Optics/iron sight recommendations for AR-10?

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  • CalgarisRex

    Member
    Apr 8, 2021
    10
    I've heard great things about Vortex and Leupold in particular, and I was wondering what you guys thought about optics for the AR. My budget is currently about $350 or less, so I'm not looking to go crazy, but suggestions for more expensive optics are still fine (thinking about the future).

    I also haven't seen too much in the way of conventional sights mentioned by a lot of people for the AR, so I'm wondering about those too.
     

    jrumann59

    DILLIGAF
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 17, 2011
    14,024
    Check out primary arms they have pretty good selection across most price points.
     

    SkiPatrolDude

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 24, 2017
    3,331
    Timonium-Lutherville
    The Romeo 5 is a solid budget optic. Has great battery life and auto on/off, so is a decent inexpensive home defense option.

    Daniel Defense makes some of my favorite fixed iron sights, which I run with a 1/3 co-witnessed red dot.

    The Primary Arms MD-25 is another great option with a slightly larger tube and FOV. Very durable for the price point.
     

    Bountied

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 6, 2012
    6,893
    Pasadena
    The Romeo 5 is a solid budget optic. Has great battery life and auto on/off, so is a decent inexpensive home defense option.

    Daniel Defense makes some of my favorite fixed iron sights, which I run with a 1/3 co-witnessed red dot.

    The Primary Arms MD-25 is another great option with a slightly larger tube and FOV. Very durable for the price point.

    Check out the videos where they freeze it in a block of ice, then thaw, then shoot it with a shot gun and it still holds zero/works. Water proof too. I had an Aimpoint, they are larger and heavier. The R5 is my goto and I've never had to change a battery. I also prefer an actual cowitness so if you remove the optic you can just rezero it to the irons.
     

    Park ranger

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 6, 2015
    2,315
    The Army marksmanship unit uses a 4.5 x scope on their M110 to shoot 1000 yard matches at Camp Perry. Before scopes were allowed we used iron sights. Don't buy in to the more mag means more distance. I think the $350 Leopold Hog scope might work well for you.
     

    Bountied

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 6, 2012
    6,893
    Pasadena

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    IMO magnification is dictated by distance, 2X per 100 yards is a good mix of size/cost vs FOV and magnifications distance. A good 1x or red dot is ideal under 50 yards, and useable out to 200 or more. Better glass can stretch the range where a $300 1-6 scope might be dark and distorted, making hits tough past 300 yards, a $1K 1-6 scope might be clear and bright enough to make good hits out to 600. I like LPVO for most any rifle caliber you plan to shoot at 200 yards or beyond vs a red dot for closer work. The Sig Romeo 5 and Strike Eagle 1-6 are the minimum useable for centerfire IMO. I like the larger window of an EoTech if I can afford to spend more. The Vortex PST2 is probably the best overall bang for the buck they have, most of the high end features for just a bit ore than the strike eagle cost.
     

    rockstarr

    Major Deplorable
    Feb 25, 2013
    4,592
    The Bolshevik Lands
    IMO magnification is dictated by distance, 2X per 100 yards is a good mix of size/cost vs FOV and magnifications distance. A good 1x or red dot is ideal under 50 yards, and useable out to 200 or more. Better glass can stretch the range where a $300 1-6 scope might be dark and distorted, making hits tough past 300 yards, a $1K 1-6 scope might be clear and bright enough to make good hits out to 600. I like LPVO for most any rifle caliber you plan to shoot at 200 yards or beyond vs a red dot for closer work. The Sig Romeo 5 and Strike Eagle 1-6 are the minimum useable for centerfire IMO. I like the larger window of an EoTech if I can afford to spend more. The Vortex PST2 is probably the best overall bang for the buck they have, most of the high end features for just a bit ore than the strike eagle cost.


    Still makes you wonder where vortex cut costs to bring us all those features at that price. Hard to make sense of. Razor1-6 is twice the cost with just a small increase in features over the pst2 1-6. They have to have cut costs somewhere
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    The Army marksmanship unit uses a 4.5 x scope on their M110 to shoot 1000 yard matches at Camp Perry. Before scopes were allowed we used iron sights. Don't buy in to the more mag means more distance. I think the $350 Leopold Hog scope might work well for you.
    The AMU is basically a unit that's paid to take classes and shoot all day. Incidentally, those Camp Perry targets are also 6'x6' squares (albeit the X ring is only a 10" circle). There are very few 72"x72" targets to see at a thousand yards in real life, and most shooters do not come close to measuring up to AMU standards.

    The OP has told us they have a 200-400yd max range. That's further than you want to go with a reflex sight. Vortex Viper PST GenII 1-6x would be my choice if 1x was required. Maybe a Sig Tango4 4-16x DEV-L MRAD if up close usage wasn't a big consideration.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    My thoughts are, I would not want to under scope a .307 rifle.

    The round is good for hits to 1000 yards. You put a 1-6x on it, and decide to do a long range course, and you are buying another scope.

    And the .308 is not really the round of choice for close quarter use.

    IMO, save the 1-6x for .223, and put a scope that goes to a minimum of 10x or more on a .308 for longer ranges.
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    IMO, save the 1-6x for .223, and put a scope that goes to a minimum of 10x or more on a .308 for longer ranges.
    Let me counterpoint this: .308 is a much harder hitting round than .223, especially closer in. While this is obviously counterbalanced by increased recoil, some people may be willing to accept this in return for increased penetration against hard cover, vehicles, and so on. I've got a 10.5" AR-308, and believe it or not, the recoil and blast really aren't as bad as you'd think they'd be. You could absolutely do some rapid-fire work from that platform, especially outdoors. (Probably not my first choice for indoor home defense!)

    Once you accept that maybe a .308 does have some use cases compared to a 5.56 gun even at 200yds and in, I think an LPVO could be an acceptable choice on one of those platforms.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    Still makes you wonder where vortex cut costs to bring us all those features at that price. Hard to make sense of. Razor1-6 is twice the cost with just a small increase in features over the pst2 1-6. They have to have cut costs somewhere

    There are still noticeable improvements in the Razor, larger eye box, sharper/cleaner/brighter image, better click feel, brighter illimination, and a couple other reticle options. Might or might not be worth it, and of course it cost a LOT more to get a smaller improvement as you go up in price. For the vast majority, you will see a big difference in the PST2 vs Strike Eagle, and most can at least understand it is at least twice the scope at twice the cost. The Razor takes a bit more time and a shooter familiar with better optics to see where it is worth it, it's twice the cost, and depending on the shooter may be worth it or not.
     

    Bountied

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 6, 2012
    6,893
    Pasadena
    Still makes you wonder where vortex cut costs to bring us all those features at that price. Hard to make sense of. Razor1-6 is twice the cost with just a small increase in features over the pst2 1-6. They have to have cut costs somewhere

    They're made in Philippines, Chinas, and Japan! At least the PSTs. I think the Razors are made in the USA hence the price bump.
     

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