MPBR Zero and the Civilian AR

[NH Shooter]

Completed the re-barrel today, swapped out the 16-inch BFH ELH 1:7 for a 16-inch SS410 1:8.

An obligatory photo. The "NM" makes me feel all warm and fuzzy! :-)

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Viewing the dot through a peep sight helped me quite a bit, making the dot much better defined - but it still was not perfect.

I tried at least 1x prism sight (the old Leupold Prismatic) and as expected, the etched reticle was rendered perfectly sharp. But with the specific eye relief and eye box of a magnified optic, I always felt the Prismatic would have been better as a 1.5 - 2x sight.

My journey to find an AR optic that best fits my general-purpose needs has been a long one. I've tried three LPVOs: a SWFA SS 1-4x HD, some mid-range 1-4x Bushnell that I forget the exact model, and most recently the Leupold VR-X Patrol 1.25 - 4x. I liked the Leupold the best overall, but could not get myself the love the reticle nor the easily-bumped non-covered turrets.

I have also tried two variations of the compact ACOG, but the lack of an adjustable eyepiece/diopter left the reticle not as sharp as it should have been, which limited the level of precision I could get with them.

A pair of Aimpoints were also on the journey, the last one being a PRO. If only my eyes could have rendered the dot as a dot...

So here I am now with a Leupold FX-II Ultralight 2.5x20mm and finding myself quite happy with it: lightweight, relatively compact (eight inches long), lockable eyepiece to render the reticle razor-sharp, nearly five inches of eye relief that makes two-eyes-open use very easy (and leaves the CH 100% accessible without having to reach around a scope) and decent optical quality. If it had an illuminated center dot like the Primsatic it would be damned near perfect, but would obviously lose it's svelteness in the process.

I am currently considering upgrading but have yet to feel compelled by scopes that are two to three inches longer, have less eye relief, weight at least three time as much and cost four to six times as much. Sure I'd love a milled reticle and some form of illumination, but the cost of acquiring those attributes via a change of scope don't add up for me. Instead I am now considering an something like a RMR or Leupold DP-Pro in an offset mount to compliment the 2.5x Leupold. This would only add about four ounces, and really no weight at all if I ditch the offset BUIS in the process.

Finally, I have begun exploring the longer range potential of the scope, specifically when it comes to ranging. It turns out the the distance between the pointed posts of the duplex reticle measure about 72 MOA, or about six feet at 100 yards (how convenient is that for ranging purposes?). This makes the distance between the cross hair center and the tip of any of the four duplex posts about 36 MOA . So with a MPBR zero, I hold center out to about 230 yards, hold nine inches high at 300 and 30 inches high at 400 based on target size. For longer distances I hold 1/3 the distance down from cross hair center to the tip of the post for 500 and halfway for 600. A true ranging reticle it is not, but not entirely unusable either.

After my never-ending journey for a general-purpose AR optic, I never imagined that a fixed low power Fudd scope would fit the bill so well, and that I'd be so reluctant to ditch it for something else.

Thats a great post thanks for taking the time to write it all out. Thats one thing I really like about this forum . All the highly skilled members members who take the time and expense to thoroughly vet equipment then post it here.

[Dan_S]

@NH Shooter

Which Acogs did you try, and what reticles?

[NH Shooter]

@NH Shooter

Which Acogs did you try, and what reticles?

The first was a 1.5x with an amber chevron, the second was the 3x30 with a green chevron - which I greatly preferred over the 1.5x version (green appears brighter to my eye than amber or red). In general I really like the Acog for the light weight and bullet-proof construction, but my crappy eyesight could never bring the reticle into sharp focus.

One of the measures I use in evaluating any sighting system is how much precision can I get with it. Along with the chevron being not-quite-in-focus, I found I don't do well precision-wise with any chevron. I considered a cross hair version of 3x30, but between the cost and the fact that there's no diopter adjustment (so the cross hair would never be completely sharp) I came to the conclusion that the Acog is not the ideal solution for me.

Just like with the Aimpoint, my eyesight could not make the best of these excellent sighting systems are capable of.

[shane45]

How good can you see the ret at 2.5 in darker conditions?

[entropy]

Astigmatisms suck.

[Old Man Winter]

Finally, I have begun exploring the longer range potential of the scope, specifically when it comes to ranging. It turns out the the distance between the pointed posts of the duplex reticle measure about 72 MOA, or about six feet at 100 yards (how convenient is that for ranging purposes?). This makes the distance between the cross hair center and the tip of any of the four duplex posts about 36 MOA . So with a MPBR zero, I hold center out to about 230 yards, hold nine inches high at 300 and 30 inches high at 400 based on target size. For longer distances I hold 1/3 the distance down from cross hair center to the tip of the post for 500 and halfway for 600. A true ranging reticle it is not, but not entirely unusable either.

Over on the Hide there's a discussion of FBI Sniper Rifles and someone posted photos of old school FBI data books that show very detailed info on ranging with a Leupold duplex reticle. Cool stuff that you might be able to adapt for your needs.

Here's the link. Check out post #113.

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting...7009896/page-3

[NH Shooter]

How good can you see the ret at 2.5 in darker conditions?

Like any other non-illuminated reticle it becomes difficult to discern in low light, so at some point the target must be illuminated with a WML to regain the needed contrast. Or I could just buy a clip-on.

Over on the Hide there's a discussion of FBI Sniper Rifles and someone posted photos of old school FBI data books that show very detailed info on ranging with a Leupold duplex reticle. Cool stuff that you might be able to adapt for your needs.

Here's the link. Check out post #113.

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting...7009896/page-3

Awesome, thanks for the link!

Though I have made some rough, close-range measurements of the reticle, I will collect exact measurements this weekend at 50 and 100 yards. I will attach a 6-foot folding rule to my target stand and get precise measurements of the distance between the duplex points, and will also attempt to measure reticle thickness. From that I will create references like those linked-to above.

[Dan_S]

The first was a 1.5x with an amber chevron, the second was the 3x30 with a green chevron - which I greatly preferred over the 1.5x version (green appears brighter to my eye than amber or red). In general I really like the Acog for the light weight and bullet-proof construction, but my crappy eyesight could never bring the reticle into sharp focus.

One of the measures I use in evaluating any sighting system is how much precision can I get with it. Along with the chevron being not-quite-in-focus, I found I don't do well precision-wise with any chevron. I considered a cross hair version of 3x30, but between the cost and the fact that there's no diopter adjustment (so the cross hair would never be completely sharp) I came to the conclusion that the Acog is not the ideal solution for me.

Just like with the Aimpoint, my eyesight could not make the best of these excellent sighting systems are capable of.

I would be very interested if you ever have the chance to utilize an ACOG with the crosshair reticle. I don’t have a need for the diopter adjustment (yet) so the ACOG and crosshair reticle seem to do the trick.

[shane45]

They need to bring back the Leupold prismatic!!!!!!!!!!