Have been interested lately with "battery free illuminated reticle" rifle optics.  Two that I have shot with are the Trijicon ACOG and Accupoint 1-4, but I've never owned one. 

I've also shot quite a bit with the "C" versions of Holosun red dots, but I thought those were more supplemented by solar/sun, as opposed to operating on solar/sun alone.  I recall on one range session where the battery (someone else's gun) was apparently installed backwards, but I think the reticle was "on" if the solar panel was in direct sunlight, and "off" when it was under the tent. 

Are there other optics that are illuminated by solar/sun?  Do you own or have personal experience with them?   

I have an ACOG in 4x w/red chevron.  I like it.  Easy to acquire the target and place your shot.  The only issue is that the eye relief is short.

There's the Trijicon Reflex and the dual illuminated RMR.

I have an ACOG in 4x w/red chevron.  I like it.  Easy to acquire the target and place your shot.  The only issue is that the eye relief is short.

Yeah, I've experienced that eye relief for the ACOGs.  While I've shot with the ACOGs (4x versions mostly), I wanted to stay away from the fixed mag models.  I've shot with one of their older 1x (something) on a 22 rifle and it was nice and seemed solid. 

There's the Trijicon Reflex and the dual illuminated RMR.

Forgot about that one!  That would fit what I'm looking for nicely.  A bit more compact (like size of Aimpoint micro) would be preferred, but the choices seem limited. 

I also forgot about the dual RMR.  I've used that one on pistols, but didn't really play around with the solar/sun aspect of the dual illumination.  Also interesting that Amber/yellow seems to be most common for the solar/sun illumination.  Even with the Accupoints. 

Forgot about that one!  That would fit what I'm looking for nicely.  A bit more compact (like size of Aimpoint micro) would be preferred, but the choices seem limited. 

I also forgot about the dual RMR.  I've used that one on pistols, but didn't really play around with the solar/sun aspect of the dual illumination.  Also interesting that Amber/yellow seems to be most common for the solar/sun illumination.  Even with the Accupoints. 

TooFewPews might be able to give some advice on the Reflex.

I had a RM04 for a little bit. Of course it's not as crisp as the battery powered ones, but I remember shooting it on overcast and rainy days and I was able to pick up the dot. Obviously great for day time, but terrible at night, and useless if using weapons lights.

I was running the Accupoint TR24G (green triangle reticle) for a few years. It was great for multigun, but the triangle reticle was terrible for hold overs at distance. I neither liked or disliked the green reticle, but would recommend the red because it stands out better. I haven't tried the amber version.

TooFewPews might be able to give some advice on the Reflex.

I had a RM04 for a little bit. Of course it's not as crisp as the battery powered ones, but I remember shooting it on overcast and rainy days and I was able to pick up the dot. Obviously great for day time, but terrible at night, and useless if using weapons lights.

I was running the Accupoint TR24G (green triangle reticle) for a few years. It was great for multigun, but the triangle reticle was terrible for hold overs at distance. I neither liked or disliked the green reticle, but would recommend the red because it stands out better. I haven't tried the amber version.

The Accupoint 1-4 that I tried before was Amber/yellow.  I've tried both the red and green for ACOG 4x and 1xsomething.  I think I would prefer red or green, but I've only really shot with red dots and reticles on my own rifles.  I've been meaning to try out green FOs for my handguns, but just haven't gotten around to it. 

Yeah, noted on the overcast days as well as no/low light.  Maybe in that regard, something with a dedicated reticle, like LPVOs that are supplemented by a portion that is illuminated might be better.  I already have that in my current LPVO.  Well, as well as iron sights on my other ARs.

i had a Trijicon Reflex (RX06) that i ended up giving to a friend.  I liked the triangle reticle, but i didn't really care much for the amber color.  my friend really likes the amber color a lot so it has become her primary optic on her AR.

people with certain forms of astigmatism might prefer a Trijicon Reflex optic (over a traditional electronic red dot) because it will not have the same starbursting effect.  i know i have a slight amount of astigmatism, but electronic red dot reticles never bothered me that much.  if you're like me, you might find it kind of interesting when you take a pic of the reticle with your phone.  since your phone lens doesn't operate like a human eye, the reticle should be ultra clear with very defined edges.

like a lot of Trijicon's other optics, there is a slight tint/hue on the glass, which supposedly provides contrast for the reticle.  i also had a polarizing filter for it, which could be adjusted to provide even more contrast.  it's definitely a neat concept.

i also have an ACOG (4x RCO) with fiber + tritium illumination.  in direct sunlight, the reticle is really fricken bright.  it's probably one of my favorite optics except that the eye relief really sucks.  i think i would prefer it over a red dot or a LPVO in most situation since it is relatively light compared to other magnified optics, it has a great FOV compared to other 4x optics, and it is bomb proof.  red dots might be slightly faster at close range, but the bindon aiming concept is decent at closing that gap.  the price still sucks, but i figure that it is less of an issue given that you seem to have already set a higher budget.

i always wondered if i could rig up a tiny LED flashlight to point directly at the fiber optic gathering tubes for added reticle brightness.  i know the troops used to tape chem lights to their acogs for a brighter reticle during night ops.

another option to consider is the Meprolight M21, which works similarly to the Trijicon Reflex.

From prior military service and personally owning an ACOG with an RMR piggy back, I feel I can give you some insight on the ACOG set up.

First of all the eye relief for the ACOG is @$$$$$$$$$!!! Especially when I went it was mounted on an M16 in front of a rear iron sight and stuck with a fixed length of pull because of the A2 stock. Could NEVER square off perfectly with the rifle while getting a good picture with no tube shadow. On the plus side because of the horrible eye relief you do get an extremely generous field of view. Alot more than most LPVOs.

Solution: Mount your rear iron (if you have BUIS) in front of the optic and move that sucker back to the last notch it can hang onto made all the difference. I did get my booty chewed out by Staff NCOs for being "different" but I didn't give a 2 sugars because it was my score and qualification I was going for.

Amazing how back then not knowing anything about "returning to zero," everyday after practice day and qualification day I would return my rear irons to the back of my ACOG and scooted my optic back up when going back to the squad bay to avoid an ass chewing lol. Then when getting ready on the line I would swap them back to my desired placement. This was with the thumb screw mount too haha. I did have a paint marker line where my zeroing torque was though so maybe that made all the difference. Never dropped "expert" on the known distance qual. When I made NCO I no longer cared and kept them the way I shot it. HOLY CRAP I digress haha. Flashbacks.

A very strong positive. The glass is stupid clear. I thought I had pretty decent eyesight but the ACOG prism black magic whatever Trijicon uses sharpens every detail of the picture the objective is looking at. Its almost like putting on a perfect pair of prescription glasses. The BDC is pretty much spot on minute of man as long as you're using the corresponding barrel length and bullet weight that the BDC is calibrated for. I've only shot out to 300 meters with my personal ACOG, but during qualifications in the service the 500 meter hash mark did put the 5.56 bullet in the black as long as your wind holds were good.

The optic body is very durable and extremely light. We were never nice to ACOG. They would rattle around in armored humvees, constantly fall over from being stacked poorly in the field, brushed, rubbed, chaffed, banged against hard objects in MOUT training. If I didn't appreciate the durability of the optic back then. I certainly do now.

I would consider this because of the horrible eye relief is. What caliber are you planning to shoot this out of? The 20" M16 shot extremely smooth and never got bit by the eyepiece. When I was issued and M4 though, in weird and crouching positions, the little bit extra kick from the carbine gas system (didn't know that was the reason why back then) was just enough to start having the eye piece jab me on the eye brow when I couldn't get the most solid of cheek welds. I don't even want to imagine having that short of an eye relief on a larger caliber and having the eye piece hitting you in the face.

My personally owned ACOG is mounted on top of a mid length gas AR and man, I do appreciate how well tuned civilian ARs can be. Never got scope bite from my AR.

The fiber optic can be overwhelming if you are directly under the sun. The bloom and glare on the cheveron from sun directly hitting your fiber optic strand makes it almost impossible to use your 100-300 meter points of aim.

Solution: electrical taping about 3/4 of the fiber optic helped for my eyes, make the cheveron crisp again. Actually for me, shooting the ACOG at KHSC in the shade with the no tape covering the fiber optic, and my target directly under the sunlight was the perfect amount of contrast and brightness for me. But do be aware if you do shoot under direct sunlight, you might have to manage how much light your optic is absorbing.

As for the tritium, you can see it in pretty well under no light, but I wish it was just a bit brighter. It is decently enough lit to pick up in low light. I would be comfortable taking 100 yard shots at night with some ambient light and the tritium lit cheveron.

The RMR mounted on the ACOG is nifty. I've come to really like it. As long as you're ok with going from a cheek weld to a chin weld I think you would like the rapid transition of magnification range. The height over bore will take some getting used to also I you plan on shooting 25m and in. I'm even thinking of switching the RMR to the Holosun 508t for the solar capability.

My apologies about the rambling, run on sentences and dis organized information haha. I'm probably not doing the ACOG any justice describing it to you, I've just spent so much time with it I pretty much know all the great things about it but even more so the small nuances that I have to work around to make it fit my preferences. Hopefully this helped you somewhat make a good choice haha.

Ignore this. Technical problems/don't know how to internet.

Anyone have insight on reflex sights that are good for those of us who are color blind and have astigmatism. Some red dots are just horrible for me as they have tremendous bloom effect. Do other shapes (chevron, reticle, etc. ) make it better? Are green dots better. The thought of investing $300-$500 on a paperweight just doesn't make it worthwhile. And for some strange reason, iron sights have gotten more blurry over the years...

i had a Trijicon Reflex (RX06) that i ended up giving to a friend.  I liked the triangle reticle, but i didn't really care much for the amber color.  my friend really likes the amber color a lot so it has become her primary optic on her AR.

people with certain forms of astigmatism might prefer a Trijicon Reflex optic (over a traditional electronic red dot) because it will not have the same starbursting effect.  i know i have a slight amount of astigmatism, but electronic red dot reticles never bothered me that much.  if you're like me, you might find it kind of interesting when you take a pic of the reticle with your phone.  since your phone lens doesn't operate like a human eye, the reticle should be ultra clear with very defined edges.

like a lot of Trijicon's other optics, there is a slight tint/hue on the glass, which supposedly provides contrast for the reticle.  i also had a polarizing filter for it, which could be adjusted to provide even more contrast.  it's definitely a neat concept.

i also have an ACOG (4x RCO) with fiber + tritium illumination.  in direct sunlight, the reticle is really fricken bright.  it's probably one of my favorite optics except that the eye relief really sucks.  i think i would prefer it over a red dot or a LPVO in most situation since it is relatively light compared to other magnified optics, it has a great FOV compared to other 4x optics, and it is bomb proof.  red dots might be slightly faster at close range, but the bindon aiming concept is decent at closing that gap.  the price still sucks, but i figure that it is less of an issue given that you seem to have already set a higher budget.

i always wondered if i could rig up a tiny LED flashlight to point directly at the fiber optic gathering tubes for added reticle brightness.  i know the troops used to tape chem lights to their acogs for a brighter reticle during night ops.

another option to consider is the Meprolight M21, which works similarly to the Trijicon Reflex.

Ahh, the Meprolight is another that I've shot that I forgot about.  A guy I've shot with often had one on his AR and then eventually on a Tavor.  He was sort of an IDF fan. 

I have astigmatism, but corrected with contacts.  The starburst on Aimpoint doesn't really bother me either and I can turn it down when trying to refine zero.  The EoTech reticle seems much better to me, even without my contacts. 

Overall, the fixed 4x of the ACOG isn't what I prefer, at least for this particular rifle/application. 

From prior military service and personally owning an ACOG with an RMR piggy back, I feel I can give you some insight on the ACOG set up.

First of all the eye relief for the ACOG is @$$$$$$$$$!!! Especially when I went it was mounted on an M16 in front of a rear iron sight and stuck with a fixed length of pull because of the A2 stock. Could NEVER square off perfectly with the rifle while getting a good picture with no tube shadow. On the plus side because of the horrible eye relief you do get an extremely generous field of view. Alot more than most LPVOs.

Solution: Mount your rear iron (if you have BUIS) in front of the optic and move that sucker back to the last notch it can hang onto made all the difference. I did get my booty chewed out by Staff NCOs for being "different" but I didn't give a 2 sugars because it was my score and qualification I was going for.

Amazing how back then not knowing anything about "returning to zero," everyday after practice day and qualification day I would return my rear irons to the back of my ACOG and scooted my optic back up when going back to the squad bay to avoid an ass chewing lol. Then when getting ready on the line I would swap them back to my desired placement. This was with the thumb screw mount too haha. I did have a paint marker line where my zeroing torque was though so maybe that made all the difference. Never dropped "expert" on the known distance qual. When I made NCO I no longer cared and kept them the way I shot it. HOLY CRAP I digress haha. Flashbacks.

A very strong positive. The glass is stupid clear. I thought I had pretty decent eyesight but the ACOG prism black magic whatever Trijicon uses sharpens every detail of the picture the objective is looking at. Its almost like putting on a perfect pair of prescription glasses. The BDC is pretty much spot on minute of man as long as you're using the corresponding barrel length and bullet weight that the BDC is calibrated for. I've only shot out to 300 meters with my personal ACOG, but during qualifications in the service the 500 meter hash mark did put the 5.56 bullet in the black as long as your wind holds were good.

The optic body is very durable and extremely light. We were never nice to ACOG. They would rattle around in armored humvees, constantly fall over from being stacked poorly in the field, brushed, rubbed, chaffed, banged against hard objects in MOUT training. If I didn't appreciate the durability of the optic back then. I certainly do now.

I would consider this because of the horrible eye relief is. What caliber are you planning to shoot this out of? The 20" M16 shot extremely smooth and never got bit by the eyepiece. When I was issued and M4 though, in weird and crouching positions, the little bit extra kick from the carbine gas system (didn't know that was the reason why back then) was just enough to start having the eye piece jab me on the eye brow when I couldn't get the most solid of cheek welds. I don't even want to imagine having that short of an eye relief on a larger caliber and having the eye piece hitting you in the face.

My personally owned ACOG is mounted on top of a mid length gas AR and man, I do appreciate how well tuned civilian ARs can be. Never got scope bite from my AR.

The fiber optic can be overwhelming if you are directly under the sun. The bloom and glare on the cheveron from sun directly hitting your fiber optic strand makes it almost impossible to use your 100-300 meter points of aim.

Solution: electrical taping about 3/4 of the fiber optic helped for my eyes, make the cheveron crisp again. Actually for me, shooting the ACOG at KHSC in the shade with the no tape covering the fiber optic, and my target directly under the sunlight was the perfect amount of contrast and brightness for me. But do be aware if you do shoot under direct sunlight, you might have to manage how much light your optic is absorbing.

As for the tritium, you can see it in pretty well under no light, but I wish it was just a bit brighter. It is decently enough lit to pick up in low light. I would be comfortable taking 100 yard shots at night with some ambient light and the tritium lit cheveron.

The RMR mounted on the ACOG is nifty. I've come to really like it. As long as you're ok with going from a cheek weld to a chin weld I think you would like the rapid transition of magnification range. The height over bore will take some getting used to also I you plan on shooting 25m and in. I'm even thinking of switching the RMR to the Holosun 508t for the solar capability.

My apologies about the rambling, run on sentences and dis organized information haha. I'm probably not doing the ACOG any justice describing it to you, I've just spent so much time with it I pretty much know all the great things about it but even more so the small nuances that I have to work around to make it fit my preferences. Hopefully this helped you somewhat make a good choice haha.

SNIP

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences.  Always appreciated! 

I've shot quite a bit with an ACOG, but never owned one.  The ones that I have shot had the eye piece/occular lens about even with the back of the charging handle.  Not quite as far back as your photo.  I have seen them on guns placed a bit forward, but I never shot with those.  I can see how the fixed A2 made things more challenging.  I've also shot a some with ACOGs with the RMR piggy back, but didn't really use the RMR then. 

Haha.  Going from a position of being chewed out to doing the chewing out. . . Hopefully you didn't just "return the favor" to those in your squad. 

I did notice the brightness of the fiber optic in bright sunlight.  I've seen the electrical tape as well as some other methods to serve as a dimming function.  I actually did quite a bit of shooting with ACOGs and the Accupoint optics in Alaska in early spring and fall, so the sunlight wasn't quite a blinding as it would be in Hawaii in the middle of the day though. 

As mentioned above, the fixed 4x isn't something that I prefer, at least for now.  Can certainly appreciate that the ACOG has been proven durable performer over many years. 

Again, thank you for your rambling!  I enjoyed reading it.  While I am seriously interested in a non-battery illuminated optic, it's not like something I "need" right now. 

Anyone have insight on reflex sights that are good for those of us who are color blind and have astigmatism. Some red dots are just horrible for me as they have tremendous bloom effect. Do other shapes (chevron, reticle, etc. ) make it better? Are green dots better. The thought of investing $300-$500 on a paperweight just doesn't make it worthwhile. And for some strange reason, iron sights have gotten more blurry over the years...

What colors are you affected by? 

I know folks who are varying shades of grey type color blind.  And I worked with a few who couldn't differentiate between certain colors.  Red and brown was one a remember.  In both, I recall the person mentioning the key was contrast between the reticle and the background.  I vaguely recall the "grey color blind" person said that red stood out to them. 

A former coworker was the red/brown guy, so not sure how a red dot would appear on a brown (thinking red dirt) background.  I never shot with that coworker, but I recall him having trouble reading red text on pics with brown background. 

Regarding focus on iron sights, I've definitely noticed that in the last 6 months or so.  I noted that in my threads on handgun red dots and training.  Getting old sucks. . . 

Anyone have insight on reflex sights that are good for those of us who are color blind and have astigmatism. Some red dots are just horrible for me as they have tremendous bloom effect. Do other shapes (chevron, reticle, etc. ) make it better? Are green dots better. The thought of investing $300-$500 on a paperweight just doesn't make it worthwhile. And for some strange reason, iron sights have gotten more blurry over the years...

Holosun recently came out with a gold dot option for their electronic red dot sights.  their target audience are people that are color blind.  https://optics-info.com/holosun-gold-reticle/   

you might want to try Trijicon's amber reticle, which may be better for your color blindness, but i don't know if the amber reticle was specifically designed for that purpose.

non-electronic reflex sights and prism sights will probably be the best for you if you have issues with reticle bloom on electronic red dot sights.  acogs are prism sights, but they are outside of a lot of people's budget.  there are cheaper magnified prism sight alternatives, like the burris 3x and 5x offerings.  if you don't want magnification, then Primary Arms has a non magnified (1x) prism sight that should operate similarly to a red dot.  i have no personal experience with this sight, but i can appreciate the concept.  https://www.primaryarms.com/pa-1x-compact-prism-scope-with-acss-cyclops-reticle-black

some people with astigmatism report having good luck with the Vortex UH-1 and eotechs, but there are also contradictory reports saying that it doesn't help.  i know eotech uses more of a holographic technology, which is different from traditional red dots.  i've been wanting to get an eotech for quite a while because i like the concept of the circle dot reticle.

if you're looking for a completely different approach, you can try the SeeAll sights.  i liked the concept and i've looked through a few, but have never shot with one.  keep in mind that this is more of an iron sight alternative rather than an electronic red dot alternative so there are some shortcomings (i.e. partially obstructed sight picture).  https://seeallopensight.com/

After looking closer at the battery free optics, I think I'm leaning toward sticking with my current LPVO, or maybe going with a lighter and more inexpensive LPVO with forgiving eye relief at 1x.  I haven't found a 1x illuminated optic that also has a "standard" reticle.  I think maybe one of the smaller 1xACOGs might have something that, but their eye relief wasn't great from my recollection. 

After looking closer at the battery free optics, I think I'm leaning toward sticking with my current LPVO, or maybe going with a lighter and more inexpensive LPVO with forgiving eye relief at 1x.  I haven't found a 1x illuminated optic that also has a "standard" reticle.  I think maybe one of the smaller 1xACOGs might have something that, but their eye relief wasn't great from my recollection.

the eye relief on the 1.5x24 is 3.6 inches.  that's pretty damn generous and is probably similar to the eye relief on your LPVO.

if i didn't get my ACOG RCO at a stupid good price, i probably would have went with the 3.5x35, which has almost an inch more of eye relief.

the eye relief on the 1.5x24 is 3.6 inches.  that's pretty damn generous and is probably similar to the eye relief on your LPVO.

if i didn't get my ACOG RCO at a stupid good price, i probably would have went with the 3.5x35, which has almost an inch more of eye relief.

SNIP

I'm pretty sure the 1.5x16S is the version I shot before.  It had a green reticle and I remember it being pretty compact.  I recall the reticle being quite bright, glass was clear and I think the eye relief was decent.  It was on a 22 rifle and was shooting standing at a table the whole time.  But holy  it's like $900-1200 range. 

I'm pretty sure the 1.5x16S is the version I shot before.  It had a green reticle and I remember it being pretty compact.  I recall the reticle being quite bright, glass was clear and I think the eye relief was decent.  It was on a 22 rifle and was shooting standing at a table the whole time.  But holy  it's like $900-1200 range.

i guess it depends on what you're using it for.  one thing i like a lot about my RCO is the field of view angle, which is 36.8 ft at 100 yards.  compare that to a Nighforce NX8 1-8x24, which has a FOV of 13.2 ft at 100 yards.

if you do an apples to apples comparison, that means the Nightforce has a FOV of 26.4 ft at 100 yards at a 4x setting.  basically there is a 40% increase in the FOV from the Nightforce to the ACOG RCO at 4x magnification.

luckily i have never been bitten by my acog in spite of the short eye relief.  in response to what jase90 said about mounting it further back, i've been using this mount from LaRue, which allows you to mount the acog super far back on the m4 flat top rail:  https://www.larue.com/products/larue-tactical-acog-rco-mount-lt681/

i guess it depends on what you're using it for.  one thing i like a lot about my RCO is the field of view angle, which is 36.8 ft at 100 yards.  compare that to a Nighforce NX8 1-8x24, which has a FOV of 13.2 ft at 100 yards.

if you do an apples to apples comparison, that means the Nightforce has a FOV of 26.4 ft at 100 yards at a 4x setting.  basically there is a 40% increase in the FOV from the Nightforce to the ACOG RCO at 4x magnification.

luckily i have never been bitten by my acog in spite of the short eye relief.  in response to what jase90 said about mounting it further back, i've been using this mount from LaRue, which allows you to mount the acog super far back on the m4 flat top rail:  https://www.larue.com/products/larue-tactical-acog-rco-mount-lt681/

I'm looking for as close to a 1x red (of other color) dot rifle optic where the illumination isn't battery powered.  Essentially an Aimpoint or EoTech that doesn't need batteries. . .  Being 1x (or close to it) and shooting both eyes open, FOV isn't an issue, or at least one I'm concerned with.  My current LPVO is awesome at 1x and both eyes open in terms of field of view.  Even without the illuminated reticle, it's pretty fast at 1x.  It's just way heavier than a typical 1x red dot.  I was initially looking at the Holosun C series, but I think that is sunlight supplement. 

I like my imperialistic ACOG despite what others say is a crappy neocon-optic. The short eye relief is the one thing I'd like to change. The glass is pretty clear with slight edge distortions. It is very tough and dependable. I find that if you adjust it you need to whack it a few times for the mech to settle in. Other than that its simple, small and light.
The TA11s have a better eye relief but a bit bigger than the TA31s.