Correct optic placement on AR for charging handle clearance?

Dultimatpredator

Dultimatpredator

Well-known member
I was excited today after mounting my Nikon pro staff 5 3.5x14 40 mm on my 243 AR10. I have enough eye relief that it mounted forward from my charging handle so I have good clearance. I normally have seen most optics even with the handle or overlapping so it’s hard to get your hand under the optic to get a good grip on the handle(on are show is your AR sticky). I would think proper placement would be forward from the handle if there is enough eye clearance for your optic? I would think I might have to lean in with some heavy clothes or thick jacket in the dead of winter but at full 14x with a hoodie on I could have even mounted it a hair further forward yet.

Is there a right or wrong where optics are mounted. I would think in a perfect world you would want it forward from the charging handle for ease of charging. Just kinda confused when I see so many shooters here with there optics overlapping the charging handle. I would guess there optics have a shorter eye clearance...but a lot have adjustable stocks to correct this so they could move their optics forward. I’m guessing it’s just preference. I remember making the mistake of mounting my optic to far back about 20 years ago and I had to really tuck my hand in to get under my optic to charge my gun. What a pain. I believe that was a leupold 4.5x14 mark 4 with a very short eye relief and too short of a a scope ring if I remember correctly. I currently have it on my LTR now.

I believe the military trains nose to charging handle. I would have to really strain forward to do this with my long fixed stock just with my hoodie on so I would assume the fixed stock is hair long for my rifle? Oh well, it’s good to go. Time to load up some barrel brake in rounds.


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Really it's personal. Using the bigger tactical charge handles helps. I shoot my scopes pretty far back. I've never shot nose to the handle but in spite of that I seem to do pretty well. My endeavors on the game fields and in the matches I shoot have brought me plenty of game in had and Gold on the wall.

Greg
 
HOriginally Posted By: Bowhntr6ptGet a CH with an extended latch or get a latch and put it on your CH.

Most of the rifles posted in show me your AR have their optics about 2-3" plus reward over the stock and wouldn't benefit from this. Guess to each their own. I just like to be able to easily grab mine for quick charging and not feel awkward doing saw the process. Maybe a lot of shooters here are little guys with small hands and it doesn't bother them?
 
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I just measured six of my uppers/scopes. They range from 2.00 to 2.5" on overhang of the CH. All have big CH set ups from various suppliers. I have very small hands and don't have any issues. If I had large hands there is no way I could run them without the bigger handles.

Greg
 
Originally Posted By: GLShooterReally it's personal. Using the bigger tactical charge handles helps. I shoot my scopes pretty far back. I've never shot nose to the handle but in spite of that I seem to do pretty well. My endeavors on the game fields and in the matches I shoot have brought me plenty of game in had and Gold on the wall.

Greg


Agreed. It is all personal. There is no "one size fits all" for eye relief. I mount my optics so that when I snap the gun up I get a quick, clear picture. If you have to move your head the eye relief is wrong.

If you like it, go with it. Body build, how you mount the rifle are all factors. To each his own.
 
i mount my scopes for comfortable eye relief when i take the cheek weld i like - not where the optic sits for optimal charging handle access.

my thoughts on this are if my head is in a natural comfortable position, its going to make me more likely to take a better shot more often than i would if i have to think about where my head needs to go in relation to the optic, etc. like snowmanmo - i want to be able to bring my rifle up and when i shoulder it everything just falls into place like its supposed to.

having to access the charging handle in a relatively tight spot under the optic once or twice while in the field is the least of my concerns.
 
My scopes are all mounted basically flush with the rear of the CH.

I run bcm gunfighters on all. Either medium or small latch and I prefer the small.

I charge like this....

Holding the rifle by the handguard with my left hand, turn wrist so that the charge port is facing up and reach under the gun/scope with my right hand index finger only and charge a round. This allows me to see the round being charged through the port and there is no need to grab the CH from the top, under the scope.

But I do agree scope placement is priority over access to the charge handle.
 
I have had it drilled into my head to have my nose nearly touching the CH...so my scopes are further forward. IT is all about how you train or are trained...
 
My irons and scopes are set up for my nose to be pretty close to the charging handle. I would guess a few kicks to the Kevlar have made this my "safe" space.
 
Just an observation, what difference does it make on a hunting rifle(This is a predator hunting site).

No matter how awkward it is to pull the charging handle, more than likely your going to do it at the truck before you leave to walk to your stand.

I put the smallest charging handle I could find on mine as the original would dig into my back when slung for hiking/skiing/biking.

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I do use quite long eye relief scopes so it really doesn't make much difference on my AR as they are way forward of the handle.
 
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Originally Posted By: AWSJust an observation, what difference does it make on a hunting rifle(This is a predator hunting site).

No matter how awkward it is to pull the charging handle, more than likely your going to do it at the truck before you leave to walk to your stand.

I put the smallest charging handle I could find on mine as the original would dig into my back when slung for hiking/skiing/biking.

AxySME.jpg


I do use quite long eye relief scopes so it really doesn't make much difference on my AR as they are way forward of the handle.

I also use the smallest charging handle for the very reason that you mentioned. I tried a bigger tactical latch but it jabbed me somewhere every way that I tried carrying it. The bigger charging handle also got caught on everything. Limbs, weeds, tree stand.

All of my AR scopes are positioned with the end of the eyepiece directly over the end of the charging handle.
 
It makes all the difference in the world if you can’t get your hand on it.lol I literally couldn’t get my hand on my charging handle with some low(wrong application as I learned) leupold rings when I didn’t know any better approx 20 years ago with my first AR. I had to buy an aftermarket extended charging handle that would snag on clothes and brush like you mentioned.

I have no interest in using anything wider than the factory charging handle myself for the same reason as the above posts.


I guess if your scope mount is high enough it’s not as big of an issue.
 
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I went to a side charging upper/bcg, problem solved! (I also have a couple scoped standard charge uppers and know what you mean about finger clearance to charge)
 
With most scopes for me the eye piece is flush with the back of the castle nut. So looking from the top the scope is entirely over the castle nut. You might just see the notches barely. I prefer a standard charging handle because I carry the gun slinged and don’t want extra protrusions. I never grab the charging handle with split fingers but rather use two fingers in a pinching pulling fashion on the latch side of the handle only. Works great for me and I never worry about scope overhang and typically like a Lillie longer LOP than most people
 


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