AR-15 Carbine Scope options

[Duallydog]

I have a DPMS .223 Carbine with a built in carry handle (I'm assuming A1 style?). I have a rail mount for the carry handle. I'm wondering what kind of scope would be most useful. I'm assuming most of it will be personal choice. I'm looking for a scope that will allow me to see the target between 50 and 100 yards.
I'm new to optics, would a 4X fixed scope be more than sufficient to see the center ring on a standard target out at 100? Would a 2-6 or 3-9 even be useful?

[Fronty Owner]

ACOG?

Fixed power passes more light than a variable power with the same objective lens size.
I think 3X-9X- is a minimum if your going to go variable.

[Duallydog]

OK, is a Carbine going to be anywhere close to accurate at 100 yards if I can see what I'm shooting?

[Fronty Owner]

I break clays routinely with mine.
btw, its got the lightweight barrel too...

[Soggybottomboy]

You'd be surprised how accurate that thing is at 100 yards. The AR platform is amazingly accurate/reliable. Though there are hundreds of different manufactures, the platform designed by Eugene Stoner is basically the same. This proven design is the one in use by the US military since the Vietnam era.
As far as optics go, 4x would be a gracious plenty at 100 yards. Try it without optics and I'll bet you're more accurate at 100 yards than you'd believe. As far as optics go, I can think of Aimpoint, Eotech, Trijicon, and Burris. I know I've left some out but they are the top players right now. Hope you enjoy that DPMS!

SBB

[Fronty Owner]

One thing I forgot to ask.

Is this a rail that mounts the optic directly on top of the carry hand, or infront of the carry handle to co-witness to the irons?
If it co-witnesses, you are going to be limited to a 1x optical red dot due to eye relief. If its on top, you can use any scope, but its going to be insanely high.

[Duallydog]

It'll be insanely high, the rail goes directly on top of the carry handle, that way I still have the iron sights.
And mentioning Stoner's design, it is a surprisingly simple operation, I figured the firing pin set up would have been more complicated, guess I shouldn't have if it can be torn down in less than 30 seconds.

[Fronty Owner]

After owning one, I was rather unimpressed by the mall ninja trick of field stripping an AR blind folded.
yea, they are simple rifles. A bit tight on tolerance and will get gummed up if overlubed in a dusty, dirty location.
When I bought mine, I bought a kit gun, the lower takes a bit to put together, but its not bad and once its together, you should only be taking it apart to replace worn parts. The bolt carrier group gets disassembled to clean each time.

back to topic, for your setup, I would advise a 4X fixed power scope. Better yet, replace your upper with a flat top and swap between a carry handle and an optic as you need.

First thing I would do is put a couple magazines of ammo on paper at 100 to 150 yrds with irons and see what you and the rifle are capable of doing.

[Duallydog]

So I'm probably as well off to get a spotting scope then. The whole reason I have it is because the original owner wanted a flat top, so he sold his old one to me and bought a flat top (A3 right?)

[Fronty Owner]

Quite a few people buy an AR thinking, Im gonna change this, and that, and make it exactly what I want at the moment only to realize as they start pricing what they want, its cheaper to buy another rifle (afterall the lower is only about $100 to $150).


A complete upper from M1S is $425 with detachable carry handle.
A stripped upper from M1S is $100.
A spotting scope is a good idea even with a rifle scope. I cant resolve a .22 caliber bullet hole in paper with a Leupold VX II scope at 9X at 100 yrds.

One thing you might try, pull a scope off one of your other rifles and mount it on your carry handle and see if its useable to you. I find the irons on my carry handle a tad high to really plant my cheek bone on the rifle stock.