Searching for a red dot sight that enables you to enjoy smooth, accurate, and fast shooting can be a daunting task. While a myriad of red dots around lack in areas of accuracy and sharpness that suits your desire, you will find this guide helpful in choosing the right optic design.
A red dot sight gives you an outstanding perception of view that is special to spotting targets with ease and precision. Alright, I’ll need you to catch your breath on that one for a second or two.
While your eyes may need some training to get accustomed to pinning targets, you will still need the help of brilliant red dot sights.
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With its initial design committed for use on the battlefield, the red dot sight has gained its place in the civilian populace with use from the shooting range in contests to the old man’s hunting field.
Some of these optics have remarkable features added by their manufacturers to improve the overall performance of day-to-day applications. You’ll find features such as the motion-activated illumination that shuts down once idle for a while and pops up back to life at the faintest movement or vibration. Now that’s highly classy!
You don’t have to go through the pressure of surfing endlessly through the internet to know which optic is best for your hunting or professional use, we have helped you shorten the list to ten best red dot sight based on their ranking.
Here is a brief look at our top three picks of the best red dot sights which is sure to serve the best for your purpose.
10 Best Red Dot Sights (Ranked and Reviewed)
1. Aimpoint PRO Red Dot Reflex Sight with QRP2 Mount and Spacer – 2 MOA – 12841
- Absolute co-witness with iron sights (with the supplied spacer installed)
- Features 2 MOA red dot for accurate target engagement
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 5.1 x 2.04 x 2.16 inches
- Weight: 11.6 oz
Topping the list of red dot sights is the Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic (PRO) which is designed with distinguishing features from other models of red dot sight. With this optic, you have enhanced lock on fast-moving targets complemented with a standby battery runtime of 30,000 hours. Great isn’t it? We are just taking off.
With this addition, you can literally keep your Aimpoint PRO turned on for 3 years without having to change its battery. The PRO is a battle-proven optic that is designed to ruggedly push itself out of rough conditions owing to its anodized aluminum housing.
The Aimpoint PRO can withstand round after round of assaults from a hammer, you can try to pound it in a mortar and you realize you just cannot beat this little monster.
Not even water can stop this device from optimally functioning, rated to be waterproof up to 150ft, and withstands adverse temperatures from -49°F – 160°F. That’s not all, it is also bombproof. Now, this is the real tough guy.
With the Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic, you don’t get to strain your eyeball as you can still get a clean shot on your target with both lenses cover closed. In case of an emergency, when you are not on standby for action, you can still acquire your target owing to its transparent front lens opening.
With this feature, you are always on the lookout for the front lens even when you don’t intend to engage a real battle.
This small but mighty red dot sight is not at all bothered when it comes in contact with chemicals being that it can withstand the vilest of contaminants from the irritating stain of lubricants to fuel spillage.
This red dot sight’s design is made compatible for use in both night vision and daylight/naked eye with a brightness adjustment dial just sitting at the end of the battery tube to be deployed for evenings hunting or preferably for a bright day target.
The clarity of the PRO glass and reticle will make you no doubt understand why law enforcement makes use of his red dot sight.
Its precision is impeccable, even in a range of up to 300 yards, you don’t have any issues bringing down a target with its 2 MOA dot. Speaking of the Aimpoint range of engagement, it comes with a 2 MOA (minute of angle) accurate for aiming long-distance targets.
You can also make smaller targets like the headshots at a 100-yard range without having any problems with accuracy. As the Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic is totally parallax free, you can depend on this red dot sight anytime, any day.
- Long battery life
- Bombproof
- Military-grade durability
- Waterproof
- Parallax-free
- Considered a bit heavy
2. Trijicon RMR Type 2 3.25 MOA Adjustable LED Red Dot Sight
- 3.25 MOA ADJUSTABLE LED RMR: Features an automatic brightness mode and easy push buttons for eight adjustable brightness settings including 2 nv and 1 Super bright
- DEPENDABLE ELECTRONIC DESIGN: Ruggedized Battery contacts and electronics ensure performance and survivability in harsh environments
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 1.8 x 1.2 x 1.0
- Weight: 1.2 oz
This friend-of-the-cop red dot sight lives up to its name with the tougher type 2 iteration of the red dot pistol sight, unveiling varieties of features than previous versions. You can fit the RMR Type 2 to a rifled shotgun, but it radiantly glows on a handgun.
With a 3.25 MOA dot, you can cover a 3.25- inch spot at 100 yards. The dot is big enough for you not to miss when aiming a target or when shooting fast and yet small enough to keep you from hindering a large part of your target.
It has a decent average clarity with a multi-coated glass lens which absorbs a lot of light impact at the same time shielding your eyes from the sun’s glare. If you are in for high glass clarity, then you can get that with alternative brands.
You don’t have to worry about switching brightness at various shooting points from the dim rooftop to the bright balcony because the RMR Type 2 comes with an auto-adjust feature which automatically conditions the illumination of the red dot sight to the current lighting of your environment.
This is a great innovation as you can confidently carry your pistol in and out of dim and bright light surroundings without having to adjust the illumination.
If you are disturbed about tampering with or disrupting the settings of the brightness, probably due to collision or you are on a bumpy ride, then you can simultaneously hold down the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons on each side for longer than 2 seconds as this will lock out external disturbance.
The RMR Type 2 is durable with a surprising lightweight of 1.2 oz inclusive of battery weight (following Its miniature name). This boy here can take a whole lot of cruelty, with housing forged from aluminum, you can fling it out of a moving truck and still pick up your red dot sight for use.
Its aluminum housing can take all of the brutal treatment you have to give. The Trijicon RMR Type 2 is rated waterproof up to 66ft and with 20,000+ hours of standby use, you are good to go.
Capable of withstanding vibrations and shock, Trijicon points out the golden effort put in the Ruggedized Miniature Reflex red dot sight which can still stand to operate properly well after several hundred rounds without losing its zero or flickering.
This red dot sight seems not to be concerned about how harsh you treat it as it continues to give you bright red spots to tell you it can still take more. Rugged right? Tell that to the manufacturer.
What about eye relief? RMR Type 2 comes with unlimited eye relief that allows you to grab a focused aim on your target from any distance or angle. You could preferably keep both of your eyes open to make a shot while looking through the sight.
Even if you have cross-eye dominance, you will have no problem using this red dot sight. All of these features make it, even more, appealing with a large field of view for you.
The elevation and windage knobs are relatively small but adjustable. You can adjust them simply by inserting your finger into their grooves.
If you are looking for a parallax-free red dot sight at 100 yards, this is it. The RMR does not magnify your view with its 1x magnification. However, you can use a co-witness to your sight which has varying power.
- LED operation extends battery life
- Perfect for handguns
- With 3.25 MOA, it is easy to acquire your target
- Water-resistant durably strong
- You need to unmount to change the battery
3. Sig Sauer Romeo5 1x20mm Compact 2 Moa Red Dot Sight
- 2 MOA Red-Dot provides 10 illumination settings (8 daylight plus 2 NV) for visibility in all light conditions
- MOTAC (Motion Activated Illumination) powers up when it senses motion and powers down when it does not. Provides for optimum operational safety and enhanced 40,000+ hour battery life
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 2.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 inches
- Weight: 5.1 oz
This red dot sight takes second place here with an admirably versatile electro-technology optic lens that can be used by any type of shooter from the military zones down to the countryside hunters.
One amazing touch added by Sig Sauer to this optic device is its motion-activated illumination (MOTAC) just like I hinted you, that automatically shuts down the entire optic when it senses a long time of idle use, and jerk back to light up the whole lens when it is disturbed by the slightest of vibration or movement.
This helps to conserve battery life and is also useful in emergencies, where you will have to make an intercepting shot, so you don’t have to bother about trying to turn it all on again.
With 2 MOA reticle red dot, you are sure to make your bullet touch any target at any distance. This addition also makes provision for use with 10 illumination settings which hosts 8 daylight and 2-night setting options for visibility in any light condition.
You totally can bank on the Sig Sauer Romeo 5 as it is rated waterproof and can maintain optimal functionality even when completely immersed in water up to 1 meter deep. It is also rated to be fog proof which implies that you can hunt down a target through the condensed vapor of the wintertime
In or out of season, this red dot sight is on the go to give you accuracy when aiming, with its parallax error-free lenses. Don’t raise an eyebrow about its longevity because the Sig Sauer Romeo 5 provides optimum and safe functioning for a very long time with an enhanced 50,000 hours of battery life.
For me, this is a must-have red dot sight. A super clean optic, thanks to the anti-reflective spectra coating. This stuff is lightweight and vibration proof so it does not flicker with every shot you take, leaving your red dot sight with zero points of impact shift.
With unlimited eye relief, the Romeo 5 allows you to still acquire your target without minding how you place or position your eyes behind the sight. This optic comes with removable caps to protect the delicate lens.
You can manually turn on this optic by pressing the plus (+) or minus (-) button, holding either of the buttons for longer than 1 second will light-out the LED dot.
- Bright dot perception
- Motion-activated illumination; shake and roll
- High-quality durability
- Water-resistant
- Not bombproof
4. Vortex Optics Crossfire Red Dot Sight Gen I – 2 MOA Dot (CF-RD1)
- The super-light, ultra compact, insanely-fast-on-target Crossfire Red Dot was designed for close-range and general shooting.
- The daylight-bright, 2-MOA dot, is easy to acquire and promotes rapid engagement of targets, yet is fine enough to more precisely engage targets at distance. 11 intensity levels of brightness let shooters cater the dot intensity to the situation at hand.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 5.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches
- Weight: 5.2 oz
If you want to go with simple aiming without having any frill then this sight should be on your radar. While some people prefer to twist and turn controls rather than the push button red dot sights, they have remained loyal to the crossfire red dot because of its minimal art design.
Forged from high-grade aluminum, the Vortex CRD has a strong anodized housing that protects its unit from tough battlefield experience. It can survive being dropped on a hard surface with its entire unit looking good and undisturbed for many years.
Looking at the optics of the crossfire, vortex gives a touch of gold to their red dot sights with extra-tough lens setup, nitrogen flushed lens chamber to serve as a resistance to fog. These optical features of the Vortex Crossfire Red Dot Sight Gen l – 2MOA Dot come with a low cost.
This simple guy is rated waterproof and dustproof with every of its opening point sealed with an O-ring to give it maximum protection in unfavorable conditions.
Not looking away as we stated earlier for other red dot sights, the crossfire red dot comes with 11 brightness adjustment settings. Turning the dial to the possible highest will give you the brightest visual while the lowest setting tends to almost fade the red dot away.
As innocent as this optic presents itself, it sure has some edge in the competition. Unlike the Trijicon RMR Type 2, the vortex Crossfire comes with a mounting tool and when replacing the battery, you don’t have to unmount the whole sight.
With an easy process of unscrewing the knurled housing, you can have a battery change without unmounting and remounting.
If you then decided to take a break from shooting, your red dot sight comes with a protective cover that shields it away from dust and other contaminants when it is in storage, which is a good idea for Vortex to put into consideration that is not present in the top listed sights.
If there is anything that makes vortex stand out of the bunch of red dot sights, it is their no-dispute guarantee which is quite impressive when compared to more expensive competitors. However, this guarantee does not cover intentional damage.
You may want to be sure if the crossfire red dot is parallax free. Well, this one is as close to parallax-free as it possibly can be, giving you ocular relief. Meanwhile, some users complain about this red dot not being concentric.
- Robust Optic
- Easy to adjust it's elevation and windage control
- Highly affordable with matching performance to more expensive units
- The battery is easy to replace
- Not the best sight for night vision scenarios
- Some users about it not being concentric
5. Vortex Optics Crossfire Red Dot Sight Gen II – 2 MOA Dot
- The updated Crossfire is a no-nonsense sight for near any application and needs a simple point of aim and none of the frills, the Crossfire should be at the top of your list.
- With up to a 50, 000 hour battery life and night-vision compatibility at the lowest two settings, the sight will keep working in a variety of conditions. The low and skeletonized lower 1/3 co-witness mounts provide vesatility for this lightweight optic.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 5.5 x 4.5x 2.5 inches
- Weight: 5.2 oz
After reviewing the Vortex Crossfire Red Dot Sight Gen I, we have on Its tail the crossfire red dot sight Gen ll. This sight starts with an update to its predecessor, emerging with an extended standby battery runtime of up to 50,000 hours. Isn’t that massive?
Without many variations from the generations 1, this sight is well constructed out of aluminum to give a solid and lightweight housing that has proven the quality of effort inputted by vortex to make it survive different environments and conditions of shooting scenarios.
On purchase, you have your optic strong with durable anodized low glare matte surface with an O-ring sealed frame that is purged with nitrogen to keep out debris, moisture and dust, making it to be totally resistant to contaminants.
Same as we have for generation 1, this sight comes with a 2 MOA LED-illuminated red dot which allows for a quick target acquisition most especially when the target is at an increased distance. Just pull the tiny trigger and bingo! You are still reading this.
It also has night compatibility, a feature that generation 1 does not possess. The labeling for the night vision settings is N1 (Night vision 1) and N2 (Night vision 2).
With 11 brightness setting options available to tend to the present situation, you can control the lighting by a large dial to the right of the sight. Eight of these brightness settings are for naked eye/daylight and the rest two are preserved for low light.
If you like a red dot sight with minimal function but yet rock-solid housing with well-above-par features, this optic should be on your consideration list. With easy and straightforward operation you can set the reticle in action and also adjust the brightness with a single dial.
To add to Its simplicity, the Vortex Optics Crossfire Red Dot Sight Gen II – 2 MOA Dot has just two knobs for POI (point of impact) adjustment with elevation knob on top and the windage knob to the right side of the sight.
About the extended standby battery life that I mentioned earlier, this sight is powered by a CR 2032-3V lithium coin battery to give it a total of 50,000 hours of operation.
To cap these amazing qualities of the Vortex Crossfire Red Dot Sight Gen ll, whether you like to aim with the sight hoisted high or you prefer to mount it low, this one comes with two mounting height options. The warranty is just an exhibition of their largesse. If they can’t repair it, they replace it.
- Night vision compatibility
- Comes with two mounting options
- Operational for 50,000 hours at level 6 brightness setting
- Illumination is limited to 360 degree
6. Aimpoint Micro S-1 Red Dot Reflex Sight – 6 MOA – Shotgun Rib Sight – 200369
- Versatile optic for all shotgun applications; 6 MOA dot size
- 12 brightness settings for extreme low light to bright sky conditions; Low profile carbon fiber rib mount
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 2.5 x 1.7 x 1.6 inches
- Weight: 3.5 oz
Designed to be shotgun friendly, this red dot sight cannot but be appreciated as it spells beauty on any type or size of the shotgun it is fitted on. If you think your shotgun does not need a touch of beauty, you need to check out this optic.
Miniaturized by Aimpoint to stand an important position on the rib of your shotgun, the Micro S-1 seems not to take up much space on your gun.
With a lightweight of 3.5 ounces (with battery) and tough-strength aluminum housing that features a half-matte anodized finish and a polymer base of reinforced carbon fiber, it has no noticeable change on the balance point of your gun.
The Micro S-1 red dot sight is fully rated waterproof – submersible to 15ft. It can also withstand shock and vibration, which means you can make one last hunting shot right from your moving truck.
The base secures and allows for fastening of the sight to the sides of the rib of your shotgun, holding its zero no matter what you are firing, be it magnum loads. You can easily install this sight and position it at any point on the rib of the shotgun to suit your desire.
The Aimpoint Micro S-1 Red Dot Sight gives you unlimited eye relief and parallax error-free visuals on your target. With its low ocular axis, it is easy to view the 6MOA red dot from a shooting position that is most natural for you so you don’t have to take your eyes away from the sight to peep on at your target.
Powered by a CR2032-3V lithium battery, same as for the Vortex Crossfire RDS Gen ll, the Micro S-1 optic can last for 50,000 hours of standby use. It is fully functional at temperatures ranging from -20°F to 140°F and as stated earlier, is submersible to 15ft.
Give it to Aimpoint optics here, this beauty is not affected when exposed occasionally to chemical substances like lubricants, insecticide, and fuel.
You have 12 brightness settings for the Micro S-1 to accommodate extreme low light and intense bright conditions. With these adjustment options to move across to both extremes of illumination, you will find this optic of good use at any time of the day.
The Aimpoint Micro S-1 no doubt improves your accuracy when shooting moving or flying targets with the overall performance of 24% lead in hits, much better than shooting with no red dot sight or with using the traditional bead sight.
It is applaudable what the Micro S-1 red dot sight has to offer shotgun owners. You can make use of its seamless transition by attaching it to a turkey gun to take a shot and then quickly transition it, attached to your upland shotgun to hunt down flying birds.
These features of the Micro S-1 make it not just a beauty to adorn your shotgun but it makes it a must-have red dot sight as it is versatile for all kinds of shotgun shooters.
- Easy to mount
- Shotgun friendly
- Durable battery life
- Unlimited eye relief
- Some users don't buy the idea of hunting fast-moving birds with red dot sights
7. TRUGLO GOBBLE-STOPPER 30mm Turkey Hunting Dual-Color Dot Sight
- Specially designed reticle for turkey hunting; Two choices of reticle color for contrast against any target or background (red or green)
- Detachable, extended sunshade eliminates glare from the front lens; Flip-up lens caps with lanyard system
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 3.8 x 2.0 x 2.0 inches
- Weight: 0.50 oz
Yet another style of a red dot sight, the Gobble Stopper popularly advertised as a turkey hunting optic, technically because of its 3 MOA red dot and a 24″ at 30 yards reticle, covering a reasonable distance and giving you a special view on how you want to bullet-mark when hunting for a turkey.
With just 5 brightness settings, yet this optic features a dual color (red and green). You can turn it all red on a bright and sunny day to better give you a terminator view of that walking delicious turkey or you can go all green at sundown to aid your visual.
This red dot sight arrives in handy during your hunting spree. In adapting to environmental conditions, this optic is the real deal as it comes with adjustable brightness control. Your hunting experience just shifted to another level.
With an extendable sunshade that functions to diffuse the glare of the hot sun coming from the front portion of the lens. This way, you can have a greedy view of the turkeys regardless of the blinding sun.
To make this sight more and more fixated to just hunting turkeys, it’s magnification cannot be altered either manually or automatically which means that you might not find it suitable for other hunting purposes.
This 30mm red dot sight is widely appreciated by many because of its durability. This makes up for the fogging it gives to your visual when rain-hunting. Yes, you got it right, this optic is not waterproof.
One other downside of this gentle sight is that it comes with some noticeable degree of parallax error. So if you are a commando shooter looking for an optic, this may not be the best option for you to go all-out for.
However, The TRUGLO Gobble Stopper has some level of shock resistance, although on a lower side when in light of comparison with more expensive models of the red dot sight. But for the money, this optics makes away with up to 1000g shock resistant. Firing under this limit will keep the zero intact, free from parallax.
Finally, this optic is fully functional on a 3V-CR2032 battery which should take you a standby use of 8 months. Don’t get cold with that, it comes with a spare battery to replace it with to take you through and into another season of turkey hunting.
- Lightweight and easy to mount
- Extended sunshade that eliminates sun glare
- Durable
- Not waterproof
- Has some degree of parallax error
8. Sightmark Wolverine FSR Red Dot Sight
- Powered by a single AA Battery
- Over 50,000 hours of Battery life on medium power
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 4.4 x 2.9 x 2.6 inches
- Weight: 10.3 oz
From hunting to military use, this red dot sight has a good range of versatility. Well, not everyone can fit their guns with the hot cost optics that are flooding the market.
This optic is engineered to engage and acquire close range targets, with a 2 MOA dot reticle which proves to be very responsive.
I really don’t want to flaunt about this but man! The Wolverine FSR Red Dot Sight has an extremely low consumption on the power that can deliver a wowing 1,000,000, okay let me spell it out, one million hours of runtime battery life on low brightness and 6 years of continuous use on brightness 6 settings. Wait for a second, all from one single AA battery. For me, this kills the competition.
A strong aluminum housing made from a piece of 6061-T6 also gives this sight a tough appearance, and it is rated waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof. Excellent features as it can withstand reasonably violent torture, holding its zero even when tossed over from the driver’s seat into the trunk, banging it on a tree branch won’t scratch this Wolverine.
When it comes to brutal usage, the Wolverine FSR has it all for the money, armored with rubber to protect the unit from scratch. Also with 800 GS of recoil, functioning optimally under temperatures ranging from the unbearable -22°F to 122°F. It’s waterproof rated optic is owing to the IP67 feature on it which allows it to be submerged in water for half an hour up to 3ft, emerging without noticeable change.
It’s good to know that all Wolverine optics are night-vision compatible and the FSR Red Dot Sight is not falling behind with this feature. With 10 brightness settings, 8 daytime, and 2-night vision scenarios, 5 to 10 are perfect for outdoor scenes.
Some users have taken notice of the auto-off feature on this sight and although it lights out after 12 hours of standby inactivity, it does not have an auto-on or motion-activated illumination that you will find on the Sig Sauer Romeo 5. But why bother about auto-on when you are not front-lining a battle?
- Shock, water and scratch proof
- Has low battery consumption with one million hours of battery life
- Night vision compatible
- You can use with both eyes open
- Highly durable
- Taking off the runner will damage the sight
- Does not have quick release
9. HOLOSUN HS503C Paralow 133x54x72mm Circle Dot Sight
- Parallax free with unlimited eye relief
- Push button controls and streamlined housing design to minimize vision obstruction
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 5.2 x 2.1 x 2.8 inches
- Weight: 4.2 oz
Next to the Wolverine FSR is the Holosun HS503C Paralow red dot sight from Holosun technologies, nearly all of their red dot optics are powered by a solar panel to light up the ultra-efficient LED.
We are just getting started with this. What if you walk into a low light environment where there is no sunlight to help the solar panels? This optic is backed up with a combination of CR2032 battery to redeem the situation with 50,000 hours of standby use. Now that’s a huge relief.
The reticle switches automatically between solar and battery power, based on the amount of light that is made available to your current position and if you happen to run out of battery, you will still get to use the red dot (if ambient light is available in your location).
The Holosun HS503C provides you with the option of transitioning between the unique 2 MOA dot and the 65 MOA circle+ reticle manually. But if you want it all bright not minding to pressurize your battery, then you can engage the manual mode setting.
The quality of this sight is very high which marks out Its durability. It can survive a .308 rifle and take a brutal treat, you don’t have to be pitiful when using the Paralow HS503C as it still turns up to give full function even after a few intentional drops and hits.
Solid efforts have been put into this product to improve its quality, particularly the sharpness of its reticle and extreme battery life at an affordable price that won’t cause you chest burns.
- Unlimited eye relief
- Battery and solar power supply
- Allows you to manually override brightness settings
- Sharp reticle
- Operating temperature is low
10. EOTECH EXPS2 Holographic Weapon Sight
- EOTECH EXPS2-0 – Holographic Weapon Sight in black with 68 MOA ring and 1 MOA dot reticle
- Side Button Operation – Compact design and side button operation consumes minimal rail space and is ideal for use with a G33 magnifier
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 3.8 x 2.3 x 2.9 inches
- Weight: 11.2 oz
Last but not least is the Eotech EXPS2 Holographic Weapon Sight (HWS). These sights are used in combat with a highly visible reticle and a large viewing screen, you’ve only got one shot at whatever reveals itself out of cover, the more reason why the special forces love this optic.
Your eyes can easily be drawn to the reticle long before bracing your rifle into your shoulder to get a shot. The major reason they are rated the fastest sighs is due to their large, flat viewing screen. The larger, the better for you. Who else loves to hear the sound of this other than the special forces, the last is not the least after all.
One simple explanation to the catchy reticle of the Eotech EXPS2 is its construction which features a 1MOA dot that is enclosed by a 65MOA circle. With this innovative combination, there is a high degree of precision.
Red dots are usually not easily spotted under bright light but this sight is covered with its brightness adjustment to light it up super bright for an uncompromising aiming experience both for tactical and recreational shooting.
The EXPS2 HWS offers 20 day-night brightness settings for lightning-fast target acquisition that are controlled by two push buttons which also serve as the on/off switch
Compensating for its 600 hours of runtime at a bright level setting, this optic is durable and strong enough to be used in the military as well as competitive shooting or fit on a rifle for self-defense.
- Fast and accurate target acquisition
- Large viewing screen
- Durable
- Short battery life
- Not bombproof
FAQs
Using a durable red dot sight is assuring but somehow, other things tend to get in the way to try to reduce the quality of your optic. If you purchased an optic, for instance, the Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic, you certainly want your equipment to retain its impeccable condition.
Whether your optic is fancy or roughly rugged, your daily input to improve its quality can actually tell on its lifespan. Before going ahead to clean your optic lenses, you must take cognizance of the materials you want to deploy for this purpose.
Basically, all you need to clean your red dot sight is the camel’s hairbrush, good lens tissue (without printed design), isopropyl alcohol (100%), and camel’s hair artistic brush with ¼ – ½ inch wide.
Speaking of how often you should clean your optics, it is highly recommended that unless you have sight-disrupting stains or spots like fingerprints on your lenses, that you just brush off the dust and don’t trouble your optic.
Alright, enough of warming up, let’s get straight to business. First, you need to start by dusting off the lens gently until you see that it is clear. In most cases, this is all you need to do to keep your optic new.
For more stubborn fingerprints, take a piece of lens papers and gently dampen it in the alcohol. Don’t spray-and-rub as you would for your glass window, these guys are very delicate (the most important part of the whole unit). With that done, gently brush the dampened paper on your optic without applying extra pressure other than the weight of the paper itself.
Dried mud splatter can be a bit hard to remove with lens paper so you will need to replace them with a camel’s hair artistic brush. Rinse and repeat the process as for the fingerprint cleaning and you have your red dot sight as good as new. Remember, less pressure, more cleaning.
In actuality, the red dot sight is not designed for long-range shootings, but professional shooters have flaunted their prowess at aiming a 300-yard target.
That said, various factors can serve as a determinant to the precision of the red dot sight. The effective range where maximum and precise aiming is achieved is within a 100 yard. Although an amateur could still miss a boar at that range.
When professionalism steps on stage, shooting distance does not really change anything. The size of the dot also plays an important role in determining how far you can aim with the red dot sight.
Simply put, the bigger the dot is, the lesser the effective range becomes. It is difficult to shoot with a 5MOA dot at 300 yards than it is with 1 MOA. Even if the red dot sight traditionally cannot make long-range shots, the shooter contributes immensely to its accuracy.
Let’s do some justice to this so when next you see a red dot sight labeled 4 MOA you don’t get puzzled in confusion. So basically, MOA stands for a minute of angle.
For people who just acquired the red dot sight to have a fun shooting experience, it may be perplexing to get all it means and how on earth it affects their shooting fun.
The minute of angle determines how much of a distance you can cover for an accurate shot and the size of the red dot as well. With 1 MOA you have 1/60th of a degree which is translated as 1-inch per 100 yards. Okay, you didn’t get that, let’s try another approach.
When you hear someone say I’m shooting at 1 minute of angle (MOA) don’t freak out, here is what it means. 1 minute is equal to 1 inch and the angle is equal to yards. So, 1 minute of angle is calculated by 1-inch at 100 yards which increases every 100 yards from then on out.
MOA is sometimes referred to as dots, and in your red dot sight, you may want to translate every bit of information to your shooting experience. If you have a 4 MOA red dot, it means it’s going to cover 4 minutes of the angle at 100 yards.
Conclusion
While you are on the lookout for some features like durability/toughness, battery life, co-witnessing compatibility, and several other nice additions, you will certainly find this reviewed list of red dot sights beneficial.
Although with less precision than a telescope sight at a longer distance, these optics will most assuredly fit in on your handgun and adorn your hunting shotgun to make you flexibly flaunt your firearm. The ease to which you will operate a red dot sight compared to iron sights and its affordability makes it a good upgrade to your gun.
Talking about the speed and accuracy of target acquisition, the red dot sight on many occasions gives you a precise lock on target either you are in the range or simply for home defense.
Your choice of red dot sight can vary from the ruggedly designed optics that can survive being banged on a tree or the simple, fairly tough designs that are just about sufficient enough to land you a precise shot for your hunting adventure.
Whichever taste you have for your favorite red dot sight, your pick would certainly not fall out of this reviewed list. Take a courageous move as you go all-out for the red dot sight.
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- Double major in Engineering and Geology at the University of Minnesota. Experienced shooter & hunter for over 15 years. Certified NRA officer for over 10 years working as a writer at Ballachy.com.
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