A clear sight picture is essential to hitting your target. Optics can serve multiple purposes but all are a force multiplier meant to give you an edge on the range or in the field.

Military optics continue to improve in what appears to be every six months. Every time you turn around now the big three (Trigicon, Eotech and Aimpoint) seem to have something new and better on the street.

The ACOG, a 4x Fixed gun sight that is pricey, but worth every penny. Using the Binden Aiming Concept you can hit close range targets and reach out and hit the 500 yard targets in the next breath. The ACOG has a fiber optic element that gathers ambient light and projects it into the cross-hair. This creates an intense, easy to recognize sight picture that the brain pics up on during movement.

Aimpoint Red Dots are a simple single power CQO, Close Quarters Optic. A simple red dot is projected on the lense. Once you zero the optic, the dot is the point of impact. Put the dot on the target, put the bullet on your target, zero fuss. For long range purposes you can add a magnifier to give the Aimpoint a bit of more reach.

Eotech optics are very similar to the Aimpoint. A larger circle with a single dot in the center. Same idea, put the dot on the target and engage the trigger. Magnifiers are available for shooting at distance targets.

RMR. Ruggedized Miniature Red dot. Just like the Aimpoints, just at a fraction of the size. The Dr. Optic was included with a version of the ACOG, the Dr Optic sat on top of the ACOG and gave you instant close range aiming. Eventually Trijicon designed a ruggedized version that is more durable than the Dr. Optic.

Battery Operated or Fiber Optic/Tritium make the RMR a great choice. The Fiber Optic/Tritium version has a larger dot and works well with shotguns and close range work. The battery operated version has a smaller dot that works very well with pistols and rifles.

Back up iron sights are a necessity. Optics can break. The will break or batteries will die. Just a matter of when, not if. The TROY iron sights are my personal choice. At nearly $200 for the front and rear, more if you want the tritium inserts they are not cheap.

These are as good as any non folding iron sights available. I consider them to be the best on the market and will very rarely use anything else. I put these on rifles and shotguns. For height reasons there are two height variations. The Micro versions are the same as the standard, but with shorter towers. I put the shorter versions on the Mesa tactical rails (Remington 870) and put the standard on most of my rifles.

Troy Front Folder

Troy Rear Folder

There are other options, Magpul MBUS sights are an option, at about half of the price and nearly the same weight. I don't care for them myself, plastic sights can crack when too much pressure is put on them. The spring loaded mechanism can open when bumped and they seem a bit bulky (gen II versions appear to attempt to correct the issues).