One of the more unique set ups I've been seeing lately is to mount a relatively low-power or mid-range scope (a 1-4x up to about a 3-9x) in the normal position, then mount a very small red dot (Burris Fastfire is popular, or if you have the $$ an Aimpoint Micro) offset to the side at about a 45-degree angle. This gives you "best of both worlds" - a scoped optic for hunting and medium-to-long-range shooting + a small red dot for up close and person. The 45-degree angle red dot is utilized by "twisting" the rifle to your left (if you're right-handed; opposite if you're left-handed) so you maintain your cheekweld and are now looking through the red dot (usually mounted on quad rail up near the front).9mmfan wrote:So, I withstood a long period of denial. Then, as chance would have it, I spent the better part of one day on the interweb. Found myself bitten by the Black Rifle bug. Am now looking to obtain a S&W M&P15MOE. What leads me to launch this inquiry is the incredibly vast arena of optics. Would think of this as a target, coyote hunting, Excrement-Hits-The-Air-Conditioning type of weapon. As far as target acquisition, a red dot scope seems to be the most popular. However, this all seems to circle around the idea of the "co-witness" of the iron sights. I do not understand the importance of this idea. Maybe in low light. Other than that it just seems like an expensive excuse not to practice. I will therefore ask my boardmates for their opinions, comments, gripes, and complaints. Please give me the background to be an old salted dog my the time I get the carbine home. As always, I thank you in advance for your insight.
The home page photo on the LaRue Tactical web site shows a god example of this set up. http://stores.homestead.com/Laruetactic ... eFront.bok" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .... look at the main photo, bit hard to see until you look closely, but that looks like roughly a 3-9 Nightforce main scope with an Aimpoint Micro red dot mounted offset to right of scope (if you're holding rifle ready to fire).
Of course, that set up costs well over $2000 .... Nightfore scope = $1500, Aimpoint Micro = $500+, LaRue SPR scope mount = $200, LaRue offset red dot mount $100 ... Or you can also do the same thing with a Trijicon ACOG and Dr. Optic red dot for about $2000 as well.
But for us "regular folks" there are alternatives to get a similar setup for way less. The guys at GDS Enterprises in Austin (Ben White near S. Lamar - they also go to some Saxet gun shows) are utilizing a YHM 45-degree angle picatinny mount with a Burris Fastfire red dot to get the same effect. They claim it holds zero and works very well. They've shown me this set up a few times, and it sure saves money over the LaRue setup .... Leupold Mark AR 3-9x scope ($300) + American Defense RECON scope mount $180 + Burris Fastfire $200 + YHM 45-degree angle mount $20 = $700 total for both sights and mounts.
Anyway, it's another option. I actually picked up one of those American Defense RECON scope mounts for a Nikon 2.5-10x that I'm going to mount on my AR for hunting/distance shooting purposes. I'll post some feedback once I get it mounted and have a chance to run the rifle with this set up a few times. Still not completely sold on the off-set red dot in addition to the scope (I'm probably just going to switch back-n-forth between scope and my EOTech for a while).