You probably thought you couldn’t afford an ACOG, but these clones are all within your reach. Trijicon’s ACOG is easily one of the most popular rifle scopes in America.
Widely used by the military and law enforcement communities. With its fixed 4x magnification and illuminated
While we all want a real Trijicon ACOG we can’t all afford one. Luckily competition has brought up the quality in the knock
Different Types of ACOG Clones
With a knockoff you’re going to always going to be sacrificing something. You just aren’t going to get a 800 dollar scope for a tenth of the price. That doesn’t mean that the clones aren’t worth some serious contemplation. Some of these scopes aren’t traditonal knockoffs. A few of these scopes don’t look like a traditional ACOG, but they function like one. Others might look exactly like a Trijicon, but come with a fixed 1x magnification. Personally I would choose function over looks, but that’s just me.
Bindon Aiming Concept
Real Trijicon ACOG’s are best known for using the Bindon Aiming Concept(BAC). It’s basically the concept of shooting with both eyes open. Trijicon pairs long eye relief with a red dot to significantly improve your eyes focus. With this type of setup you can quickly transition from close to medium range. You’ll basically treat the fixed 4x magnification scope like a traditional red dot.
The Bindon Aiming Concept is the primary advantage of using a real ACOG. Cheaper models don’t have a long enough eye relief for your eyes to focus properly. With a clone you’re going to lose out on the close range performance of the real product.
What’s The Best ACOG Clone?
1. TACKSPORT 4×32 ACOG Rifle Scope
Check Price: Amazon
Tacksport’s 4×32 ACOG knockoff is about as close to the real thing as you’re going to get. It has the looks, it has the feel, it has a sturdy design. You get Trijicon functionality at a fraction of the price.
Tacksport really did a lot of things right with their clone. At first glance it looks almost exactly like a traditional ACOG. The body looks identical to Trijicon. It even has a little red fiber optic tube sticking out of the top. The looks are all their, but does it function properly?
I really like that Tacksport included a 4x32mm magnification in their scope. A lot of the cheaper alternatives don’t use a magnified lens. Due to the short eye relief you aren’t going to get the same feeling as a real model. It works perfectly at a distance, but you’re not going to get the same functionality at short range.
Using
It has both a wide field of view and a very bright sight picture. With an illuminated reticle and very clear glass for the price. The reticle is powered by the fiber optic cable and glows a bright red. You aren’t going to find a better knockoff
2. Monstrum Tactical 4×30 Ultra-Compact Rifle Scope
Check Price: Amazon
Monstrum Tactical’s clone doesn’t look like the real thing, but it’s well worth a look. Monstrum Tactical is known for making tactical optics at a great price. They really load up their scopes with a ton of features.
Monstrum Tactical isn’t way you would typically consider a clone. They chose not to use the exact same body style as Trijicon. It might not look exactly alike, but it’s about the same size. With a total length of 6 inches it’s the perfect size for your AR15. Made out of a durable ultra lightweight aluminum design, that’s shockproof and water resistant.
Not only is the Monstrum Tactical scope durable. It also features an extremely bright sight picture. Monstrum Tactical knew they couldn’t compete with Trijicon’s fiber optics.
So they decided to go a different direction with a traditional illuminated reticle. With its advanced red/green reticle and multiple brightness settings, you’ll have a clear and bright sight picture. The reticle has a few different range estimation points for easy targeting. Don’t miss out on Monstrum Tactical’s Clear and bright sight picture.
3. Terminus Optics Toc1 4×32 Rifle Scope
Check Price: Amazon
Terminus optics pairs Trijicon’s ACOG design, with fixed 4x magnification glass. Designed specifically to be used with 5.56 rounds, it’s perfect for your AR15. Built in America the Terminus Optics scope is built to last.
It’s tough to find clones that offer both a clear sight picture and durable design. The body of this scope is made out of a durable forged aluminum. It’s entirely waterproof, fogproof, shockproof and backed by a 1 year warranty. Featuring a fixed 4x magnification that will allow you to shoot out a few hundred yards.
The coolest thing about the Terminus scope is that it’s powered by a true fiber source. It’s entirely illuminated by the rooms ambient brightness. Requiring no batteries or external controls. You’ll have a clear and bright reticle when shooting outdoors, but it may suffer in a dimly lit indoor range.
You’ll still be able to use the scope, but it won’t be as brightly illuminated. The reticle is extremely easy to use and features range estimation tools. You’ll be able to easily adjust your AR15 to the perceived range. With a decent eye relief and clear
4. Barska 1×30 IR Electro Sight Riflescope
Check Price: Amazon
Barska’s Electro Sight Riflescope isn’t like the other knockoffs on this list. It looks like an ACOG, but functions more like a red dot. By eliminating the magnification Barska was able to significantly increase the sights optical clarity.
Barska’s Electro Sight may look like a Trijicon, but I have a hard time calling it
It has all the advantages of a red
Barska designed its electro sight to be both shock proof and water resistant. While it’s not entirely waterproof it will easily withstand light rain. It’s one of the few clones that actually include a 1 year warranty.
Like all traditional red dot, the electro sight has unlimited eye relief. It’s also parallax free up to 100 yards. The 30mm objective lens is the perfect size for a 1x magnification scope.
The sight picture is bright and clear throughout the day. You can easily control the brightness with the 5 position rheostat. If you can get past the 1x magnification, you won’t be disappointed with the Barska Electro Sight.
What’s The Best Acog Scope For The Money?
There’s a reason you’re looking at ACOG Clones rather than the real thing. You’re going for a budget build that doesn’t require a true acog. Trijicon Acog Clones really are hit and miss when it comes to quality.
Avoid those ridiculously cheap models that look to good to be true. Tacksports clone really seems to hit the sweet spot. I only ever hear good things about this cheap acog scope.
What To Expect From Your ACOG Knockoff
You aren’t going to be able to compare Trijicon’s quality to a clone. Real ACOG quality at 1/10th of the price just isn’t going to happen. They’ve long been known for extreme reliability both day and night. Functioning in the harshest climates on earth. Both military and law enforcement have long trusted the durability of a real ACOG. Unfortunately most people can’t afford a scope that costs more than my monthly rent.
At a fraction of Trijicon’s price clones offer a great alternative. With their fixed 4x magnification and illuminated reticles, you can easily reach out a few hundred yards. You won’t get the durability, but you will get the appearance and range.
Shooting With 2 Eyes Open
Shooting with both eyes open is the true beauty of a real ACOG. It’s a concept not seen in most traditional scopes. Through years of testing Trijicon perfected what they call the Bindon Aiming Concept.
They jack up the brightness of the reticle enough to allow your non-dominant eye to focus. When focusing on the target your brain looks past the scope and focus clearly on the reticle. Using both eyes allows you to get on target faster than with a traditional scope.
For some reason budget manufacturers aren’t able to master this concept. They can’t increase the reticles brightness, without a significant upgrade in cost. You won’t get the same close range accuracy as with a clone.
Clone Buying Guide
There’s a ton of different options on the market. With the good, the bad and the ugly, how are you going to choose a scope. By focusing on the following options you’ll be sure to find a great scope.
- Magnification: Real Trijicon ACOGs come with a ton of different magnifications. All the magnifications have one thing in common. They’re all low power fixed magnification lenses ranging from 1-6x power. Most shooters prefer either the 1x or 4x magnification settings.
- Durability: All of these scopes are going to offer varying levels of durability. They’re all rated to withstand 5.56 caliber recoil and offer some water resistance. Full waterproofing is only found in the most expensive models.
- Brightness Settings: A true Trijicon scope uses fiber optic illumination. Fiber Optics use ambient light to illuminate the sight picture. That works great on the expensive Trijicon, but clones tend to have issues in dimly lit indoor ranges. The biggest advantage fiber optics have is that they don’t need batteries to function. The other alternative is battery operated backlights. Scopes that are illuminated with batteries often allow you to control the brightness. Some of them even have alternative reticle colors.
- Other Features: Like with any traditional scope you’re going to have to view the features as a whole. Make sure you check out waterproofing, Magnifier or Night Vision Compatability, Reticle type etc.
Fiber Optics vs Battery Powered Illumination
Traditionally ACOG’s use fiber optics for the illuminated reticle. Fiber optics offer
If there’s not a lot of light you won’t have as much illumination. Battery powered ACOG’s work more like a traditional red dot. You use an illumination dial to pick your preferred brightness setting. Battery powered units are guaranteed bright regardless of the ambient light.