• Redfield Counterstrike Tactical Red Dot Sight

    So why are we reviewing an obvious close quarter combat sight on a Savage firearm enthusiast website? Simple, tactical configurations that our readers like to do to their Savage rifles cover the complete spectrum. Most often the discussions here revolve around the “long range”, "see the fly on the rump of an elk at 1,500 yards" type scopes, but if you have used a Picatinny rail mount on your Savage rifle you can quickly remove your long range scope and install a red-dot type sight giving your rifle some additional versatility such as hunting hogs in heavy brush, coyotes or other varmints around the homestead, or as a backup home protection rifle. This is where an optic such as the Redfield CounterStrike might come into play.

    What is the Redfield Counterstrike and what makes it different? For starters, it is a combination red-dot and laser sight with an integrated Mil-STD 1913/Picatinny rail mount. All you need is a rifle, shotgun or handgun with a Picatinny rail and it is ready to go. (You still need to adjust it for the weapon of choice but once done it will support repeatable mounting and dismounting.)

    The mount is integrated to the optic and supports a Mil-STD 1913/Picatinny rail. It has one cross bolt that fits into a Picatinny cross slot that holds its position on the rail and is tightened by a ½ nut. The nut has a split washer to prevent it from loosening once it is tightened to the recommended 45 in/lbs of torque. The mount engages the rail on the left side 2 ¼ inches and 1 inch on the right side where an adjustable clip is held in place by a nut threaded on the cross bolt. This gives the optic a very secure fit and makes it rock solid when in use but relatively easy for us to switch from one platform to another.

    The base of the Counterstrike has an integrated 5 mW red laser that sits below the red-dot sight. It includes windage and elevation adjustments that once set are held in place by a hex screw to prevent the accidental adjustment of the laser when in use. The laser is activated by a simple on and off switch located on the left side of the sight.

    The last but the most important part of the Counter strike is the 1X30mm red-dot sight. The completely sealed and nitrogen-filled sight is waterproof and fog proof. It has an unlimited eye relief and comes with integrated flip up lens cover to protect the sight when not in use. Both the windage and elevation dials have tethered waterproof cover and the dials are marked in ½ MOA increments and click into place, each click is ½ inch at 100 yards. The Counterstrike features an illuminated 4 MOA Red or Green Dot aiming reticle. The color is changed by clicking the power switch once turned on and the sight also has two power intensity switches allowing a user to increase or decrease the brightness of the illuminated dot. Both the sight and the laser are power by a CR-123A Lithium battery that will allow the use of the sight for 5,000 hours at the lowest setting and 500 hours at the highest setting (if not using the laser). The battery is installed right behind the laser at the base of the mount and has a waterproof end cap to protect it.



    I had quite a bit of fun at the range with this sight as I tested on two different AR platforms - one in 223 and another in 22LR, as well as a Savage 10FP in 308 Winchester. For each platform I would install the Counterstrike on the rail where it felt comfortable to me. After attaching I would site in the Red Dot sight at 50 yards and co-witness the laser sight to the Red Dot. I would shoot three shots at the target at 50 yards, all platforms produced groups that where within a ½ inch. I would then remove the sight let the rifle cool down, reattach the sight and fire 3 more shots. The only platform that I could observer a change in the point of impact was the 223 and it was less than a ¼ inch and may be due to the fact I had limited 223 rounds and had to switch to a different brand of 55 grain full metal jackets. After firing the shots using the site I tested the laser at 50 yards. Here the grouping opened up but it was more the aging eyes of the shooter than the sight. Overall the laser was easy to see and very accurate.

    After I tested the Counterstrike it remained on the 22LR AR platform where I spent about an hour shooting at different reactive targets using both the sight and the laser at different distances. Misses only occurred when I was not doing my part. I found it quite easy to acquire and engage targets through the Counterstrike all afternoon.

    The sight has very clear glass and the both the green and red dot are easy to see even in the desert landscape of Nevada. It is a lightweight sight that sits nicely atop the rifle, provides the shooter with a comfortable cheek weld in most applications, and the buttons on the sight are very easy to manipulate. The zero was easy to adjust as I changed from one platform to another, and it never exhibited a shift in the point of impact when reattaching to a platform.

    The cons of the Redfield CounterStrike red-dot optic are few, but the most significant is that the laser cannot be used if the platform has a front sight. Even a folding front sight when down and on the same plane as the laser sight will block its use. As such I had to remove the front back-up sight of one of the AR’s (the other AR and the Savage 10FP did not have back-up sites). Another note is that mount is a true mil-spec Picatinny and as such cannot be mounted mount on a Weaver base or rail cut to Weaver specifications. This isn't a negative by any means, but just something one must be aware of.

    Last is more of a request than a complaint, and it pertains to the nut used to secure the sight in place. The nut is more than adequate, but when switching from one platform to another it would have been nice to have a lever for quick removal and reattachment. It could easily be designed using the CounterStrikes existing cross bolt, and it would both save time and eliminate the need to carry a wrench to install/remove the sight. Even if it were just an optional accessory/upgrade by Redfield it would be a welcomed one.

    All in all I feel that Redfield has a real winner with the Counterstrike. The combining of both a red-dot sight and a laser sight in a single integrated unit makes it unique and extremely versatile, and is both fun to shoot and easy to use on platforms equipped with a Picatinny rail. In terms of price, one would be hard pressed to find a red-dot sight equally suited for use on a tactical platform for the price of the CounterStrike, let alone one with a very bright and easy to use integrated laser sight. If you are considering a red-dot sight option to yourself a favor and check out the CounterStrike - you will not be disappointed!


    Contact Information

    REDFIELD
    14400 NW Greenbrier Parkway
    Beaverton, OR 97006-5790
    www.redfield.com

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