helping a friend with a build and he didn't really know what optic to get.  its his first AR.
will be a defensive AR and something can take to the range.
choice between LPVO, red dot / holo sight, fixed power like a ACOG or prism scope.  saw this video and it made up my mind.  so we went with a red dot/ holo sight, might add a magnifier later.  reasoning is fast target acquisition, no need mess with eye relief, simple operation, large field of view
what's everyone's reasoning behind your choice of optics for your AR?

iron sights dont need batteries and have no glass to break. People been using them out to 600 yards for decades

I use a SIG Romeo5. GOod price ($120 and $99 when on sale) and has auto on and off so you dont have to mess with pressing buttons to turn on.  As soon as you move it, it turns on.  Then no movement for 2 mins, it turns off by itself.

If for a SD , to me red dot would be the best.  LVPO at lower power can be OK, but then the pick up might take a little longer than a RDS.  Same with ACOG, the magnification at 10 yards wouldn't be better than a zero magnification RDS.  I've seen more and more guys with offset irons or RDS on their LVPO for this reason.

Unless he plans on getting into a gun fight an needing to shoot 100 yards+

I think it truly depends on your budget, because cheap anything will fail you. Yes iron sights are great and people have used them successfully with minimal moving parts, but with technological improvements over the years, theres really no use to have irons as your primary optic unless you just enjoy the "old school" nostalgia. Eyes will change over the years and the ability to crank your image up to 6x or 8x will be beneficial in identifying threats or scouting potential areas.

Budget IMO matters with choice because you cant cheap out on a lpvo and it expect it to be as fast as a red dot with the same fov and forgiving eyebox. If this is a rifle you are relying on shtf or whatever and are on a tight budget, id reccomend any name brand red dot (eotech, leupold, etc) and get a reliable mount. Then u can always have irons as a backup . As far as acog goes, ive never truly been a fan, the eye relief is just impractical to me. As far as lpvo, main things to look for are, largest fov possible, true 1x (not 1.1 or 1.2), generous eyebox, daybright illumination,  a reticle you can use at 1x effectively, and durability. Unfortunately thatll cost you a pretty penny to check all the boxes. Best bet could be to find a used razor gen 2 1-8. Since the gen3 came out it should be reasonableish. Can also look at rhe old khales 1-6 or burris xtr2 is "ok". And then obv you have the atacr 1-8 and SB dualdot which is out of people's budget mostly. Also if it gives you more comfort you can also get a qd scalworks mount and then add low profile irons under.

As far as speed goes, practice is your only answer. Some will say red dot is faster, but if you practice enough, a quality lpvo with have negligle speed difference.

already have BUIS.  that's a must have in my opinion

If he already has irons, get a light instead of an optic.  He’ll be prepared for any day or night defensive scenario with a light and irons.  Just my 2 cents. 

helping a friend with a build and he didn't really know what optic to get.  its his first AR.
will be a defensive AR and something can take to the range.
choice between LPVO, red dot / holo sight, fixed power like a ACOG or prism scope.  saw this video and it made up my mind.  so we went with a red dot/ holo sight, might add a magnifier later.  reasoning is fast target acquisition, no need mess with eye relief, simple operation, large field of view
what's everyone's reasoning behind your choice of optics for your AR?

SNIP

Overall, I don't think you can go wrong with a 1x red dot for someone's first AR.  Beyond the technical, practical, etc discussion, to me red dots are excellent for newer shooters since they are intuitive as well as fun.  It can avoid much of the frustration that many newer shooters experience on a casual setting (not in a carbine course).  I do certainly appreciate the discipline and skill needed with irons as well as importance to marksmanship in general. 

When I see JY in a video, I typically turn it off.  However, in this case he does have some good points about differences in IDing and marksmanship or hitting the target.  He also gives some context and rationale behind his choices.  Personally, I don't think I would be shooting anyone at 300 yards.  The "in your face" out to about 50-100 yards is more along the lines of what I envision, but certainly not the limit. 

Given the 200 yards context, my first choice of optics is a 1x red dot along with iron sights.  Ease and speed of use is primary consideration, which includes eye relief, forgiving head/eye positioning, etc.  Next is LPVO for similar considerations that JY mentioned.  I haven't used the LPVO nearly as much as 1x red dot, but I don't see a significant difference in the speed of use on 1x, especially with training (more shooting).  I may eventually try an offset RDS, but the LPVO is mostly a project gun as well as for testing out capabilities with match ammo. 

Personally, I don't own an 4x ACOG and probably won't.  I've shot a decent amount with ACOGs and I think I might change my mind if I were to use them more often, but I don't see them being an advantage over what I have on other guns. 

Good point about budget as mentioned above.  While I tend to be the "buy once, cry once" logic, I do very much understand that there are some who can't afford it as well as offerings that are less expensive than the "premium" products that perform very well.  That said, there's also a lot of crap out there and people trying to pass them off as "just as good as".  That's where I like to have personal experience with things, as well as depend on feedback from trusted friends and instructors. 

Also, if someone blows their wad on some awesome glass and then can't afford ammo, then no sense.  Gotta find a balance there as well. 

Generally, you should spend more on a scope than you would on a monthly child support payment. (kidding)

Been digging the new MRO.  One or two clicks to visible on, better than the PRO I had before, that needs about 7 clicks in one direction to have a daylight visible dot.   The MRO's switch has the off position in the middle of the dial, you turn left or right its on, one direction is dimmer, the other is brighter, middle is off.  It's light weight and small.  DD Fixed iron front and KAC flip rear aperture for longer range, or back up, if needed.

For me, EOTechs and Sig Romeos for a home defense gun, faster and easier for me to see in low light situations vs my front sight post....Everyone will have their own preferences

Remeber, you can only shoot accurately at what you can see. why not spend the money and buy a quality LPVO. look no further than Vortex optics. quality glass. Near to true 1x. 30mm tube and easy on the wallet. their older PST viper 1-4x was awesome. now their 1-6x is even better sharing some of the attributes of the legendary Razor 1-6x. plus they offer a lifetime unconditional warranty! That alone warrants further inquiry. they really do stand behind their product. I follow this Youtuber....follow the links, he has some great video on this subject. for the purpose of close to intermediate range like sub 500 yards a 1-4x is awesome...1x will get you that fast acquisition for inside 25yds. 4x with a throw lever will quickly and easily reach out to 100yds. as for other gadgets on your AR like a canted RDS....forget about it. their is nothing that will make you a better shooter than spending time putting rounds down range. Also, look into the Colt 6920 OEM-2. so once you have your AR built, buy a lot of bullets and invest in your training. If you want to know how to save on Vortex Optics visit their site. If you need holsters for mags i can help you with that too.

All my defensive setups are centered around Eotechs and red dots.  Given the way the HRS is written surrounding the defensive use of a firearm where you’re going to be limited to your own four walls.  I don’t see the need for an LPVO since the LPVO’s main attribute is magnification and I don’t live in a McMansion with an open floor plan.  In a defensive scenario, it’s going to be up close and within a hallway, doorway, or interior room more than likely.   

All my defensive setups are centered around Eotechs and red dots.  Given the way the HRS is written surrounding the defensive use of a firearm where you’re going to be limited to your own four walls.  I don’t see the need for an LPVO since the LPVO’s main attribute is magnification and I don’t live in a McMansion with an open floor plan.  In a defensive scenario, it’s going to be up close and within a hallway, doorway, or interior room more than likely.

This ^^^.  But  EOTech is out of my price range.

I like the big window of view with the EOtech, fast target acquisition, the ease of operation, the toughness of the optic, and the reticle
but it's expensive.  so we decided to go with the next best thing:  Sightmark Ultrashot M-spec reflex sight
its very durable, big window like the EOtech, less expensive.  looks like an EOtech minus the price tag. reticle is like the EOtech: crosshair, circle, red dot.  I like that reticle.
hopefully I have time to build the lower this week, then just wait for the optic to arrive, and wait for Kokohead to reopen so we can test it.   
I like the LPVO too.  maybe we will save that for my friend's next AR.   

Featuring a digital switch control with six variable brightness levels for daytime use and six settings in night vision mode, the new Sightmark Ultra Shot M-Spec Reflex Sight is built for adaptation to any shooting environment. Its magnesium alloy housing offers exceptional durability along with a battery life of up to 1,000 hours of superior functionality. Constructed with a protective hood, its shock-proof frame shields the M-Spec from impact and recoil up to a .50 caliber round. Fully submersible up to 40 feet of water, the Ultra Shot M-Spec is equipped with scratch resistant dual-pane glass and a parallax-corrected lens system, allowing shooters to sight accurately from 10 yards to infinity.

All my defensive setups are centered around Eotechs and red dots.  Given the way the HRS is written surrounding the defensive use of a firearm where you’re going to be limited to your own four walls.  I don’t see the need for an LPVO since the LPVO’s main attribute is magnification and I don’t live in a McMansion with an open floor plan.  In a defensive scenario, it’s going to be up close and within a hallway, doorway, or interior room more than likely.

The EoTech EXPS 3-0 is my current favorite.  It's been on the AR that I use most for training/classes and has been used and not quite abused.  Almost abused though. 

I like the big window of view with the EOtech, fast target acquisition, the ease of operation, the toughness of the optic, and the reticle
but it's expensive.  so we decided to go with the next best thing:  Sightmark Ultrashot M-spec reflex sight
its very durable, big window like the EOtech, less expensive.  looks like an EOtech minus the price tag. reticle is like the EOtech: crosshair, circle, red dot.  I like that reticle.
hopefully I have time to build the lower this week, then just wait for the optic to arrive, and wait for Kokohead to reopen so we can test it.   
I like the LPVO too.  maybe we will save that for my friend's next AR.   

Cool.  Never heard of that sight.  I know Holosun has a couple of sights with the "donut of death" reticle.  One instructor that I've taken a few classes with has one on his "work" carbine and it seems to have held up just fine, or at least it has been on that gun for a while. 

My LPVO has been fun to test with, even going through a carbine course with it.  I very much go see the value of an optic like that, but it is not without downsides.  Don't envision it replacing the AR with the EoTech, but they each have their pros/applications. While not really for what I envision, still good to shoot with both and get to know for myself.  Once the range opens back up, I'll see if we can meet up one day.  Have a bunch of ammo that I want to test with the LPVO setup. 

Recently, eotech 512s were on sale. Somewhere around 400. I even think palmetto had them sub 400$. Dunno if its still goin on or not, but eotechs suck for me. My eyes cant see the reticle in bright daylight.

Aimpoint aco is decent. If your friend cant afford that, maybe a holosun, get the 500 "military grade" or titanium version.  Way better than the 400 series. Gives you options and more robustness for only 50-100 bucks more. Or the minimim id trust is the  primary arms advance micro dot with rotary knob. I must say this feels more robust than the romeo5.

All above have atleast 30k battery life. Some less or more depending what reticle you use and brightness, but you can look up the specs on that.


Ive owned or own h2, mro, rmr, h1, t1, pa advan mrds, romeo 5, PRO, and some holosuns.


Lately i been wanting to switch to etch reticles. I like the whole "if battery dies, i still have a reticle" idea. I also have a2 fsb on my go to uppers. I feel confident enough to use just that at 15 yards or in and hit a man size target.

All that said and done. Why not use a handgun or shotty for home? I think id like to use birdshot

Oh look at the holosun 510c.

Opticsplanet has them with riser and ADM mount. Use a code to get 5% off. Or whatever.

Alabama arsenal has a vid on it too. Since your into big window optics

The EoTech EXPS 3-0 is my current favorite.  It's been on the AR that I use most for training/classes and has been used and not quite abused.  Almost abused though. 
Cool.  Never heard of that sight.  I know Holosun has a couple of sights with the "donut of death" reticle.  One instructor that I've taken a few classes with has one on his "work" carbine and it seems to have held up just fine, or at least it has been on that gun for a while. 

My LPVO has been fun to test with, even going through a carbine course with it.  I very much go see the value of an optic like that, but it is not without downsides.  Don't envision it replacing the AR with the EoTech, but they each have their pros/applications. While not really for what I envision, still good to shoot with both and get to know for myself.  Once the range opens back up, I'll see if we can meet up one day.  Have a bunch of ammo that I want to test with the LPVO setup.

Holosun was also an option, but went with the Sightmark.  we'll see how it shoots.  I think they are both LED light system and not holograph like EOtech.  LED supposed to be more clear to look at than holosight. 

Recently, eotech 512s were on sale. Somewhere around 400. I even think palmetto had them sub 400$. Dunno if its still goin on or not, but eotechs suck for me. My eyes cant see the reticle in bright daylight.

Aimpoint aco is decent. If your friend cant afford that, maybe a holosun, get the 500 "military grade" or titanium version.  Way better than the 400 series. Gives you options and more robustness for only 50-100 bucks more. Or the minimim id trust is the  primary arms advance micro dot with rotary knob. I must say this feels more robust than the romeo5.

All above have atleast 30k battery life. Some less or more depending what reticle you use and brightness, but you can look up the specs on that.


Ive owned or own h2, mro, rmr, h1, t1, pa advan mrds, romeo 5, PRO, and some holosuns.


Lately i been wanting to switch to etch reticles. I like the whole "if battery dies, i still have a reticle" idea. I also have a2 fsb on my go to uppers. I feel confident enough to use just that at 15 yards or in and hit a man size target.

All that said and done. Why not use a handgun or shotty for home? I think id like to use birdshot

he already has a Glock19 for HD too.  just wanted an AR for backup, or vice versa.

Ah i see nice nice. And yea, you are correct led is clearer than holo sights.

If eotechs had better battery life and i could actually see them in bright daylight, i would prob buy them.

Oh yeah i forgot to mention. I did have an xps 2-2 on my very first ar. It was only useable to me at 5pm - 6am lol. Tried numerous times at kokohead and couldnt see jack shit with it.

Recently, eotech 512s were on sale. Somewhere around 400. I even think palmetto had them sub 400$. Dunno if its still goin on or not, but eotechs suck for me. My eyes cant see the reticle in bright daylight.

Aimpoint aco is decent. If your friend cant afford that, maybe a holosun, get the 500 "military grade" or titanium version.  Way better than the 400 series. Gives you options and more robustness for only 50-100 bucks more. Or the minimim id trust is the  primary arms advance micro dot with rotary knob. I must say this feels more robust than the romeo5.

All above have atleast 30k battery life. Some less or more depending what reticle you use and brightness, but you can look up the specs on that.


Ive owned or own h2, mro, rmr, h1, t1, pa advan mrds, romeo 5, PRO, and some holosuns.


Lately i been wanting to switch to etch reticles. I like the whole "if battery dies, i still have a reticle" idea. I also have a2 fsb on my go to uppers. I feel confident enough to use just that at 15 yards or in and hit a man size target.

All that said and done. Why not use a handgun or shotty for home? I think id like to use birdshot

Regarding not being able to pick up the EoTech reticle in daylight, are you color blind? Or the condition where folks have a difficult time differentiating certain colors?  A friend had it were red and brown was very similar, so the red reticle wasn't that easy for him to pick up.  I wondered if a green reticle might be easier to pick up for him  EoTech for my vision (astigmatism) is awesome, but it's not like Aimpoint is bad.  It just bursts a little, which isn't a big deal.  Just something that I noticed.

I had similar thoughts on the etched reticle or optics that have the sunlight power, like some of the Trijicon optics.  I thought about the Meprolight at one time, but didn't get around to trying it.