Swarovski Optik's Z8i 1-8x 24mm with L 4A-IF

A RIFLEMAN’S OPTICS

- Patrick Meitin

The AR rifle, whether AR-15 or AR-10, is an American rifle. These handy autoloaders are so popular the National Rifle Association estimates U.S. gun owners now own eight to 10 million of them. Continued improvements to the original ArmaLite design have made them more affordable, reliable and more accurate. Given this degree of accuracy, it was only natural shooters would begin adding optics to their ARs, looking for added precision and reach.

The question then becomes: What would an ideal AR scope look like? For me that depends on season. During spring and early summer, when Western burrowing rodents become my obsession, I add something big and powerful, something with 20x top end magnification for shooting from a portable bench. During fall and winter, when my ARs become my go-to predator calling and hog rifles, I want something to accentuate the design’s fast-handling characteristics and make getting on target nearly instantaneous.