Originally Posted by Ricochet
I'd use lower end real steel anything, rather than airsoft/replica anything. Well, almost anything. Replica usually comes in two varieties; overpriced and crappy make. I also find that good replica is usually only slightly cheaper than some real steel stuff, so it's often worth it to save up the extra $10, $20, $100, or whatever depending on what you're buying. Plus, you are out there in the mud, in the trees, hiking, crawling, etc, so your gear has to work properly. Your comms must be clear, your eye-pro must protect you, your gun must shoot straight, etc.
Too many players want something specific, and because they can't afford the real steel counterpart, they'll but a replica of it. What you need to decide is which type of sight you need, like say a red-dot, and then look at all the options. You may not be able to afford a genuine EoTech, but you could probably get something similar by Barska or Holosun. Don't be afraid to spend a few bucks, and if you have to wait for your next paycheck or two, then so be it. It's always a good idea to have backup iron sights. Your reticle may break, it may kill its battery, whatever. Make sure the dot is precise, or in the dark it'll blind you from seeing what your aiming at. Make sure the mirrors will hold during shooting and running and bumping around, or they'll be way off. This should all be quite obvious. Get something with forgiving eye relief and don't get a scope or a zoomed reticle unless you need it...
Companies like NC-Star or UTG/Leaper make some decent stuff, but reviews are mixed. I had an NC-Star scope that lasted a decade and worked well. Others haven't had the same luck. Wether high quality airsoft scopes or low quality real steel, at least check them out.
As far as airsoft with scopes are concerned, it comes down to your gun. An airsoft gun shooting 400 - 440 FPS on a 0.20g, can reach out well past 300 feet accurately on a 0.28g, 0.30g, 0.32g, if the hop-up is solid, and it has proper mods, upgrades, etc. not all platforms will do it, but it can happen. Your average airsoft rifle should be able to achieve 200 feet accurately and consistently at least. If not, either it sucks bad or needs some work. So, first you tune your gun and then set your hop-up do maximize use of your effective range. Once your gun is accurate and consistent, then you set your sight to match where your BBs are going. Accurate for an airsoft gun is hitting a soccer ball, or basket ball sized target at effective range. This may depend on your hip-up setting and BB weight, assuming of course both are quality.
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