Most Well Rounded ACOG?

Tactical Gear Optics & Mounts
1

I am doing a mid-range build that will be based around a BCM 16" middy upper. The goal is to have something that works well in the 50-300 yard range (it may even be used for some coyote hunting should the opportunity arise). I already have the Aimpoint/General Purpose carbines well covered.

I have pretty much settled on an ACOG for this build because I am familiar with them and comfortable with their quality, durability, and reliability. The bulk of my experience has been with the TA31 series and the TA33R-8. Both of these optics have their strengths and weaknesses.

At this point, I am looking at the TA31 series, TA11 series, and the TA33 series as candidates. While, this will serve as a mid-range rifle, I still want an optic that is versatile enough to work reasonably well 25 yards and closer. I realize that all BAC ACOGs are theoretically capable of this but my experience with the TA33 and TA31 is that some are definitely better than others.

The TA31 series has great FOV and are fairly compact. The biggest weakness is the eye relief. The shorter eye relief coupled with the 4x magnification always makes these feel slow to me when working inside of 25 yards. I am fairly well versed in the BAC concept and always felt that the TA33 felt light years faster than the TA31.

The TA33 series is light, compact, and feel the fastest when working up close. They have great eye relief and are the least expensive of all my choices. However, the tight field of view was sometimes a mild irritant. On the whole though, I really liked my TA33.

I don’t have any experience with the TA11 but it seems to come highly recommended. It is large and heavy but should be fine on a middy. I like the extended eye relief and the decent field of view. This seems like a good compromise between the TA33 and TA31. I am probably leaning this way.

So I guess I am looking for the ACOG that you think processes the best balance of all attributes, something that works well as a mid-range optic, okay for up close, with forgiving eye relief, and has a BAC reticle.

Any thoughts? Which ACOG do you think is the most well rounded?

Thanks in advance,
Matt

2

TA11–or an Aimpoint T1 with a 3x magnifier in a LaRue LT649 flip mount…

3

Zak Smith has written an article on his website about the EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN 3GUN
and it covers the Acog…here is the link

http://demigodllc.com/articles/evolution-of-the-3-gun-practical-rifle/

4

TA11 by a long shot. The 3.5 magnification is more than adequate at almost any range an M4 is good for and the increased eye relief is a huge advantage.

Im not sure how much of an issue it is w/o a helmet on (I rarely shoot w/o one nowadays) but with one on a TA31 is terrible to use. In order to get the proper eye relief my NOD mount is literally touching the optic (especially if equiped with the backup irons on to). This leads to the rifle smacking you in the helmet as you shoot.

It also makes you take more time in order to get the rifle up onto target than w/ the TA11. If I wasnt running a Short Dot I would be rocking a TA11 w/ T-1 on an offset mount.

Rick

5

Donut or crosshair reticle?

6

Depends on what you are shooting.

For two legged game Im all about the horseshoe.

Rick

7

I have shot, own, and teach the TA31, and having shot the TA11, the difference in eye relief makes a hell of a difference to somebody engaged in multi-position active shooting.

Given the opportunity, I’d get a TA11H (horseshoe reticle) because I’ve found it easier to see through than the chevron. Love to see it in green, but red’s always worked for me more than well enough.

8

Ive seen alot about the green reticles lately, but have never used one.

Ive used the red (TA11 and 31) along with the amber in a TA01, but never had considered the green until lately. Do you find it that beneficial?

Rick

9

I’ve blathered about this in other areas, but the quickest answer is to say that you are more likely to pick up green faster, visually. Also, you’re more likely to see it against backgrounds, even green backgrounds, whereas red may fade into red.

It’s the way the human eye is set up, that green wavelengths of light are the ones we are most sensitive to and the ones that the eye is most transparent to. It’s why ocular interruption devices use green, why lots of LaserMax visible laser pointers and whatnot are using it. Majority of the time, if you look at a green dot and a red dot of the same intensity up on a wall, your eye will be drawn to the green first because it appears brighter, even though it is exactly as bright as the red.

That’s not to say that you should just go out and buy it. There are still folks that feel and respond better to red, or amber, reticles. Suffice to say that, if you get the chance, experiment with each, and figure out what works best for you with a magnified optic.

10

Thanks for all the input so far. I think I am just going to run a TA33 for now since I have one and I really do appreciate the size and weight of it. Then, I will try to trade into a TA11 with my TA31F. Once I have both, I will let them duke it out on the range. :slight_smile:

Any more insight?

11

I think you’ll like the 33. It’s a lot of optic for the money and is quite capable of shooting out to 600 yards.

12

The eye-relief of the 11 puts it head and shoulders above the 31, and the 33 is somewhere between the two. The .5X magnification difference between the 11 and 31 is inconsequential, and the 1X difference between the 31 and 33 is virtually transparent.

Since the 11, 31, and 33 have similar reticle options reticle choice is only a minor aspect of decision between the three.

I really can’t see how anyone could think that the 31 is better than either the 11 or 33 other than if they haven’t rolled around with them.

13

TA33R-8 is my favorite. The eye relief quoted on the Trijicon website is too low based on my experience with the optic.

14

Don’t they make any of those models with a green horseshoe reticle calibrated for .308 as well as a version for .223? Can it be ordered as an option?

15

man I hate threads like this…I did some horse trading with a buddy and ended up swapping a zeiss for a nib 31 & a little $$$. I won’t even get around to messing with it till i get the nfa stuff taken care of but already wishing i had researched it more.

I am green when it comes to acog’s and just know i wanted to try one…hopefully for my application the difference will be minimal.

16

I wouldn’t be too worried. TONS of people are crazy about there 31s. The poll shows it. If it doesn’t work out, I’m sure you won’t have a problem selling the 31 to get into another.

What length bbl. on your SBR? I’m thinkin’ about puttin’ an ACOG on my 12.5"

17

11.5"…pretty excited as it will be my 1st suppressed sbr!!

Got the LaRue mount for the acog.

18

I agree. I was looking at one at a local gunshop on Friday. They let me mount it on a blue faux M4. The relief did seem better than 1.9".

Artos,
Sounds fun! Enjoy it! LaRue mounts can’t be beat! I have ADM mounts, they are great and never had a problem, but LaRue has an edge.

19

This is very true. In my experience with my TA33 I could be as far as 5" from the eye piece. It is also very forgiving in terms of eye placement.