About Optic Risers
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to be talking about optic risers today. These devices have been utilized by a variety of shooters for multiple uses throughout the years. In this blog post, we hope to provide an overview of optic risers while delving into some of their traits, use cases, benefits, and whether or not they are for you. We are also talking about these riser units in the context of being used on something like an AR-15 in this blog post. While risers can certainly be utilized on other type firearms, we will simply be focusing on the type rifles they are most commonly used on. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Not a New Concept
There are some who believe that the concept of raised optics is a recent fad in the firearms industry, this is simply not the case. Optics have been mounted on carry handles of AR-15 derived designs throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Rifles and carbines with standard carry handles have been adorned with red dots, prismatic scopes, and even mounts to support other types of optics. Due to the fact that these optics are being placed upon a carry handle which sits at the standard height for AR-15 style rifles, these optics are sitting much higher than the typical sight line. This is worth noting simply because the recent influx of optic risers on the market have led some to think that their presence is a passing fad. While the increased number of shooters with night vision has certainly led to a rise in popularity with risers, one should be aware that they have been around for quite some time.
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What Kind of Optics Would You Use a Riser With?
Realistically, one can utilize an optic riser with a wide variety of optics. Everything from holographic and red dot sights to prismatic and traditional magnified optics can utilize risers. Magnifiers meant to supplement red dots or holographic sights are also supported by riser mounts of different types.
Why Use a Riser?
An end user can make use of a riser for a variety of reasons. One of the most common uses for optic risers is to aid in night vision shooting and facilitate a means for passive aiming. The raised optic height yielded by risers will allow one using night vision to effectively utilize their sight without running into physical interference with the night vision tubes. This higher optic position also allows an end user to still effectively aim their rifle if they were utilizing something like a gas mask which prevents a traditional cheekweld. Risers also allow for a more “heads-up” style shooting position which can be appreciated by shooters outside of night vision applications. This also allows for a more relaxed posture when shooting, something which can provide the shooter with more comfort.
Different Types of Risers
There is a litany of risers currently available on the market today. Some of these options are more generic in nature and will work with a wide variety of optics. These are often in the form of a raised section of picatinny rail. These railed risers can vary in length, often being offered in multiple lengths and heights to best accommodate a wide variety of optics. This range can be demonstrated by looking at the riser scope mount offered by Yankee Hill Machine and the Unity Tactical Fast Optical Riser. Risers can also be specific to a specific type of optic mounting footprint, such as the pattern established by Aimpoint’s T1. Some of these optic specific risers include the Unity Tactical’s Fast Micro and Arisaka Defense’s Aimpoint Micro Mount Mk2. In addition to different lengths and options being specific to optics, one can also find risers which vary in height. Some risers, such as most of the ones offered by Unity Tactical, raise the optic centerline to 2.26” while some other options raise the optic centerline to 1.93”. Essentially, one can browse a wide variety of options when shopping for a riser.
Are Optic Risers for You?
The easiest way to determine whether or not an optics riser is for you is to simply try one out for yourself. If you are used to shooting optics which sit at a traditional height such as an absolute or lower 1/3 cowitness height, you may find there is a bit of a learning curve. There are a wide variety of risers of different heights and optimized for different optics, making it easy for an end user to find something that works with their optic and preferences.
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What About Height Over Bore Considerations?
Traditionally, shooters have gravitated towards optical mounting solutions which place optics low and closer to the bore of the firearm. By lessening the distance between the optic and the bore of a rifle, one will be able to zero the optic more easily to the rifle and retain a wider degree of adjustment. Conversely, an optic which is mounted too high for a particular firearm may potentially run out of adjustment and make zeroing difficult. For the type of shooting one will do with a red dot or holographic sight on a rifle or carbine, this consideration becomes less important. The issue of height over bore truly manifests when doing precision shooting with something like a bolt action rifle, not with carbines equipped with red dots. One will simply need to practice their holds and consider the fact their optic is sitting a bit higher than normal.
Conclusion
All in all, optic risers are tools which can prove useful to a variety of shooters. Whether you want a more “head-up” shooting position, want something more conducive to night vision shooting, or simply just want a higher optic, an optic riser may just be for you. Regardless of whether or not you end up using an optic riser, you will need ammo to train with and we here at True Shot are here to provide you with ammo and information. As always, happy shooting.
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