Dear Iron Sight Guy: Your Excuses Just Ran Out

Ah, Iron Sight Guy. We all know you. You shuffle onto the firing line with your trusty M16 clone with an integrated carry handle “just like the Army intended,” and a grin that says, “Optics are for people who don’t know how to shoot.” And honestly? I get it. You’ve got your talking points memorized.

• “Batteries die.”

• “Scopes break.”

• “Irons are simple and reliable.”

Fair enough. Those arguments used to hold water. But then we here at Sightmark rolled out the Strikon VMP 1-4x22 Fiber-Wire Riflescope and its fixed-magnification sibling, the Strikon FMP, and suddenly…well, your soapbox looks a little shaky. Let’s walk through this together.

Argument #1: “Irons never need batteries.”

Correct. But neither does the VMP. Its fiber-wire reticle is always visible, battery or no battery. It’s not some projected dot that vanishes when the juice runs out. The wire is physically there, etched in reality, not in electronics. Illumination just makes it glow red (or, in the case of the FMP, red or green — your choice). So yes, you can pop the battery out and still hit steel all day long. Argument over.

Argument #2: “Optics are fragile.”

That may have been true once upon a time. But the VMP is built like a brick. With IP67 waterproofing, you can drop it in a creek and keep shooting. Thanks to nitrogen purging, it won’t fog when you step out of the truck on a cold morning. It’s shock-rated to .308, so recoil isn’t going to rattle it loose, and the 6061 aluminum body, the same alloy used in aircraft, keeps it lightweight but rigid. At just under six inches long, the VMP isn’t some delicate benchrest toy; it’s compact, armored, and ready for the abuse of serious tactical engagements or the rigors of the great outdoors.

Argument #3: “Irons are simpler.”

You mean, simpler than shouldering your rifle and keeping both eyes open as you see your target highlighted by a bright red dot, clear as day? Or do you prefer squinting down two skinny posts while whatever you’re aiming at fades into a blur? The VMP gives you push-button illumination controls, a throw lever for instant zoom, and low-profile turrets you can adjust by hand. That’s as simple as it gets.

 And unlike your irons, the VMP actually lets you see what you’re aiming at with up to 4x magnification. See, when you “zero” irons, it’s basically trial and error. You adjust the front sight post, squint, shoot, repeat, and hope your guesswork eventually lines up. With the Strikon, it’s different. Clamp your rifle in a vise or rest it on a stable platform, turn the turrets, and you can literally watch the reticle move across the target as you adjust windage and elevation. You’ll waste less ammo, save time, and know with certainty where your zero is headed instead of praying the next group lands where it should. At the same time, both-eyes-open shooting at 1x feels like a red dot, and cranking to 4x lets you identify whether that blob is a coyote or your neighbor’s dog.

Argument #4: “Irons are reliable.”

Sure, they’ve been around forever. So has the abacus. But do you really want to handicap yourself in 2025 because you’re nostalgic for 1918? The Strikon isn’t some fragile experiment — it’s the natural evolution of everything irons were meant to be: tough, ready, always-on, and now actually useful past 100 yards. And let’s be honest: you’re not just punching paper at the range. If you ever need that rifle in a life-threatening situation, you want something that’s combat-effective, not something that relies on guesswork and nostalgia. 

The only argument left is, “What if the glass gets gunked up?” Sure, that could happen — but that’s a massive what-if compared to the advantages you gain. And remember, the Strikon is nitrogen-filled and fogproof, so it’s not going to haze over when the temperature changes or you step out into the cold. Realistically, the only way this optic is getting “gunked up” is if you smear something like mud or blood across the lens — and if it’s blood, you’ve probably got bigger problems than sight picture anyway. 

And consider this: every serious fighting unit in the U.S. military issues optics as standard. From basic infantry to specialized units, red dots and LPVOs are the norm, not the exception. If the pros who stake their lives on these tools every day have moved on from irons, maybe that counts for something.

The Age of Iron Is Over

So, Iron Sight Guy, let’s be honest. The Strikon VMP and FMP give you everything you claim to love about irons: no-battery reticle, durability, simplicity, plus all the things you secretly wish you had: magnification, illumination, better visibility, and modern ergonomics.

You can keep pretending irons make you “pure.” Or you can admit the truth: your last excuse is gone.