Trijicon is really becoming one of my favorite companies when it comes to optics…
I’ve already reviewed a few of their red dot sights, and they’re just built to such a high standard that it’s hard not to like them…
Today is gonna be no different as we take a closer look at the Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35…
Now if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick summary of my review:
The Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35 is INSANELY durable, combat-proven, the glass is very clear, the horseshoe is fantastic, the illumination is battery-free, and it comes with a high-quality mount. It’s an awesome fixed 3.5x scope.
If you’re looking for more information than that then keep reading because in this (in-depth) review we’re going to go over the following information:
- Durability And Toughness
- Magnification And Illumination
- Reticle And Lens Clarity
- Size Of The Scope
- Scope Accessories
- Pros And Cons
In the end, I’ll give my final thoughts about the ACOG and you should have all the information you need to determine whether or not it’s an optic that will work for you…
Let’s get started!
Durability And Toughness…
The Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35 is an insanely durable optic. To start off with, ACOG stands for Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight.
It was specifically designed for hard use in combat, and it has been used in the US Military for a long time (its track record is fantastic!).
Now the housing material of the ACOG is made from high-quality forged aircraft-grade aluminum.
In addition to that, the lens has multiple coatings that add to its toughness. It’s also waterproof and shockproof…
So it can handle rainy and wet conditions and a few bumps here and there without any problems.
And to top it all off, this scope has that classic Trijicon finish which is known for being extremely rugged.
To sum it all up, this is a combat-proven optic and many consider it (the 3.5×35 ACOG specifically) to be the best ACOG of all time.
Magnification And Illumination…
The Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35 is a fixed 3.5x magnification scope. That means your sight picture through the optic will appear 3.5 times larger than it would to the naked eye at the same distance.
This is a good choice for a fixed magnification level scope in my opinion…
The reason why is because it’s low enough in power so that the scope can still be used very quickly at targets up close…
…but it also gives you that little bump in magnification which allows you to range out and acquire small targets in the distance (at least at medium ranges) without much trouble.
In addition to that, this scope includes illumination without the use of a battery. You see, with a battery-powered illuminated optic you have the possibility that the battery will run out and you’ll lose your illumination.
That can’t happen with the Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35 because it’s illuminated with fiber optics and Tritium (they call it dual illumination).
The fiber optics gather light to illuminate your reticle in daylight brightness, and the Tritium will glow making the sight useful in low light conditions.
Also, this optic will auto adjust the level of illumination based on the brightness conditions in which it is being used.
So you won’t have to tinker around with any buttons or anything like that to get it to the right setting.
All in all, I really like the fact that this is a non-battery powered illuminated scope… I think it’s unique in the optics market, and it’s pretty cool that you don’t have to worry about running out of batteries.
Reticle And Lens Clarity…
The lens clarity on the Trijicon ACOG is very good. To begin, Trijicon scopes are known for having extremely clear glass and the ACOG 3.5×35 is no different.
The sight picture is incredibly crisp and you can take aim without causing any straining or fatigue to your eyes.
In addition to that, the 3.5×35 comes in 10 reticle options and in 3 color options (amber, green, and red) for each of those 10 reticles.
Personally, I’m a big fan of the red reticle because my eye just seems to pick it up very quickly, but there are many shooters who prefer green reticles.
Now in terms of the 10 reticle options, I’ll give you my top two recommendations… To start off with, the TA11H reticle (or the horseshoe reticle) is an awesome choice in my opinion.
It includes a BDC (bullet drop compensator) which allows you to range out to a thousand yards very quickly, and it also has windage holds that I find to be very useful as well.
Also, because it’s a dot with a large horseshoe around it your eye is able to pick up the reticle very quickly, and it’s a fast sighting system especially at close distances…
Another really awesome reticle option is the TA110-C (or the chevron reticle). The chevron reticle includes a BDC (bullet drop compensator) out to 800 yards, and it’s also a very fast system.
The major benefit of having the chevron reticle is the precision it affords you when aiming at something very small.
The tip of the chevron point covers up almost none of your target… So you can really aim exactly where you intend to. It’s a unique reticle option, and I think it’s really cool.
There are many other interesting reticle choices available on this ACOG too…
For example, the donut reticle, the crosshairs reticle, and the triangle reticle are all useful options with their own strengths and weaknesses…
…but like I mentioned before, the horseshoe reticle and the chevron reticle are my two favorite options.
Bindon Aiming Concept…
Now since we’re talking about the reticles, I want to mention something called the ‘Bindon Aiming Concept’.
Glyn Bindon was the founder of Trijicon, and he designed many of his sights to be used in a unique way…
The idea is that you keep both eyes open and focus on your target while raising your optic to your eye.
This concept allows you to acquire targets very quickly (it’s great for CQB or close quarters battle) but also to be very aware of your surroundings because both of your eyes are open.
It’s an interesting aiming concept, and all Trijicon ACOGs are built to be effective when utilizing this aiming concept.
Size Of The Scope…
The Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35 is fairly compact as far as scopes go… To begin, it has a 35mm objective lens which gathers plenty of light and gives you a great field of view.
At one hundred yards, your field of view is 28.9 feet, and remember that’s with 3.5 power magnification, so it’s pretty impressive.
The eye relief is also pretty generous at 2.4 inches, and it gives you a little bit of leeway in terms of how far you mount the optic from your eye.
In addition to that, this scope is 8 inches long and weighs 14 ounces. That’s fairly compact in terms of length compared to many other scopes out on the market…
…and the weight, while not being as light as a red dot sight, is again, pretty impressive for a magnified scope.
Scope Accessories…
One of the coolest things about the Trijicon ACOG is that the mount comes included when you purchase the sight.
To me, it’s just kind of a pain to have to search around and buy a separate mount when I get a new optic, and sometimes they can get pretty pricey as well…
So the mount coming with this optic is a huge positive in my opinion. Now, just like the ACOG itself, the ACOG mount was designed for combat.
It’s extremely durable and combat-proven, and it will attach to your rifle’s top rail without any problems.
One issue that may come up is that the screws have a tendency of walking loose as you fire your rifle… This is what happened to me, and there’s an easy way to remedy it.
All you have to do is add some blue loctite to the screws when you mount your ACOG.
The blue loctite will hold everything secure, but you’ll still be able to back out your screws easily if you ever need to remove your mount and optic.
Pros And Cons…
Pros…
- Super Durable Optic (Combat Proven!)
- Very Clear Glass
- Battery-Free Illumination
- Awesome Reticle Choices
- Compact Size
- Mount Included
Cons…
- It’s a premium optic with a premium price tag… If you’re looking for a super tough optic with a more appealing price tag check out this sight.
Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35 Review – Final Thoughts…
In the end, I think the Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35 is one of the coolest optics out on the market…
- It’s combat-proven
- It has battery-free illumination
- The horseshoe and chevron reticles are awesome!
I think it lives up to its premium price tag, and I highly recommend it as one of the most rugged AR-15 optics on the planet.