James, I really appreciate the format in which you present your guns and optics as a civilian who loves military clones like the M4A1 Block II, M16A4, M45A1, TA31, Aimpoint, and EOTECH. I love your honesty and humility mixed with good analysis. Keep on keeping on!

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Hey thanks so much! That means a lot!

I was one of the last (if not THE last) companies to graduate Marine Corps boot camp having qual'd on irons. When I got to MCT, I was, no shit, issued a BRAND NEW, STILL DRIPPING IN OIL AND PACKING GREASE M16A4 with an ACOG (or "RCO" as we called it for some reason)...and it was glorious. Watching the instructors struggle to remember not to throw rifles around anymore was HILARIOUS. 🤣 I went on to qual high expert 3 or 4 more times, be a unit range coach for a bit and be a volunteer range safety officer at one of the largest public indoor ranges in the country for a while as a civvie. The BIGGEST THING I saw people screw up with the ACOG is, old skool guys coming from irons not trusting the thing...they would try to wing it, guess, "ky windage" stuff, etc and end up winging shots off who knows where. I had to explain to them that it does the ranging work FOR YOU. All you have to do is TRUST the thing. Trust it and get a good zero. (Not in that order...) Zeroing is always important but is CRITICAL in BDC-equipped optics like the ACOG. If your zero is off (or you use a different kind of ammo!!), none of it will work correctly. - Remember to keep some tape covering most of the fiber optic on top when outdoors. It lets in too much light when it's bright out which causes "bloom" on the reticle. This doesn't matter much at short range but can make you miss by quite a lot at longer ranges. - When shooting longer ranges, remember to find your natural resting point of aim...get on target, then close your eyes. Count to 3. Open your eyes...if you're not still right where you need to be, move until you are. Rinse and repeat. If you're having to muscle the rifle onto target to hold it there, you're wrong. That shit will make you inconsistent af. Keep rockin', man. 🤘

The clean production value of your videos and fixed FSPs keep me watching. It's nice to watch a firearm channel without obnoxious intro music or a 5 minute shill for Sonoran Desert Institute. A4s are so nice to look at too.

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Hahah if I took a shot every time SDI is advertised... thanks man!

20 years in the army and IMO, the acog was the best thing ever issued to me. Indestructible and a game changer. Highly recommend.

Shooting left handed is always a fun experience. Feels like you're learning everything a second time.

Everyone has a problem with Acog's eye relief until they start getting better.

I've noticed that everyone complains about the ACOG for all the reasons you listed. I appreciate how you recognize that the "downsides" are really just gaps in fundamentals. Makes everyone else look kinda silly. Much respect.

I am an experienced shooter- I was issued an ACOG on my M27 RWK deployment kit in USMC and it is a great optic. I use ATACR LPVOs on my HK mr762 and acog with top mounted rmr for “passive aiming” with NVGs ON ALL MY LWRCIs M6s. Anyhow, I like your humble and honest approach- it is great. So tired of the dudes calling people Kings, overly motivated and rah rah. New shooters need more info like what you present. Subscribed and liked

@jamesshoots

2 ай бұрын

Dang that's a setup I'm jealous of haha. Thank you for the kind words, man!

Hey man loving the videos. I’d recommend not breaking eye contact so quickly. Makes you look nervous and unsure of yourself. Don’t be. Nothing to be stressed about

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Appreciate the feedback, man!

If you want to rock a rear BUIS, the KAC micro allows you to run the ACOG as far back as possible, thereby making the eye relief easier to achieve. I believe the Army Matech sight takes up one more pic slot than the KAC.

Very well put together video. The TA-31 was the first “real” optic I’ve bought and I truest believe it made me a better shooter.

Hey dude, I trained on this optic in the Marines and I think you echo similar sentiments that I felt at boot camp. Granted, I was being taught how to shoot in the best rifleman making force in the world, but the drilling of fundamentals absolutely is reinforced by the ACOG and it is such a proficient optic (durable too) that I can't help but pine for one lol Glad to see you're enjoying it, I loved shooting with it

Hey man, as a lurker (and fellow KZreadr) who enjoys shooting, just wanted to send praise your way. Very good editing, and most of all I like that your videos are never filled with macho-man gun elitism you see everywhere.

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!! I appreciate it man!

After experimenting with M16A2 suppressed. I felt it is too much of a musket for a small caliber. So I decided to build a LMT MARS-L 16'' DI with ACOG TA31 and ACSS Holosun on top, Super 42 H2 buffer/spring. Rein 2.0, BCM VFG, QD BT bipod, Radian CH, Hiperfire 2-stage, and HXQD 556Ti, lowset back pressure on any 5.56 can. It is an absolute pleasure to shoot, ~1.3MOA with AAC OTM suppressed on hot barrel. About the same length as M16 with a can. The B5 stock fits more people and I'm not forced to use a long LOP. The 9.25'' LMT upper gives just enough space for everything so it felt well balanced for an 'all out' rifle.

I like that your shooting a proper rifle with full ballistic performance instead of some short Mk18 or abbreviated blunderbuss. Lovely rifle and optic.

@dtdlilcoold

Ай бұрын

Nothings wrong with with the mk18 lol. Different guns for different uses.

When people talk about glass clarity, you'd think the difference would be subtle, but looking through an ACOG after otherwise using mid-tier at best LPVOs and 3-9s, you really appreciate it. Another consideration with fixed power prism optics is the Bindon Aiming Concept, to get rapid target acquisition capability back.

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Question on that - I eventually want an MPVO and have been eyeing a Leupold Mark 5HD - or at least, something of that tier. It won't happen for a while though. Assuming money isn't as issue, do you think going any "lower" than that would leave me pretty disappointed? I know I don't NEED something that's $2,000+, but to your point... wondering if I can ever go back since the ACOG's glass clarity is already great.

@timewave02012

5 ай бұрын

@@jamesshoots I'm not sure. I haven't had time with anything really good in the medium magnification range. I think it was more that I was surprised how good the ACOG is, rather than disappointed by the others. Higher magnification sort of makes up for less than perfect clarity.

Ur eyes show how enthusiastic u are about firearms every video. Love it

I'm digging your channel my dude. Can't wait to see what you review next

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Much appreciated, brotha!!

Really like your brutal honesty lots of new shooters need to hear this to get them feeling better about going out and shooting.

@jamesshoots

19 күн бұрын

Thank you!!

Ran Aimpoints for about a decade until I rented a .308 Scar with a 3.5 Acog and instantly fell in love, I have since sold my Red dots and bought my own 3.5 Acog for my 16” BCM with both eyes open it is nearly the same as a dot 20 yards and in having the ability to actually see past 20 the smallest details and be 100% confident I can hit a fist sized target within 100 yards is my favorite part.

Valuable lessons, thanks for sharing

Great video as usual bro! Enjoying listening to your thoughts and commentary

Just stumbled on this video and loved it. Like the down to earth approach to the presentation.

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Thank you!!

You are making fantastic content. Keep teaching and showing your process.

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Thank you!!

loved the honesty...Just because its expensive doesn't mean its perfect...but its dang good a what it excels at

Love the videos my man! Keep up the great work!

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Thank you!!

wow this is a very well organized video i love it!

I learned quickly 14:58 why the fiber optic line gets taped over

in basic, i found that keeping the blurry fsp aligned with the BDC guaranteed consistent eye-optic alignment. at the very least, it's a checklist item before a shot is taken.

Earned my sub, keep up the good work

I love this review! Even those of us that have training it may have been a while. I left the marine corps 15 years ago so I dont remember much lol

Awesome reflection and review of your time with the ACOG man! I'd love to hear your thoughts on ak platform in the future for sure!

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Thanks man! Oh jeez an AK would be SWEET... I just need to buy one!

The ACOG is a dated optic. It has garbage eye relief, it is fixed magnification, and it be pretty pricey. But that optic has probably put more rounds on target than any other. It is a tank and the only time I ever saw one go down was when it literally got shot off someone's rifle on deployment (also, it has a pretty dope BDC). Seriously if you just run a dot on top of the optic you get the best of both worlds. Part of me doesn't want to run one because it is old news and there are so many arguably better options available. But man, it is a solid option and it is my go to. It's all shooters preference. Just know if you decide to run one (especially with a good dot up top) you will not regret it. Good stuff!

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Haha yeah I've really enjoyed this optic so far. I understand why it's still so well-regarded even if there are other options out there. As for the red dot... I think about mounting an RMR on top every time I look at this scope lol

@spencer7197

5 ай бұрын

​@jamesshoots The rmr up top is definitely a vibe (exactly what I did on mine, the ACOG is the battery powered variant though). For the clone correct look it might not totally fit. It does provide a nice heads up experience for times when you don't want to get sucked into the optic. For super close range work (CQB distance) it isn't super necessary as you can typically point shoot or just aim down the rails of your rifle lol. It's a nice addition but it's not a life changing one lol

@charlieb308

5 ай бұрын

Garbage? lol I have two of them and one for your information has an eye relief as far back as you want to go on the stock, model TA33, shows you don’t know much. Watch videos about TA33, eye relief is 3”-5” in real world for guys who’ve actually shot with the other non military models

This was a great video. If you don't mind me asking what upper was that? I thought that was an FN Collector edition at first but then I seen the BCM on the lower. I just picked up the FN Ar ,16 inch barrel collector edition and have been looking at the 20 inch. I couldn't find a 20 inch barrel with a quadrill anywhere. The rifle looks bad a*s!Thanks in advance and once again great content.👍🏽

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Thanks!! Yeah haha it’s a BCM lower and a BCM upper. It’s their 20” government profile upper receiver, which didn’t come with the KAC rail - I had to buy that separately on Gunbroker!

👍 Thanks 🇺🇸

Very good

I recommend that you should put black gaffers tape over the fiber optic in order to dim the reticle to see it more clearly.

Love my acogs. I also have to agree with others in the comment section. It's nice to see a guy talking guns and nothing else. Make yourself a vtac barricade, and bring out next time, shooting at awkward angles with that short eye relief can be fun. If you want to keep your buis and get the acog further back look into the KRAM spacer from weapons outfitters. Ive got them on mine, they're nice.

Something I was told a long time ago “A mm off the front sight is inches away from the target downrange” On a two way range that matters. I wasn’t aware just how behind army qualifications were behind the curve until I trained with DHS. Look up some alternative drills and just plug away and set PR’s Most important thing is keep shooting. If you catch your mistake don’t get upset. Stop… do it correctly and carry on. Learn to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. Don’t give yourself a false sense of skills by just doing what you’re good at. There is such a thing as going on tilt as well. Some days you’re just off. Your mindset is there but your skills are back home. I’ve been out of service for 15yrs. Been shooting for over 20 and I’m learning 300blk coming over from 7.62x39 and they ain’t as similar as I hoped

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

I love the fact that there's always something to learn and that there's always a goal to work towards! Definitely gonna work on shooting skills and comfortable being uncomfortable, as you said!

The model TA33 and other acogs actually have a long eye relief twice as long as the military models, I have a long neck so getting my nose near charging handle on an M16A4 is easy and natural for me. I now have a TA31-F, I really like it

Damn. I only looked the the thumbnail and totally thought this was Hop😂😂

Ur channel is going to take off.

That system should be optimized for 62 grain ammo, try a few different types and see if those don't tighten up a bit. When it comes to uplcose work, don't forget height over bore up close. Keep up the good work.

I immediately subscribed when i saw the texas patch on the earpro 😂

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Texas forever!!

i do like the m16a4 clone. looks great

0:54 Bro, that's about 90% of the rest of us, anyways. Don't feel bad at all. It's a brilliant optic.

It’s funny but I’m in the same boat as you. Bought an Acog 4 or 5 months ago for an 18.5” Bren 2. Couldn’t agree more with your video man. Lack of availability of acogs in Canada I ended up with the circle ⭕️ reticle which is a nightmare to zero at 100 on the top crest of the circle 👎

Great video James. Im looking to get an acog for my main fighting rifle in a few months. I had one in the past, but everything you said strikes me as spot on. Did you know you can shoot prism optics with or without prescripion glasses on? Just another cool acog benefit. Theyre magic. Forgive me if I'm wrong, do you have the world's slightest German accent?

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Excited for you to pick it up! And that’s good to know - my glasses always slip off my nose so the frames actually block my FOV lol. I don’t have any German blood/never visited, but I have some Polish blood in me!

Have you considered moving the rear iron sight, so you can place the ACOG further back?

You would make a great officer. Do it.

Handle sight for Vibes

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Accurate

what's with the scratched on the side of your rifle?

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

As much as I wish I could say I was fighting bad guys, it’s just scratching on my war belt’s buckle when I have it slung in front of me lol. Basically all of it comes off by rubbing a couple drops of CLP on it

@oteromason

5 ай бұрын

@@jamesshoots ah the belt! That explains it

What’s your trigger with this? I feel like for acog you need a 2 stage trigger

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

This is BCM’s PNT trigger! I’d say it’s a bit better than a worn-in milspec trigger, but nothing like a 2-stage. I def want one eventually though

@Jrude22

5 ай бұрын

@@jamesshootsyeah get a Geissele 2 stage. From 4.5 to 3.5 lbs. atleast you know when to break once you hit the wall. Actually I only own a red dot and Lpvo, I don’t have an acog but I shot one. But I really believe acogs are best for 2 stage triggers. Just my two cents.

Want to run _all_ of those fundamental steps, _every_ time you take a shot? *Load only one round in your magazines.* Shoot one, reload, repeat. Great position & steady hold factors are crucial. If you can't relax your NPoA on target, none of the breath/trigger control matters. Slowly press that trigger. Accept the fact that _some_ shots break when not perfectly aligned. You'll be making 400-600y hits in no time. Don't be too hard on yourself. Recognize that 4MoA is acceptable, 3MoA is preferable, 2MoA is achievable and 1MoA is exceptional.

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

Ohhhhh man. Good call. I am definitely doing this next time. Also, appreciate the perspective on MoA!

I've been thinking about an LED ACOG but I just can't drop that much cash not knowing if I'll like it or not.

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

For sure, I totally get that. ACOGs ain’t cheap :/

Eye contact freaking me out

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

👀👀👀👁👁

I have a m951 that would look nice on your A4 clone

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

👀👀👀👀 where did you buy it?

There isn't any other optic that belongs on a 20" AR/"M16" other than an ACOG.

@jamesshoots

5 ай бұрын

💯

Meanwhile our planet is falling apart fast