Unlike so many other firearm platforms, your AR15 has a generous rail over the receiver and probably a quad rail on the handguard so that you can back up your AR15 sights with a variety of impactful redundancies.
For instance, you don’t need to rely solely on your AR15 iron sights. You can install a scope or a red dot sight in addition to a laser. With an offset mount, you can include multiple redundant sight systems on one gun so you can be better prepared for a wider range of contingencies.
This post will go into some of the details there.
AR15 Iron Sights
While you might not prefer to shoot over them as your first line of business, you should always equip your rifle with AR15 iron sights. Your AR’s irons:
- Need no power.
- Are effective in all conditions except complete darkness (and even then, are effective if they are night sights).
- Are dustproof and waterproof.
- Are shockproof, barring complete destruction or knocking them out of alignment.
Now, it’s true that it takes a little more training to be proficient with AR15 iron sights, and that it’s harder to shoot accurately at extended ranges, but all the same, you shouldn’t entirely remove your irons.
With that said, if you have a scope or an AR15 red dot sight on top of your receiver, one alternative is to add offset backup AR15 iron sights to your rifle. That way, you can reap the benefit of two types of sight systems.
AR15 Red Dot Sights
AR15 red dot sights are an immensely popular type of sight system, in which a small light is projected onto a plate of glass; when sighted in, this spot of light will correspond roughly to the point of aim.
There are many benefits associated with AR15 red dot sights:
- Since they are battery operated, they are effective in low-light conditions.
- They are not affected by the issues of parallax distortion that affect scopes.
- They are not affected by the issue of sight radius that affects AR15 iron sights.
- AR15 red dot sights can be used effectively even with a poor mount.
- They are the best “point and shoot” AR15 sight solution.
- They enable an operator to shoot with both eyes open and maintain a much less interrupted sight picture, making them highly effective at close and intermediate ranges.
With that said, there are some shortcomings associated with AR15 red dot sights:
- Since they are battery powered, they will fail when the battery dies.
- Both fog and dust can plate the glass, rendering them effectively inoperable.
Because of this, AR15 red dot sights perform best when paired with either backup iron sights or a laser or both.
AR15 Scopes
As an alternative to a red dot sight, an AR15 scope can offer some significant advantages:
- AR15 scopes enable more accurate shooting at intermediate and greater ranges, making them more effective for those who use their ARs for long-range shooting.
- Some scopes offer variable magnification functionality, making them better for precise shot placement on far off targets.
- Most scopes will work without batteries, giving them a potential edge over red dots.
With that said, AR15 scopes are also limited for some of the following reasons:
- You need a good mount to shoot accurately through a scope in order to avoid parallax distortion.
- Unlike AR15 red dot sights, most scopes are not good in low light conditions or in darkness.
- While scopes are good for shooting at farther-off targets, they are not as effective in close-quarters engagements as red dot sights.
AR15 Lasers
While AR15 lasers are not sights, they can be used in a similar manner as a sight. Properly calibrated and sighted-in, an AR15 laser can serve as a redundant point of aim, one to back up other AR15 sights, and one which can be used in complete darkness.
Some advantages of AR15 lasers include:
- They can be paired with other AR15 sights such as irons, scopes or red dots.
- They can be used in complete darkness.
- A laser can let you fire accurately with a bad mount, or from the hip, with no mount at all.
- Once sighted in, it takes less skill to shoot an AR with a laser accurately than with a scope or iron sights.
All the same, AR15 lasers are also bounded by some shortcomings:
- They are reliant on batteries, though they tend to have long battery lifespans.
- They are not as effective at greater ranges.
With that said, one of the main advantages of an AR15 laser is that it can be mounted to the handguard as a completely redundant backup that isn’t needed unless one of your other sights fails.
The Best AR15 Sight Solutions Are a Combination
At the end of the day, we’re not here to make a case that scopes are better than red dots or that lasers are better than AR15 iron sights. If you ask us, you should mount either a red dot or a scope on your rifle, backed up by both offset AR15 iron sights and a laser mounted to the handguard. And we have the shooting accessories so you can make that happen.
If you have any questions about anything we sell, feel free to get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to help.