Red dot on an ar?

Bryan8

New member
I'm getting my ar soon, and I need to put a glass on it. I want to be able to go to the range and plink, and also hunt with it. I was thinking the red dot so it would be more fun to shoot off hand and stuff at the range. But I think I want a good scope for coyote hunitng.

I was thinking red dot for summer range shooting than put a good scope on it for yote hunting in the fall.

Thanks
~Bryan
 
Bryan, why not put on both?

Burris sells a 1.5-5 Tactical scope that has an illuminated reticle and there is an option of installing the Burris Fast Fire Dot along with it. Others simply pick a scope of their liking and add the Dot sight very similar to the 3 gun match guns. They are very effective, extremely fast to use once you get the hang of it.

http://swfa.com/Burris-15-6x40-Xtreme-Tactical-XTR-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P12596.aspx

http://swfa.com/Burris-FastFire-Red-Dot-Reflex-Sights-C1811.aspx

http://www.jprifles.com/1.6.1a.php
 
sure if you use it within its limits, most of your red dots are 3-5 MOA dots, not really made for distance or precision.
I killed my 1st coyote with this set up
PICT0008.jpg

it is a BSA with a 4 MOA dot, shot him at about 75yds.
No problems, but now is am using an EOTECH.
PICT0022-2.jpg
 
Brasshound is right; there are tons of options depending on your needs and wallet.

I use an EoTech with a 1 moa dot. IMHO, larger dots are a huge disadvantage unless we are talking about a close quarters defensive situation.
 
The brightness can be adjusted, alternate between red and green, and at a press of the button, set for night vision use. Hard to see any faults in this unit. As far as the 4moa, not good for a 100 yard shot on a chipmunk, but the vitals of a Dog,,, Looks like a kill to me..

I use an adjustable dot on my 454 super red hawk, and it looks more like light adjustments more than size adjustments...
Only you can be the judge, but you get a lot for the money with the strikefire..
 
When wondering if my own rig would be ok I polled some of the members here about the range of there average coyote kill,Under 100 yds. Red dot are great for this. I started using an aimpoint around 1985 on my Ar and never looked back,It lasted till last year(sigh).Personally the smaller the dot the better ,1 moa please.A little bigger will still work. I have a friend(really bad shooter) he could not hit anything at 100 yds with his AR,I put a cheap Tasco red dot on his and he could hit a plate at 100 immediatly,and improved. Remember keep both eyes open. Hetzer
 
for price of red dots look on ebay under Hammers....around 50 bucks or less they got a three line plus dot,flip covers,red or green option and lifetime warranty....got one on a 44 mag pistol,,,holds zero and its got 2x magnification.....X
 
I was debating this with myself and researching for awhile... My answer - Millet DMS. linky - http://www.opticsplanet.net/millett-1-4-...ID=266723237021
1-4x, red or green illumination, spare battery compartment, black reticle for daylight conditions/no illumination, "donut" for fast close action, but with a 1MOA dot for more precise work that theoretically should work on yotes out to 300-400 yards (4" kill zone with some error). Reviews so far have been positive, even from the AR crowd that tends to be pretty hostile to new stuff. Oh, and reports are that on 1x you can shoot with both eyes open. It will be the crown on my build, whenever that gets finished!
 
Oh and make sure which generation you're getting when you order, may be an old issue but some guys were wanting the Gen 2 and receiving the gen 1. Probably not a big deal but know what you're getting.
 
Not too many people will use a red dot (only) optic over 100yd very often...deciding on the MOA will be determined your general shooting distance. I might make a 200 yard target with a red dot, but it would be luck, more than skill..unless the target was a fair size..

I have some that range from the 1MOA, up to 4MOA. My 1 & 2 MOA optics are reserved for action type rifle shooting, where the target distance ranges from 15-100 yards (trying to hit a bowling pin at 100 yards with a 2MOA dot is really a 'spray and pray' situation).

The 4MOA optics, I reserve for handguns, where the targets are normally in the 11-40 yard range and speed is the main factor in shooting.

There are optics available that have a combination dot and standard type reticle that work really well under most conditions...but even thise have some limitations...If they are variable power, you want to make sure the dot size does not increase with the optical power increase.
 
I put a Vortex Strikefire on a LH Stag build I did a while back. At the time they were $129.00 with an AR mount shipped. I think they are $150.00 now. For the money it just can't be beat. Also a "no BS" warranty.
Charlie
 
I think in the East red Dots are a good choice for hunting. Just check the size of the dot to be sure you can be accurate out to 100 yards or so. I use an EOtech 511
 
I agree about the red dots likely being more useful back east. Out West the ranges can vary dramatically and for an AR I prefer a conventional variable power scope or a fixed 4x or somethng.

My most used optic on an AR has been an illuminated 1.5x5 Leupold on an old 16"Colt.

Top choice if I was on a budget would be a 1.5x4.5 illuminated Weaver Extreme. That is a great scope if you can find one. It would serve well for both the range and hunting.
 
Take a look at the bushnell lineup. I have a 1x32 red/green dot on my 16'' ar. I like it so far, and fairly priced right around $150. Plus it looks a little like the ACOG from Trijicon.
 
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