Best AR optic under 500$??

KanadianShooter said:
Hey guys looking to buy an optic for my S&W mp15 and was hoping for some advice as to what optics are best to co-witness with the fixed front post. Looking at Vortex's and eotech's. What are the best options under 500$? Thanks
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What are you planning to do with this rifle? Why do you need it to co-witness with the front site?

What are you willing to accept that this firearm won't be ideal for?

My last carbine build I bought a used vortex viper PST 1-4x for $500 on the money. It is a great General Purpose optic. At 1x with illuminated reticle it acts like a red dot and shreds everything at 100m or less without effort. At 4x with BDC reticle pattern ringing still at 300m is boring. Beyond 400m 4x magnification becomes a limitation, but the optic still possesses sufficient clarity for target identification, but hold over starts to get less precise, but I'm ok with that because when I need to shoot beyond 400 I have other firearms for that purpose.

Cheap optics are usually only good for one application. General purpose optics with a broad range of applicability, that are also high quality, are expensive. You get what you pay for.

EDIT, I just read back again and see you answered general range plinking out to 100 and close range tactical shooting.

There is a guy on the EE selling a vortex sparc for $250, free shipping no tax. Save yourself more than $100 compared to buying new, and if you don't love it you can sell it for what you paid for it and still have your $500 budget. Don't overthink it.
 
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Cameron SS said:
What are you planning to do with this rifle? Why do you need it to co-witness with the front site?

What are you willing to accept that this firearm won't be ideal for?

My last carbine build I bought a used vortex viper PST 1-4x for $500 on the money. It is a great General Purpose optic. At 1x with illuminated reticle it acts like a red dot and shreds everything at 100m or less without effort. At 4x with BDC reticle pattern ringing still at 300m is boring. Beyond 400m 4x magnification becomes a limitation, but the optic still possesses sufficient clarity for target identification, but hold over starts to get less precise, but I'm ok with that because when I need to shoot beyond 400 I have other firearms for that purpose.

Cheap optics are usually only good for one application. General purpose optics with a broad range of applicability, that are also high quality, are expensive. You get what you pay for.

EDIT, I just read back again and see you answered general range plinking out to 100 and close range tactical shooting.

There is a guy on the EE selling a vortex sparc for $250, free shipping no tax. Save yourself more than $100 compared to buying new, and if you don't love it you can sell it for what you paid for it and still have your $500 budget. Don't overthink it.
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Agreed. Have low to high end optics and a few in between. The Sparc I would consider an in-between (towards lower-end) but I love to throw it on various platforms for general plinking.

For what you're looking for I think it would suit just fine - and leave $ for more ammo.

If you don't like it (I think you will) you can always sell it again and try something else.
 
Cameron SS said:
What are you planning to do with this rifle? Why do you need it to co-witness with the front site?

What are you willing to accept that this firearm won't be ideal for?

My last carbine build I bought a used vortex viper PST 1-4x for $500 on the money. It is a great General Purpose optic. At 1x with illuminated reticle it acts like a red dot and shreds everything at 100m or less without effort. At 4x with BDC reticle pattern ringing still at 300m is boring. Beyond 400m 4x magnification becomes a limitation, but the optic still possesses sufficient clarity for target identification, but hold over starts to get less precise, but I'm ok with that because when I need to shoot beyond 400 I have other firearms for that purpose.

Cheap optics are usually only good for one application. General purpose optics with a broad range of applicability, that are also high quality, are expensive. You get what you pay for.

EDIT, I just read back again and see you answered general range plinking out to 100 and close range tactical shooting.

There is a guy on the EE selling a vortex sparc for $250, free shipping no tax. Save yourself more than $100 compared to buying new, and if you don't love it you can sell it for what you paid for it and still have your $500 budget. Don't overthink it.
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Get the Vortex SPARC 2 RDO the SPARC has to small of an eye piece and the RD illumination piece protrudes into the eye piece. The SPARC 2 $299.
 
Some of these you need to get off the EE to pay sub $500 but it's easily possible. Here are my recommendations not knowing what style of shooting you want to do:
- Aimpoint PRO
- Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6x24
- Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x24 (must be EE for sub 500)
- Leupold Mark AR Mod 1 3-9x40mm (on sale right now at cabelas for 500)
- If you can find one on the EE, an Elcan Spectre OS3X. Calgary shooting has them for 700 and change right now, 500 would be a good used price for one.
 
I picked up a Sig Romeo a few months back. So far I like it. My only complaint about it is the shake awake feature is way to sensitive. A mouse fart across the room can turn it on. So now I wonder if it is turned on in my locker everytime my furnace kicks on across the room. But the excellent battery life negates that worry. Other then that, it was money well spent thus far.

https://www.sigsauer.com/products/electro-optics/red-dot-sights/romeo5/
 
I've been really enjoying my Vortex Sparc AR. The affordability, quality and warranty impressed me although if your accustomed to higher end optics you could probably not pick a few things such as the clarity or crispness of the dot. The sig romeo was another option at the time but I felt the vortex was just better. I think it's because the sig optic isn't made by sig but rather by holosun or at least that's what I heard. I'm sure either are solid purchases
 
EoTech 512/552... $450 most days.

Sig Romeo 4 series.

Holosun

Leupold Mod 0 scopes.

#### Vortex straight to hell.

Lots of $500 and under options that don't suck.
 
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Just new to AR`s picked up an FN 15 New. Has what i believe they call A2 front sites. I have a Vortex Venom red dot i would like to use but also be able to co-witness the iron sites. bought a riser for the vortex 1.5 but its to high. Are the A2 sites all the same height on AR`s. could anyone steer me in the right direction as to how tall a Riser i would need to co-witness my Irons?
 
mobiletec said:
Just new to AR`s picked up an FN 15 New. Has what i believe they call A2 front sites. I have a Vortex Venom red dot i would like to use but also be able to co-witness the iron sites. bought a riser for the vortex 1.5 but its to high. Are the A2 sites all the same height on AR`s. could anyone steer me in the right direction as to how tall a Riser i would need to co-witness my Irons?
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Have a look at this, it may help.
 
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I've owned a few Holosun products, they are cheap and dependable, fantastic optics for the money but I just pulled the trigger on a Primary Arms 3x Prism scope with the ACSS reticle. It's not here yet,,,,but I'm hoping it's the best optic under $500 :)
 
ColinD said:
Been using the Nikon black 1000 1-4x24.

It's a great unit, got it on sale for $479.99 just over a year ago.
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That's a great price for that scope. I looked at one last visit to Cabelas. Crystal clear and robust. I finally received a BF 100 1-6 and am really happy with it but for $399 (Tenda) the Black 1000 is definitely best bang for the buck !!
 
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