In this article we will talk about the red dot sights. We take a look at some nice solutions that help you to be on target and some of them do not break your bank account.
Our Picks for Red Dot Sight
- Trijicon MRO
- Aimpoint Pro
- Aimpoint Micro T2
- Aimpoint Comp M5
- Holosun Hs403c
- Holosun Hs403b
- Vortex Crossfire
- Ozark Armament Rhino Red Dot Sight
- Bushnell TRS-25
Red dot sights are great for AR-15s, Pistols, Shotguns, and everything else that sends bullets down the range. We show you options for all budgets. Spoiler alarm, in my opinion the best options are the Aimpoint pro and Trijicon MRO. They’re precise reliable and durable that makes them an outstanding choice for any rifle.
What We Will Cover
Best Red Dot Sight – Updated
1 Trijicon MRO
The Trijicon MRO or Trijicon Miniature Lifle Optic is the upcoming king under the red dot market. There is no coincidence as Trijicon is also the manufacturer who produces the acog for the military.
This optic is one of the most durable and rugged sights you can find on the planet, try to break one and you will see what we mean. This gave Trijicon a head start for his MRO. It takes durability from the acog past plenty of durability tests, you can see some of them here on Youtube. So far only a hit from a shotgun round could damage it.
The Trijicon MRO offers a nice feature the lenses are not the same size. The one facing you is smaller than the one facing the target, this creates the feeling of a wide field of view instead of having to look through a tube. It is true that this does not apply to people shooting with both eyes open and this is how the use of a red dot is intended. However most people ignore that and close the other eye.
The battery should give you a continued use of five years so you do not have to worry about it failing you in the worst moment, also you can switch it off when you do not need it. The opposition is between the brightness setting 2 and 3, these positions are the ones you need the most so that it is only logical to put them off exactly there. If you want to leave it always on that is fine too. As a help remember to change the battery whenever there is a presidential election.
When it comes to brightness there is usually a tendency to over emphasize it, then you end up with scopes that have 12 different settings and you use only half or even less than that. Trijicon got the hand and obviously use 6 day settings and 2 for the night, that gives the mro enough options to make sure that you can actually see the target.
Is there a downside to the Trijicon MRO? Indeed there is in the right light conditions you might notice a slight blue tint on the lens. It should not be a problem but that might cost you a little bit of light when there is not too much of it anyway like at dawn or dusk.
2 Aimpoint Pro
The number two on our list is the other best option for red dot sight ready for the fight. Aimpoint is well well-known name in the optics market, the Aimpoint Pro is no exception. However just to be clear on that it is neither cheap nor of low quality. However it is sleek and light, it is tough as it can get. It is even waterproof down to 150 feet, this makes it extremely durable and extremely reliable.
Of course, there is a downside. You never have only all the best in one option in the case of the Aimpoint Pro, it is the battery life. You will not make it from one presidential election to the next if you do not switch it off. It has only three years of continued use in it, however i can live with that.
Red dots where the sky’s the limit
Let’s come to some of the great but pricey options, if you do not have to worry about your budget there are the red dots that can fulfill all your dreams using them is like cheating in a video game. My favorite here are the Aimpoint Comp m5 and Aimpoint Micro T2.
3 Aimpoint Comp m5
It is durable and will withstand even the strongest abuse. It is even stronger than the Aimpoint Pro. You have an added window in the front that protects the lenses. it is made of 7075 T6 aluminum which is twice as hard as 6061.
The battery will last you almost 6 years on brightness setting 7. It is submersible and relatively small with a length of 3.3 inches and a width of 1.3 inches, also the weight is just 8.4 ounces. If you’re not sure what kind of punishment to expect from your scope, the Aimpoint Comp M5 is your choice. It survives almost everything you can throw at it. However this comes at a price, you will have to pay more than twice of what you cash out for the Aimpoint Pro.
4 Aimpoint Micro T2
The Aimpoint Micro T2 is a super sight that follows what the name Aimpoint makes you expect. It is also the smallest red dot that you can find with the reliability and ruggedness of an Aimpoint. However this does not come cheap.
Under 200
After a short look at our two kings and two heroes of optics, we turn our attention to the budget products. What can you get that does not cost you an arm and a leg. Luckily, nowadays there are more and more options in the lower budget area that makes it easier to find something. You should be aware that an optic of $200 or below will of course not be the same as one of $400 and above, but that does not mean that it’s not worth its money. The sight will most probably look and feel like the most expensive ones what makes them cheaper is durability, reliability and quality control. Especially the latter means that you run a higher risk of getting a lemon. Some of them also just die over time or lose some of their functionality. Be careful when using them, budget options usually do not survive the amount of abuse a more expensive one migh,t just not even start to care about.
Then there’s the battery life, be ready then some budget options the battery life can be quite short, the option we put in here however come with a good life span for their batteries. This is why we recommend them, also the options here bring a fairly good quality and low risk. In my opinion the Holosun HS403C and B as well as the Vortex Crossfire., they all serve you best.
4 Holosun hs403c & HOLOSUN HS403B
HOLOSUN options run from 100 to 300 with the HS403, it offers you the option to run your red dot either with a battery that holds its own for 5 to 6 years of continued use or with solar energy. Using the solar array you get a nice extra feature, it can sense the brightness of the surroundings. This means it adjusts automatically to the level required in your current lighting conditions.
The battery merely serves as a backup, it will work under most light conditions alone with solar power or with a combination of solar and battery, only in total darkness will it be at battery alon, that does extend your battery life quite extensively. Combine this will make the battery probably last most of your life.
The HS403C is one of the smallest objects you can find if you discount reflex sights. It is so short that you do not get the looking through a tube effect. You have 10 settings for daytime and 2 for night time use.
On a side note, there is also a Holosun HS403B out there, it is practically the same as the C model with one major difference, it runs on battery power only. It is the same battery so you get 5 to 6 years of continuous use out of it and it is a little bit cheaper. In order to save battery life, it has motion sensors and auto shut off and on, as long as you do not move your gun it will be in standby until it is needed.
5 Vortex Crossfire
The Vortex Crossfire it is another great budget option and it comes with a lifetime warranty. The warranty is without condition, can be transferred and you do not even have to have the receipt for it. With the optic you get a good sight picture and a very good glass.
Its main weakness is the battery life, on medium settings it will last you only close to 300 days, not even a year. There is no motion sensor or auto shut off, however you can just turn it off yourself. For this you have an off position between each brightness level and of those, you get 11, this makes it easy to switch on and off. It does survive normal use but certainly not a lot of abuse, so be careful what you do with it.
- If you just want to go to the range and do some plinking with it it will serve you fine.
- If you go hiking or hunting with it make sure to treat it nicely.
Under 100 Dollars
There are a few more options out there for even less money, however be careful about what you get for your gun. Many of these optics might be rated for an airsoft gun, in that case they might not even survive or hold the zero with the recall of a real firearm. I like the Ozark Armament Rhino Red Dot Sight and Bushnell TRS-25.
6 Ozark Armament Rhino Red Dot Sight
This is the best i could find for less than one hundred dollars , it is a great deal as it offers you practically a budget version of the Aimpoint Pro. It does not come close to the feeling of the more expensive optic but it dries very nicely, that makes it a good choice for a little money.
What makes it a good choice even further is that it’s quite rugged. It is stated that it can take the recoil of a 50 BMG, i did not test it to that level but it could definitely withstand my 308 M1A Socom 16. It comes with a nice mount that makes the optic easily detachable which is another trait of the Aimpoint Pro.
7 Bushnell TRS-25
It is waterproof and does not get foggy when the air is humid, it proves itself is durable and reliable. It can take the recoil of an AK and hold at zero. The knobs for the adjustment feel nice under your fingers and the coating does not come off, this means it will not just rust away while you’re using it.
Take a battery of good quality and you can shoot with it for a year, cheap batteries however might die much earlier.
The lenses come with a good finish, that gets them some excellent light transition and clarity, also it reduces the glare from the sun. The dot is 3MOA and well defined and crisp. You have 11 settings for the brightness and can use it in daylight as well as in low light conditions. It is easy to get a good sight picture and equally easy to hit any target at 100 yards. you can use it for blinking as well as for some serious work like self-defense or hunting. It can go well with an AR-15, AR-10, AK and shotguns.
