What Red Dot Scope for my Ruger AR556?

The little Bushnell TRS-25 is a great little red dot for the approx $90. I have had one on a 15-22 for about 3 years and 3500 plus rounds as a practice piece. It's not an ACOG, but it doesn't know it either. I am putting one on a flattop 5.56 for a friend and my spare AR-556 will get one soon. (The high rise model is the one to use.)

You can always spring for an Eotech later if you want, and put the Bushnell on something else or trade/sell it off. Meantime, it's a good unit.

Reply #14 – March 21, 2018, 09:50:59 AM
I use Vortex precision rings for my target guns - a bit pricy, but sturdy and won't require any honing to get them to fit a tube.

For the scope ... I own Vortex, Lieupold, Nikon and Bushnell and all are fine. Nightforce definitely has a good reputation. I definitely prefer a FFP scope and for my own use I go with MOA vs MilDot (works more like I think: inches vs mm/cm). If you're going to use the rifle for any hunting where you actually tote it around rather than from a stand or hide, keep the weight in mind.

At the top of my list is a Vortex HD Gen II 4.5-27x56 -- awesome rugged, no strings attached lifetime warranty, repeatable and accurate elev/wind adjustments. Downside: Big and Heavy - the 56mm gathers light, but requires tall set of rings to allow it to mount properly, and at close to 3 pounds, it is not a scope you want to haul through the woods and over the hills on a regular basis. You can find those for around $2499 online - if you are retired or active duty military/LE, you can get them at a discount - contact Vortex and they'll tell you how to get the discount through experticity.com. I just bought my second one this way for a new build in progress and it ran me just under $2200.

But for targets out to 500 yards, I would think that an upper magnification of 12x should do just fine and might move you into a good scope less expensively at this point in time.

Lots of choices. I'm running a Vortex SPARC with the 3x magnifier by them as well. IF you are a vet or LEO then go to their page and look across the top for the discount program.

Been about 3 years before today anyone posted on here. Poster asked about a red scope but, by what was said sounds like a red dot optic sight is what he wanted not a long range scope.

I have the Ruger MPR flat top version of the AR. I added flip up MBUIS and then recently added a the new Vortex Crossfire red dot sight. It comes with a mount that uses lower 1/3 cowitness on an AR and has not been a problem for me. It's a no frills sight but it seems built well and should be all I need for my occassional trips to the range with its 100 yard max. The AR15 is at home in 25-300 yards and I'll hone my skills with it there. If I need to reach further it'll be time for another rifle with a scope.

Joined in 2014, 1 post in 2015, This post - April 2018, 2 posts total. No remarks by the OP since this post- HMMMM?