Acog Scope For Ar15: Buy Best Products For The Money (2018)
If you have ever seen a law enforcement tactical weapon, there is a good chance you have set eyes on an ACOG scope.
Many civilian tactical weapons use ACOG clones rather than the original scope.
The Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight was specially designed with the purpose of building a scope that would increase hit potential at low light settings. It is a great investment for light and fast carbines.
Investing in a good ACOG sight allows for more accurate shots in the field. However, it is important that you define your needs to get the best ACOG scope for AR15.
With that in mind, I have done extensive research on difference ACOG sights on the market and picked the 10 best models that I guarantee will meet your specific needs.
In this post, I’ll also share with you a proven method for choosing the best AR15 ACOG sight.
Keep reading to learn more…
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What is an ACOG Scope?
The Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight is a series of telescopic sights designed and manufactured by Trijicon. ACOG was originally designed for use on the M4 carbine and M16 rifle, but the company recently developed accessories for other firearms.
ACOGs usually have a fixed magnification, but Trijicon offers several magnification levels. This makes it easy for one to find the exact magnification they are looking for. Eliminating variable magnification minimizes the number of movable parts, making these scopes more durable.
ACOG scopes use red dot aiming reticles that are slightly different from other optical on the market. The need for battery is completely eliminated by incorporating tritium in the fiber optic cable, which illuminates the reticle depending on how much light is available.
These scopes also have a bullet compensated reticle that further boosts the accuracy. They are made from aircraft grade aluminum for maximum ruggedness and durability. ACOG scopes are designed to be waterproof up to 100 meters and their virtual indestructibility makes them popular in the United States Military.
Best AR15 ACOG Scope Reviews:
1. Trijicon ACOG 4x32 BAC Dual Illuminated Riflescope TA31F:
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The Trijicon TA31F is one of the best ACOG sights on the market and comes at half the price of other models. It is a dual illuminated riflescope that comes with a flattop mount adapter for the AR15.
This scope uses 4x magnification and has a powerful 32 millimeter objective lens. The auto adjust illuminated crosshair offers multiple levels of brightness, allowing you to make more accurate shots.
It is also equipped with real tritium and fiber optic, which makes for more convenient night hunting. This scope is designed for close quarter battle, allowing you to use both eyes when aiming. The aluminum alloy housing does a good job of improving longevity and shock resistance.
The Trijicon TA31F uses the Bandon Aiming Concept (BAC), which was developed by Glyn Bandon and allows shooters to use the illuminated aiming point with both eyes. There is very little or any parallax and users can shoot moving targets without having to worry about stressful zeroing.
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2. Tacksport ACOG Riflescope 4x32 True Fiber Red Illuminated Crosshair BDC Gun Scope:
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The Tacksport ACOG Riflescope is a great investment for someone who is on a tight budget. It is powered by a fiber source that provides a brighter reticle illumination for accurate shots. The bright daytime reticles use fiber optics to gather ambient light.
This scope is sturdily constructed with aircraft grade aluminum alloy and can withstand rigorous abuse in the wild. You can easily adjust the windage and elevation. The multi-coated lenses are a nice touch and are almost parallax free.
It is compatible with any picatinny or weaver rails on your AR15 firearm. Additionally, this ACOG offers plenty of room for adjustability, making it compatible with other long range air soft guns.
You don’t need a battery to use this ACOG sight and the fiber illumination is very bright during the day. The reticle is visible even in moderate lighting conditions but some users were disappointed with the poor eye relief.
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3. Trijicon ACOG 4x32 Riflescope Center Amber Crosshair for .308:
The Trijicon TA01NSN-308 boasts a rugged design and durable construction with aluminum alloy housing. It is a nearly indestructible system that is backed by iron sights. The sight utilizes Bandon Aiming Concept, allowing you to keep both eyes open when aiming.
The Trijicon ACOG 4x32 is combat proven and comes with high quality lenses. The lenses are multi-coated to provide light gathering capabilities and superior clarity without distortion. It is equipped with Center Amber Crosshair ranging reticle, which offers bullet drop compensation out to 800 meters.
This scope is compatible with various mounts for versatility. You will certainly appreciate low-light target acquisition and visibility as it makes hunting in heavily wooded areas easy. The crosshairs are red in low-light conditions and black during the day.
While there is no illuminated reticle actuator to be manipulated, this scope doesn’t use batteries. The 2” eye relief could be a problem for some users and force one to go for parallax in the sight. We love the optical clarity offered but some consumers expressed concern over the fact that mounts have to be purchased separately.
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4. Trijicon TA02 ACOG Battery Illuminated LED Scope:
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Another one of our favorite ACOG scopes is the Trijicon TA02, an LED illuminated scope designed with user friendly controls. The presence of an adjustable lighting dial makes it very easy to adjust the brightness quickly. There are six levels of brightness to choose from depending on the environmental conditions and off between each setting, allowing you to determine how you want to illuminate the reticle.
Unlike other models we have reviewed, this one is powered by AA batteries that can run for more than 12000 continuous hours before requiring replacement. Moving the RMR mount forward has helped maximize performance.
This ACOG sight for AR15 is built using aircraft grade aluminum alloy, hence an indestructible sighting system that offers lasting reliability. You have multiple bullet compensation and reticle options to suit the conditions you are shooting in.
Another thing we love about this scope is that it is fully compatible with night vision devices and other ACOG accessories. It integrates high quality optics that offer superior clarity. Unfortunately, the electrical components in the sight increase the risk of voltage damage of circuits or switches.
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5. Trijicon ACOG 3.5x35 Riflescope:
The Trijicon TA11E-A is a legendary ACOG trusted by the United States Navy Seals. It is a preferred choice for many on the shooting range and in the battlefield. The compact riflescope has fixed power and dual illuminated reticles that guarantee extreme optical clarity and quick target acquisition.
The use of fiber optic lighting means that one doesn’t have to worry about batteries or nigh time illumination, thanks to the tritium. Making windage and elevation adjustments to suit the shooting environment is quite easy.
This riflescope has a 3.5x magnification, which is sufficient for most shooting scenarios. It utilizes the Bandon Aiming Concept that allows you to keep both eyes open. The multi-coated 35mm objective lens offers plenty of clarity and target visibility.
This scope works with different rails and offers a nice combat range of 100-300 yards. It has a .308 ballistic reticle and can take on the recoil of .308 as well as Winchester rounds.
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6. Trijicon ACOG 3x30 Scope Dual Illuminated Horseshoe/Dot:
The Trijicon TA33-C-400123 is a 3x30 ACOG scope that is built with aluminum alloy to provide lasting reliability. The eye relief is top notch and feels like what you’d get with a more expensive scope. What’s better is that you can shoot with both eyes open.
It uses a dual illuminated horseshoe reticle that offers maximum clarity and light gathering capabilities. It improves the general performance of your firearm by providing quick target acquisition.
The 30 millimeter objective lens are multi-coated for clarity. The Chevron is clear with crisp Amber and a very sturdy body. Even though the magnification is fixed, parallax is not something you will have to worry about.
What we love about the Trijicon ACOG 3x30 is that is ensures consistency of every point aim. The fact that is powered by fiber optics eliminates the need for battery. Our main concern is that getting this scope is a little difficult.
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7. Trijicon ACOG 3.5x35 Riflescopes:
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The Trijicon ACOG 3.5x35 riflescope offers battery free illumination, meaning you can illuminate the aiming point without batteries. It boasts double illumination with tritium and fiber optic illuminated reticle that automatically adjusts brightness in accordance with the available light.
In addition, the Trijicon TA11H has bullet drop compensating with amber chevron ranging reticle. It allows for bullet compensation up to 800 meters, hence increased accuracy. Mounting and zeroing the scope is quite easy, especially since it is compatible with most rails.
You get a 3.5x magnification along with 35mm objective lens for superior clarity. The eye relief is 2.4 inches, which allows for a 5.5 degree field of view. The field of view at 100 yards is 28.9 feet and one can make 3 click adjustments.
At 14 ounces, this ACOG scope for AR15 is relatively lightweight and compact. You get a flattop adapter for mounting the sight onto a military style rail. Also included is a lenspen, pelican case, an ACOG manual and warranty card.
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8. Trijicon ACOG 4x32 Scope w/Dual Illuminated Red ACSS Reticle TA31-R-ACSS:
The Trijicon TA31-R-ACSS is an ACOG that many military soldiers are intimately familiar with. Its main claim to fame is that it provides battery free illumination. It uses fiber optics to illuminate the reticle and automatically adapt to the available light.
The 100% waterproof construction is a major advantage, particularly to the amphibious shooter. It can submerse to a depth of 100% without risk of damage. It is built with durability in mind and the finish is remarkable.
This is a close combat optic that comes with 4x magnification and 32mm objective lens. The glass utilizes all of the available light to provide a crystal clear picture. It is also equipped with a bullet drop compensator that guarantees accuracy at long ranges.
From room clearing to long range engagements, the Trijicon 4x32 is widely versatile. It performs well and is one of those sights that Marines have used to great effect. While it doesn’t do well in extremely long ranges, this baby will give you a perfect short with a 600-meter distance.
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9. Trijicon TA44-C-400242 ACOG 1.5x16S Compact Low Height 40mm:
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The Trijicon TA44-C-400242 is a compact and low height ACOG scope that boasts a dual illuminated reticle. It utilizes tritium and fiber optics to illuminate the reticle for use in any lighting conditions. The brightness level and contrast is adjusted automatically to fit the current light conditions.
This is a fixed magnification ACOG sight for AR15 equipped with a high quality 16mm objective lens. The body has a rugged design and is built to provide lasting reliability. It has an aircraft grade aluminum housing that make the internal components virtually indestructible.
The low height body allows for the lowest possible mounting configuration. It is compatible with firearms that have lower cheek welds like the AK. You don’t need any special tools to adjust the windage and elevation.
The use of the Bindon Aiming Concept makes it possible for one to keep both eyes open when engaging targets. It also helps maintain optimal situational awareness. The eye relief offered is 2.4” while the field of view is 7.4 degrees at 100 yards.
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10. Trijicon ACOG 6x48 Illum Green Horseshoe/Dot 500 Ballistic UA-1495:
Coming at #10 is the Trijicon ACOG 6x48 Scope, a perfect investment for low light conditions. It was specially designed to increase the hit potential in all lighting conditions. It has a fixed magnification of 6x and comes with a 48 mm objective lens that offers improved clarity.
This scope combines precise marksmanship with CBQ speed to create a trusted optic. It uses multi-coated lenses that provide light transmitting capabilities and superior clarity with minimal distractions. The alloy aluminum housing makes for an indestructible sighting system.
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How to Select the Right ACOG Sight
No one scope is best for everything. Some AR15 ACOG scopes are good at several things, but compromises are inevitably forced by the laws of physics and optics.
This is why it is important to ask yourself what kind of scope is ideal for the specific kind of shooting you do before embarking on a search.
Killing gophers on the ranch will require a different scope as compared to snipping at 600 meters or shooting at 100 yard targets.
Below are key considerations to make when shopping for an ACOG sight for AR15…
Magnification
ACOG scopes usually have fixed magnification, which isn’t much of a surprise considering the role they are designed for. Most models have 1X magnification and some have a higher magnification, but it rarely goes above 5X.
The ideal magnification will solely depend on the situations you will shoot in. A 1X scope will offer a wide field of view if the shooting is up close and personal. Higher magnification is something you will probably be interested in if you want to make medium to long range shots.
Rail compatibility
There are different types of rails used on shotguns, handguns and firearms. Some models have integrated rails for mounting, but you may have to spend extra to purchase a mounting base if your scope doesn’t come with one. You will want to make sure that the ACOG you purchase is compatible with the rail on your firearm.
Material
ACOG scopes have a rugged design and are built to last a long time. Considering you may use your ACOG scope on a tactical weapon where there is a high chance of it being knocked down, it is important that the scope be made from a sturdy material that can withstand abuse. The material should also be relatively weight. The best options include aircraft grade aluminum alloy and magnesium alloy.
Brightness and battery life
If you are going for an ACOG clone, you should know that clones don’t utilize tritium to adjust brightness level. They use a lithium battery for power, and this is a cheaper option for someone who can’t afford an authentic ACOG scope.
It is important that you check the listed battery life. Most ACOG clones worth purchasing have a battery life if 100-500 hours if managed properly. Due to the fact that an illuminated reticle is one of the most important features of a scope, battery life is an extremely crucial factor to consider during purchase.
Types of reticles
There are different types of reticles used on ACOG scopes including crosshair and BDC. Crosshair is the simplest reticle design and is made up of horizontal and vertical lines that meet at the center.
It is particularly useful for adjusting windage and elevation. All you have to do is hold the holdover mark over the target or use the windage marks to lead a target moving at a consistent pace across the scope.
A bullet drop compensator reticle uses specific types of holdover marks and has a series of secondary marks that run down the vertical line. They allow one to compensate for ballistic curve of a bullet in trajectory over longer ranges.
Mildot reticles resemble crosshairs with a string of beads across them. The mil dots are placed 1milli radian apart and are the preferred option for military sniper use.
Price
Authentic ACOG sights made by Trijicon are pricey and cost more than $500 to well over $1500. If you would rather purchase a cheaper option, there are ACOG knockoffs that sell for less than $500. This is an option we only recommend for casual users who don’t partake in long range shooting.
Additional tips for buying an ACOG sight for AR15 are listed below:
Final Verdict
Finding the best ACOG scope for your AR15 is not always an easy task.
It becomes easier when you know good selection criteria and can compare different models side by side.
Thankfully, our post above has everything you need to know about the ACOG and how to find one that matches your specific needs and expectations.