Optic Height Evolution

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Well... a personal evolution anyway.

Been using lower 1/3 mounts since 2013. For the past few years neck continued to bother me after shooting. Read about taller NV mounts being used for better so-called heads-up situational awareness... yada yada... so I gave this one a try for the past year (shoot a couple times a month). No more neck strain. Retain good cheek weld. Bringing the rifle up and acquiring target is more natural and seems faster. I use 75gr with a muzzle velocity of around 2550fps (14.5 bbl). Adjusted zero to 60yds gives me a 60-200yd. Beyond 30yds bullet deviation under/over line of sight is around 1 inch. Very satisfied. I won't be going back to standard height mounts.

https://i.imgur.com/VuOMQCh.jpg

[Stone]

Nice! Yeah, you have to go with what works well based on your cheek weld to eye heigth. "Bringing the rifle up and acquiring target is more natural and seems faster." I am sure you shaved some time off of your ready up work... This is kind of what I have been doing to all my rifles the last few years, just fine tuning some simple things can really make a difference.

[Uffdaphil]

I was not unhappy with my lower 1/3 dots. BuI bought this setup used for the MRO HD assuming the 2.2” would feel awkward. But, like you, it just feels quicker and right to me. This combo will probably replace my other 10.3” as my go-to urban shorty.

I like the better HD glass but still can’t appreciate a dot donut. Not enough of an upgrade to justify replacing my standard Trijis.

8230

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Nice! Yeah, you have to go with what works well based on your cheek weld to eye heigth. "Bringing the rifle up and acquiring target is more natural and seems faster." I am sure you shaved some time off of your ready up work... This is kind of what I have been doing to all my rifles the last few years, just fine tuning some simple things can really make a difference.

Absolutely. I didn't believe that a mere 5/8in lift in optic height would make such significant ergonomic difference for me, but my initial thought was that increasing sight height over bore would make a significant difference in bullet deviation from line of sight. I was wrong on both counts. At first the taller mount looked awkward on the rifle but now it looks normal to me while standard height mounts look painfully low.

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I was not unhappy with my lower 1/3 dots. BuI bought this setup used for the MRO HD assuming the 2.2” would feel awkward. But, like you, it just feels quicker and right to me. This combo will probably replace my other 10.3” as my go-to urban shorty.

I like the better HD glass but still can’t appreciate a dot donut. Not enough of an upgrade to justify replacing my standard Trijis.

8230


Nice setup.

I was curious about the difference between standard MRO and HD. Thanks for your insight.

[Joelski]

Lower 1/3rd

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240922/b5f15701d3515b0836a81678bf6096bd.jpg

vs. 1.93":



Taller is way more comfortable shooting from a crouch, especially if you have neck issues.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240922/fc156fcc6bcad0c2d32aa867ddae8bfa.jpg

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I'm using a Chinesium 1.93 on an old CMMG rimfire upper. While not quite as tall as the Unity it's much more comfortable than the 1.5 PEPR I had been using. The taller mounts suck for prone shooting but I don't do that much.

https://i.imgur.com/JQtPGGM.png

[Former11B]

My first 1.93”. Enjoying it so far

https://i.imgur.com/MTStlUc.jpeg

[BoilerUp]

Might as well bring the carry handle back or piggy back the red dot on a more capable magnified optic. I partially get the trend, but I do chuckle a bit when I see guys with tall mounts AND cheek risers.

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Yup. My 90s era Bushmaster with carry handle scope is close to the same height as Unity/Aimpoint. What was once old is Evolutionary again. Actually, I think my neck issues began not too long after the Bushmaster found its way to the back of the safe. I can't imagine anyone replacing their absolute or lower 1/3 mount with a 1.93 or 2.26 just to add a cheek riser. Maybe if switching from using NODs to not.

https://i.imgur.com/hj3ZLrW.jpg

[gatordev]

2 inches or more is a little silly for anything other than NODs, but something to keep in mind with cheek risers is they may not be for all positions. If I'm prone, 1.5" is the sweet spot for my body, but otherwise, 1.7" works universally, and is still comfortable in the short-term when prone without straining when shooting.

However, on my 416s with LPVOs, even with a 1.5" mount that puts me at 1.8"-ish, which is too high at any position except maybe standing for my body type. So I have a small riser that allows me to shoot from any position and use the riser when needed for more precise (ie, less strain) shots.

[Joelski]

Gotcha some neck fusions and you'll grow to love a more head-up posture. You and the 5 other guys who didn't have any crashes are fortunate, but we're not silly.

Edited to proclaim no butthurt! Just truthing. If I make it a couple more years, I might step up to a mono setup.

[SIGINTent]

I was issued an M16 A2, so you learn nose to the charging handle, tight cheek weld, head down. But gradually I moved up over the last 16 years or so. Now I greatly prefer 1.93. It's just more comfortable and easier to "find the dot" irrespective of the postion your body is in.

[Joelski]

Been sayin' it for years. You guys just finally caught up!

[BoilerUp]

Will be interesting to watch this go around again if the M-7 gets massively fielded. Head up shooting with minimal cheek weld and crappy buttstock placement works fine for 5.56 with a HWS/RDS, but will produce bad results on the shooter and downrange accuracy in a caliber that actually requires recoil management and uses a magnified optic.

[Tyrannosaur]

Basically everything has gone to 1.93 for me. I work hunched over all day so my neck and back are shot. I have a few 2.26 unitys but its just a touch high.
My hk with a exps is at 1.8 I believe and I like it alot. Not sure if 2.26 is worth it unless running nods. I just really like unity magnifier

[Former11B]

I?ve got a Scalarworks 1.93? on my T2 and really like it. I think higher would definitely be unnecessary/overkill unless I had an injury or was using NVGs

[TheRifleman]

My sweet spot is 1.70, I can tolerate a TA31 or a 3-9x32 Vudu fine, it's the red dots that for some odd reason I need a smidge more height. And since no one I know makes a 1.70 mount for an Aimpoint micro that I actually liked, I went ahead and used a cheat code to get me there and a hair more after a ton of researching with a calculator handy. A Scalarworks 1.57 T2 mount with a Daniel Defense Micro Rock n Lock spacer puts it at 1.72 or 1.73, and it's fantastic. Last month I took that combo to a carbine range day at Gunsite and the shoot house and even up close it was super easy and not much hold necessary.