Vortex Strikefire maagnifier

[tommy72]

When shooting at Talladega this weekend I found that the green dot of the strikefire I was using was larger than 4 moa and made it hard to shoot well. On the second day we shot at the electronic targets on the range and the center dot was slightly larger than the dot of my sight and my groups shrunk considerably. I can buy a 3X magnifier for the strikefire for about $170 or use that money for a new scope. Any thoughts or suggestions on which would be best?

[NJrefugee]

Those 4 MOA dots are great for more tactical or 3-gun type shooting, but definitely tough if you are looking for precision.  Personally, I like Vortex a lot and have found that the Viper 1-4 PST is pretty effective for both applications on an AR platform. 

The center dot is 1 MOA, so it does not obscure smaller targets and is fine unless you are looking for sub-MOA groups.  I recently shot at a 2 MOA target from 200 yards and was able to see it well enough to get rounds on it at 4x.  (This was a Stage 1 AQT target, shot from a bench.)  For more up-close and fast-paced competitions, running at 1x is great, as there is a large red ring that is 10 MOA from the center dot and is pretty easy to quickly line up on a target, and running around with both eyes open is very natural/easy.  Here is a pic:

http://www.vortexoptics.com/uploads/sub_pst_s_1-4x24_tmcq_moa-t.jpg

I'm still kind of getting used to the relatively small hash marks that are every 2 MOA on the cross-hairs, as they are a little tough to pick up if you are using them for holdovers.  Hitting anything under 300 yards has been very easy though, just by aiming the dot a little high.  The one time I got to go out to 500 in a 3-gun event, I had no trouble seeing a steel torso target and getting rounds on it by holding the (large) 10 MOA hash on the upper chest.  I used it at a KD event, but there was ample time to dial in the elevation, so I did not use any holdovers.  It worked great though.

[NJrefugee]

Forgot to mention, the Vortex Strike Eagle looks interesting and is a bit less expensive.  It is a 1-6, and the BDC seems a little easier to use for holdovers, though it requires a 50 yard zero rather than the more standard 100.  A buddy of mine who is a firearms instructor picked one up and is all excited about it.  I haven't seen one in person though. 

[Cable___Guy]

Just my $.02 but adding a magnifier to a red dot seems like more possible points of failure.
I always prefer simple over complex. There are some decent made in the USA scopes from Redfield and Leupold for that price.

[Agrivere]

Just my 2 cents worth but why would you want to magnify a poor sight picture? You'll get a magnified poor sight picture. Lots of great scopes around with better reticles for Appleseed. I think the Vortex is a good choice but you could also take a look at the Millett DMS-1 which I like. It's apparently being discontinued so last I checked there were great deals on it to be had.

[Maximum Ordinate]

When shooting at Talladega this weekend I found that the green dot of the strikefire I was using was larger than 4 moa and made it hard to shoot well. On the second day we shot at the electronic targets on the range and the center dot was slightly larger than the dot of my sight and my groups shrunk considerably. I can buy a 3X magnifier for the strikefire for about $170 or use that money for a new scope. Any thoughts or suggestions on which would be best?

Hi Tommy,

Glad to see you posting here!  Welcome to the forums.

From your description, it doesn't appear that seeing is the problem, but rather your ability to get a good sight picture (step 2: combination of sight alignment and your target).  The black circle on the 100y target was 6MOA, so your 4MOA dot would fit into that circle and it would naturally be easier to center it for a good sight picture when holding Center of Target.

Often times, we talk about having the right tool for the job.  A RDS with a large dot may present additional challenges for field shooting, but can be made to work. 

If the dot on your Strikefire is crisp and clean, you can use it like a front sight post and shoot 6 o'clock hold.  Adjust the brightness so the dot is bright enough for conditions, but not so bright it has a "bloom" which washes out your square.  That way you can be consistent and repeatable without obscuring the entire target.

You mentioned interest in another scope, which is also an option.  I've had good experience with Nikon series scopes - they've proven to be a great value.  Durable and carries a lifetime warranty.  There are a number of inexpensive optics that work well on the Ruger 10/22 or AR-15.  If you decide to go with another scope, black Friday is coming up. 

There is another shoot this coming weekend in Calera, AL.  EddieB will be the shoot boss and they have lodging available on-site!  If you bring a friend, I think Eddie has loaner rifles available!

in Liberty,
Rusty

[2 clicks low]

Have you considered (dare I say it) Iron Sights?

They work well at all distances and don't need a new battery at the worst moment.

[tommy72]

Rusty I really think my biggest problem is lack of practice. This weekend is the Chickamauga Marathon and I'm already committed to it but I plan to attend another Appleseed soon.

2 clicks low yes I have tried iorn sights but have problems making them and my trifocals play nice together.

[2 clicks low]

2 clicks low yes I have tried iorn sights but have problems making them and my trifocals play nice together.

I wear progressives. I even had a pair made in very dark polaroid out of safety polycarbonate for my shooting glasses. It took a couple rounds and lots of dry fire to find the "sweet spot" for the front sight and I just lay it on the blur downrange. Once I got used to the fact that the rear peep doesn't appear round but is cut off from 12 to 2 o'clock (bought a replacement rear for the M1 before I realized it was the progressives ) things improved fast.

[Kennebago]

There is another shoot this coming weekend in Calera, AL.  EddieB will be the shoot boss and they have lodging available on-site!  If you bring a friend, I think Eddie has loaner rifles available!

I'll be there with at least one spare rifle as well if you happen to change your mind, OP.

For $170 you can put together a Primary Arms magnifier and an ADM quick-detach mount, or if you hunt around you can find a Vortex 3x unit in a flip mount for $200. I am looking at those myself as an "inexpensive" way to push my .223 carbine a little further for a KD shoot next year, but it'll mean making do with rough holdovers and that's probably suboptimal.

They are getting harder to find, but I really love Nikon's 4x32 Prostaff Rimfire scopes for 25-yard work on a 10/22 or something similar. I paid $110 for mine a few weeks ago, and at the price I haven't seen anything better for AQT purposes.

[jmdavis]

You can use a center hold for large targets with a 4moa dot and use a sub-6 (line of white) for the 400 yard targets. Also, you want your illumination as low as you can get it and still have an adequate dot. Normally when a dot appears large their is flare from excessive illumination.

I have seen alot of good targets shot with eotechs (magnified and non-magnified) and I have shot a few myself. But, the same things are important whether you are shooting irons, scopes or dots. You have to have good sight alignment (think of it as CONSISTENT head position behind the sight) and good trigger control. Without those it's not going to matter whether you use irons, scopes or dots.


Mike