Pistol Scope on AR-15?

[burkemotorcross]

I just recently picked up an olympic arms ar-15 with the carry handle, iron sights(wish they had a flattop, oh well). ive put about a thousand rounds through it since ive owned it and im ready to start customizing it. I just ordered the carry handle weaver style rail for it off ebay(12.99 shipped) and I was wondering what kind of optical sight i should put on it(red dot or pistol scope). I like the idea of using a low power quality(leupold, nikon, etc) 2X pistol scope so i dont have to deal with batteries going bad, etc.

What do yall think? pistol scope or red dot(pictures are always nice)

 

[Kejtar]

I just recently picked up an olympic arms ar-15 with the carry handle, iron sights(wish they had a flattop, oh well). ive put about a thousand rounds through it since ive owned it and im ready to start customizing it. I just ordered the carry handle weaver style rail for it off ebay(12.99 shipped) and I was wondering what kind of optical sight i should put on it(red dot or pistol scope). I like the idea of using a low power quality(leupold, nikon, etc) 2X pistol scope so i dont have to deal with batteries going bad, etc.

What do yall think? pistol scope or red dot(pictures are always nice)

How about we turn the question around: what kind of shooting you want to do with it? Use that to determine the best scope for the application. I am partial to those holographic gismos But they are not practical for all applications.

 

[burkemotorcross]

i want this to be a short range plinker, stalking, shit hits the fan rifle with most of my shots being taken within no more than 150 yards standing at possibly moving targets.

hope that answers your questions

 

[Kejtar]

i want this to be a short range plinker, stalking, shit hits the fan rifle with most of my shots being taken within no more than 150 yards standing at possibly moving targets.

hope that answers your questions

I'm not much of an AR person, but I'd say that if you want something nice that fits all the requirements, you might want to look here: http://www.eotech-inc.com/products.php?id=1 And don't forget the old rule: go cheap, buy twice.

 

[redneckboarder]

your gonna need a flip up front sight if your gonna put a holo on that doesnt have a reticle

 

[burkemotorcross]

your gonna need a flip up front sight if your gonna put a holo on that doesnt have a reticle

i was thinking if i go red dot it would be acog style enclosed(if thats the correct way to say it) not an open style. what about using a good pistol scope?

 

[redneckboarder]

yep i think thats right. i had a tasco red dot on mine and it was much better once i put flip ups on it...personally if oyu have the coin get an eotec or aimpoint, much better quality.

 

[Mudderoy]

Assault weapon = red dot / holo site. Keep both eyes open so you can move from zombie, ahhh, target to target.

Rifle = something with zoom is fine since you'll be taking time to site your target and it may be a fair distance away.

I have a holo on my AK47, it's an assualt weapon.

 

[chzbrgr]

A conventional pistol scope would have to be mounted on the barrel shroud to get the correct eye relief. You would want a low power rifle scope.

 

[8Mud]

The add ons for guns and tuning, goes through the flavor of the day or mode swings. I've never noticed much if any accuracy or acquisition gain with an Aimpoint or other zero parallax systems, than with instinct shooting.
What about a 3X9 variable with a 56 or 62 mm objective. Something top end like a Doktor, Kahles or Zeis. Illuminated reticle for night shooting.
What you have is 3 power for quick acquisition, something you can use at night (the next best thing to image intensifying) or something you can shoot and hit a target at extended ranges. When I say target, I mean something likely showing only a portion of a torso or a small target.
IMO most firearms are more accurate than the shooter and high end optics will help with accuracy, while a very accurate rifle with inferior optics will perform worse.
After years of practice, I can acquire and hit with a 12 x scope faster than with iron sights, maybe a fraction of a second slower than an aim point, but I'll likely be aiming at a button on your shirt.
You can even get the scope with the elevation knob marked in meters (and matched to your ammunition) and actually do some long range shooting with a chance of hitting something, without memorized the ballistic tables.

 

[Stallacrew]

Yeah a pistol scope is made to have the objective further away than a rifle/shotgun scope. If you mounted a pistol scope on an AR, then you have to hold it as far away as a pistol to compensate. Go for a cheap hologram sight which you can use in conjunction with iron sights that way you dont have to use batteries all the time. If you are wanting low power then I would say screw it and just use irons. Makes you a better shooter. People who have never had to shoot guns with iron sights arent as good of shooters as people who don't put a scope on everthing they buy. I can out shoot any of my friends on iron sights cause I know how to use them. I may be off due to being unfamiliar with the gun, but I will have a tight group where ever the bullets fall. Thats precision and not accuracy, and to get accurate all I have to do is tap the iron sites into alignment.

Do yourself a favor and learn to shoot it with iron sights for a good long while before you put any sort of sight on there. I'm not harking on your shooting skill and saying you suck, but you did ask about putting a pistol scope on a rifle.........

 

[8Mud]

Learning to shoot iron sights and learning to shoot a scope are two different skill sets. With the scope you have to learn to get near the same eye relief every time (especially for long shots). Even the low parallax models have some parallax. And acquiring your target quickly though the scope can be problematic, especially with the higher magnifications. It takes practice.
With diopter type iron sights, your cheek position is critical. You have to imagine a set of cross hairs in the round part of the sight. With the open sight type, in most cases you have to get equal light bars on either side of the sight post. And at the same time be able to change your focus quickly from distance to close in.
IMO superior optics makes a better shooter, no matter what your skill level. Knowing how to shoot iron sights is also a must or your S.O.L. if you break your scope.
Iron sights are next to useless at night. Good optics will increase your night vision radically.