There are quite a few options in the 1-4 powered optic market now that may be something to consider as well . Lit reticles that perform kind of like a red dot with a little extra oomph for when things get out past CQB ranges .
This is my first venture into magnified optics on the STG-556 and I probably wouldn't have tried this if it wasn't for astigmatism that's making std Aimpoint/Eotech reticles increasingly difficult to use.
Anywho, I first tried the 1x Leupold Prismatic (shucks and other comments, what an improvement in accuracy now that I can see the target more clearly!) which appears to be as close to an Aimpoint/Eotech you can get w/a lensed optic. *Very* nice and a big improvement for my needs but the reticle (while very usable) didn't seem optimal.
Did some research, decided to give the Burris 1-4x Tac30 a try ($299 at MidwayUSA, thx to KTMNealio for letting my try his!). Unfortunately, the Burris PEPR mount I originally tried added around 9oz to the weight of the setup (+5oz for the E4 optic rail) so Manticore Arms talked me into trying their STG-556 Talon30 scope mount. Wow, only 6oz (7 if you add BUIS) so the total setup is only 1oz heavier than my Eotech/BUIS/E4 rail setup and looks *good*.
First impressions of the Tac30 were very good, a FOV even greater than the Prismatic's! (And the Prismatic's FOV is at least 60% greater than through my Eotech!) Reticle is great w/the outer circle like an Eotech reticle on steriods & a 2.4moa center dot w/BDC out to 600yds. Only complaint so far is that the illumination button, while fast to turn on, is slow to adjust and turn off (I'd rather have seen the usual rotary switch unless someone has a reason this particular pushbutton setup is superior...)
Ran to the range this morning to sight-in the Tac30 and try it side-by-side w/my Eotech, here are my observations:
Attached is a pic of the final 10-shot sight-in group at 100yds w/the Tac30 at 4x using Prvi Partizan M193. Group measured almost exactly 2"x2" (that's excellent for a military-style weapon w/basic FMJ ammo, might've been tighter but the Tac30's center dot measures 2.4" at 100yds). While the magnification certainly helped w/this, I think most of the credit goes to the Tac30's focusing ocular which allowed me to make the target very sharp & crisp instead of slightly blurry.
Did most of my carbine class drills w/both the Tac30 (reticle black and unilluminated) and the Eotech. Tac30 seemed at least as fast as the Eotech from all positions (including urban & rollover support-side prone) except when shooting from my back and holding the rifle out at arm's length like a pistol. Aiming from that position was still possible but slower because the Tac30 doesn't have the Eotech's unlimited eye relief so my usable FOV through the Tac30 shrank the further away it got from my eye.
The Tac30's reticle is superior to the Prismatic's circle-crosshairs as the Tac30's circle is very thick and easier to pick up quickly both black or illuminated (see pic) whereas the Prismatic's lines are wider and very thin making it more difficult to see against some backgrounds and slower to center on-target.
I remember how much I loved the wide FOV through the Eotech but compared to the Tac30 it feels restrictive now. When looking through both optics and moving my head up & down and from side-to-side I lose the reticle w/about the same amount of up & down movement but the Eotech is a little more forgiving of side-to-side movement.
The Talon30 mount I'm using now restricts me to using 30mm tubed optics but has the advantages of being strong, light & has provisions for BUIS on the top of the scope rings. Since you can't use BUIS through a scope this allows for instantly-available BUIS in case of optic failure just by slightly changing your cheekweld to chinweld (with an Eotech or other similar optic you either run w/the BUIS always deployed and interfering w/your FOV or take the time to deploy them in case of optic failure).
Eotech pros:
Combat proven, uses common AA batteries, fast reticle, no parallax, no eye relief, more rugged.
Eotech cons:
100% bettery-dependent, relatively short battery life (compared to Aimpoints), electronic switch causes slight battery drain even when turned off, control buttons slow to turn on & adjust, unusable in case of battery/electronics/switch failure, more reported problems than Aimpoints and other optics, no BDC (bullet drop compensator), doesn't correct for vision defects, BUIS interfere w/FOV if deployed 24/7.
Tac30 pros:
Fast reticle w/BDC out to 600yds (see pic), much wider FOV, isn't 100% battery-dependent, BUIS deployed 24/7 and instantly available, w/BUIS weighs only 1oz more than Eotech w/BUIS, magnification available for precision shooting or target identification, focusing ocular corrects for vision defects, uses the same CR2032 battery that the wife's Aimpoint Micro uses.
Tac30 cons:
Parallax at shorter ranges, doesn't have unlimited eye relief, slightly less forgiving of head position, less rugged (extremely rugged 1-4x's are available but are heavier & *much* pricier), focusing ocular must be adjusted for each user, doesn't use common AA batteries (but then battery illumination isn't needed much and even the rifle's AA taclight is more than sufficient to make the Tac30's unilluminated reticle very visible in lowlight situations), quick/easy to turn illumination on but slow to adjust (not sure if this is important as I think it could permanently be left on the lowest setting for lowlight use).
Conclusion: 3-gunners use 1-4x scopes almost exclusively for their combat-style competitions and don't seem to find a scope's inherent optical drawbacks or ruggedness a hindrance, even at very close ranges where Eotechs/Aimpoints really shine. My limited testing hasn't yet revealed any flaws that I consider fatal (hope to do a night shoot tonight for more comparisons) and I really like the magnfication/BDC/focusing ocular options. The non-AA battery is a minor point for me as it is rarely used, has a 10yr shelf life (w/spares in the buttstock) and is the same type used by the wife's Aimpoint Micro (she gets 50K hrs of 24/7 use on one battery) so my battery logistics are simplified.
Tomac
ETA: Just got back from the Parma range and I'm sold. Tac30 performance at night leaves nothing to be desired IMHO, is just as fast (if not faster) than the Eotech and when cranked up to 4x it's easy to make 100yd shots w/my 145 lumen taclight, even w/the reticle unilluminated (although it's faster to pick up if it's illuminated).
STG-556 w/Talon30 & Tac30:
10-shot 100yd group using Prvi Partizan M193 w/Tac30 at 4x:
Tac30 reticle at 50yds & 4x:
Tac30 reticle at 50yds & 1x:
Tac30 reticle illuminated at 50yds & 4x:
Leupold Prismatic reticle:
Leupold Prismatic reticle illuminated:
