You pretty much never see a modern sporting rifle without some sort of advanced optic, be it a red dot, reflex sight, holographic sight or scope mounted to the receiver.
But, as much as these things sell themselves, there’s still a very strong selling point for AR15 sights. Here are all the best reasons you need a set of backup iron sights on your AR too, not just an optic.
No Parallax Distortion
You ever look through a scope at an angle? Yeah, don’t. You’ll probably incur a parallax distortion, which in layman’s terms just means where the reticle appears is not actually where the point of impact will be. It means you’ll miss.
You can also be experiencing a parallax distortion without noticing it, which means when you pull the trigger, you’ll miss. Iron sights are immune to this. There’s the separate issue of sight radius, but that’s easy enough to rectify.
They Work in All Conditions
AR15 sights work in the dark, in the cold, in bright sunlight (unlike some red dots), in the heat, in the north, in the south, at lunchtime, on break, and everywhere in between. They are the most consistent sights for a sporting rifle, period – even if they lack some of the bells and whistles.
They’re Effective at All Ranges
Scopes must be zeroed at a specific range, and at extended ranges you might need to hold over a target, but iron sights, despite their simplicity, are effective at close ranges, intermediate ranges, and long ranges. Red dots are limited, scopes are usually not the best at close ranges. Iron sights work everywhere.
Iron sights take more skill to use proficiently, especially at greater distances, but there’s no doubt about the fact that they operate as intended at all ranges.
They’re Physically Tougher
Iron sights don’t have glass lenses or sensitive electronic components. They are made of steel, aluminum, or in some cases, polymer, and much tougher than pretty much all other optics. Granted, some are tougher than others but regardless they’re in the top spot.
There Are No Batteries
Granted, most red dot sights and other electronic optics have battery lifespans that are years long (or longer) but they can still die on you. That will never happen with iron AR15 sights, no matter what.
They’re More Cost Effective
Even expensive AR15 sights are considerably more cost-effective than scopes, red dot sights, and other optics. Some optics are several thousands dollars. Even expensive AR15 sights will be somewhere around $100, if not much cheaper.
Shockproof, Waterproof, Dustproof, Fogproof – Need We Go on?
Lastly, AR15 iron sights are bombproof (figuratively). They’re resistant to impact, effectively shock proof, waterproof, dustproof, fogproof and more. Iron sights don’t flinch at any of these conditions, but high humidity can sink a scope, and dust can incapacitate a red dot. You won’t have those problems (or others) with iron sights for your sporting rifle.
Where to Get High-Quality AR15 Sights
Now for the best news of all. You don’t need to choose between one or the other. The answer lies in a pair of offset backup iron sights. These sights, which are usually flip up sights, mount to your AR15 at an angle, so they don’t interfere with the performance or operation of the main optic you use.
You know the old adage – two is one and one is none. So you don’t have to pick. You can have both.
If you’re looking for high quality AR15 sights, visit MCS Gearup. They carry a wide range of flip-up and backup sights, along with optics, among other shooting accessories. If you want it to customize a build, they have it.
