Best Red Dot Sight

So you want to buy a new sight, but you’re not sure which is the right choice. You’re not alone.

The truth is, the best red dot sight is going to be different depending on what you’re doing. A good hunting sight might be terrible for home defense. A top-tier target shooting sight may be useless in the woods. And of course, military and law enforcement have their own unique concerns when choosing a sight.

The most confusing thing for new buyers is the incredibly wide range of prices. You can buy a cheap red dot sight for around $10, but an expensive one can run you as much as four figures. Oftentimes, these sights can look similar, and even have similar specs. So what’s with the crazy difference in pricing?

The answer is almost always durability and drops resistance. Cheap sights are generally fragile and tend to get knocked off-center by the most casual bump. More expensive sights are made from higher quality materials and will stay on target even after lots of bumps and jostling.

If you’re a casual target shooter, an inexpensive red dot sight can be just as good as an expensive one, provided you’re careful taking your firearm in and out of the car. Hunters will want something in the middle ranges, and military and law enforcement will want something that can stand up to the rigors of their jobs.

Best Red Dot Sights

1. Aimpoint PRO

The Aimpoint PRO is the first of our red dot sight reviews, and it’s a thing of beauty. PRO stands for Patrol Rifle Optic, which is pertinent because this sight was designed for military use. The housing is engineered from durable anodized aluminum. You could take a hammer to this sight, although we wouldn’t recommend it.

Another nice feature is that the lenses are recessed inside the tube, making it difficult to scratch them. The flip-open lens covers are made from clear plastic, so you can take a quick reaction shot without having to stop to open up your sight.

This isn’t just ideal for militaries; hunters will also appreciate the ability to shoot quickly and accurately. The 2 MOA (minute of angle) reticle is as accurate as any on the market and covers just 2 inches at a range of 100 yards.

The Aimpont PRO also has a QRP2 rail grabber mount, which makes it compatible with most types of mount. The battery is good for three years of continuous operation, but there’s a catch.

Since this is a patrol rifle scope, there’s no way to turn the LED off, which means you’ll have to replace it after 3 years even if you’ve only taken it out of your gun safe a few times. Aimpoint helpfully puts a battery life indicator on the display, so you’ll know when it’s time for a replacement.

Pros

• 3-year battery life
• Always on
• Rugged construction
• Protected lenses
• Best red dot sight for AR-15

Cons

• No way to save battery life

Why It’s Recommended

The Aimpoint PRO is an absolute monster of a sight. If you need an AR sight that can take a beating, this is it.

2. Bushnell Trophy

The Bushnell TRS-25 is tough enough to be worth taking into the field. It holds zero well, even if you’re shooting an AR or high-caliber pistol. If you’re going to use it on an AR, a 1-inch riser is a good, cheap accessory that will get your iron sights out of the way.

The 3 MOA red dot is accurate at longer ranges – provided you can compensate for bullet drop – and the brightness is adjustable. Turn it down when shooting indoors or in cloudy weather, and crank it up in better lighting.

The battery lasts for 3,000 hours and can be turned off when not in use. Be careful putting it in or out of a bag, though, since it’s easy to turn on by accident and drain your battery. The battery cover is finicky, too. Close it too tightly, and you’ll lose power.

Leave it to lose, and it’s liable to come open on its own. Consider this a range and hunting scope only; you don’t want something stupid like a battery cover to fail in a life and death situation.

Pros

• 3 MOA red dot
• Adjustable brightness
• Rugged enough to handle recoil
• Best budget red dot for AR-15

Cons

• Limited battery life
• Unreliable battery cover

Why It’s Recommended

The Bushnell TRS-25 is by far the best red dot sight for the money. We’re not saying it’s the best overall, but it’s the best you’ll find at this price.

3. Trijicon Type 2

The Trijicon RMR Type 2 comes ready for a pistol slide mount out of the box. It includes a variety of mounting hardware, making it compatible with most rifle rails, as well as a scope mount for putting it on top of your optical. Trijicon sells this scope to the US military, as well as numerous state and local law enforcement agencies.

The 3.25 MOA LED is accurate, adjustable, and always on. This means you won’t be left without an LED in an emergency. It also means that there’s no way to save your battery if it spends most of its life sitting in a gun safe. Fortunately, it’s good for 4 years of use, so this is not a major issue.

The RMR is expensive, but it’s worth every penny. The rugged housing is literally tough enough to handle a war zone.

Pros

• Used by the US military
• 4 years of battery life
• Always on
• Mounts on pistols or rifles
• Multiple mount options

Cons

• Expensive
• No way to save battery

Why It’s Recommended

If you want a high quality sight that looks and feels like an MCG reflex red dot sight, the Trijicon RMR Type 2 is a good choice.

4. Vortex Optics

The Vortex Venom is a mid-priced red dot sight that’s made specifically for pistols. You can also use it on a rifle if you like, using the included Picatinny mount. The thing that makes it useful for pistols is the extremely low profile. It gives you a smaller window, but it’s easy to draw, and actually fits in most velcro holsters.

The reticle is available in two sizes: 3 and 6 MOA. For rifles, we’d recommend the 3 MOA for accuracy. For pistols, you’re going to be shooting at short range anyway, and the 6 MOA light will be easier to line up. The LED brightness is adjustable but within a relatively narrow range. The lowest setting is awfully bright for night use, and the highest setting still looks faint in bright sunlight.

The Venom takes a CR1632 watch battery. The benefits? You can buy a cheap replacement at your local drug store or hardware store, and swapping them out is a snap. The downside? You’ll only get a few hundred hours out of a single battery.

Pros

• Available with 3 or 6 MOA reticles
• Mounts on a standard pistol or Picatinny rail
• Low profile is good for concealed carry
• Easy to change battery

Cons

• Limited brightness adjustment
• Short battery life

Why It’s Recommended

The Vortex Venom is a red dot sight that’s useful for a variety of firearms. It’s ideal for concealed carry applications, though.

5. EOTECH

The EOTech EXPS2 is a holographic sight. This makes it as accurate as you’ll get short of buying a magnified optical sight. It also makes it expensive, since only a few companies manufacture holographic sights to begin with. This is a serious sight for serious shooters. To back this up, EOTech includes a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.

The 1 MOA reticle has 20 brightness settings, from extremely low light to full daylight. There’s also a quick detach lever that mounts to most 1-inch pistol rails, as well as Weaver rails on a rifle. This isn’t always on sight, but it does automatically shut down after 4 to 8 hours depending on your settings. When the battery is low, the reticle will flicker on startup.

Pros

• Holographic sight with 1 MOA reticle
• Quick detach lever
• 20 brightness settings
• 10-year warranty
• Auto shutdown

Cons

• Expensive

Why It’s Recommended

The EOTech EXPS2 is a holographic sight, which means it’s made to be as accurate as a red dot gets. It’s well worth the price.

6. Holosun

The Holosun HS510C is one of the most affordable holographic sights on the market. It has a dual reticle system, with a small, 2 MOA dot surrounded by a 65 MOA ring. Depending on what kind of shooting your doing, you can use the dot, the ring, or both at the same time. The same LED projects both the dot and the ring, so you don’t need to zero them separately.

This site takes a CR2032 battery, and a single battery gives you up to 50,000 hours of use at low light settings. It also has a solar power supply on top, so you won’t drain any battery at all when you’re using it in broad daylight.

The Holosun HS510C quickly locks on to any M-Lok rail, but the locking cams are loose and tend to move around unless you lock them down very tightly. The sight overall shifts under intense recoil, so don’t expect it to stay zeroed if you’re using it on a high-powered firearm.

Pros

• Affordable holographic sight
• Solar power saves your battery
• 50,000-hour battery life
• Multiple reticle options

Cons

• Doesn’t stay zeroed
• Flimsy locking cams

Why It’s Recommended

You won’t find a decent holographic sight any cheaper than the Holosun HS510C, and the solar power supply is a nice add-on.

7. EOTECH 512

The EOTech 512 sight is another holographic design with two reticles. You can use the 1 MOA dot, the 68 MOA ring or both, depending on what range your target is at. It also has an impressive 20 brightness settings, making it ideal for use in virtually any light.

This sight mounts on a standard Weaver rail, as well as MIL-STD 1913 rails and most Picatinny rails. Mounting it takes some time since there’s no latch, but once it’s installed you won’t need to mess with it.

The AA batteries are easy to replace since the battery compartment can be opened without the need to remove the scope. They have limited battery life, around 600 to 1000 hours, but AAs are inexpensive, and the 512 shuts down automatically after 4 or 8 hours depending on your settings, preventing you from wasting a pair.

Check out our detailed review of the EOTech 512 sight here. 

Pros

• 1 MOA dot and 68 MOA ring reticles
• Holographic sight
• 20 brightness settings
• Takes AA batteries
• Auto shutdown

Cons

• Limited battery life

Why It’s Recommended

This is another high-quality holographic sight from EOTech. It will put your bullets exactly where you want them.

8. Trijicon Miniature

The Trijicon MRO-C is one of the most durable red dot sights we’ve seen, and the shock resistance is out of this world. Drops, bumps, and high recoil won’t knock it off zero. The aircraft-grade aluminum housing is tough enough that you don’t need to worry about dinging it.

The 2 MOA dot is extremely accurate once it’s zeroed in, and it has 8 brightness settings, including 2-night vision settings and an ultra-bright setting. The battery is rated for 5 years of continuous use, and is easy to change. Best of all, it’s a CR2032, so you can pick up a replacement for a couple of bucks at the corner store.

Our only complaint is the glass itself. We don’t know the cause, but it has some pretty severe red glare when the sun is behind you.

Pros

• Durable and shock-resistant
• 8 brightness settings
• 5 years of battery life
• Easy to change CR2032 battery
• Accurate 2 MOA dot

Cons

• Glass has some glare

Why It’s Recommended

The Trijicon MRO-C is a durable sight that takes a lickin’ and keeps on kickin’, and the battery lasts for years.

9. Feyachi

The Feyachi Reflex Sight is the cheapest sight on our list. It’s useful for target shooting, but it can’t handle the recoil of a heavier gun, which makes it inadvisable for anything larger than a .22. Like other inexpensive sights, it’s not very durable, so be careful about banging into anything or the reticle will get knocked off zero.

One thing it’s great for is air guns. Most air guns with rails have Picatinny rails, and that’s what the Feyachi mounts to. This sight has multiple reticle options: a dot, a circle, or both, and they can appear in red or green depending on your settings.

The CR2032 battery is cheap and easy to replace. It lasts for up to 10,000 hours, which isn’t terribly impressive. But what do you expect from a cheap sight? At the end of the day, the Feyachi gets the job done for pennies on the dollar compared to a more rugged sight.

Pros

• Multiple reticle options
• Extremely inexpensive
• Includes Picatinny rail mount
• Easy to change CR2032 battery

Cons

• Not very durable
• Limited recoil resistance

Why It’s Recommended

The Feyachi Reflex Sight is a cheap sight for recreational shooting. It’s also good for air guns.

10. Sig Sauer Compact

The Sig Sauer SOR52001 is made specifically for pistols. It comes with 2 Picatinny mounts of different heights, so depending on your preferences you can either have co-witness or not. It can technically be mounted on rifles and shotguns, but we wouldn’t recommend it for long-range use. While the reticle is small at 2 MOA, it’s more of a smear than a dot, and may obscure long-range targets.

That said, this is a high-quality, affordable sight. It’s motion-activated, so it’s ideal for home defense or concealed carry use. The battery lasts up to 40,000 hours, which is impressive for an inexpensive sight. It also has 10 brightness settings, for use in a variety of lighting conditions.

Pros

• 2 MOA reticle
• 10 brightness settings
• 2 Picatinny mounts
• Motion activated
• 40,000 hour battery life
• Affordable

Cons

• Red dot is blurry

Why It’s Recommended

This Sig Sauer SOR52001 is a purpose-built pistol sight. Use it for that purpose, and you won’t be disappointed.

11. AT3 LEOS

The AT3 Tactical LEOS is a nifty, dual-purpose red dot sight that also has an integrated laser sight. You can use the 2 MOA reticle for precision shooting, or use the laser for close-range shots. The Picatinny and Weaver mounting hardware makes this sight versatile enough to mount on almost any rifle or pistol.

The Tactical LEOS is rugged and durable, with an aircraft-grade aluminum housing and enough shock resistance to mount on even high-caliber pistols and shotguns. Our only complaint is that the laser sight flickers with high recoil. This isn’t a deal-breaker, but it’s annoying.

Pros

• 2 MOA reticle
• 50,000-hour battery life
• Integrated laser sight
• Picatinny and Weaver mounting hardware
• Impact and recoil resistant

Cons

• Laser sight is finicky

Why It’s Recommended

The AT3 Tactical LEOS is a dual-purpose sight. Use the reticle for long-range shots, or use the laser sight for close-range shots.

Key Considerations

If this is your first red dot sight, you probably have some questions. Let’s go over some of the basics of red dots so you can better understand what you’re getting into.

Types of Red Dot Sights

There are three main varieties of red dot sights, and they all work a little differently. Before you make an investment, you’ll want to understand the differences between them.

Reflex Sights

Reflex sights are a great choice for snap shooting, but that’s not why they’re called reflex sights. Reflex is actually short for reflector. They work by projecting an LED onto a lens, which shows up as a dot when you look through the scope. Because the lens is designed to reflect the LED back at you, it makes your target look a little darker, just like looking through a one-way mirror.

Some of these sights are fully contained in a cylinder, and look like a short optical scope. Others have an open design, with an exposed LED and a rectangular lens. The contained design can be a little slower for snap shooting, but is less prone to environmental hazards, like rain or dirt obscuring the LED, which can be a concern on open designs.

The main advantage of reflex sights is that the dot will always be in the same spot, no matter what angle you’re looking through the sight from. This is what makes them ideal for snap shooting. You can quickly bring your weapon to bear and fire it, without having to look through the sight just right.

The disadvantage is that there’s no way to adjust for bullet drop, so they’re generally used for short to medium-range shooting.

Prismatic Sights

Prismatic sights are built similarly to a traditional scope, but they have a reticle etched in the glass, which is illuminated with fiber-optics. Because of this, they can include additional features, like MOA indicators and hashes for bullet drop. In a pinch, they can usually be used without power, since the reticle etching in the lens will still be visible in most light. They can also provide magnification for longer-range shooting.

They also have parallax issues if they have magnification. This means that the reticle will move around depending on what angle you look through the sight at, and is a standard “feature” of all-optical sights.

Holographic Sights

Holographic sights are a relatively recent invention and are only manufactured by a handful of companies. For this reason, you’ll tend to pay more for them than you will for other types of sight.

We’re not physicists, but the gist of their design is this: they record the image that’s viewed through the sight, and display it on the screen, along with a holographic image of the reticle. Depending on the design, the reticle can appear up close or can display as if it’s directly on top of the target.

These sights don’t have magnification, but they do have the same anti-parallax feature of a reflex sight, meaning you can look through them at any angle. The reticle can also be smaller and finer than a red dot, slightly improving accuracy.

Holographic sights tend to be more expensive than other red dot sights, and for 90 percent of people, they’re not worth the money. Military, law enforcement, and competitive target shooters should give them a serious look, though, since even a tiny accuracy boost can make a huge difference in those applications.

Benefits of Red Dot Sights

So why would you use a red dot sight as opposed to a scope or iron sights? There are a few reasons, some of which we’ve already touched on.

Eye Relief

Eye relief means that there’s no maximum distance from your eyes to the sight. If you’ve ever tried to look through an optical sight from more than a few inches away, you’ve probably experienced this, but it can be an issue with iron sights, too.

No Parallax

We’ve talked about this already, but it’s a huge advantage. This is particularly true for couples who share a gun. If you’re using an optical sight, it needs to be zeroed in specifically for you, so it’s accurate when you look through with your cheek resting on the stock.

Field of View

To use an optical or iron sight, you need to close one eye. This limits your field of view and situational awareness. It’s not a huge downside for long-distance shooters or hunters, but in life and death situations situational awareness can be even more important than accuracy.

Features to Look For

Even red dot sights with the same basic design can have different features that make a difference in their effectiveness. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Batteries

Like other electronics, most red dot sights require batteries. If you’re buying a cheap one, you’re going to get whatever you get, but for more expensive sights, make sure there are replacement batteries available. The last thing you want is to spend a few hundred dollars on a sight, only to have the battery die after a few years and find out there’s no replacement available.

There are a few models of reflex sight that don’t require batteries. Instead, they use a mixture of tritium and phosphorus to illuminate their LED.

These sights never need to be turned off or recharged, but when they die, they’re dead for good. Some manufacturers offer replacements, but the cost of a tritium cartridge can be almost as much as the sight itself. They’re good for about 10 years, though, so this isn’t a major concern.

Co-Witness

Co-witness means the sight is set up so that your iron sights are visible through the viewport. This can be irritating since it can obscure some of your targets. However, it can be a lifesaver if your battery fails. Do you really want to miss a ten-point buck because your battery decided to crap out at the last minute?

Having co-witness is sort of like carrying a map and compass along with your GPS. You hope you’ll never need to use it, but if you do, you’ll be glad you had it.

Reticle Size

Reticles on red dot sights are measured in minutes of angle (MOA). These range from 2 MOA all the way up to 16 MOA. Some sights are even adjustable, allowing you to change reticles with the push of a button.

The smaller your reticle, the less of your target it will obscure, and the more accurately you’ll be able to shoot. On the other hand, small reticles can be hard to see when there’s a lot of ambient light and can take longer to line up. A large reticle obscures more but is easily visible and quick to line up.

As a rule of thumb, the longer-range your shooting at, the smaller your reticle can be. Conversely, when you’re shooting at a closer target, it’s best to go with a large reticle that’s easier to see and line up.

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, there’s a lot more to choosing a red dot sight than just finding “the best”.

First, you’ll need to consider how you’re going to use your sight. Are you a competitive target shooter or a police officer? In this case, it can be worth investing extra money in a holographic sight. Are you a hunter? In this case, any sight will do, as long as it’s durable enough to get jostled and bumped while you’re walking through the woods.

Are you a casual target shooter? Get something less expensive. Three-gun shooters and people who are concerned about home defense will appreciate the quick aim time of a reflex sight.

You’ll also need to find a sight that mounts on your firearm. Picatinny and M-Lok mounted sights will only mount on their respective rails. Sights with a Weaver base have a slight advantage; they’ll mount on either a Weaver or Picatinny rail. Regardless, you’ll need to buy one that’s compatible with your gun, unless you want to change your gun’s rail.

Depending on what you’re doing, you may want to have a sight that’s set up for co-witness. Consider your applications here, as well. Losing your sights may be a matter of life and death, or it may just be a minor inconvenience. Check out the OutdoorWorld Reviews homepage for more!