In Praise of the TA33R-8 ACOG

Tactical Gear Optics & Mounts
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IN PRAISE OF THE TA33R-8 ACOG

After literally two years of researching, fondling, pricing, and contemplating, I finally settled on a TA33R-8 ACOG this weekend. It’s the one with the red chevron calibrated for .223.

I started with a TA44: so little eye relief I would have had to shoot nose-to-charging-handle, which I hate.

Handling ACOG’s owned by acquaintances and other people, I decided the TA01 and TA31 were the same thing.

Two people I know bought Trijicon reflex sights. They’re okay, but the reticle isn’t quite as visible as I want, so I sort of relegated them to “if I can’t find anything else I like” status.

I finally settled on the TA33R-8 because:

  1. The eye relief is generous. In fact, even with the extra eye relief I’m still a tad closer than I want to be, but it’s tolerable.
  2. The red chevron is nice and bright without being painful to look at. I’ll still probably cover the fiber optic with something at least partially for daytime use, but it’s not as painful to look at as the green reticle.
  3. The TA33 is usually $300-$400 less than my second choice: the TA11.
  4. The TA33 is probably the lightest ACOG other than the TA44 minis.
  5. I haven’t received them yet, but supposedly there are Butler Creek lense caps to fit the TA33 (#1 and #9 objective).

Cons are that the TA33’s field of view isn’t as large as some other ACOG’s, but people have told me that they are able to pick up the target faster with the TA33 due to the BAC concept or similar techniques. I haven’t practiced with it enough to appreciate it, but it’s plenty fast to get a good sight picture (probably as much due to the generous eye relief as anything else). I would compare the field of view to the Aimpoint T1, and the ACOG doesn’t need batteries.

I don’t know that the red chevron is the BEST reticle. I considered the plain cross-hair also. I’m torn between a reticle that’s quck to pick up in a CQB situation versus one that makes a good long-range reticle. I think the chevron may do it as well as, say, the horseshoe-dot reticle, but it’s a darn sight better than the donut for sure.

This link was very helpful in making my decision:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=654467

I actually have mine mounted just forward of the rear BUIS. YMMV.

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Agree for all the reasons stated. Plus I can run it occluded with front flip cap if needed in a hurry close up. I had the TA45 1.5x which had decent eye relief, but liked the 3x so much I swapped for an Elcan Specter 3x. Heavier and buky, but with great reticle. The TA33 is still my favorite of all my optics.

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I did not know you could do that with the ACOG, being that it’s 3x. One thing I appreciate about the Aimpoint PRO is that it can be run occluded (although the clear rear lense cap is getting scratched up). But the PRO is 1x, so it’s not so jarring.

How difficult is it to run the TA33 with both eyes open given the ACOG’s higher magnification?

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I had for many years a ta33-8a. It did everything well but nothing excellently.

The optic was very well made and light. But the 3x was never enough for distance and always just a hair to o much for in close.

If I could only have one optic I’d do it again but I think in green. Much happier now though with t1 on one rifle and 2.5x10 on another.

Ymmv

Chris

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Both eyes open with the solid black front cap closed it just functions as a red dot. No magnification, correct?

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So you’re saying that with the front lense cap closed, you won’t notice the TA33’s magnification because your other eye is providing the picture of the target while your shooting eye only sees the red reticle–gotcha. :smiley:

I’ll have to try that.

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Occluded optics are old school and maybe even the original RDS technology (don’t quote me on that). My first ever optic was the TA33 and shooting occluded resulted in a massive shift of POI on the order of inches at 25 yards.

But yeah, get the solid Butler Creek front and clear rear and you have an occluded red dot. I ended up buying a clear front too since my eyeballs were not occluded compatible.

Molon did a better job of explaining the POI shift:
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?34549-The-Effects-of-Phoria-When-Using-the-ACOG-as-an-Occluded-Eye-Gunsight

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I’ve always considered using an RDS occluded to be for emergencies only: like if you round a corner and someone engages you at close range.

I never considered it a good choice for any situation where you have time to aim properly.

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Me too. It works for my eyes, but yeah, only really useful in emergency to buy enough space for 3x. Won’t replace the T1 or 1-4x, but 3x nice compromise for my old eyes on a tweener niche gun - urban, outdoors defense or my range which is max 200 yds.

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Where the heck do those mystery asterisks come from? I sure never hit that key.

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As mentioned, using your ACOG with the front cap closed is identical to a reddot. Your POI shift depends entirely on the user(has something to do with your eyes and their level of dominance etc etc) but is very useable at short range. As for two eyes open, you should be using your ACOG with both eyes open regardless of whether or not the front cap is closed. The whole concept behind the BAC requires both eyes to be open. The trick to making BAC “work” for you is to not look at the reticle. Look at the target, mount the rifle, when the reticle settles your aiming eye(one behind the optic) will(should) take over and transmit the magnified image to the non aiming eye. When you swing the rifle or shift your non aiming eye to another target, that eye then becomes the dominant image and you will no longer see the magnified image from the aiming eye.

Don’t try and make it happen, just look at your target, mount the rifle and the BAC and your eyes will do the rest.

MM

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I have the 33 with the red horseshoe and it’s awesome. By far my favorite general purpose carbine optic.

I also use the black Bulter Creek #9 flip cover on the front lens for emergency OEG use.

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I can’t do this. I have a TA33 and if I use a lense cover and try to use it like a red dot my POI is about a foot off at 7 yards. I know of some other guys that have the same problem and I know some guys that don’t have any problem with a change in impact at all. I’m really right eye dominant/right handed shooter so I don’t know if that has something to do with it.

You really need to check this before you buy a magnified optic with the intention of using it like a RDS with a front lens cover. No one really seams to know why some people can do it and others can’t.

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UPDATE:

I have to mention something here.

I discovered this quite by accident, but it’s something potential users of the TA33 need to know.

Supposedly, this version of the ACOG has the most generous eye relief of all. Indeed, looking at photos of people around the 'net using their TA33’s, you see a lot of them mounted pretty far forward.

Unfortunately, in my experience even with the more generous eye relief I found myself having to mount it all the way back on the AR’s flat top with not even one slot left for a BUIS. Even then, I had to be almost eyeball-to-eyepiece to use the scope. Through several range sessions I found that uncomfortably close when actually throwing the rifle up to my shoulder for fast shots. I actually dinged my glasses a couple of times. This was unacceptable. I was beginning to regret heaping all the praise on the optic.

“What’s my problem?” I kept asking myself.

“Why is everyone else able to mount theirs further forward with no problem, and yet mine is all the way back and I still have barely enough eye relief?”

I thought it might be my eyesight, the way I hold my head, a defective ACOG, or improper mounting height for the way I look through scopes.

I tried a 1/2" riser and that did nothing.

I was ready to sell the ACOG and try something else.

From the day one, I had installed Butler Creek lense caps on the ACOG. As I prepared to sell the optic, I decided to keep them and removed them from the ACOG.

I removed the lense caps…threw the rifle up to my shoulder one last time before getting ready to remove the optic…and guess what?

The “hood” of the Butler Creek lense caps had been creating a “shadow” that diminished the amount of light coming into the optic. With the lense caps completely removed, I found I could mount the TA33 anywhere with no problems.

I know some smartass will probably say “You’re supposed to open the lense covers, dummy.” But that’s what I’m talking about: even open the hood of the lense cover creates enough of a shadow that I say “don’t use Butler Creek lense covers” on your TA33 ACOG.

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Do you mean that the ring around the lens of the cap is reducing the visible diameter of the objective? That makes sense to me. Not a problem with a solid no lens front flip-cap on my 33. Just tried swap-ing my no-name with a solid Butler and no difference with either or none. (Of course it has to be pushed all the way on.)

I measured 1.375" I.D. On my open Butler. What is the diameter of the clear lensed Butler inside the silver ring?

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I’m using the solid caps. I think the problem is in light transmission. The lense caps create parallax when open.

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Do you flip the caps down to open? I can see where up or to side could increase reflected light. Down would seem not to add since the rail occupies the same space. Maybe difference in eye sensitivity accounts for it. Mine are about worn out.

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It didn’t seem to matter. I flip them to the side mostly, but IIRC the same problem occurred with them being flipped up or down.

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Wow that’s strange.

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I totally agree. For my eyes anyway, the optic is all but unusable with Butler Creek lense caps installed, but I absolutely love the optical clarity when it has no lense caps at all.

I find it interesting that you generally don’t see flip-type lense caps being used even with the ACOG styles that will mount them. Have others had the same issue? Could that be why Trijicon includes the Scopecoat with the optic and doesn’t even offer Butler Creek (or their own design) lense caps as an accessory?

My theory is that the light transmission capabilities of the ACOG are somewhat close to the minimum desirable, with better light transmission being sacrificed for greater durability, and the presence of lense caps happens to diminish the light transmission capabilities just enough (at least for some people like me) that it pushes the optic’s clarity and brightness into “too dim” or “too much parallax” when the lense caps are installed.