and Trijicon seem to be more geared towards Military operations and longer deployments.

Top

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.

Top

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.

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
Page 1 of 1