Options for no-magnification optic with battery-less reticle?

jacotsmith

jacotsmith

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Hi everyone,

I thought I'd post this here instead of the Optics forum because I don't think I can afford the price of admission over there.

I am looking for a no-magnification optic that has a visible reticle even if the batteries are dead.

I used to have a cheap NcStar Acog lookalike that had a BDC reticle that worked great even without the illumination, but I think it was 4x which screwed me up when shooting with both eyes open. It was also a little on the big side, in a perfect world I would like something smaller.

I've seen Acog fibre optic knockoffs on evil bay, and cheap Chinese solar powered red dots but I don't think they will cut the mustard. I like the sounds of the SeeAll sight although I prefer tube style optics for something to look through.

I'm more of a pistol guy and don't have more than what I paid for my truck invested in my black rifles, so I'm looking for something that costs less than the Norinco or Kel-tec that would be sporting the sight.

Any ideas out there?

Thanks for looking!
 
Vortex makes a 1x Spitfire sight.

ps_spitfire_1x_cap-up_fr-t.jpg
 
Trijicon Reflex, RMR or MRO.
Holosun HS403C, HS510C.
Meprolight Mepro M21, Mepro MOR.

That said the Aimpoint CompM4 takes AA batteries, which was what won me over from their other models.
 
I wouldn't worry about batteries, the Aimpoints supposedly last about 4 years on a single battery, I haven't had mine long enough to test this but if you buy a new battery every 2-3 years you'll never need to worry even if you never shut it off.
I have an Aimpoint PRO and a T1 and they are amazing sights for a zero magnification red dot. If you are more of a prepper type mentality that thinks you'll need the sight to work for 10 years in a WROL world then I'd buy Trijicon with tritium/fiber optic. Also if the WROL scenario is in your mind stay away from Vortex, way too many warranty claims for me to ever trust one with my life or any serious use. I have 3 Vortex scopes so I'm not bashing them, just saying I wouldn't trust them with my life.
You can find used Aimpoint PRO's on the EE for under $500 but the T1 may be a little more than you want to spend based on your post. Optics are one of those things where you usually get what you pay for and once you've seen the difference looking through a real Aimpoint or Trijicon you'll never go back to the Chinese knock-off junk. It's worth it to save up longer and buy quality than to buy crap just because the price is nice.

In all honesty the best and most reliable sights that use no batteries are a set of quality iron sights, they'll never fail and with some practice you can shoot very accurately.
 
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Thanks folks. I don't have any particular apocalyptic scenario I'm preparing for, other than Canadian winters that kill batteries if you leave you rifle in the car or cabin too long. That and I have too much Scottish blood to use a battery when there's plenty of daylight to shoot in during the summer. I will look into the above suggestions, happy shooting everyone.
 
Mepros are pretty solid, and remember that most Aimpoints have a battery life measured in years, so something like the Aimpoint ACO would work - around 2 years of constant on battery life, much longer if you don't leave it on. 1 spare and you should be good for life.
 
FoxAlpha said:
Still worth noting.
Click to expand...

Not really, it's a fantastic optic and I love mine but the OP said he wants it to cost less than a Norinco and at the current retail of $2800 I don't think it's what he's looking for. Kinda like telling a guy who walks into the Chevrolet dealership looking for an economy car to get back and forth to school to buy a Corvette. Everyone wants one but not many can actually afford one.
 
cr5 said:
Not really, it's a fantastic optic and I love mine but the OP said he wants it to cost less than a Norinco and at the current retail of $2800 I don't think it's what he's looking for. Kinda like telling a guy who walks into the Chevrolet dealership looking for an economy car to get back and forth to school to buy a Corvette. Everyone wants one but not many can actually afford one.
Click to expand...

I get your point, but that's the nature of a free and open forum. If the OP doesn't want to spend that kind of money on an optic that's his prerogative but it never hurts to consider other "out of budget" options, regardless of how out of budget it may be.
Just like suggesting he get an aimpoint and forget about battery related worries. It's not what he initially asked for, but from the perspective of those who may know more, it's something we'd strongly recommend considering.

Besides, you should pretty much put a spectre on everything you own anyways.
 
jacotsmith said:
Hi everyone,

I thought I'd post this here instead of the Optics forum because I don't think I can afford the price of admission over there.

I am looking for a no-magnification optic that has a visible reticle even if the batteries are dead.

I used to have a cheap NcStar Acog lookalike that had a BDC reticle that worked great even without the illumination, but I think it was 4x which screwed me up when shooting with both eyes open. It was also a little on the big side, in a perfect world I would like something smaller.

I've seen Acog fibre optic knockoffs on evil bay, and cheap Chinese solar powered red dots but I don't think they will cut the mustard. I like the sounds of the SeeAll sight although I prefer tube style optics for something to look through.

I'm more of a pistol guy and don't have more than what I paid for my truck invested in my black rifles, so I'm looking for something that costs less than the Norinco or Kel-tec that would be sporting the sight.

Any ideas out there?

Thanks for looking!
Click to expand...

What is wrong with iron sights? I would trust my life to them
 
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