This is not another co-witness question...  Well, not exactly.  

I believe I understand the concept of co-witness - that when mounted properly, the Aimpoint dot will sit just above the front sight when your eye is properly centered in the rear aperture.

If the Aimpoint is functional, and it is mounted at the proper level on a rifle with fixed iron sights (using an ARMS #39, cut carry handle, whatever), must you look through the rear aperture to use it?  Or, can you raise your eye level to look over the top of the rear aperture, and still have the dot in a useful position?  

I'm thinking, all else being equal, your eye being higher up will reciprocally make the dot appear lower, leaving your front sight blocking your view of the target.  I keep reading that if you can see the dot, you will hit what it covers - I just haven't been able to intuit where I'd be seeing the dot in this situation.

Thanks in advance for your help on this one.

You can look over your fixed sights and just use the dot of the Ainpoint.  When zeroing in, you may want to use all three sights in a row to get a constant zero between your iron sights and your Aimpoint.

Roger that.

This has the same zero as my BUIS (back up iron sights), even though I'm looking over them.  EDITED to add that pic #2 in this post is the setup here -- std. full spacer on M68).
[img]http://photos.ar15.com/WS_Content/ImageGallery/IG_LoadImage.asp?iImageUnq=1810[/img]

Aimpoint M2 mounted on ARMS M68 with full spacer.
[img]http://photos.ar15.com/WS_Content/ImageGallery/IG_LoadImage.asp?iImageUnq=1811[/img]

Aimpoint M2 mounted on ARMS M68 with new "extended" (i.e., cantilever type) mount.  See [url]http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=18&t=160453&page=3#1234472[/url] if Q's on this new mount.
[img]http://photos.ar15.com/WS_Content/ImageGallery/IG_LoadImage.asp?iImageUnq=12878[/img]

EDIT noted in text.

Cool.  [i]Very cool.[/i]  Thanks for the explanations, and especially the great pics!  You've got a great looking rifle.

Unfortunately, this just compounds my dilemma over whether to get the Aimpoint or TA31.  "Get Both" is not financially viable at this time.  [%|]

Hey Corey, that last pic put me over the edge...  I just ordered a ML2 thanks to you!  I'm so dead when my girlfriend finds out! [pound] j/k  I ordered the mount a few days ago but planned on holding off on the Aimpoint.  So much for that idea...  Great pics!

LOL!!  Thats the beauty of dating, you dont have to worry bout it till yer married!!  [party]

Glad I could help.  [}:D]

Terrato:  I'd suggest the Aimpoint and later a Leupold.  But that's a whole other thread....  Hope this helped you understand the cowitness concept.

Strazz:  You can blame it all on me and the other AR15.com junkies.  Face it.  You have a problem.  It's a disease.  "Blaming" you for something that's beyond your control just isn't right.  Your girlfriend should be more supportive.  [;)]