to scope or not scope my 527 .223 Carbine

[Beamy85]

I'm debating if I want to scope my 527 .223 Carbine or just leave the irons on it.

It's super handy with the irons on it but I feel like I'm leaving out some of the potential with the rifle by not scoping it.

The scope I'm looking at putting on it is a Burris MTAC 1-4x with a 30mm tube that used to be on one of my ARs

[cruzerbotz]

You will get a lot more out of the rifle with the scope.  I've got a Leupold 2-7 x 33 on mine.  I think it is the perfect scope for the rifle.

[huudoo]

I have a weaver 2x7x33 on mine left irons in place
I bought a new bolt handle though and replaced the old

[jkingrph]

I don't have a carbine but recently got a 527 American in 6.5 Grendel and mounted a Leuopold VX3i in 3.5 x10.  My bolt handle clears but is close, and this is a fairly large scope.

[wags68]

I just got the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8 and it is an excellent option for carbines/light weight setups.  I put this on both a bolt action and AR in 6.5 Grendel.

[M1A4ME]

A scope (good scope now) helps with:
1.  identifying targets better
2.  engaging smaller targets
3.  extends shooting time by making target ID and engagement possible earlier in the morning or later in the evening
4.  I think the scope makes it easier to estimate hold over, too, when shooting at rangers that require some holdover.

Sometimes I use a bullet hole in a target as my aiming point.  I don't think I'm the only person that does this?

I used to ground hog hunt with my M700 Remington Varmint Special in .223.  Shot one ground hog that only had his nose/eye sticking up out of the hole right at 100 yds. from where we were sitting under a walnut tree (farm owner's son told me it was an old smart one they'd been trying to kill for years).  Killed one ground hog with a head shot at 225 yds. (my farthest shot).  Not sure I could have done those with iron sights due to the size of the target. 

[The Guardian]

I really like iron sights.....that said a scope does extend the versatility of any firearm. So maybe have one at the ready, but stick primarily with the irons....... doesn?t have to either/or....some variation of both 

[armoredman]

Sometimes I use a bullet hole in a target as my aiming point.  I don't think I'm the only person that does this?

We call that game, "chasing the hole", and it can be quite fun.

[jkingrph]

If you do scope it, use as set of the QD rings.  I think I used Warne QD rings on my 527 Grendel, even though it does not have iron sights.  I find the ability to remove the scope makes it easier to clean the rifle.  They fit so well return to zero is no problem.  I have the QD rings on a few Ruger #1 rifles, a couple of tropical rifles, a neat little 1a light rifle in 7x57, and a big CZ 550 Safari and like the ability to use both open sights and a scope.  The best set up though is on an old pre 64 Win mod 70 my dad got me back in 1963 when I finished high school.  I put a Leupold 4x in a set of weaver pivot mounts so the scope can simply pivot over to the left side and the irons are instantly available.  The pivot mount is so much lower than the "see through" mounts, and allow for the same cheek weld that you have when using the iron sights.

[Diamond Jim]

As good as iron sights are, I'd scope it if it were mine. Maybe a 1-4 x 20 if you want to keep fast acquisition and wide field of view plus the option of dialing it up a bit to extract more out of a fine rifle. Me, I'd go for 3-9 x 40 or similar but my eyes are 56 years old and 3x doesn't seem like much magnification any more.
I'm not much of a fan of QD rings or tip-off rings. My philosophy is to set the rifle up the way you intend to shoot it and stick with that. In my experience, fixed mounts/rings generally hold zero more reliably than other options. YMMV.