Review: Strike Industries 45-Degree Ambush Mount

By Scott Conditt

In recent months, I have been experimenting with various optics configurations on my SAINT Edge rifle. One configuration I have become particularly fond of is the use of a low powered variable optic (LPVO) and a red/green dot mounted at a 45-degree angle. And with the growing popularity of this configuration, there are a number of 45-degree mounting options available on the market.

The Choice

One particular product hit my radar recently that I really was looking forward to trying, primarily because of the wide range of optics it can accommodate. It is the Strike Industries Ambush 45-Degree Optic Mount, which affords you a modular dual mounting plate design that covers just about all mainstream red dots on the market. In addition to this flexibility, the design style and look of this low-profile mount also really struck me as both sleek and versatile.

The benefit of setting up a red dot on a 45-degree off-set mount with an LPVO as your primary optic is that this combination allows shooters to rapidly acquire targets at distance with the LPVO and then swiftly rotate the rifle 45 degrees (as the name implies) to utilize the 45-degree-mounted mini or micro red dot optic.

For a dual-optic set up, having a close distance Mini/Micro Red Dot Sight (MRDS) option and a LPVO scope allows you a wide range of versatility and also saves time when rapidly transitioning from one to the other. This is compared against solely relying on your LPVO and having to manipulate magnification between targets at varying distances.

The Details

In terms of ergonomics, I wanted to determine how adding the Ambush may impact my overall shooting experience when making the transition from solely utilizing an LPVO. Because of the design, the Ambush’s 45-degree angle construction should be out of the way of most every LPVO scope on the market, and it affords two mounting positions to pick from on the SI Multi-Optic Mount side.

The low-profile Ambush Picatinny rail mount sits flush with the top of the Picatinny rail, or it can be fixed slightly below to make it easier to fit beneath a scope or scope mount. The Strike Ambush 45 includes a dual footprint mounting plate which has the Strike Industries Multi-Optic Mount on one side and has the Aimpoint Micro Standard footprint for T-1/T-2 compatible red dots on the other side. This makes the Ambush a truly innovative and modular 45-degree mounting option for a wide range of users who may have a favorite micro or mini dot already.

The SUS630 hardened stainless steel Picatinny rail mount is also ambidextrous and the 6061-T6 aluminum mounting plate can be flipped as well to select which MRDS, but also can be oriented to work with the right or left side of the Pic rail. The Ambush 45 is perhaps the closest mounting solution of its kind to come close to a one-size-fits (nearly) all solution.

Hands-On

I took the mount to the range, ran it with a few dots and enjoyed the versatility of the experience. Never once did I feel like the mounted dot or the Ambush itself impeded any of the operations I have normally become accustomed to with the SAINT Edge when running only a LPVO on it.

Throughout the session’s drills, I set up a few steel targets downrange at three varying distances, with one at 25 yards and one at 50 yards for close engagement with my Viridian RFX25 green dot mounted on the Ambush 45-degree mount, and then a 100-yard steel which I intended to swap to my EOTech Vudu 1-6X at a 3X magnification to engage.

In my practical experience with the SAINT Edge, the distances I was experimenting with here and beyond could all be easily and effectively acquired and engaged using solely a dot, but my goal was to test the ease and swiftness of transition between the 45-degree offset mount and my LPVO. I wanted to feel how it would be to make the transition, identify the longer range target at 100 yards, and place rounds effectively.

To do so, I ran through the drill first by solely using my LPVO, then did the same circuit of engagement with only the dot, and then repeated the circuit by using my dot for the 25- and 50-yard targets, and then transitioned to the LPVO for the 100-yard steel. The EOTech Vudu was a treat to run, as always, and at these distances utilizing 3X magnification the LPVO didn’t hinder the experience at all.

However, I did find the shorter distance targets easier and faster to acquire by using the dot. For more precise placement on the 100-yard target, the LPVO certainly was the right choice for me, and after an hour of transition practice from one optic to the next, it became a fluid motion, deciding and engaging with either option.  

Conclusion

My takeaway on the Ambush mount from the experience at the range is that it was extremely solid, minimal in terms of footprint, and for such a seemingly small modification to the platform, it affords a huge advantage with virtually zero drawbacks. Like all gear, training with a 45-degree mounted optics solution is going to make or break your experience.

The price point for the Ambush 45 also makes the barrier to entry low, coming in at $74.95, which for the craftsmanship, fit and finish on this sleek little addition is well worth it in my opinion. The versatility and modularity the Ambush 45 offers for a wide variety of micro and mini dots also makes it a huge contender in the marketplace when considering which 45-degree offset mount might be right for you, especially if you’re interested in experimenting with multiple options.

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