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Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 1:30 pm
by LTUME1978
I have an ACOG on my M-4. Any suggestions on what to do for a back up sight? I had though about removing the ACOG, installing the back up sight (sight that came with the rifle) and sighting it in, then removing it and reinstalling the ACOG. How repeatable is this? Hoping someone here can offer a better option.
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 1:59 pm
by williamkevin
LTUME1978 wrote:I have an ACOG on my M-4. Any suggestions on what to do for a back up sight? I had though about removing the ACOG, installing the back up sight (sight that came with the rifle) and sighting it in, then removing it and reinstalling the ACOG. How repeatable is this? Hoping someone here can offer a better option.
You might look at something like this.....
http://soldiersystems.net/2011/07/03/ka ... ng-sights/
Just do a search for "offset backup sights" on most search engines. There are a lot of different styles available.
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:28 pm
by PanhandleofTX
Troy makes a low profile flip up sight that you might be interested in.
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:53 pm
by MadMonkey
I have an ACOG on my 20" AR, and use a 45 degree mount with a Burris FastFire III mounted on it. It was difficult to sight in, but it seems to work well.
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:15 am
by The Annoyed Man
My AR has an "ACOG-like" optic—a Burris AR536. Like the ACOG, it does not have a long eye relief, and it is fixed power (5X). Consequently it hangs over the rear flip up sight, preventing it from being deployed unless the scope is removed. you can get a quick release mount for your ACOG that is guaranteed to return to within 1 MOA of zero after removing and then remounting the scope. That is close enough to zero to still be usable at any distance you're likely to use an AR. So if I pop off the optic, I can deploy the rear sight. BUT.....there's more! I have a Burris FastFire II reflex sight mounted on top of the AR536, and that is zeroed for 25 yards. So the BUIS are literally for a last resort.
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:16 am
by The Annoyed Man
MadMonkey wrote:I have an ACOG on my 20" AR, and use a 45 degree mount with a Burris FastFire III mounted on it. It was difficult to sight in, but it seems to work well.
Which 45º mount did you use for the FastFire?
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 2:50 am
by gigag04
Offset RDS. DR Optic, for example:
More reading:
http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html? ... 8&t=507079" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=68459" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:31 am
by MadMonkey
The Annoyed Man wrote:MadMonkey wrote:I have an ACOG on my 20" AR, and use a 45 degree mount with a Burris FastFire III mounted on it. It was difficult to sight in, but it seems to work well.
Which 45º mount did you use for the FastFire?
Uh... good question
IIRC it was a cheapo I threw into an order from PSA, figuring I could find some use for it.
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:58 am
by Abraham
Acog vs Burris
Differences or maybe similarities...?
Thanks
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 1:25 pm
by The Annoyed Man
Abraham wrote:Acog vs Burris
Differences or maybe similarities...?
Thanks
The Burris is the poor-man's ACOG. The Burris AR536 and AR332 are the same optic, but the former is a 5X36mm and the latter is a 3X32mm. All three have fairly short eye relief and, at least in my experience, work better with the rifle stock collapsed than with it extended.
The Burris optics have the same reticles and everything, and only vary by magnification power. They both have the same reticle, which is a fairly well thought out bullet drop compensating reticle which is regulated for 55 and 62 grain bullets out to 600 yards. The reticle is illuminated and can be set to red or green at 5 levels of brightness. When the illumination is off, you still have the black reticle with the same BDC regulation.
The Burris AR332 & AR536 reticle:

The ACOGs are all fixed power if I remember correctly, and the most popular magnification level seems to be 4X, although there are others. The better ones, have a fiberoptic doodad on the top which illuminates the reticle, and if I'm not mistaken, the higher end ones also have a tritium insert and/or batteries to power the reticle in lowlight/darkness. The reticles I have seen are fairly simple, but easy to use.
Sample ACOG reticles (not by any means the ONLY reticles):

The clarity of glass on the Burris is fairly decent, but on the ACOG it is superb. Trijicon scopes have REALLY good glass. I paid $399.00 for my AR536, and I think that AR332s are going for around $339.00. A decent ACOG will set you back around $1,000.00 on up, depending on model.
Hope this helps.
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 1:40 pm
by Abraham
TAM,
It helps immensely and thank you, thank you very much!
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 7:10 am
by jdhz28
I too have a Burris mounted on one of my Ar's and it is a great optic...I do like these for back ups
http://www.amazon.com/Front-Degree-Rapi ... IBRPRWLZIH
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:46 pm
by Z1166
If you are a right handed shooter, would it make more sense to have the offset red dot/reflex sight on the left side of the rifle?
Re: Back Up Sight with an ACOG
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:00 pm
by MadMonkey
Z1166 wrote:If you are a right handed shooter, would it make more sense to have the offset red dot/reflex sight on the left side of the rifle?
Not for me. A quick counter-clockwise twist and I'm looking straight down it... clockwise would be uncomfortable.