Why the right side charging handle? Are you a lefty or righty? I think I would have a problem reaching over the top of the scope with my left hand to work it.
I'm a righty and I like the the charging handle on the right side. Others like it on their weak side. I've owned other designed rifles, with right side ejection, that have had charging on the left and some with charging on the right. I definitely like strong side charging.
Here's my thinking. JUST MY OPINION.
Rear charging (AR) has the big advantage of being ambidextrous. It doesn't matter which side the ejection port is on nor which hand you use. Works the exact same. And that means you can chose whether to use strong hand (grip/trigger hand) or weak hand (fore end hand) to charge.
It creates a "problem" though or at least a trade off. First it means nothing can stick up on the stock, like a cheek piece that will interfere with the handle. The same goes with any rearward sitting scope that would get in the way of gripping the handle. There are of course workarounds for these problems. There are movable cheek pieces and extended handles, but it's still a trade off. It is also pretty much impossible to charge an AR while holding it on your shoulder. Lastly, I think the handle, when fully extended is a weak link in the AR design. If you've got to hold the handle back then use the other hand to clear some obstruction there'a risk of bending it.
I think most all ARs (at least mine) are inherently front heavy and do not balance around the trigger. Hence holding an AR with the strong(trigger) hand alone is difficult. I was taught and I think it natural to hold an AR with by the handguard/forend and operate the charging handle with the strong hand. Placing the butt up against the body or thigh for stability, if needed.
Strong side (right for me) charging handle seems to allow for strong hand charging that can be accomplished without removing the butt from the shoulder, while at the same time using the weak hand holding the hand guard to keep the rifle firmly against the shoulder. It means the stock can have an elevated cheek piece and the charging handle (a short stub of metal) is not going to get bent easily. It's also possible to hold the rifle with the strong hand while the thumb of the strong hand holds the bolt open. This allows the weak hand to clear any obstruction without the use of the hold-open device. A useful technique when the clock is running. No Forward assist is needed for side chargers either. Makes for a clean looking gun.
The negative with reciprocating side chargers is that 1" stub is flying back and forth with each shot and could hang up on something. It's also possible to snag it when not firing and cause the gun to be out of battery. This doesn't have seem to have been a significant problem with the guns that are worshiped like the M1-Garand, nor with the AK.
There are, of course, non-reciprocating side chargers available in both weak side and strong side operation. While typically reciprocating side chargers are only available on the same side as the ejection port (I'm sure there's an exception.) Let me repeat that for those who haven't done the research: There are left side ejection and charging uppers as well as right side ones.
I LOVE the side charger. Either way, what's really wonderful is that Stoner's basic design is so accommodating. You can pick side or rear or both charging. You can pick left or right ejection and charging, you can chose between recip or non-recip. I'm not sure Stoner foresaw all of this but it's wonderful none the same.