Stuff I've learned about Optics

[alamo5000]

As several of you know I have been 'thinking' (dangerous I know LOL) about optics and which one I really want. When WEVO was down I spent a bit of time reading on the internet about optics but it wasn't all about 'features' of X manufacturer or whatever it was also about how to USE the optics. I combined this reading with a little testing of my own.

The first thing I did was manage to clear a lane long enough to where I can get 200 yard shots in. Normally in my part of Texas we only get shots that are very short. If you think West Texas or even Central Texas you can go get 1000 yard shots without a problem... but here because it's so wooded getting anything over 100 to 200 yards is pretty rare. Long story short I have a 1-4x optic now and I took 200 yard shots with very good success. (Now I want to try 300 yards! )

After that little exercise at 200 yards I am more than confident that I can hit targets at 300 yards or even greater with a 1-4x.

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I looked into both MOA and MIL based reticles but truth be told if you are talking about a 5.56/223 round none of that really comes into play within 200 yards sheerly because of ballistics. Without getting into the MOA vs MIL debate take a look at this reticle that is from the Vortex Viper PST:



If you have a dead on precision shooting rifle with match grade ammo zeroed at 100 yards with this optic...at 200 yards you know where the aim point would be? (Not accounting for wind) The aiming point would be just under the center red dot, just atop where the vertical line begins. That's it? Yep. There is not a whole lot of calculations to be had to raise your aim point 1.7 inches.

It's only out past 200 yards where these MOA/MIL calculations really come into play. (Keep in mind I am using 69 grain basic calculations) At 250 yards your aim point with be at 4.8 MOA on the bottom vertical line. At 300 yards you are just above the lower 10 MOA mark.

In my mind knowing all this means at close range, there is little to worry about. You can make it complicated on paper if you want but it's just not necessary. Just as long as you know your basic calculations and know where these points are at...the 1-4x is more than effective at these ranges or even longer.

It sort of dawned on me that a longer optic does not make your rifle more accurate. What a longer optic would do at these ranges would be to allow you to see your target more clearly, but for a rifle that isn't tuned to accuracy and/or uses ammo that isn't suitable it will be all over the place regardless of how long the optic is. You more or less will have a real nice view of your 6 inch groups at 100 yards.

If you are shooting purely match grade ammo that is accuratized for your rifle and your aim is to try to put a bullet through the same hole on a static target then a longer scope might be in the cards. But what do you trade off for that ability? Size and weight for one, more on other things later. If you have other aims as to shooting a longer optic might not be your best choice.

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In my reading I came across an article that said people who hunt dangerous wild game...their predominant choice of optic is a 2.5x. I was taken back by this. I was thinking 'why?'. The answer is not in magnification but in field of view. If you are sneaking up on an angry saber toothed tiger you want to be aware of what is around you as well as have the option for quick acquisition. This balance of field of view vs magnification is something to keep in mind.

Now also take into account pig hunting as an example. Do you want to be so zoomed in that you can see the fleas on them? Your first shot will result in one pig going down but the rest scattering. In fact a wider field of vision will allow you to see your moving targets and acquire them a lot more easily. The idea isn't to have the most magnification but rather the RIGHT magnification to keep all this stuff in balance. If you are within that 200 yard range, zooming OUT to a slightly wider field of view might even be better if targets are not static. Remember, all other factors being on and accurate, the dot is going to be on basically the same spot out to 175 yards. Depending on the range a full 4x zoom might not be the best because the piggies will run right out of your field of vision AND you won't be able to effectively see other piggies running into your vision (until it's too late).

Now I am not a soldier nor have I ever been one but the same principles seem to apply if you were doing battle at these ranges. I don't know for sure but I am not sure if the 5.56/223 round would be effective for anything other than paper or small pests out past the 300 yard mark anyway. I am not an expert in terminal ballistics by any means so maybe someone else can shed light on this part of it for me. I wonder what a ballistics gel test would look like at 300 yards for a 5.56/223 round.

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After a lot of consideration, for an AR15, if all I wanted to do was punch paper with match grade ammo then a longer optic would be a better choice. Again, the scope doesn't make the rifle or the ammo more accurate. But if you have an accurate rifle with the right load you could get those 1/4 inch groups... which if I was a police sniper might be a very good thing.

Other than that, a longer optic for an AR15 could post advantages for outside 200 yards, but 200 and inwards it gives little advantage outside of possibly taking advantage of a highly accurate rifle with superior ammo.

I don't doubt for a minute that I could get 1/2" or smaller groups with my rifle at 100 yards given a lot of time and effort for developing the perfect load, but is that all that I want to do?

I would most definitely LIKE to take my rifle out to 300 yards and beyond but for me is that really going to be common? The answer is no. Keep in mind with the 1-4x I am more than confident that I could get rounds on target accurately out to 300 yards.

Now take the above reticle... at 350 yards an average person standing at that distance would show up covering approximately 20 MOA. On the vertical line their feet would stand on the bottom 10 MOA mark and their head would be about on the top 10 MOA mark. That's basically within the big red circle. Any closer than 350 yards and the target is even bigger to the eye.

So, in other words a 1-4x optic is not a bad choice at all considering the round being fired at the most typical distances.