Good acog substitute - SIG SAUER Bravo3 3x24mm Red Dot Sight

I've been active duty Marine Corps for 18 years and been using the ACOG since they were first fielded. I always wanted to get an ACOG of my own, however, I wasn't prepared to drop the $1,000+ to own one. This was an excellent substitute.

Feels rugged and durable. Easy to make adjustments. I once saw a review complaining the adjustment screws had too large of a slot, allowing screwdrivers to slip out of the slot when turning. Well, that's because you're supposed to use the lip near the primer of your brass to make adjustments, i.e. so you don't have to carry around a screwdriver. I appreciate the horseshoe aiming reticle, as it allows quick target engagement close-in, with the 1 MOA dot in the middle for long-range, precision shots. Bullet Drop Compensator is excellent and it appears to have the same range estimating capabilities as an ACOG. (If you didn't know why the lines get smaller as you go down to further ranges, it's because it represents approximately 19" at that range. 19" is the approximate distance accross the chest area of an average upright bipedal sapien target. So if the lines fit just within the target's shoulder blades, your at the correct range). I don't know how accurate or useful the standoff lines (tic marks on the left and rights sides of the horseshoe) are for moving targets, as I have not been able to field test that portion. The zoom level (3X) is perfect and comparable to the ACOGs 4X, if not more versatile. With ACOGs, any target less than 50m is like trying to watch a 60" TV one foot front from your face. The Bravo 3 makes close-in close-in targets very easy to acquire and still be able to visually identify. You can place highly accurate shots at 50-100m, while 100-200m targets are easily engaged especially if compared to a 1-2X power optic/red dot. 300m+ ranges are easily achieved with proper usage of the BDC. I haven't had the chance to compare this to the Bravo 5's (5x), but I specifically avoided it as I thought that might be too overpowered, especially for close-in targets.

Initially, I was concerned that with such a wide, exposed glass on both ends I thought I would either damage/scratch the lenses or at the very least smudge/dirty them. So far I haven't had that issue, though optional lens covers would be nice. Also, a honeycomb flash suppressor to prevent sun glint from reflecting would be nice.

The only true con I have for the optic is the weight. One can definitely feel the difference after shouldering and aiming for anything more than 10 seconds.