Scopes help you see the target in poor light, Has nothing to do with range, a scope is just as useful at 20 yards as 200. In good light I'm almost as good with irons at 200 yards as with glass. In poor light I can't the sights or the target with irons. This is where a scope comes in handy. They are a much better option in thick, dark brush than irons because they allow you to see holes in the brush to shoot through. It can bee too dark to see the irons at 4 PM on a cloudy day in winter in some thick spots where I hunt.
Most people use too much magnification. A 1X or 2X scope is faster on target up close than irons. My favorite variables are either 1-4X or 2-7X. I almost never take them off the lowest setting for anything other than zeroing.
One of the best uses of scopes for me, and this requires much more than 1-2X is determining if its still the legal or even the buck I want when they are meandering around, and i've switched from binocs to gun.
The other HUGE thing that has bitten me twice, once with a red dot, and once with a low power scope, is not being able to see an intervening twig...
Hence I really have about zip use for a low power scope for actual hunting.
For the defensive AR they work great but I'm about as good and quick with irons anyway and a ghost ring, you just have to practice and stay sharp. And for a defensive gun for big animals that bite and you have to stop... there a twig won't be an issue...
