Don't hate me because I love cheap optics!

[GunSellerDude]

Holosun is the way to go for “cheap” optics

[ArizonaGunOwners.com]

[Clifffalling]

Holosun is the way to go for “cheap” optics

Yeah, i agree. I have bought a couple and been pretty happy so far.

[sfed]

I tend to be rather thrifty (cheap) when it comes to scopes. I have found the Nikon Prostaff Target EFR 3-9x40 AO an excellent scope usually under $200. I also use some old US made redfields wide view I picked up on ebay for about $100. They have great glass and some models are similar to the Vietnam era USMC scopes that had Accu Range and Accu trac to boot. On my serious AR I have a Holosun 510c.

[JarheadAZ]

My term for the kind of purchases I make these (all?) days is "Frugal".

Another term I use a lot is "Adequate".

These terms describe modest goals and purchases without suggesting negativity.

Greg

[Clifffalling]

Lots of nice Nikon glass out there on clearance right now since they are getting out of the sporting business.

[JarheadAZ]

I have a reflex optic that has a transient home (quick release mount, shares the rail alternatively with the Bushnell AR Drop Zone, also quick release mount) on my M4gery. It's a Vortex S.P.A.R.C. AR. I like the smaller Dot.

Batteries are off the Aisle display at Wally's; and the quality is quite good without being priced way up there in the Stratosphere.

The rifle also has Folding Angled BUIS mounted permanently.

My Spotter is a Vortex Nomad.

Greg

[Clifffalling]

I have a reflex optic that has a transient home (quick release mount, shares the rail alternatively with the Bushnell AR Drop Zone, also quick release mount) on my M4gery. It's a Vortex S.P.A.R.C. AR. I like the smaller Dot.

Batteries are off the Aisle display at Wally's; and the quality is quite good without being priced way up there in the Stratosphere.

The rifle also has Folding Angled BUIS mounted permanently.

My Spotter is a Vortex Nomad.

Greg

I have a vortex venom , 1moa dot? Maybe 2 moa.  I like the small dot too. I really liked it on a couple ARs, but eventially put it on my 10-22 (breakdown, magpul x22 stock) in my BoB. Fantastic on the 10-22.

[JarheadAZ]

My 10/22 is thoroughly worked over (Trigger internals, Bolt reface, Pre-2000 Kimber/Anschutz style stock and Kimber/L-W barrel), and carries a Mueller 8-32x44 Target Dot Scope. The work, not including the scope, cost $850 in 1996; one of an ancient gunsmith's final projects.

Been driving tacks since 1996; see small, hit small...

Greg

[JT]

Viridian now makes scopes and has a 1/2 off sale going. Appears to be some decent buys. I picked up one of the 3-9x40 Eons to put on a 22 mag and it looks pretty good for an inexpensive scope.
https://viridianweapontech.com/products/optics/scopes

[GTGallop]

Where do you get the shrouds that some people put on a scope?  Like an extension beyond the last piece of glass made out of aluminum to cut down on glare?

Edit to add - not to keep glare from people seeing your glass, but to keep light from hitting the glass at an odd angle.  This piece is like looking down a toilet paper roller stuck on the end of the scope.

[Clifffalling]

Sesrch for "sun shade".  Check your scope to ensure it has threads. They are fairly standard,  if you have 50mm objective, get a 50mm shade. 44mm etc.  Easy peasey, not too expensive.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01M1MM77M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_FNRkFb6F0RS28


The one that keeps others from seeing you is generally called a "kill flash"

[coelacanth]

Or you could just use the toilet paper roll .  .   .     

[armoredman]

Being who I am when I hear optics I think of dots, and I discovered while it might work just fine, sometimes going too cheap doesn't work as well for me.

Case in point - this is a SIG Romeo5 on my son's AR15, being sighted in before we took the rear sight tower off and replaced it with w MagPul BUIS.

Next is the cheaper SIG MSR green dot on my BREN 2 MS pistol.

The MSR was about $50 cheaper than the Romeo5. I already have a Romeo5 on my AR, and love it, and thought, well, this can't be too bad...I wished I had spent the money. The MSR is dimmer and harder to adjust, and I really miss that shake awake feature. It uses a harder to find battery that is more expensive for significantly less run time. It stays on target, does it's job, but I am unhappy with my purchase. I will use it until I can fund another Romeo5 to replace it. Yes, at my level $50 can be a significant chunk of change, sorry to say, but this time I should have gone a little farther with the stretch. I might as well have gone with the Bushnell TRS-25, which I do have to say I had very good luck with in the past.

[GTGallop]

I got a $200 spot bonus atta-boy at work so I turned it in to an Amazon Gift Card and snagged a HoloSun 503GU (Circle Red Dot) for a shade over $200 after tax and stuff.  I had a bore laser so I used that to co-witness the dots and get it close.   Itching to take it out and tickle the giggle switch for a few rounds now just to see how it works and dial it in.

Side note - Using a bore laser is a great way to understand how your AR shoots low at close CQB ranges because of the height difference between bore and optic.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to turn on the "shake awake" feature so I can leave it on but dark.

[armoredman]

Easy - turn it on. Leave it on. park it where you can get an eye up to the dot without moving the rifle. Come back in 2 minutes, ease up the optic and you will see it will be off - pick it up and it is on. 50,000 hour life span on a single battery ain't too shabby.

[GTGallop]

AH!  Thanks.
I thought there was a "setting" I had to enable for that.

I figure something as important as the optic gets a new battery once a year anyway.  I replace batteries in our Key Fobs and Garage Door Openers in the fall with the Smoke Alarms.  You can order those watch batteries in bulk from Amazon so it makes it cheap and easy.  And I don't have the wife calling me mid day at work because she got somewhere and THEN the remote battery died in her key fob or because she can't get in because the house is secure and only entry is through the garage entry and she can't get the remote to go up.

[Roger9mm]

Hope this helps.

My friend just picked up a Sig Romeo5 for about $70.

Bass Pro has a black Friday deal on them for $100.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/sig-sauer-romeo5-red-dot-sight-high-mount-only

You buy gift cards from here. $40 for a $50 gift card. Limit of 2. Cabelas and Bass Pro is the same and he said the gift card will work. Buy 2 so you spend $80 for $100.

https://www.paypal.com/us/gifts/brands/cabelapromo

When you check out he said you get 10% off so you spend about $70 on the red dot.

[FreeInAZ]

Hope this helps.

My friend just picked up a Sig Romeo5 for about $70.

Bass Pro has a black Friday deal on them for $100.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/sig-sauer-romeo5-red-dot-sight-high-mount-only

You buy gift cards from here. $40 for a $50 gift card. Limit of 2. Cabelas and Bass Pro is the same and he said the gift card will work. Buy 2 so you spend $80 for $100.

https://www.paypal.com/us/gifts/brands/cabelapromo

When you check out he said you get 10% off so you spend about $70 on the red dot.

Thanks for the lead on a potential great deal. 
I really like my SIG Romeo5 & have been looking to pick up another. As with most "affordable optics" it's not the best, but it does what I want it to do, when I need it to do it! 

[Roger9mm]

Thanks for the lead on a potential great deal. 
I really like my SIG Romeo5 & have been looking to pick up another. As with most "affordable optics" it's not the best, but it does what I want it to do, when I need it to do it! 

What ever I can do to help this community. I just wish I can say I did it and it works so I can put my word on it. My friend from work was the one who bought it and told me which I trust.

I am getting old and most sights I look at nowadays needs to have 2.5-3x. Maybe I will snag this up for my MPX if the wife lets me spend.

[lesptr]

What ever I can do to help this community. I just wish I can say I did it and it works so I can put my word on it. My friend from work was the one who bought it and told me which I trust.

I am getting old and most sights I look at nowadays needs to have 2.5-3x. Maybe I will snag this up for my MPX if the wife lets me spend.

Just do what the rest of us do. Buy now, don’t tell her. If she finds out, beg for forgiveness. Seems to work most times.

[Bayonet]

Don't hate me because I only use iron sights lol. I'm not a big fan of using optics or scopes. Probably because when I started shooting I only collected old Milsurp rifles and now I just prefer no upgraded optics, even on my modern firearms.

[Bayonet]

Just do what the rest of us do. Buy now, don’t tell her. If she finds out, beg for forgiveness. Seems to work most times.

I encourage my wife to shop at the mall. She purchases what she wants so this way I can purchase what I like 

[lesptr]

Don't hate me because I only use iron sights lol. I'm not a big fan of using optics or scopes. Probably because when I started shooting I only collected old Milsurp rifles and now I just prefer no upgraded optics, even on my modern firearms.

As I get older, iron sights don’t work well.

[Bayonet]

As I get older, iron sights don’t work well.

A good optic definitely has many positives and is very helpful 

[Clifffalling]

Just do what the rest of us do. Buy now, don’t tell her. If she finds out, beg for forgiveness. Seems to work most times.

Yeah, the old " oh, that honey? I have had that for a couple years.  Picked it up for a song on black Friday..."  for some reason, if you didnt buy it yesterday it seeks to be okay. 

[ArizonaGunOwners.com]