ACOG Chevron Visibility at Night: Green vs Red?

[proclone1]

Hello all,

I tried searching for this topic both on this board and google at large (google just had a million pages with places selling acogs) but no luck.

For those with a Trijicon ACOG TA31F-G (4x32 ACOG w/ green chevron) how does it look in low visibility/night? If you've seen both the red and green in low-vis, how do they compare? Is the red more visible in the dark? Or are these optics really somethin' special and they don't wash out when it's really dark? (I understand these are not battery operated, but instead operate on the available ambient light, however little there may be) I have looked through an ACOG with the red chevron at full daylight and I was super impressed and immediately loved it, but the price at the time was more then I wanted to deal with.

I'm leaning towards Green, but if there's a definite visibility advantage in low-light with the Red chevron, then I will probably go with that one, instead.

Thanks for any info!

P.S. there's a groupbuy going on in the marketplace, and I'm tempted like never before, I just can't decide between the red or green. I've finally gotten over the shame of wanting tacticool weapon-luxury items and hey, I'm supporting an american company.

[Chaparral]

The red holds up well in the dark. I've not used the green Trijicons but I have used other sights with green reticles or dots and the red is easier on the dark-adapted vision. I used my for hunting raccoons a lot. The only issue with red is that if there is a light in the background, say you're hunting varmints at night and car headlights or a neighbors yard light are shining through vegetation, the red won't hold up so well. Overall, green should be brighter and more visible in all conditions, its just that for me, it is overkill once the sun goes down. Red also goes all to hell when your prey walks beneath a low rise between you and the setting sun. The glare just destroys the red.

Have you tried getting an answer over at arfcom?

[Chaparral]

I've finally gotten over the shame of wanting tacticool weapon-luxury items and hey, I'm supporting an american company.

Hey, I've got a Trijicon Tri Power mounted to a Benjamin pellet rifle. I was out shooting rats with it 5 nights a week from Feb to May earlier this year! It's a thousand times better than the cheap Big-5 or airsoft stuff. I personally think that good optics, tacticool or not, are like a good business wardrobe or a classic watch...they never go out of style. They always retain their utility.

[Uriah02]

I've got the green horseshoe for my ACOG. I use it all the time when I play airsoft at dusk/night time and it is amazingly clear. I haven't used it on a real weapon at night as I don't know of any ranges open during those hours. I went with the green because green has better visability at the wavelength level, although if I was going in the jungle I would opt for amber/red.

[problemchild]

From a stand point of green trit and red trit the tritium in green color is the brightest. I have the red and you can barely see it if looking into a lit up area. The sandbox guys slap a small 1 inch chem light on top of the fiber strip to make it pop.

[proclone1]

Chaparal, my sentiments exactly re buying quality once & not having to worry about it.

From a stand point of green trit and red trit the tritium in green color is the brightest. I have the red and you can barely see it if looking into a lit up area. The sandbox guys slap a small 1 inch chem light on top of the fiber strip to make it pop.

That's cool, never knew that! Pretty clever thinking!

Thanks everyone for the replies & info! Looks like I'm going to go w/ the green.

[problemchild]

Chaparal, my sentiments exactly re buying quality once & not having to worry about it.



That's cool, never knew that! Pretty clever thinking!

Thanks everyone for the replies & info! Looks like I'm going to go w/ the green.

Oh yeah you should see what the boys do with chem lights. They tape them to hand grenades and toss them into a building with BG's. BANG everyone in the room is coated with green glowing goo so they cannot hide in the dark. Room clearing is a whole lot easier when the BG is glowing.

[diving_tbd]

I have a lot of Red Dot experience from a bunch of different optics manufacturers. I have to agree with the other posts:
1. When there is a lot of light the red gets washed out, rendering the sight useless.
2. Green is great for the daytime, but if you have night vision it gets washed out.

So, if you are only going to use the scope during the day I would recommend going Green!

[GunSafari]

I used the ta31 with a red chevron quite a bit in high light conditions in israel and the red never washed out for me.

in my opinion the red is best for combat uses, with green and amber reticles sometimes the reticle is difficult to see, for instance if your trying to take a shot and you have the reticle over a tan or green surface, they are colors that blend to easily thats just my opinion.

Red on a trijicon acog hasn't given me any problems, not with brightness or anything else, what was said might be true with inferior brands. I've only heard from one person who used his rifle for combat uses that said the green was a preference for him and he was a contractor in iraq didn't have to do with brightness that i recall

[cprieto]

Either way you go you will not be dissapointed with an ACOG

[uxo2]

I have a lot of Red Dot experience from a bunch of different optics manufacturers. I have to agree with the other posts:
1. When there is a lot of light the red gets washed out, rendering the sight useless.
2. Green is great for the daytime, .

So, if you are only going to use the scope during the day I would recommend going Green!

It opposite for me....
Green washes out.
Red stands out for day and night use..
I prefer Red/Orange over green and Amber


It all comes down to what YOU LIKE and not what others say.

Otherwise everyone would be using the same gear

Go to RifleGear and check them out........

[johndoe2150]

The only time i have had red reticles wash out is when there was the weapon light on a target really close (less then 25 yards) but there is still the black reticle, so it still works

[jeanreau]

File this under FUD but wouldn't the green reticle be washed out if you ever use a IR scope in front of the ACOG? Trijicon supposedly recommends the amber reticle.