Jon's AR build begins!

[processhead]

Jonathon What is your optic on the AR? How did you decide which type to purchase?

[bocephus]

Jonathon Is that a shark fin I see in the picture with the pond?

[Jonathon]

bocephus That would have been amazing to photoshop one in! I should have done it and might occasionally now do so when showing my pond in the background! processhead It is a Vortex Crossfire https://palmettostatearmory.com/vortex-crossfire-1x-red-dot-sight-2-moa-dot-cf-rd2.html and I chose it because it came with risers, the reviews were good and it was on sale for around 30% off, seems like it still is too. I have limited experience with a red dot but so far I like this. I am going to go back to the range without my wife and zero it in, we were just putting some rounds through it to test it out.

[zbigjeff]

Jonathon I can see the smile on your face while testing it out. It is a piece!!!

[Grimpuppy]

I had to quit using red dots. Apparently I have an astigmatism and red dots look like starburst to me.

[processhead]

Jonathon
I have no experience with red dot sights. Would like to hear your impressions with it out at 100 yards.

[Jonathon]

processhead I can already tell you I will struggle at anything beyond 50 probably with it. I am going to site it in at 50 but at 100+ I don’t think it is going to be terribly effective with my eyesight/steadiness

[PapaSop]

Jonathon
Hope you’re enjoying the fact the Mrs. got to this point. You must be beaming! Awesome. I’ll take a guess and say she’ll out shoot you. If she hasn’t already.

[processhead]

PapaSop said in Jon's AR build begins!:

Jonathon
Hope you’re enjoying the fact the Mrs. got to this point. You must be beaming! Awesome. I’ll take a guess and say she’ll out shoot you. If she hasn’t already.

“Jon, Sweetie, I keep telling you. Keep your cheek down on the stock, and just squeeeeze the trigger, and you’ll be shooting 10s and X instead of 5s and misses”

[Jonathon]

Placed my order at https://www.righttobear.com/vorte-micro-3-magnifier/ for a Vortex Magnifier. I wanted the ability to quickly engage and disengage and since my red dot is a Vortex, I figured safe to keep it in the same brand and I got advice from our shipping manager on it as well. I chose Right to Bear for this over PSA because of the speed difference in shipping. Plus, I forgot to use the code for a free mag, sent them a message and they were actually able to put the mag in the order. So, big fan of that!

[GWG8541]

Grimpuppy they are also an issue with some people who are red/green colored blind.

[RafterW]

Jonathon nice build! Do you shoot at Range 54?

[GWG8541]

processhead amen, its always fundamentals.

[GWG8541]

processhead Jonathon there are many different red dot sites that work fairly well. Most are meant for quick acquisition and room entry. To be more accurate at distance, make sure to only have the brightness up as bright as you need it for the lighting conditions you are in. If you run the brightness all the way up, it makes your dot appear bigger and harder to be discriminate at longer distance. Even if you have a Red Dot, get a quality built flip up mechanical site as a back up, and in my case I use it at longer distance. I’ve been an iron site shooter for a day or so and still love and believe in starting there. One thing about any optics, but especially electronic ones, they fail much easier than good old Iron sites. I do like my red dot for low light and anything inside 100 yards.

[bocephus]

Jonathon I don’t think you can go wrong with Vortex, I have a few and have friends that swear by them.

[RafterW]

bocephus The US military awarded them the contract for the new infantry rifle.

[Jonathon]

RafterW I have shot at range 54, nice place with good help but Rainier https://www.rainierarmsfa.com/ is a lot closer to both work and home so it is easier. Plus, I know head trainer there so that helps. Ive also gone to Bullseye for their indoor 100-yard range.

GWG8541 Yeah, I am sort of figuring that out. I initially had it all the way up but then realized that is actually makes it harder at anything beyond 30 yards or so to hit a small target. Aim small miss small is a good idea in my mind (and just as importantly it was in The Patriot!) so that is what I try to do.

[RafterW]

Nice, I think Rainier used to be Thunderbird Firearms? Is that right? My wife and I did our CCW there, if that is the case. I may be mistaken.

[processhead]

When I was shopping for an optic I wanted something that would work well at short range as well as medium ranges. What I settled on was a x1-x4 variable power scope with a lighted reticule.

It isn’t a high end name brand but is pretty bright and is gave me the versatility I was after.

The pictures I struggled to take with my phone show the reticule in daylight and a dim room with the reticule lit in the indoor picture and turned off in the outdoor picture.
The reticule light intensity is adjustable.

[Jonathon]

RafterW Yup, that is the place, they have done a great job in there. Dont know what happened to Thunderbirds, they weren’t there long but it seems to be doing really well now. Actually…I take that back, I do know what happened, not a good story.

processhead That actually would have worked really well for what I was wanting too…I am a big buyers remorse guy though, I always buy something and then see something else and think “oh, that was better wasn’t it?” I assume you like that though?