4 Optics That Will Revolutionize Your Survival Rifle

A quality optic for your rifle can be one of the most important upgrades imaginable. However, have you ever thought about optics for your survival rifles?

When looking at optics for these survival rifles, I tend to look at several different features.

Durability is an obvious one. In a survival situation, you won’t be able to replace the optic easily, and you’re probably going to have to expose it to the elements at some point.

Accuracy is another obvious one. However, as I’m sure you’ve seen, most modern optics hold their zero really well, so you probably won’t have to worry about this one too much. It comes more into play when considering that some people just won’t shoot some optics as well as others. It’s a fact of shooting.

The last feature that I like is an optic that has an etched reticle or uses fiber optics. This eliminates the need for batteries. I like this due to the fact that batteries may be hard to come by in a survival situation.

Generally speaking, I prefer no magnification for a survival rifle. However, a variable magnification scope that starts at 1x magnification would work just the same. I have found that with enough practice, I am able to accurately and effectively shoot out to 300-plus yards without any magnification. Conversely, shooting at 50 yards and closer with magnification can be very difficult.

Let’s talk about some of our favorite survival optics.

Vortex Spitfire

The Vortex Spitfire is a prismatic scope, so it is extremely compact. It is only four inches long, and weighs in at 11.2 ounces. This compact size is one of the biggest appeals of a prismatic optic. The reticle just uses dual rings, so it is extremely easy to acquire targets. While the reticle is etched on the prism, it also can be illuminated in red or green.

In terms of durability, this one is hard to beat. It is waterproof, fog-proof and shockproof. The anodized finish adds in to this, and the optic can be used in any variety of temperatures.

The eye relief is comfortable, and the scope is parallax free, so you will be able to easily shoot with this optic. I found this to be an excellent, accurate optic, especially when considering the relatively low MSRP.

Vortex also offers a Spitfire prism scope with 3x magnification.

Burris AR-1X

This optic from Burris is another great choice for your survival rifle. It is the same size as the Spitfire, but it is a little bit heavier. The eye relief is also a little bit shorter, so some will not find this as comfortable for shooting.

While the Spitfire was a prismatic sight, this one utilizes lenses. The lenses are fully multi-coated, so you will be able to see more clearly. It allows for a lot of light transmission, so it’s consistently easy to see.

The reticle is slightly more complex than the Spitfire. It uses a large circle, but also includes a bullet drop compensator. On one hand, this will help the intelligent shooter extend his range. However, on the other hand, it may slow down your target acquisition. Similar to the Spitfire, this one has an illuminated reticle that can be either red or green. The black reticle is etched on the lenses, so you don’t need a battery.

This optic will work well on a survival rifle. It is small, durable, and will last for a long while. However, it is slightly more difficult to use, due to the more advanced reticle. As far as price goes, this one is much more affordable than the Spitfire.

Trijicon ACOG

The Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) is very commonly used in the military. This is actually my favorite survival optic, but be warned, it is extremely expensive.

This optic is my favorite due to how durable it is and the fact that it uses fiber optics. There are never any batteries involved.

In terms of magnification, there is a wide variety available. The scopes are all fixed magnification, and they start at 1.5x magnification and go up to 6x magnification. For the survival rifle, I recommend 1.5x or 2x. Maybe 3x magnification, but it will take some getting used to at close range.

Similar to the Burris optic, these optics utilize classic lenses as opposed to the prism used in the Spitfire. They are extremely durable, as evidenced by the military using them in combat. The reticles of each ACOG are slightly different, but most of them incorporate some bullet drop compensator. I found them to be easier and quicker to use than the Burris optic.

Iron Sights

This one should be obvious. No matter what optics you decide to use on your rifle, having iron sights as a backup is absolutely crucial. Now that almost all optics rely on electronics, and use some form of illuminated reticles, it is very important to have that manual backup.

I can’t imagine having a survival rifle without iron sight backups. I recommend shooting with your iron sights every once in a while, just in case you ever have to use them in a survival situation.

 

What are your favorite optics? Share your tips in the section below:

Analysis: Advantages And Disadvantages Of US Seaborne Laser Weapon System

Authored by Andrei Akulov via The Strategic Culture Foundation,

This news hits the world media headlines.

US Navy has started life-tests of the world"s first drone-killing laser reported to move at the speed of light and to be "more precise than a bullet". Laser weapons project a coherent ray of directed photons (light) that strike their target virtually instantaneously. The massive amount of energy released from the weapon was able to down the drone by setting its wing on fire. The speed – 50,000 times the speed of an incoming intercontinental ballistic missile – makes it unnecessary to lead the target.

Silent and generally invisible, as it usually operates at an optical wavelength indiscernible to the human eye, the Laser Weapons System (LaWS) runs off its own electrical generator and needs no ammunition. Highly accurate, it is very effective when used against small, speedy targets, including incoming rockets, small drones and artillery shells. Low maintenance, high safety, and long lifespan are desirable characteristics.

The cost is «about a dollar a shot». Intended primarily to disable or destroy aircraft and small boats, the 30-kilowatt laser weapon is currently onboard the USS Ponce deployed in the Persian Gulf. It is predicted to be combat ready by 2020. A full-power hundred-kilowatt Free Electron Laser is slated for testing in 2018, and might see use on the Navy’s new Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers. The Navy plans to create 150 kilowatts lasers in more distant future.

To believe what the media say – the US has made a great stride ahead to acquire a superweapon, giving it a critical advantage over any potential enemy in the world. No doubt, the ongoing tests testify to the fact that the US Navy has achieved some progress in developing small-size laser systems capable of striking small targets at limited ranges. This is a story of success but it also calls for an objective review.

There are limitations and shortcomings.

Directed energy weapons are still in their relatively early days. The maximum range is limited as laser energy tends to diffuse in the atmosphere, especially when obstructed by sand, smoke or fog. Atmospheric absorption, scattering, and turbulence prevent shipboard lasers from being all weather weapons.

A laser beam has difficulty burning through denser materials. It needs time to inflict the damage and disable a heavy projectile. With no kinetic impact, a laser may fail to stop the target. In theory, laser weapons may be used for offensive missions, but the primary function is defensive. The LaWS has a very limited operational range – one to three km. It is no comparison to other combat systems. Lasers are no substitute for guns and missiles. They can add to the defensive capabilities but cannot be used as primary strike weapons.

The operator of a laser weapon must account for the movement of the target, the movement of the firing platform, decoys, dummies, or multiple war warheads that the enemy may use. Countermeasures to laser guidance also include laser detection systems, smoke screen and anti-laser active protection systems. Targets can be coated with materials that can absorb laser energy. Countering saturation attacks is also a problem.

Are laser weapons as low price as they are described for advertising purposes? But an infrared laser’s sophisticated optical guidance system and focusing lenses are not cheap. The weapon is fast but still a target must be designated, information processed and communicated to ensure accuracy. It is not done as immediately as media describe, it does take a few seconds. So, it is not exactly “the speed of light”. Besides, a laser weapons is installed on a platform vulnerable to precision-guided weapons.

There are some legal restrictions: the 1995 Protocol On Blinding Laser Weapons, a part of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons – forbids the use of “dazzler” lasers explicitly designed to permanently blind the eyesight of adversaries. It discourages the use of laser combat systems as anti-personnel weapons but it can be used against platforms – aircraft, armor vehicles and ships.

The LaWS is no game changer. It boasts no dominant role in modern warfare. Besides, with the current tests conducted with a thumb pressed firmly on the scale, the system has never seen combat. With all the limitations mentioned above, the weapon will not likely be ready for prime time anytime soon.

Navy Unveils World's First Active Laser Weapon In Persian Gulf

Three months ago we introduced China"s "silent hunter" experimental laser gun, and now, as CNN reports, in the waters of the Persian Gulf looms the US Navy"s first - in fact, the world"s first - active laser weapon.

The LaWS, an acronym for Laser Weapons System, is not science fiction. It is not experimental. It is deployed on board the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship, ready to be fired at targets today and every day by Capt. Christopher Wells and his crew.

CNN was granted exclusive access to a live-fire test of the laser.

For the test, the USS Ponce crew launched the target -- a drone aircraft. Immediately, the weapons team zeroed in.

"We don"t have to lead a target," Hughes explained. "We"re doing that engagement at the speed of light so it really is a point and shoot -- we see it, we focus on it, and we can negate that target."

In an instant, the drone"s wing lit up, heated to a temperature of thousands of degrees, lethally damaging the aircraft and sending it hurtling down to the sea. The strike comes silently and invisibly.

"It is more precise than a bullet," Wells told CNN.

"It"s not a niche weapon system like some other weapons that we have throughout the military where it"s only good against air contacts, or it"s only good against surface targets, or it"s only good against, you know, ground-based targets -- in this case this is a very versatile weapon, it can be used against a variety of targets."

LaWS begins with an advantage no other weapon ever invented comes even close to matching. It moves, by definition, at the speed of light. For comparison, that is 50,000 times the speed of an incoming ICBM.

"It is throwing massive amounts of photons at an incoming object," said Lt. Cale Hughes, laser weapons system officer.

"We don"t worry about wind, we don"t worry about range, we don"t worry about anything else. We"re able to engage the targets at the speed of light."

All the $40 million system needs to operate is a supply of electricity, which is derived from its own small generator, and has a crew of three. No multi-million-dollar missile, no ammunition at all.

The cost per use? "It"s about a dollar a shot," said Hughes.

President Trump"s military budget problems solved?