Quick Tip: Correct Scope Height - AR-15 vs Conventional Rifles
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- Опубликовано: 11 май 2021
- How low can you go? That's the question Brownells Gun Techs Caleb Savant and Steve Ostrem answer today - in the context of mounting a rifle scope on your AR-15. The old rule of thumb is that you should get the scope as close to the centerline of the bore as you can. So mount that scope really LOW on your AR, right? The guys say "Nope!" The top of a flattop AR-15 receiver is pretty close to being in line with the top of the stock. If you mount a scope that low, you won't be able to get your head low enough on the stock to actually see through the it - at least not comfortably. On a traditional rifle like the Remington 700, Winchester Model 70, or Howa 1500, the stock drops down in back, so there's room to mount the scope low and still get your head down to see through it. If you look at a carry-handle AR-15, you'll see that the "iron" sights sit pretty high off the receiver and barrel, and that's about where you want your optic to sit when you mount one. Most readily available one-piece AR-15 scope mounts provide the right amount of elevation, so the average adult won't develop a crick in his/her neck trying to see through the scope!
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Im glad to see stuff like this so newbies have a way to learn without feeling bad.
This is a really good point. There's a lot of stuff that people just assume that you know, but nobody bothers to teach. Even worse, lots of folks in the gun community are "opinionated" which can make it intimidating to ask a basic question and confusing when you get an answer. Don't feel bad though, there are tons of "experienced" gun owners that get it wrong, but never bother to ask and won't humble themselves enough to learn.
@@vettepilot427 we got a lot of gate keepers in this community.
You should not have to feel bad for being new and wanting to learn. Screw the elitists.
@@michaelkennedy996 its in every community Its just really bad in gun world. The serious nature of weapons is partly to blame but some people can not take their head out if their own ass.
@@chazdoomy1512 Very true, and honestly I’ve have been snobby in my youth. I have found that the Long Range shooting community in particular seem very much about educating and not hoarding knowledge or gear snobbery
I like a 1.93” mount because it lets your head sit more vertically and see your surroundings.
If you’re using a larger optic on something like an ar10, it can also make reaching the charging handle difficult
@Shawn Gray one of the issues with a larger charging handle is that the ones that pull from one side can have a lot of friction that the standard charging does not have.
@@dbmail545 That's very interesting, I wasn't aware that could happen.
...the four downvotes must be from subscribers outraged about no coffee cups appearing in this video.
I noticed that too
I didn't downvote, but I am outraged! lol
@@tokyosan7906 Join the club...I feel cheated without the synchronized sip at the end.
@@AndyCigars We all do sir.
Short but sweet.That could be a very expensive lesson.
The guys at Kel Tec need to watch this video and adjust the sights on their Sub 2000 accordingly.
I was just talking to a friend about this an hour ago.Great vid!
Always informative and helpful. Thank you
Great information guys. another reason not to mount a scope low to the receiver on an AR platform is that the ocular housing on the scope may interfere with operating the charging handle.
Like all these Brownells videos of nice little info. I recently built a SPR and mounted the scope too low. It was really awkward and uncomfortable to aim at the range. It'd hurt my neck if I tried to shoot for a couple of hours. Later I switched to a higher mount which is much more comfortable now.
Excellent video. I see this all the time, even with the excellent choice of scope mounts. Also recommend a single-piece mount.
I ended up having to use an AR-type mount after sporterizing an old Mauser action. The safety tang swings upward, and the bolt swings up so far that it was hitting the zoom knob. That mount did the trick to take care of both issues at once.
American Defense Manufacturing are ma favorite mount.
Solid QD, sturdy, lot of options, American made.
I learned it the hard way, too. On my bolt action rifles, the scopes are as low as possible, of course. And I did that with my AR-10. And was trying to laser sight it and ran out of elevation. So, a wise guy told me I need the ar scope mount that has height and offset. And it worked. Because the eye needs to be aligned with the axis of the scope and without the scope being higher, I was looking at an angle through the scope.
I agree and thank you for this video. I struggled and had to waste ammo trying to figure this out. I don't think any of the cantilever mounts are high enough especially for shooting groups or testing ammo off a bench rest. Eye relief is really short and you have to have perfect alignment. Not so much problem freehand or bipod with no rear bag you can kind of crawl under the scope. I now use a zero lift 1/2" riser under the mount for 44mm or smaller scopes.
The average cantiliver mount is 1.4" which is rediculous for a 1" tube and 44mm or smaller objective scope. It is challenging to find any mounts over 1.7". The 1.7" is OK if you are into two pound 56mm objective scopes with really cluttered Xmas tree reticles.
Recently mounted a 34mm Leupold 3 - 18 on an LWRC IC-SPR using the Scalarworks 1.57 mount. Although the height fits my medium size head well with earplugs my preferred low profile muffs contact the stock which is annoying but still doable. In hindsight the 1.67 offered by ADM may have been a better height for me. I didn't want to go all the way to 1.93 which I feel is more suitable for action style shooting with a red dot type site.
Thank you for posting this, I need to readjust my optics!
I was planning on mounting a scope on my AR15. Looks like I would have mounted it too low. Thanks for the information.
Very good point. I initially mounted my red dot directly on the rail. Not a good idea, as u never get into a good position. Used a riser then and everything was fine. Moved on to a prism scope since, though. Would like to see your recommendation on open sights as well.
Good information is essential
Thank you and have a great day
I have my scope on my 450 Bushmaster pretty low and it is difficult to get on the scope quickly and comfortably. I had the mindset of low as you can go like I always did on my more conventional rifles and it's a bit too low. I need to get slightly higher mounts and I'll be good to go. Thanks Guys.
Picked this up for a rifle and am looking forward to putting some metal down range. Once I get it zeroed I'm hoping it stays solid. I have a new mount I'm using with it is well so we'll see what happens. I may have an update after this coming weekend.
Would be helpful to explain how high a scope mount needs to be to accommodate or keep the flip up rear iron sight and objective lenses 50mm plus on AR platforms. May help people with trial and error on there scopes mount purchase or purchases! But learning the hard way is not so bad either seems to stick in the Mellon. And as always thanks Brownells!
Another reason not to mount low. In my shop I periodically have ARs come through with low mounted scopes and they definitely interfere with the charging handle. It is very dificult to work to charge handle with the low mounted rear positioned scope.
I use an AR with an a2 style gas block front sight so I used a scope mount specifically made to clear that from sight
My scope is rather low, but it lines right up when I shoulder the weapon. My front sight post is tall and permanent and is directly in the path of my objective lens, but it disappears in the eyepiece and is 'invisible'. I suspect that it will reduce low light light transmission, but again, it does align with my cheek weld perfectly. I am 6 feet, 200 lbs and have a 7 5/8 inch hat size.
Higher mounts are also typically used with night vision
Thanks for the information.
Thank you I'm new to the ar this is good news for me
Thanks for the info
I learned this the hard way, then found the same problem with the Magpul Hunter stock.
if anyone wants numbers: you want the center of your optic about 1.5" (roughly 37mm) above the Pic rail on a Flat top upper
that way you have the perfect height.
Great answer numbers is what people were here for
So just slightly higher the an A2 front sight(1.42)?
@@Capt.MacHaggis yeah
I wrote 1.5" because it's a middle ground of several sight options for the AR
Ideally it's 1.5" +/-0.1" for "normal" use and up to 2 - 2.5" when you want to use Night vision
Might be helpful to think about SPR set ups running a top rail that links the flat top upper to the hand guard for extra rigidity too. Say for instance a PRI Mk12 Mod-0 or Mod-H. With the higher rail you probably want to use a mount no higher than 1.5”. On the Mod-1 without the top rail you can probably go with a 1.6”-1.75” comfortably, but a 1.9”+ mount would be too high for anything but the Mod-1 without the top rail and running an LPVO. Traditional scope set up should stick to the 1.5” on the top rail set up and no more than 1.75” for an LPVO on the top rail set up. LaRue Tactical SPR LT 1.5” with a Vortex Viper PST Gen II 3-15x44 is what I’m looking at on my MK-1 clone with no top rail, and on my Mod-0 I run the Reptilia 1.5” mount with a Trijicon Credi 2-10x36. If I was going to run a 16” barrel Mod-H setup I’d opt for an LPVO at 1.9” ish. I had kinda high cheek bones with a roundish face, so I got plenty of meat to weld.
Absolutely good info! Nice hair today Caleb!
Good video guy's like your platform and information you guys pass out to the FNGs..lol
Scope closer to bore isn't always ideal. Bigger height over bore can you you a longer maximum point blank range
Awesome thank you.
Good Work.
I use leup prw2 mounts with a lpvo on my flat top it’s low low. The most accurate rifle I own
The real trick is finding rail-mount iron sights that aren't AR height. Very few options out there.
I like the 2.91" hydra mount for my giraffe neck!
I'm small, 5'3" 130 lbs. I can't use standard AR mounts. They are just too high for me. I have to lift my head up to see through the sight. Insted of using a lower mount because I have a prism sight with the mount built into it I got a stock with a raised cheek piece. FAB defense I think it is? Works perfect in its lowest position.
I have broad, low Hibernian cheekbones, and discovered that AR height optics are too low for the IWI Tavor.
As far as AR's go, there seems to be a trend toward higher and higher red dot mounts. Scalar has several at 1.93,
Knight's Armament Skyscraper High Rise is a whopping 2.33". The market is responding.
Question is, what are the primary advantages and disadvantages . What are the inherent strengths and weaknesses in the concept, not any current execution of the concept as that focuses on the assembly processes, not the merits of the form.
Going even farther back when the carry handle was the rear sight. Anybody know the standard height over bore for that iteration?
Anyway, would enjoy hearing ya'll wax thoughtfully on the subject.
What are your thoughts on collocation of optics & irons?
The higher the optic is off of the bore isn't that going to mean you only have a zero at a very specific distance?
You never said the height if it was 1.5" or 1.75" this has me in limbo still.
That's what I'm looking around the tubes right now for. I just put a 1.5 on mine. I had a 1.6 and it was too high. Then I went to a 1.2...way too low. We'll see how 1.5 goes
@@andrew_the_machinist I went with the 1.5 and it's the perfect height for me. The 1.75 works if you plan on co-witnessing other sights but I'm not adding iron sights.
The mount he was holding looked like a 1.93
@@cyclepath55555 It looks like the ADM Recon H 1.93
So, how do you properly mount a scope or red dot on a earlier model AR, that has a carry handle?
Well “all AR optic mounts cowitness” is incorrect. They clearly don’t. Depends on the mount, the optic, and the setup of the AR. “And you know this, man!”
The trend is to go ultrahigh on the AR-15 mount so you can get a sight picture without dropping your head…but the industry is lagging behind in making such mounts.
Depends on the build of your face. I have a thin bony face at the cheek bones. I mount mine as low as possible. Mount the rifle, close your eyes and then open them. You should have full circle edge to edge open view. Everyone should mount their scope as low as possible for accuracy 101 basics. ~ Max
I currently do not have a riser on my ar it get the purpose but can't get passed of how goofy my scope looks with the riser in use
do one if your suppressor hits the floor and stuff
so quick question, im putting a pic rail on my mini14 and i have a AR style lvpo mount will this be ok if i put a adjustable cheek swell ? yes im mounting a LVPO on this rifle. Or is it just best to use Ruger rings?
Will scope height affect the range of adjustment in elevation? Can it be to high to zero?
I have a 50mm Obj Lens that sits just a tad above the rail with a 2inch offset. Would a 3inch offset be better?
What if you prefer a chin weld? Use a carry handle scope base with see-thru rings perhaps?
I actually had something similar in the service. It was a small 4x that mounted to the A2's integrated handguard. It sat above the sight channel, giving a huge parallax problem, but still allowed me to see without my helmet getting in the way. The way the helmets were strapped, I could never see well through the iron sights without forcing my helmet brim against the carry handle.
This is all well and good, but it makes me want a "Part 2: what scope to run on your AR"... I went with a 1-4x Nikon. It's not as good as I was hoping, but it gives me a little magnification.
The scope magnification you need all depends on you are going to use the rifle. Home defense? shooting steel at 300 yards? hitting 22lr bullseyes at 50 yards? My philosophy is for 100 yards you plan to shoot you need at least 1 power of magnification. If you plan to shoot closer then 100 yards, the more magnification, the more mistakes you will make. So if someone is at 10 yards, you want irons or a 1x scope/dot, if you have a 4x scope it’s easier to miss.
I hate LPVO's. Every one that I have tried shows a lot of spherical aberration on 1x with their typically tiny 24mm objectives. Give me a fixed power optic any day.
it might hurt but paying more always gets you more...look at a vortex pst2 1-6 or a trijicon 1-8....pricey but worth it.
Now comes the “absolute or lower 1/3 co-witness” debate… 😉👍
That "ar-15" could use a retro brn-180 buttstock for a good cheek weld.
I would love to hear your guys thoughts on co-witnessing optics and iron sights.
Best done with an optic that doesn't magnify the target image, like red dot or similar. If you have a LPVO and want to have backup sights, zero your irons first, then mount the optic using a QD scope mount and zero your optic. This way your irons are zeroed if/when you need them and it doesn't require tools to remove the optic with a QD mount.
You mean lower 1/3 vs. co-witness? Both work, I think it's a preference, how you like your cheek weld.
@@marzcapone9939 I agree, it’s personal preference. For quite a few years, I used the lower 1/3. But, in the last year, I have transitioned to absolute co-witness. Simply because my aging eyesight can pick up the front post a little easier, higher in the tube.
Hard to do with a magnified optic. The sights blur out. With a non magnified optic it's very useful to be able to quickly check your zero if you think that something has shifted.
@@chavezhead or mount BUIS on a 45 degree angle. Just did that with my new AR10 and it actually works better than I thought it would.
I have learned I need a minimum of 1.6" above rail , and 1.7" is better. I guess I have big cheek bones. Does no-one make a 1.7" scope mount? Top of rail to center of scope. I guess i need the 1.93. where are they
I have an AR-15 and I'm laying my face sideways to see through the scope I already went with high rings but not an AR type but I didn't catch the name of that mount you showed
Anyone know the rear iron sight that is just like the back of a carry handle, but it's just the A2 style rear sight alone.!.???
Bigger problem I see is ar15 mounts on bolt guns
Will the cantilever mount clear the front A2 sight?
This video really makes no sense to me, not trying to be offensive. When you use iron sights, what do you do? You have to get your face down on the back of the AR, smash it into the stock/buffer tube to get a proper sight picture. Now we put on a regular scope and all the mounts are 1.5 plus inches high. How do you even get a proper cheek weld with that scope height? It is WAY above the iron sight height. I get the CQB set up where the scope/red dot is high, so you don't have to lower your face for faster shooting or whatever. However, the vast majority of us are not operators, and if you lay in the prone to shoot your 1.5 inch high scope, how on earth do you obtain a proper cheek weld. Not trying to be combative here, but this makes no sense to me, maybe I have a vastly different shaped face/dimensions than most people, although that seems unlikely to me. Furthermore, if you do want to co-witness with a scope it sure as heck is not 1.5 inches above the rifle.
Stock with adjustable cheek riser.
So what would be the scope height for a ballistic program?
I guess me, family, friends, and many others at the shooting range been someone how randomly selected in the gene pool to have facial features and ability to easily and adequately use low scope mounts on our AR-15 and other AR platform rifles
Where does that leave us guys with Eotechs...
Beautiful bolt gun, what is it? And what chassis setup?
GRS WARG
@@martinbrathen3635 Heh, reminds me of the Wargs in The Witcher 3 - wonder if there's any link!
"The kind of people who can use a scope mounted low are children and people with small cheekbones. Git you a high mount like an actual man." - Guncle Steve
all different for everyone.
lol AR guys 2021. 5 inch riser is best
Best starting rifle for PRS? 1500 ish USD, not counting scope cost
Check out bergara and their pro line
What mount was that and what was the heigjt?
I found this out the hard way 😬
Great video s guys
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1.4, 1.7, 1.93? Thank you.
You do not need to mount your scope as close to the bore as possible. That thinking is a vestige of days gone by when most hunting rifles had iron sights and stocks with low combs suitable for use with said iron sights. Then, as scopes became more popular, shooters realized the low stock comb did not provide for a cheek weld that would place their eyeball behind the scope. Hence the desire for low mounted scopes. Lace-on cheek pads could be used to solve that problem. And no matter what, you could never get the scope mounted low enough on a rifle with an American Classis stock. The combs were just too low.
Today, things are different. Anyone serious about accurate rifle fire is shooting either a chassis or stock equipped with and adjustable cheek piece. Mount your scope at a comfortable height and with enough clearance to use a scope cover. There is no ballistic reason to mount a scope as close to the bore as possible unless you're trying to sight and shoot through a small hole in a wall, which is kind of silly. In fact, mounting the scope higher increases point blank range of a given size which is an actual advantage, especially on a hunting rifle.
Ted
Any advice on a good offset iron sight or sight mount to use with the fab defense gl core cp stock? The set i have worked great with the m4 style stock but with the gl cp it's extremely awkward to get them lined up. I was planning on trying to move the rear and front a slot or two and see if that helps but I'm looking for options if that doesn't work out.
I have a FAB GL Shock CP stock, but I only use it on my bolt action in a chassis. I bet the cheek piece with 45° irons would push against your face in a weird way. Most cheek risers are on precision rifles for keeping your eye and face aligned with the optic without straining your neck and making the face/eye position repeatable.
@@chavezhead Even without the riser attachment it's kind of odd. I have used quite a few riser stocks on ar's before that serve an all purpose role but the width of the cp attachment really makes the irons a pita to use. It's actually easier with my carrier on and that might be the key since they designed the shape of the buttpad to work with a carrier better than the other options out there.
@@jkalash762 that's some good information I didn't know. I had a basic PSA freedom 15 when I got the FAB defense GL CP for my MDT chassis rifle and didn't have much experience with different stocks. I really want a Luth-AR MBA stock for my chassis rifle so it rides in a rear bag better. My most recent AR build I went with the B5 Bravo stock and like it so far. Works well for me with a Primary Arms LPVO 13.7 p/w and a 3-12 FFP 20" BA Premium series DMR when I switch uppers for different purposes. I'm using Aero ultralight extended mounts for both optics on their respective uppers.
Brownells does not warranty their products sold thru Optics Planet
What if you have a fixed A2 carry handle?
if you really want a scope, i would suggest swapping the A2 upper receiver for a flat top upper receiver. They only cost about $100. Or build/buy a separate upper if you enjoy shooting the A2, which many of us do.
anyone know what QD mount that is?
Better late than never that's a ad-recon-30 qd mount by ADMMFG
I discovered this recently. Luckily I apparently have childlike facial bones so it isn't too bad looking into the scope :P However, getting a red dot sight very soon.
👍
I’m fine with a low profile sight and if a peep gets my gun he can’t see through the scope
Guess I have childlike features because typical cantilever AR mounts are too high for me 😂
Disagree. Mount your scope where it works for you. A 56mm objective scope can be mounted with the objective end 1-2 mm from the rail with NO image acquisition or access issues (at least for me). Scope height and level are absolutely critical for long distance shooting.
If you are right hand and right eye dominant do you look through the scope with your left eye? Im worried that the rings i bought will be too high.
If you're right handed and right eye dominant you use your right eye to look through the scope. With a reflex sight or a red dot optic keep both eyes open.
ABSOLUTELY RITE !!!!!!!
I have a couple buddies that disagree with this…. We’re no longer buddies. So I shoulda said “I had a couple buddies” 😂😂
How can a small disagreement end a friendship? Are they more like acquaintances?
If they got no problem pressing their head down and it works for their heads, let them have it.
@@onpsxmember LOL. I was joking. I was hoping my laughing emojis convoyed that.
So I don't actually care that they choose that. I just hate shooting their guns cause its hella uncomfortable for me, them too lol. But they like the look of their guns....so idiots are gonna be idiots I guess.
@@onpsxmember he said "hella"
That should tell you everything you need to know
Their examples for this video are terrible. That bolt action has the cheek weld riser cranked up basically in line with the bolt (opposing the verbal claims of the cheekweld being lower on a bolt gun). Then they pull out the chonky-est ar scope mount i've ever seen claiming it'll co-witness with the buis on that ar-pistol... this is a ridiculous video. Pull out a stock rem 700 against a stock daniel defense AR and then compare the two cheekweld positions. Not some ultra custom crap...
I’m late to the party but thank you
My face is too big/fat for low mounted optics.
i am one of those who require low mounts.
Wahoo!
The standard AR height over bore for the iron sights is about 2.61 inch. A 1.41 inch scope mount puts a scope or red dot at that same 2.61 inch height over bore.
Generally, women and children need a acope that is about 1/2 inch less than that. Most people use a standard scope mount and add an inconvenient cheek riser for women and children.
People with large heads or those that use night vision, gas masks, or coms that get in the way may want a higher scope or red dot mount.
People that do shooting on the move and keep their head up may prefer higher mounts. They trade a poor cheek weld and poor recoil management for the ability to keep the head upright.
Mellonics did a bunch of tests with this in the failed attempt to stop the Marines from messing up the M16A2 design back in the 80's.
Thank you.
And when you have a head that is just too big for your body, like me, hilarity ensues.
Height over bore = 7 3/4 inches
Correct scope height video....without even mentioning all of the AR15 different scope height options, pro's and con's. Fail.
One of my standard reasons for not liking the AR10/15 platform.