I did extensive research based off my past military experience when I was searching for an optic for my Smith and Wesson VTAC II rifle. The reason behind the purchase of this weapon was to keep a perishable skill intact and to compete in the various 3 Gun Competitions. This weapon came with everything except for the front and rear sights and the optic. During the course of my military career I have used many different pieces of equipment, but I chose an optic that was never offered in any arms room to which I was assigned. During my military career I had access to plenty of optics. ACOG's with four times magnification, Aimpoint Red Dot, and the EO Tech Holographic display. Getting trained on each of those optics depended on the necessity of which squad member would receive which optic. I came to the conclusion, after many hours of comparison, that I did not want to dress my weapon with equipment seen on a DVD just because someone in the industry had given it a cool name. This is what led me to search for something that was not only of good quality but also that could fit into the budget of the working man, without the high demands of military specs. In other words I'm not going to use my equipment to HELO jump out of planes. Nor am I going to do any type of underwater diving with my weapon.
The Vortex Strikefire, my optic of choice for my Smith and Wesson VTAC II (AR Platform). This nitrogen filled, precision cut glass, 4 MOA red dot scope will be used both in drills and competition shooting. My research stems from both reading and watching videos on YouTube. This research showed this optic to be a popular selection by many in the shooting community. The biggest complaint I found after reading some of the reviews about the product were referencing the power button. Some complained that the optic is easily being turned on just by bumping the power button, and that the lens caps were difficult to close. If that was the number one complaint my decision was to give it a try and see what could come of it. I figured that in a worst case scenario the optic would not mesh with me and I would therefore return the optic and get my money back.
The Strikefire will always be compared to the Aimpoint, although the Aimpoint is made of better material and put together for the vigorous demand of the roughest military challenges. I have only had this optic in my possession for about a week. My goal is to get familiar with the equipment. I am learning how to utilize the different attachments without concern of dropping the weapon to either change the red dot to the green dot or magnify/de-magnify the brightness of the dot on target. After mounting the Vortex Strikefire onto my weapon it was simple matter of adjusting the red dot to the tip of my front site. For now the purpose of my practice drills will be to get familiar with lining up the red dot to my eye for when it is time to actually shoot at targets.
Whether rain or shine, yesterday was going to be the day that I would determine if this optic is what everyone says it is. Looking at the target from the 50 meter line did not pose any difficult views with both the Magpul MBUS front and rear sights up or down. The glass is clear and the red dot can be dimmed enough to keep your hits center mass. After getting my Smith and Wesson VTAC II zeroed in, it was time to move the red dot and do a little co-witnessing. Flipping the front and rear sights down, and firing only using the red dot was official like a referee with a whistle. To be honest, it is easy to see why this was in comparison to the Aimpoint but a bit easier than the EO Tech I last trained with. The Strikefire is as reliable and easy to manipulate as discussed within the videos on YouTube and the forums across the net.
Of course this optic is a recommended buy (and yes @mjwoodland17 approves this message), but if you want the latest and greatest at a resonable price the Strikefire II might be more along the lines of what you are looking for. For a whopping $119, yes this purchase was made three weeks ago and I'm still in shock, from Palmetto State Armory this item is considered a steal. Now that my weapon is finally zeroed in with both sights and the red dot, maybe the weather will clear up so 'We The People' in the southeast can get out and enjoy some trigger time under the sun.
No comments:
Post a Comment