The 4 Best Aimpoints for AR15 — AR 15 Pro Optics Review 2023

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Photo by Keith LaFaille / CC BY

Aimpoint is one of the finest manufacturers of red dot sights for the AR 15 rifle. They have an extensive line of sights suitable for law enforcement, private security, home defense, hunting or any other legitimate use you might have for the AR 15 rifle. To that end, the question of what the best Aimpoint for AR15 rifles is somewhat difficult to answer, as it depends on your use. Given that, we have scoured the corners of the globe (or, at least, the internet) to find the right product for your needs.

Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic

As the name suggests, this is the best Aimpoint AR 15 optics if you plan to use it as an all purpose duty optic or on a knockabout hunting or home defense rifle. Designed to use a built in spacer that permits co-witnessing with standard AR 15 sights, this Aimpoint also features a special optical coating that permits its use with all types of night vision goggles, making it ideal for law enforcement or hunting zombies at night. I’ve always figured if something was good enough for cops, it was good enough for my own rifle, and will be taking a close look at this for future purposes.  You’d be quite satisfied with your AR 15 with Aimpoint PRO, for sure!

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Aimpoint Carbine Optic Sight


This one is going to be the best Aimpoint for AR15 if you just want a basic Aimpoint. Designed for civilian AR 15 use, it primarily focuses on being an all around sight without added military or tactical features. The price point reflects its sporting heritage, and is certainly ideal for anyone who has a sporting carbine and just wants the quality you’d expect from Aimpoint without burdening their wallet with features they won’t use. Like the Patrol Rifle Optic, the Carbine Optic Sight can cowitness with standard AR sights, allowing you to get the most out of your Aimpoint.

https://www.youtube.com/ypCfBwG5YSE

Aimpoint Micro H1


Bigger isn’t always better as we can see here. Weighing under four ounces, this is the best Aimpoint for AR 15 if you are going for the lightest possible red dot. Light on weight but heavy on features, the Micro brings you the same quality construction and design that you expect from a full-sized Aimpoint red dot sight. While not as flexible as other models in terms of features or mounting options, if you are looking to save weight on your rifle for long distance hikes or hunting, or just to maintain perfect balance, look no further than the Aimpoint Micro.

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Aimpoint Micro T-2


It’s not the size of the, ummm, Aimpoint, but what you do with it. The Micro T-2 is a very well-endowed micro red dot, and certainly the best Aimpoint for AR 15 if you want lightweight AND combat ready features. Compatible with all night vision devices, featuring built in flip up lenses, and built for the sort of people who use night vision goggles for a living, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better lightweight red dot optic out there. While it approaches the price of a good entry level rifle, I always maintain when it comes to duty ready optics that you should go big, or go home.

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Why You Need an Aimpoint

Or at least want one. There is something rather satisfying about owning a military grade sight and putting it on top of your rifle. You know that you’ve bought something that will endure far more than you will ever put it through, and enjoy the quiet satisfaction of having purchased the finest quality you can get. Remember the saying: buy cheap, buy twice. We live in a world awash with cheap consumer goods that quickly wear out and cause problems, so it is comforting to know that you can buy red dots like the Aimpoint for your AR 15 rifle.

One of the best things about the Aimpoint system is the fact you can literally leave them turned on and running for up to three years on a single battery. While this may be unimportant for a sport shooter or hunter, this is a critical feature for law enforcement, private security and home defense weapons. Many AR 15’s are built without iron sights, and an Aimpoint is often the only sighting mechanism on such rifles. Because they may need to be used right away, the time it takes to turn on a sight could be deadly. It’s simply easier and safer to leave them on all the time. Because an Aimpoint can run so long with a single battery, just mount your optic, turn it on, sight it in, and change the battery every year or two just to be safe.

The best Aimpoint for AR15 is the one that fits your mission or end use. Every Aimpoint is a high end precision red dot sight, and priced accordingly. Careful examination of the desired sight against your intended use will dictate your final purchasing decision. A hunter in the woods isn’t going to care too much about cowitnessing sights but probably wants a much lighter weight optic. In turn, a police officer is going to demand a higher grade red dot sight than a casual shooter. In turn, the same optic a law enforcement officer chooses will probably be the same one you will want for your home defense gun or your ranch rifle.

No matter how you slice it, any Aimpoint is an amazing optic. It runs for years on a single battery, is built around a rugged aircraft grade 30mm aluminum tube, features state of the art electronic circuitry and design principals drawn from combat and real world use. It is a highly advanced red dot sight and there are models from reasonably cheap to breaking the four figure mark, all of which excel at fulfilling the needs of their intended user base. If you are looking for the last red dot you ever need to buy for your AR 15, get an Aimpoint. You’ll thank yourself later.

  • Owner of Reloaderaddict.com, Boyd Smith is a major handgun enthusiast, and although he owns Glocks, he prefers the revolving wheel type. His go-to guns are a Smith & Wesson 642 Performance Center for carry and a Ruger GP100 in the nightstand biometric safe (he has kids). He loads both revolvers with old-school 148-grain Federal Gold Medal .38 wadcutters. It’s OK if you think he’s a wimp. Email him.

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