I just completed a build with my son, 16" midlength and looking for advise on an optic. He’s went shooting a few times and enjoys it, good form and attention to detail. Purpose of build is to promote the sport/enjoyment of shooting. I had him check out my 1-4 Burris, Pro, Holsun 400(?), Eotec, and 1-8 accupower (which he liked but not an option, lol). He liked the Holsun.
This will be an all around firearm. Plinking mostly. He has little desire to hunt. I have long range rigs he can use, so not the purpose of this build.
Since holosun is a Chinese company making their products in China and most forums have many threads with complaints of them breaking. I could never use or recommend them.
Vortex has some non Chinese options, eotech, trijicon, aimpoint are others I would use and recommend.
If your son is old enough to shoot an AR, then he’s old enough to decide what optic he prefers…which has been identified as the Holosun. If that’s what he prefers, then that’s what the carbine should receive. They’re less expensive than the cost of ammo used in a few range trips.
I personally wouldn’t buy one, but the optic’s reliability and usefulness on a carbine intended to only be used as a casual plinker should be fully adequate.
For all I know, it’s probably made by Holosun anyway but at least you have Sig’s warranty backing it up. Similar reticle options, too. If the 4t is out of budget, they have cheaper choices, too- like the Romeo5, 4s, 4H, etc.
I think that budget will also drive the decision.
Is it His $$ or Yours…
I think that you could give him some options ( as mentioned here Holosun, EO Tech Aimprint etc) and let him decide… if you built it for him let him get some skin in the game on the optic and so he learns the value of what you built for him. The optics mention on here are solid choices… keep him away from the amazon specials
Take him to a LGS and let him look thru a few different choices to see what he likes.
This is just my opinion, but it is what I did with my son on his first build…
I really enjoy mine with the leupold VX Freedom 4-12x40 rifle scope. Light, has great glass, and you can opt to get it with the cds dial to go out easier. I prefer the trimoa reticle as well. The alum caps are the “cats meow” as well, if you can muster the cost of those. https://accurateordnance.com/ proves good suggestion for rifle you may check here.
In my experience, a red dot is the best tool for teaching a new shooter. So much easier to train the mechanics of shooting when the entirety of aiming is “the bullet will hit where the dot is”.
After the shooter has familiarity with everything else, learning to aim with irons, scope, etc. is a natural transition.
When I learned the fundamentals of shooting I gained a mutual respect for iron sights. Everything else was much easier. Plus I notice most people can’t seem to handle iron sights, and they use way to much ammo to sight in their red dot or what not. Irons sites are the base weapon optic system. I would only call them inferior on something like call of duty.
Irons are obsolescent, anyone with a timer can tell you this and are best used a secondary or tertiary sighting system. What should a new shooter use to learn with? How about the optic he is going to be using most often, thats the right answer. Irons can be learned later as a back up the best bang for ammo spent is your primary sighting system.
