Here is a review by a very well known Service Rifle Shooter.Keith has been the National Champ several years in a row.
Best Tactical Rifle Sight
By Keith A Cunningham
Over the past many years of doing our Tactical Rifle courses we have gained considerable experience with the various equipment. I have spent a military career shooting on rifle teams against almost every rifle and sight in the world. Linda and I have coached several CF shooting teams to Bisley and Australia and have carefully watched and asked questions about the equipment the other armies of the world are using or testing. We are at the point where we can recognize those that will likely give us some trouble on a course and those that can be depended on to keep working. In the vast majority of cases, it is the sight that is the weak link in the tactical rifle system. To that point, we would like to voice our opinion on which of the tactical rifles sights we think are the best.
We are specifically going to discuss the best sight for all around tactical use – that is to say the best scope to use across a room, as well as shooting out to 500 meters. It is illogical to us to use a scope that is perfect for short range work and have none of the characteristics that would make it effective at long range. If you can have a scope that will do both short and long range equally well, it would be the logical one to use. We have no particular loyalty to any manufacturer. We are simply following the old saying, “Beauty is as beauty does”. The one major characteristic that a scope must have is the ability to retain its zero from day to day.
But it wasn’t designed for competition…
Every time a sight doesn’t work and it is brought up to the manufacturer, we keep getting the reply, “…but it wasn’t designed for competition.” So we want to make a point about this.
The competitions that we have been involved with are tactical/service rifle competitions. They use humanoid type targets, usually the Figure 11 and 12 military targets. The range is from 25 to 500 meters, the four basic positions are used and the types of fire include deliberate, snaps, rapid and fire with movement (sometimes lots of movement). Sights are expected to do in competition the very same thing they are expected to do in combat, except that a competition it is easier. If the sight can’t handle competition, it doesn’t have a chance in combat.
The biggest difference between combat and competition is that in preparation for a competition, we shoot a confirmation zero group every day and sometimes twice a day. We keep records as to which sight holds its zero from day to day, trying to replace those that don’t. In combat the soldier doesn’t have that opportunity and will often go to the field with a sight that is no longer zeroed and no one will know it.
Whether in combat or in a competition, if the sight will stay zeroed, the user can likely take care of the rest.
It is our experience that all of the other armies in the world that we have competed against use these types of competitions to test their equipment. If the sight can’t handle the relatively calm and gentle rigors of competition, it certainly won’t be able to survive combat.
What do we want a tactical sight to do?
Lightweight and Compact
The sight should be lightweight so as not to make the rifle top heavy. It should be compact because there is just no need for a big sight.
Robust
The sight must be robust enough to withstand everyday use. A good test for this is to first zero the rifle and scope. Then have the user negotiate an obstacle course and then confirm the zero by shooting another group. The scope must be able to survive at least a short drop test and continue to function. The test here is that it must not only survive, but maintain its zero.
Effective at both Short and Long Range
The scope must be capable of being used effectively at both short and long range. It must have a large field of view for short range and a proper reticle for precise shots and for use at long range. There are scopes that have this capability, so why not have the best of both worlds?
View around the sight
The edges of the sight, that area immediately around the outside of the lens, should be as narrow as possible. If this area is too thick or it has large battery compartments and sight adjustment dials, it becomes difficult to look around the sight while still looking through the sight. This limits your total field of view and your peripheral vision.
Close Range Field of View
The scope must have a large field of view at close range. This is to provide for fast and accurate target acquisition.
Variable power (not switch power)
The sight should have variable power from 1 power to not greater than 5-power with 3 or 4 power being a good high-end compromise. This allows the sight to be used in a great variety of situations. If the user is doing an entry or is otherwise in a confined close-range situation, the sight can be set on low power providing the largest field of view. If the user finds himself on containment or needs to make a shot from a distance, some magnification is useful to fire a precise shot or to help in identifying the target. The user should be trained to always keep the power set on its lowest power, as one can always shoot a shot on low power but it might be difficult to find and engage a near target on high power.
If the scope is to be used for the specific duties of the “designated marksman”, then the scope should be variable from 1 to 10 power.
The scope needs to be variable power so that it can be set on any specific power that is best for the situation. Switch power scopes must be set on whatever power the factory provided. This is normally the lowest and the highest power; there are no options for intermediate power settings.
Battery dependency
The sight should not be dependent on a battery for its sight reticle. Despite the advertised battery life expectancy of some sights, we have found that on every course, 3 to 5 scopes (about a third) will stop working in the middle of an exercise because the batteries went dead. If this happens so often on course, imagine what can happen on operations? Being caught out this way is not a matter of “if”, it’s a matter of “when”.
Maintain zero
The sight must be able to maintain a zero. We have frequently found, because on our courses we check the zero at least once a day, that many of the tactical optic sights will not hold a zero, even overnight. Some vary only a little, and a few clicks will put it back on. Others will be on one day and miss a man-sized target the next.
The good scopes will zero quickly with adjustments showing up on the target as expected.
The not so good ones will take many more groups and a lot more time to achieve a zero. Adjustments will sometimes be 3 or 4 times larger than advertised and once thought to be zeroed, a confirmatory group will show that it has shifted again. It is now our rule of thumb that if a scope is hard to zero, it won’t maintain a zero from day to day.
Maintain Zero on all magnification Adjustments
With modern scope technology, maintaining a zero from one magnification setting to another is a point hardly worth mentioning. However, a good tactical scope must be able to do this. There are some that will experience a zero shift when moving from one power to another.
Internal adjustments
All moving parts and adjustments must be internal to protect them from the environment.
Zero Adjustment Increments
The adjustment increments for zeroing should not be greater than ½ minute of angle per click. We have frequently had scopes, with coarse adjustments, on the “magic click”. This is when, for example, the group is currently printing right and when adjusted one click left, then group is then printing left, and no adjustment provides a centered group.
Sight Reticle
The sight reticle should be one that can be used for in-close quick shooting and yet fine enough for precision shots. The dual-X type reticle is a good compromise for both situations. It is simple and is not considered “busy” and therefore easy to acquire in a hurry and position carefully for accuracy.
Easily adjustable for elevation and windage
The scope should have adjustments for elevation and windage that are easy to use. Because we are talking about an all around tactical scope (good for across a room and also good back to 500 meters) it needs to be adjustable for elevation and windage.
Attaching to the rifle
The scope must be attached to the rifle with sufficient security so as to keep it from shooting loose. Anything attached to a rifle with only “hand tight” tension will eventually shoot loose.
Eye Relief
The scope should have enough eye relief to allow it to be mounted far enough forward so that it can be shot from any position while the operator is wearing a helmet. As well, a problem can develop if during firing the recoil causes the scope to bump against the shooter or his helmet. With proper eye relief, the shooter has a greater field of view around the scope so he has better peripheral vision and can better see other targets or if friendlies approach his line of fire.
Best Tactical Rifle Sight
By Keith A Cunningham
Over the past many years of doing our Tactical Rifle courses we have gained considerable experience with the various equipment. I have spent a military career shooting on rifle teams against almost every rifle and sight in the world. Linda and I have coached several CF shooting teams to Bisley and Australia and have carefully watched and asked questions about the equipment the other armies of the world are using or testing. We are at the point where we can recognize those that will likely give us some trouble on a course and those that can be depended on to keep working. In the vast majority of cases, it is the sight that is the weak link in the tactical rifle system. To that point, we would like to voice our opinion on which of the tactical rifles sights we think are the best.
We are specifically going to discuss the best sight for all around tactical use – that is to say the best scope to use across a room, as well as shooting out to 500 meters. It is illogical to us to use a scope that is perfect for short range work and have none of the characteristics that would make it effective at long range. If you can have a scope that will do both short and long range equally well, it would be the logical one to use. We have no particular loyalty to any manufacturer. We are simply following the old saying, “Beauty is as beauty does”. The one major characteristic that a scope must have is the ability to retain its zero from day to day.
But it wasn’t designed for competition…
Every time a sight doesn’t work and it is brought up to the manufacturer, we keep getting the reply, “…but it wasn’t designed for competition.” So we want to make a point about this.
The competitions that we have been involved with are tactical/service rifle competitions. They use humanoid type targets, usually the Figure 11 and 12 military targets. The range is from 25 to 500 meters, the four basic positions are used and the types of fire include deliberate, snaps, rapid and fire with movement (sometimes lots of movement). Sights are expected to do in competition the very same thing they are expected to do in combat, except that a competition it is easier. If the sight can’t handle competition, it doesn’t have a chance in combat.
The biggest difference between combat and competition is that in preparation for a competition, we shoot a confirmation zero group every day and sometimes twice a day. We keep records as to which sight holds its zero from day to day, trying to replace those that don’t. In combat the soldier doesn’t have that opportunity and will often go to the field with a sight that is no longer zeroed and no one will know it.
Whether in combat or in a competition, if the sight will stay zeroed, the user can likely take care of the rest.
It is our experience that all of the other armies in the world that we have competed against use these types of competitions to test their equipment. If the sight can’t handle the relatively calm and gentle rigors of competition, it certainly won’t be able to survive combat.
What do we want a tactical sight to do?
Lightweight and Compact
The sight should be lightweight so as not to make the rifle top heavy. It should be compact because there is just no need for a big sight.
Robust
The sight must be robust enough to withstand everyday use. A good test for this is to first zero the rifle and scope. Then have the user negotiate an obstacle course and then confirm the zero by shooting another group. The scope must be able to survive at least a short drop test and continue to function. The test here is that it must not only survive, but maintain its zero.
Effective at both Short and Long Range
The scope must be capable of being used effectively at both short and long range. It must have a large field of view for short range and a proper reticle for precise shots and for use at long range. There are scopes that have this capability, so why not have the best of both worlds?
View around the sight
The edges of the sight, that area immediately around the outside of the lens, should be as narrow as possible. If this area is too thick or it has large battery compartments and sight adjustment dials, it becomes difficult to look around the sight while still looking through the sight. This limits your total field of view and your peripheral vision.
Close Range Field of View
The scope must have a large field of view at close range. This is to provide for fast and accurate target acquisition.
Variable power (not switch power)
The sight should have variable power from 1 power to not greater than 5-power with 3 or 4 power being a good high-end compromise. This allows the sight to be used in a great variety of situations. If the user is doing an entry or is otherwise in a confined close-range situation, the sight can be set on low power providing the largest field of view. If the user finds himself on containment or needs to make a shot from a distance, some magnification is useful to fire a precise shot or to help in identifying the target. The user should be trained to always keep the power set on its lowest power, as one can always shoot a shot on low power but it might be difficult to find and engage a near target on high power.
If the scope is to be used for the specific duties of the “designated marksman”, then the scope should be variable from 1 to 10 power.
The scope needs to be variable power so that it can be set on any specific power that is best for the situation. Switch power scopes must be set on whatever power the factory provided. This is normally the lowest and the highest power; there are no options for intermediate power settings.
Battery dependency
The sight should not be dependent on a battery for its sight reticle. Despite the advertised battery life expectancy of some sights, we have found that on every course, 3 to 5 scopes (about a third) will stop working in the middle of an exercise because the batteries went dead. If this happens so often on course, imagine what can happen on operations? Being caught out this way is not a matter of “if”, it’s a matter of “when”.
Maintain zero
The sight must be able to maintain a zero. We have frequently found, because on our courses we check the zero at least once a day, that many of the tactical optic sights will not hold a zero, even overnight. Some vary only a little, and a few clicks will put it back on. Others will be on one day and miss a man-sized target the next.
The good scopes will zero quickly with adjustments showing up on the target as expected.
The not so good ones will take many more groups and a lot more time to achieve a zero. Adjustments will sometimes be 3 or 4 times larger than advertised and once thought to be zeroed, a confirmatory group will show that it has shifted again. It is now our rule of thumb that if a scope is hard to zero, it won’t maintain a zero from day to day.
Maintain Zero on all magnification Adjustments
With modern scope technology, maintaining a zero from one magnification setting to another is a point hardly worth mentioning. However, a good tactical scope must be able to do this. There are some that will experience a zero shift when moving from one power to another.
Internal adjustments
All moving parts and adjustments must be internal to protect them from the environment.
Zero Adjustment Increments
The adjustment increments for zeroing should not be greater than ½ minute of angle per click. We have frequently had scopes, with coarse adjustments, on the “magic click”. This is when, for example, the group is currently printing right and when adjusted one click left, then group is then printing left, and no adjustment provides a centered group.
Sight Reticle
The sight reticle should be one that can be used for in-close quick shooting and yet fine enough for precision shots. The dual-X type reticle is a good compromise for both situations. It is simple and is not considered “busy” and therefore easy to acquire in a hurry and position carefully for accuracy.
Easily adjustable for elevation and windage
The scope should have adjustments for elevation and windage that are easy to use. Because we are talking about an all around tactical scope (good for across a room and also good back to 500 meters) it needs to be adjustable for elevation and windage.
Attaching to the rifle
The scope must be attached to the rifle with sufficient security so as to keep it from shooting loose. Anything attached to a rifle with only “hand tight” tension will eventually shoot loose.
Eye Relief
The scope should have enough eye relief to allow it to be mounted far enough forward so that it can be shot from any position while the operator is wearing a helmet. As well, a problem can develop if during firing the recoil causes the scope to bump against the shooter or his helmet. With proper eye relief, the shooter has a greater field of view around the scope so he has better peripheral vision and can better see other targets or if friendlies approach his line of fire.
