Choosing the right M4 Carbine scope doesn’t have to be difficult. It all boils down to your price range and whether or not you need magnification. What’s The Best M4 Carbine Scope?
Trijicon’s 4×32 ACOG is by far the best M4 Carbine Scope, but boy is it expensive. That’s why most people go with a much cheaper red dot like the Aimpoint Pro or Sig Sauer Romeo 5. Any name brand red dot should work well on an M4.
You will basically need to choose between the Trijicon ACOG or some type of Red Dot. Trijicon’s 4x32mm zoom and legendary “Bindon Aiming Concept” really sets it apart. You get the 4x magnification without losing any close range accuracy.
Your choice will probably be easier when you start looking at the ACOG’s Price. I would personally save my money and get the Vortex Strikefire 2 or spend a little more on the Aimpoint Pro.
They’re both high quality red dots, but the Aimpoint will be more durable with a slightly clearer sight picture. Sig Sauer’s new Romeo 5 is a budget option with a crazy 40,000 hour battery life that’s definitley worth considering.
Continue reading below for more information on a few of the best M4 Carbine Scopes currently on the market.
What’s The Best M4 Scope?
1) Trijicon ACOG 4×32
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You can’t picture the Trijicon ACOG without seeing a M4 rifle. Designed specifically for the M4A1 rifle, the acog is the ultimate short to mid range scope. You can quickly switch between close and long range shots. It has the accuracy of a fixed 4x magnification scope with the close range precision of a red dot. Trijicon’s ACOG is truly one of the best rifle scopes on the market.
Trijicon revolutionized the industry with their Bindon Aiming Concept. It was one of the first scopes that allowed you to shoot with both eyes open. The military quickly adopted the design and threw them into combat. No other magnified optic has been used more in combat than the ACOG. Featuring an extremely durable design that’s nearly impossible to break. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the sands of the middle east or the Antarctic the ACOG will perform flawlessly. If it doesn’t Trijicon offers full replacement on all of their optics.
What you’re really paying for with the ACOG is its sight picture. With a crystal clear fixed 4x magnification sight picture you’ll be able to pick off targets out to a few hundred yards. Without any adjustments or hesitation switch to red dot like close range accuracy. The red or green illuminated reticle is powered by long lasting fiber optics. Using a highly reflective reticle means you’ll be able to use the scope even if the batteries die. If you can afford it there’s no better scope for the M4.
2) Vortex Optics StrikeFire 2 Red/Green Dot Sight
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The Vortex Strikefire 2 is one heck of a red dot for the price. Vortex Optics are known for making value priced optics packed with features. The Strikefire 2 can run side by side with scopes that cost twice as much. With clear glass and durable housing the Strikefire 2 is well worth a look.
Vortex designed the Strikefire 2 to be the perfect red dot for the average shooter. Through extensive research they built the Strikefire to perform well under almost every condition. It’s not as tough as an Aimpoint, but it will last through just about anything life throws at it. With a shockproof body you won’t have to worry about damaging this sight. The tube is completely nitrogen purged and O-Ring sealed. Offering a completely waterproof and fogproof sight picture. If you do somehow manage to damage this red dot Vortex offers one of the best warranties in the business. With a lifetime replacement policy you won’t have to worry about damaging your red dot.
For the price you aren’t going to beat the Strikefire’s sight picture. The glass is clear the reticle is bright, so what else could you ask for. It has multiple brightness settings and the ability to witch between a red and green reticle. The supplied mount raises the sight picture up allowing you to co-witness your sights. At a fraction of the price of the Aimpoint Pro, the Strikefire 2 is well worth a look.
3) Aimpoint PRO Patrol Rifle Optic
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Aimpoint’s Patrol Rifle Optic aka Aimpoint Pro is a top of the line red dot perfect for the M4. Literally designed to withstand explosions. The Aimpoint pro is easily one of the toughest red dots on the market. If you put your guns through the paces you’re going to want the Aimpoint Pro.
All Aimpoint red dots are expensive, but the Pro is downright affordable compared to the rest of their lineup. For the price you aren’t going to get a more durable red dot. It can withstand extreme impact, heat, water, freezing, dust and everything in between. It does all this in a lightweight and compact package. If you’re looking for a little magnification the Aimpoint pro is compatible with magnifiers and all night vision devices. The 2 MOA reticle is crisp and can be adjusted to suit different ambient light. With 6 daylight modes and 4 dedicated night vision modes, you’ll be able to find the perfect setting.
What really sets the Aimpoint Pro apart from the competition is its battery life. Running off a single 3v lithium battery you’ll get over 30 thousand hours of continuous use. That’s a little over 3.5 years without have to change the battery or turn off the reticle. Like most red dots the Patrol Rifle Optic is parallax free and has unlimited eye relief. It’s perfect for close up to 100+ yard target shooting. When paired with a magnifier you can reach out even farther. Aimpoint’s Patrol Rifle Optic is hands down the best bang for the buck red dot in Aimpoints lineup.
4) Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x40mm Compact Riflescope
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If you are looking for a more traditional scope give the Leupold VX-2 Rifle scope a try. Leupold makes some of the best scopes on the market. By using crystal clear glass and durable designs, Leupold sets itself apart from the competition. You’re not going to get a clearer scope in this price range.
Leupold’s VX2 lineup of rifle scope are for the budget minded who want clear glass. With a ton of different magnification options available there’s a scope to fit every shooters needs. I personally like the value of Leupold’s 3-9x Rifle scope. It has just enough magnification to reach out a few hundred yards, while giving you excellent close range accuracy. What you’re really paying for with a Leupold scope is the glass. Leupold offers some of the clearest glass in the industry, with excellent multicoating. You won’t notice any distortion throughout the entire magnification range. The sight picture is extremely bright and reduces glare in bright sunlight.
Leupold’s VX-2 scope uses an extremely durable design that’s sure to last a very long time. Constructed out of aircraft grade aluminum and using a true strength platform improves its strength. The housing is shockproof, fogproof and completely waterproof under normal conditions. If you do somehow manage to damage this scope Leupold offers a lifetime warranty. For the price you aren’t going to get clearer glass than with the Leupold VX2 Rifle scope.
5) Sig Sauer Romeo5 1x20mm 2 Moa Red Dot
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Sig Sauer has been making a lot of waves with their Romeo 5 red dot. There’s good reason for the hype thanks to the new Romeo 5. It’s priced to sell and offers a compact package similar to the Aimpoint Micro T2. The world of affordable red dots is getting pretty crowded, but there will always be a place for the Romeo 5.
Sig Sauer is really offering a lot with the Romeo 5. Featuring a durable design, low price point and great warranty. The simply designed controls offer easy control and a sleek profile. Weighing in at 5.1oz this red dot is a fraction of the weight of every other scope on this list. With the reduction of size doesn’t reduce quality in any way. Sig’s Romeo 5 is built like a tank and completely shockproof and waterproof.
What really impressed me about the Romeo 5 is it’s battery life. While you could expect a long battery life out of a Aimpoint you wouldn’t expect it in a optic that’s a fraction of the cost. With more than 40,000 hours of battery life you can leave it on for close to 5 years straight. It’s compatible with magnifiers and all night vision devices. The reticle is clear with 8 daytime brightness settings and 2 dedicated night vision settings. For the price Sig Sauers Romeo 5 is going to be hard to beat.
6) Vortex Optics Crossfire II 4-12×44 Riflescope
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The Crossfire II is another great product from Vortex Optics. Like the Strikefire the Crossfire II offers a lot of bang for your buck. Offers a clear sight picture and durable design at an affordable price point. If you’re in the market for a traditional scope the Crossfire II is an excellent option.
Vortex Crossfire Lineup offers the perfect blend of price and quality. Using high quality materials, Vortex designed a scope that should last a lifetime. Vortex designed a Crossfire scope in just about every magnification you can imagine. My personal favorites are their 4-12x44mm, 3-9x40mm and 2-7x32mm. Regardless of the magnification you know a Vortex scope is going to last. Using a true strength platform all Vortex scopes are 100% shockproof under normal circumstances. The compact tube is nitrogen purged and completely waterproof.
You can’t get comparable glass for the same price as a Vortex scope. While it’s not as clear as the above Leupold the sight picture is impressive. Coated with a durable multi-coating the lens reduces glare and offers a bright high contrast sight picture. If there’s a little bit of ambient light in the sky you’ll be able to use the Crossfire scope.
Choosing a M4 Carbine Scope
While all of the above scopes we reviewed are excellent quality they might not be right for you. To find the correct scope you are going to have to make an honest assessment of your needs. What type of shooting do you plan to do with your M4, and how much do you want to spend. There’s a huge difference between the needs of long range shooters and people who run tactical drills. The biggest thing you need to consider are optic type, range, magnification, durability and price.
Optic Type
The M4 is a extremely versatile rifle, which is why the military adopted it. So it can perform well under a wide variety of tasks that all need a different type of optic. I’m sure that there are other choices that could work well my three favorite M4 optics are going to be ACOG’s, Red Dots and Traditional Scopes.
ACOG: If you’ve never tried a Trijicon Acog you’re really missing out. It’s the true multitool of the optic world. The fixed 4x magnification works well out to a few hundred yards, and the illuminated reticle allows you to shoot close up. You can quickly switch between long range and close range targets without switching anything up. The illuminated reticle works almost like a red dot when shooting with both eyes open. It truly is the best of both worlds, and the only downside is the cost.
Red Dot: Most people are going to lean towards red dots with a M4. A red dot will allow you to quickly engage multiple targets at both short and medium range. As the price of red dots increase the battery life will significantly jump. From a few thousand hours on cheap models to 50,000 on more expensive products. With a ton of options on the market, you don’t have to spend a lot to get a great red dot.
Traditional Scope: You can never go wrong with mounting a traditional scope on a rifle. I don’t really need to explain why a real scope is going to help you shoot long distances.
Range
Unless you own a lot of hilly property or live out in the desert, you’re probably going to have to go to a shooting range. There’s not a lot of variability from one range to another. Most of the time you are going to be shooting at a stationary target. Most shooters aren’t going to ever shoot out past 200 yards at a range. Personally I like to pair all my mid range high capacity rifles with either a red dot or ACOG. You’ll be able to get off more shots and quickly engage the target. Most of my hunting rifles get paired with a moderately priced traditional scope like the VX-2.
Magnification
Preferred magnification is another thing that is going to be entirely subjective. I like to pair a true 1x magnification red dot with any rifle that I take to a indoor range. With a red dot you can easily shoot accurately out to 50-100 yards. Any farther than 100 yards I will switch to a magnifier or ACOG. Use whatever you feel comfortable with at a outdoor range. That could be a fixed 4x magnification ACOG, Red Dot With Magnifier or even a traditional scope. With a traditional scope I like to stay pretty close to 3-9 magnification. It’s both a cheap and extremely versatile magnification range.
Price and Durability
Price and durability are two features that are going to go hand in hand. You aren’t going to be able to buy a 40$ scope and expect it to last forever. Like everything in life you get what you pay for. All of the above scopes are going to be extremely durable. The easiest way to tell the durability of a scope is whether or not they offer a lifetime warranty. Over time warranties eat into a manufactureres bottom line. So if a manufacturer doesn’t expect to ever pay out they’re more likely to offer a warrant. All of the big household names are going to be pretty durable and offer a great warranty.
Which M4 Scope is The Best?
With it’s extreme versatility there are a ton of great scopes for the M4. Personally my favorite scope is the Trijicon Acog. The fixed 4x magnification will allow you to extend your range without giving up close range accuraccy. For short range accuracy get a red dot like the Aimpoint Pro, Romeo5 and Strikefire 2. You can’t beat the speed advantages of a quality red dot. Traditional scopes like the crossfire 2 and Leupold VX2 are another great option.