Absolute or Lower 1/3 Co-Witness?

[Fast Eddie]

Hello

I wanted to get some opinions on setting up my Vortex Strikefire with iron sights. What do you prefer for co-witness and why?

I need to purchase the riser and the flip ups. (I would love to hear some recommendations) I'm leaning toward Magpul but would listen to dissenting opinions.

I will probably be using the AR for 3 gun and a little bit of everything else.

I may add a flip mount magnifier down the road.

I may add a red dot or holographic site, just to experiment a little bit.

Probably wont be going with a nice ACOG (as much as I would like to try one) anytime soon.

Thanks in advance!

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[SOLID_arity]

Only real benefit I see of absolute over 1/3rd are:
1) more consistent cheek weld between irons and optic and
2) being able to get a good rough zero on the optic assuming your irons are already sighted in. Saves you like what, 5-10 rounds though and isn't useful past that?

I'd go for 1/3rd just for the less obstructed sight picture. Guess this doesn't matter if you're planning on keeping both irons flipped down, but I'm of the opinion that at least the front sight should always stay up (less to mess with if the optic goes down and the optic can be used as a rough ghost ring in a pinch). Also if you ever slap the optic+mount on a rifle with a fixed A2 front, you'll have consistency.

Regardless, I'd go with a QD mount for the optic... I'm an AK guy so I don't get this mentality where people make the less reliable sighting system (the optic) a fixed, non-stripable part of the rifle while at the same time making the infallible sighting system (irons) more likely to fail (plastic/more mechanically complicated) and harder to implement (having to flip up both front and rear to bring into action).

 

[Stomper]

I used to be an absolutist, but evolved to a lower 1/3 as I run Aimpoints which are stupid reliable so I saw no justification to clutter the FOV through the glass.

 

[Hawaiian]

Lower 1/3 for me. I use my guns for fun shooting and am not concerned about the optic going out when the Zombies come. Even though I use quick release optic mounts from LaRue. Just because they are cool.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

lower 1/3rd

 

[Fast Eddie]

Lower 1/3 for me. I use my guns for fun shooting and am not concerned about the optic going out when the Zombies come. Even though I use quick release optic mounts from LaRue. Just because they are cool.

Pretty much what this gun is for me too.

Only real benefit I see of absolute over 1/3rd are:
1) more consistent cheek weld between irons and optic and
2) being able to get a good rough zero on the optic assuming your irons are already sighted in. Saves you like what, 5-10 rounds though and isn't useful past that?

I'd go for 1/3rd just for the less obstructed sight picture. Guess this doesn't matter if you're planning on keeping both irons flipped down, but I'm of the opinion that at least the front sight should always stay up (less to mess with if the optic goes down and the optic can be used as a rough ghost ring in a pinch). Also if you ever slap the optic+mount on a rifle with a fixed A2 front, you'll have consistency.

Regardless, I'd go with a QD mount for the optic... I'm an AK guy so I don't get this mentality where people make the less reliable sighting system (the optic) a fixed, non-stripable part of the rifle while at the same time making the infallible sighting system (irons) more likely to fail (plastic/more mechanically complicated) and harder to implement (having to flip up both front and rear to bring into action).

After having a steel case adhere to the chamber on the maiden voyage, I'm not completely sold on the AR platform either.

I have since heard the ak's will eat the steel cartridge ammo all day long but the AR's can be finicky.

As much as I would like to acquire a new-to-me commie gun, with sensual wood furniture and rich historical significance......

I've decided this is the year to upgrade the guns I have, slings, holsters, better sights and optics.

I do appreciate your thoughtful answer, though I did not anticipate a suggestion to switch platforms.

I used to be an absolutist, but evolved to a lower 1/3 as I run Aimpoints which are stupid reliable so I saw no justification to clutter the FOV through the glass.

This is the gen 1 Strikefire and it is just OK in the world of optics. An Aimpoimt would be nice but I'm not that into the girl that's wearing ithem yet.

I'm hearing from a lot of places that the lower 1/3 is the way to go. So I'm going to make it my first experiment.

 

[Kruel J]

Lower 1/3rd. Gives more sight picture as less irons in the way of the optic's FOV.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Lower 1/3 for me WHEN I co. I prefer a look through quick detach or tip off mount for optics now days with a dedicated set of irons for normal shooting!

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Lower 1/3 for me WHEN I co. I prefer a look through quick detach or tip off mount for optics now days with a dedicated set of irons for normal shooting!

i seldom use ONLY my strikefire2 green dot. its always on co- witness and if not its magnified.

i am lookin for a 1-6x (strike eagle most likely a 1-4x might be ok also. idk.) for one of my ARs so that optic (strikefire2)can go on my pistol for cqb/ home defense

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

I used to be an absolutist, but evolved to a lower 1/3 as I run Aimpoints which are stupid reliable so I saw no justification to clutter the FOV through the glass.

aimpoints are nice. the battery life is insane!

i do like my vortex optics tho!

 

[Ura-Ki]

I really like my old school retro Comando 16 knock off with carry handle A2 sights and a UTG bug blaster on a look through handle mount! Very reliable and bomb proof. even better is the trit front sight post!!!

 

[SOLID_arity]

I do appreciate your thoughtful answer, though I did not anticipate a suggestion to switch platforms.

You completely misread me then: I said nothing the least bit derogatory about ARs let alone anything to the effect of switching platforms. I was just making an observation about optics/sights from the perspective of someone who's mostly accustomed to AKs, where your irons are a fixed part of the package. Also where of the two most common ways to attach optics (ultimak or side-mount), one is inherently QD-able.

So with that being my experience, it throws me for a loop to see ARs at the range without any irons at all just because it's an option. Or that have irons, but haven't been practiced on or (heaven forbid) not even zeroed yet, because they're just there for backup. That same experience also makes me partial to QD-able optics (hence why I made that suggestion) to get back to my trusty irons.

Personally, once I get around to building an AR, any optic I stick on it is going to be on a QD and the front sight post is either going to be fixed A2 or just left always up. No real reason to not use a QD mount: if it's not something as utterly reliable as an Aimpoint/Trijicon, I'd feel weird not being able to strip it out of the way. And if it is an Aimpoint/Trijicon, are you really going to be cheaping out on the mount?

After having a steel case adhere to the chamber on the maiden voyage, I'm not completely sold on the AR platform either.

I have since heard the ak's will eat the steel cartridge ammo all day long but the AR's can be finicky.

Yes, but that has more to do with the high case taper of the 7.62x39 cartridge aiding in feeding/extraction than it does the actual reliability of the AK over the AR.. 7.62x39 was designed with steel case in mind. 5.56 not so much - it's a low taper catridge. Using the kind of ammo it was designed for, the AR is practically just as reliable as the AK.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Quick update-I went with the lower 1/3 co witness, just a Vortex strike fire with magpul BUIS. Hopefully I'll have a range report soon enough. Thanks for the advice everybody.

 

[SOLID_arity]

Quick update-I went with the lower 1/3 co witness, just a Vortex strike fire with magpul BUIS. Hopefully I'll have a range report soon enough. Thanks for the advice everybody.

Good to hear and curious on how you end up feeling about it. Despite my AKs having little-to-no cowitness (but QD capabilities), my first and only AR actually is set up with absolute cowitness just because that's what my Aimpoint PRO came with and I'm too satisfied with the stock mounting to want to dish out ~$75+ on a QD lower 1/3rd. Irons are magpul BUIS just like yours too.

 

[titsonritz]

Fixed sights = 1/3
Folding sights = absolute
one for both = 1/3

 

[Diamondback]

Bear in mind that I haven't even sighted in yet... in principle I like Absolute so that if you leve the BUIS deployed it helps reinforce sight picture, "this is what you're supposed to see when On Target."

In practice both my builds are or will be Lower 1/3--the rifle because I ordered the wrong riser, threw it on to try it anyway and found "hey, this works pretty good too", and the pistol because you can't get a mount low enough for Absolute with an Vltor CASV's half-inch riser, you're lucky to get even Lower 1/3. (For the record, the rifle is Full Folding, the pistol Fixed Front/Folding Rear.)

 

[DirectDrive]

Fixed sights = 1/3
Folding sights = absolute
one for both = 1/3

This ^^^

 

[Fast Eddie]

Fixed sights = 1/3
Folding sights = absolute
one for both = 1/3

Makes sense.

 

[DirectDrive]

No need to clutter your field of view.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Bit late, but ditto on the 1/3 co-witness too!