Top 10 Red Dot Sights 2020

Red dot Sights are the perfect tool for balancing rapid target acquisition with precision accuracy. Even with varying cheek-to-stock welds and shooting positions, you can make more consistent shot placement, and shoot from unconventional positions. These sights lack the issues that the magnified optics have like scope shadow, eye relief and parallax. Red dot and reflex sights from reputed manufacturers are easy-to-use, accessible, reliable, durable, and affordable.

Though they were originally designed for the battlefield, they are now one of the most sought after optical devices by the civilian shooting community. 

The market is flooded with numerous options but not all of them are best for you. While making the choice, always keep in mind that you should buy the device that works best for you.

10 Best Red Dot Sights to Buy in 2020: Quick Look

Our list of top 10 red dot sights will help you identify the right red dot sight that is best suited for your hunting or shooting.

Best Red Dot Sights in 2020: Detailed Review

Let’s take a closer look at the best red dot sights for the year 2020-21:

Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen II 1 MOA Holographic Sight

Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen II 1 MOA Red Dot EBR-CQB Holographic Sight provides you with an incredibly fast holographic display, four night-vision compatible settings, a dedicated night-vision button, a large viewing window, lightning-quick EBR-CQB reticle, and FHQ technology that virtually eliminates stray light emissions for stealth shooting. This sight will light your way as they say duty never sleeps.

Who Should Buy?

Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen II Holographic Sight is a compact and lightweight tactical holographic sight that is best for close-quarters combat situations. It is best for combat operations and law enforcement professionals. Although these optics are a great option for use on a self defense firearm for civilians as well.

What’s so Special?

• FHQ Technology: Vortex Optics has incorporated the innovative FHQ technology in Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen II Sights. It eliminates stray light emissions for stealth-shooter-signature in low light. This technology prevents eyepiece glare, which is common in most of the other holographic sights.

• Zero Image Distortion: Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen II provides you with zero distortion image, thereby providing you speed in the close-quarter shooting.

• EBR-CQB Reticle: This reticle is clean, highly versatile, and purpose-built so that you can engage targets optimally in a wide range of scenarios, especially close-quarter combat tactical shooting conditions.

• Larger Viewing Window: Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen 2 Holographic Sight comes with a larger viewing window in comparison to its first-generation Vortex AMG UH-1. It enables you to maneuver this sleek, door-kicker faster.

• Night Vision Compatibility: This second-generation holographic sight from Vortex Optics comes with 4 night-vision (NV) settings and a dedicated NV button. Allowing you to use this optic in conjunction with night vision devices, which is a large need for military and police units. The dedicated NV button is designed to help shooters make the adjustment faster day and night.

• 15 Illumination Brightness Setting: Vortex Optics has incorporated 15 levels of brightness settings for the illumination (with 1 MOA dot size surrounded by a  65 MOA circle reticle).

• Compact and Lightweight Design: It weighs just 11 oz and the dimension is 3.9” x 2.1” x 2.7” (99 x 53.3 x 68.6 mm). This compact and lightweight design makes it easier for the combat and law enforcement professionals to maneuver easily and comfortably in close-quarter situations.

• Unlimited, Unconditional, & Lifetime Warranty: Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen II AMG-HS02 comes with VIP (Very Important Promise) Warranty. It is fully transferable and no receipt is needed to avail the VIP warranty.

Pros

• Outstanding vision in CQB situations

• Night vision compatibility expands your horizon of combat shooting, enabling you to carry out close-quarter operations day and night

• Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen II sight gives you 15 daylight illumination settings and 4 separate night vision settings

• Amazing field of view

• Very clear and extremely bright reticle

• Parallax free

• American made glass

• Easy connection system (QD picatinny mount) enables you to fit nicely on the top or side of your AR rifles (especially AR-15s such as CA-15, FN 15, M15, and many more)

• Fantastic warranty program

Cons

• It comes with an MSRP of $799.99, which may scare some off. However, on sale you may buy it at around $500 on sale. The price may be on the higher side but the quality and features this combat sight brings with itself is truly amazing and worth every penny.

• Provides around 1,500 hours of operation on the medium brightness setting, which is not up to the mark when compared with its peers.

Specifications

Videos

Vortex Venom 6 MOA Red Dot Sight

Vortex Venom 6 MOA Red Dot VMD-3106 is a low-profile, rugged aluminum housing red dot sight that provides you with a wide field of view, sight picture, and clearly visible 6 MOA red dot. If you are looking for an affordable and good quality mini red dot, Vortex Venom VMD-3106 may be a fitting option for you.

It comes with an excellent battery life, noted at 150 hours on highest setting. Although, on a lower setting the battery can last for up to 30,000 hours. Vortex Venom Red Dot is also available in another variant having 3 MOA red dot.  For those who are unsure or just getting started on the idea of utilizing a red dot sight on a pistol, this may be a great option.

Who should Buy?

Vortex Venom Red Dot Sight is an entry-mid level mini red dot sight. You can use it on both long guns, handguns, pistols, shotguns, and carbines. It would work excellently as a solution to sighting if what you are looking for is a low profile, lightweight red dot.  This red dot offers you all of the advantages of other red dot sights on the market, just in a small affordable package.

What’s so Special?

Venom is one of the bestselling mini red dot sights having overwhelming positive reviews. It has preceded expectations of most hunters and range shooters. Let’s check some of the special features of this red dot sight.

• 6 MOA Bright Red Dot: 6 MOA dot has made this red dot sight more versatile than the 3 MOA variant. While 3 MOA dots are more suitable for long guns, 6 MOA make it appropriate for all kinds of firearms including handguns and pistols. Although, if you are experienced in using red dots on handguns I would suggest a 3 MOA reticle for a more refined aiming point.

• Excellent Glass: Vortex Venom 6 MOA Red Dot comes with an excellent glass, which is comparable to the benchmarks in its class. Its glass and lens coatings are similarly efficient and effective as Vortex Viper Red Dot and Burris Fastfire IV/ Fastfire III.

• Replace Battery without Unmounting Sight: You don’t have to unmount your Venom Red Dot Sight to replace battery. This sight does away with the hassle of re-zeroing everytime you change the battery.

• 10 Auto/Manual Brightness Settings: You can adjust the brightness level of the red dot either automatically or manually. There are 10 brightness settings in Vortex Venom.
  The auto brightness feature is an addition in Venom over Vortex Viper. Burris FastFire 3 also comes with an auto brightness feature but it has just 3 brightness settings in comparison to Venom’s 10 brightness settings.
  The auto-brightness-adjustment feature is extremely helpful when you go out to the range for a whole day or a place having lots of shadows and different lightings. However, you can change from auto brightness to manual mode by pressing and holding “Up” arrow until the dot flashes twice.

• Extremely Lightweight: Venom weighs just 1.1 oz. This red dot sight is very compact and lightweight, making it perfect for handguns or lighter weight rifle builds.

• Large Field of View: Vortex Venom 6 MOA VMD-3106 and Vortex Venom 3 MOA VMD-3103 come with one of the biggest field of views in their category. In terms of Width x Height, the viewing glass of Vortex Venom is 26.4mm x 16mm, which is larger than its peers such as Vortex Viper and Burris FastFire 3. The Leupold Deltapoint Pro and the Trijicon SRO are also pistol optic options with very large fields of view.

• Superb Vortex Warranty: It comes with VIP (Very Important Promise) Warranty. It is fully transferable and no receipt is needed to avail the VIP warranty.

Pros

• It is lightweight and compact, making it easy to maneuver with your hunting, range guns, ARs, shotguns, or pistols.

• Vortex Venom 6 MOA Red Dot comes with 6 MOA red dot, enabling you to acquire targets faster (If you are looking for precise shots at longer distances, you can choose Vortex Venom 3 MOA Red Dot Sights VMD-3103 having 3 MOA red dot).

• The red dot is sharp and bright (irrespective of which model you choose: VMD-3106 or VMD-3103).

• It comes with auto brightness settings, making it easier to use on field, irrespective of the prevailing lighting conditions.

• You can change the CR 1632 battery without having the need to unmount or re-zero the sight.

• The battery life is 150 hours to 30,000 hours, depending upon the brightness setting you choose.

• While on rifles you will likely be mounting this dot to picatinny rail, pistols may have to be custom milled or milled for the factory and mounted using plate systems.

• VIP Warranty on Vortex Venom 6 MOA Red Dot VMD-3106 gives you unlimited, unconditional, and lifetime warranty, giving you another reason to buy this red dot sight.

Cons

• Vortex Venom is not a SHTF survival grade, heavy duty red dot sight. That’s why it is not recommended for combat use. However, it is perfect for hunting and target shooting. If you are looking for SHTF grade red dot sight, you can choose a higher budget product (higher than $250) such as Trijicon RMR (Type 2) Sights, the new Trijicon RMRcc Sights, or Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen II Sights.

Specifications

Videos

Sig Sauer Romeo 5 Red Dot Sight

This electro-optic from Sig Sauer comes with a proprietary Motion Activated Illumination (MOTAC) feature, which helps in increasing battery life. It comes with a solid aluminum design that gives you years of peak performance. You can mount Romeo 5 on any platform of your choice, making this sight more versatile for use.

Who should Buy?

Sig Sauer Romeo 5 Red Dot Sight is a robust 1x aiming solution for any situation. It is best for all types of shooters including competitive shooters, hunters, law enforcement, and military.

What’s so Special?

Sig Sauer Romeo 5 Compact Red Dot Sights are available in 2 variants: 1×20 mm and 1×20 mm TREAD. While Sig Sauer Romeo 5 1×20 mm model can be used with most firearm models, Sig Sauer Romeo 5 1×20 mm TREAD is specifically meant for the SIG M400 TREAD model.

• MOTAC: MOTAC (Motion Activated Illumination) feature enables the sight to get activated through motion sensing technology. This proprietary feature extends your sight’s battery life by powering up illumination when it senses motion or powering down illumination when it doesn’t sense motion. The reticle illumination turns off when the motion sensing technology senses no motion for 2 minutes. This is a huge aid in conserving battery life as well as ensuring the optic has a battery life that is respectable and trustworthy.

• SPECTRACOAT: Sig Sauer has incorporated a lens coating that is highly efficient, anti-reflection, and ultra-wide broadband. You’ll get superior light transmission as the lens coatings reduce surface reflections to extremely low levels throughout the entire visible spectrum.

• STEALTH ID: Sig Sauer Romeo 5 1×20 mm Sight comes with leading electro-optics industrial design having deflection armor trapezoidal surfacing. A unique function is added to the forms, thanks to the breaking up of the shape and optic visibility, pistol slide serrations, and grip checkering.

• Extremely Light and Compact: This Sig Sauer sight weighs in just at 5.1 oz, which is very light.  This goes to show why many shooters choose to outfit their rifles with red dots instead of magnified options. Therefore, managing your firearm while shooting on the move or from unconventional positions, the attached ROMEO 5 sight will be smooth and easy to operate.
  It comes as a tightly packed design, which includes its battery placement, adjustment for windage and elevation and included low and high-riser mounts. Romeo 5 1×20 mm Sight comes with an already attached elevated mount, saving your time on clipping it to your firearm.

• Highly Durable: When it comes to using this optic in adverse conditions and extreme weather (including dangerous and damp ones), the Romeo 5 holds its mettle. This sight comes with IPX-7-rated optic, waterproof/fogproof, and durable body. No matter how bad the shooting conditions are, you will always be able to get the best out of your Sig Sauer Romeo 5 1×20 mm Sight. Thanks to the rigorous torture test they have been through, you’ll always get the best out of this sight.

• 10 Adjustable Illumination Settings: Sig Sauer Romeo 5 Red Dot Sight comes with 10 user-adjustable  illumination settings (8 daylight and 2 Night Vision) for its reticle brightness. Depending upon the available lighting condition, a user can adjust illumination of the red dot for visibility in all lighting conditions.

• Anti-reflection Optics: These Romeo 5 Red Dot sights from Sig Sauer come with anti-reflection optics, which helps you to see more clearly in all kinds of lighting conditions, including the low-light ones. That’s why this sight is compatible with night vision devices.

• Affordability: When compared to other leading optical sights in its class, the Sig Sauer Romeo 5 Red Dot Sight provides you with an optical device that provides you with many more advanced features than its fellow competitors. This high-quality sight series is available within the price range from $150 to $250.

• Infinite Guarantee & 5 Year Warranty: All Electro-Optics of Sig Sauer comes with Infinite Guarantee, which is fully transferable, unlimited, and lifetime guarantee. A 5-year warranty (from manufacturing date) is also available on all electronic components that are not covered by infinite guarantee. It includes defects in materials and workmanship in the electronic and Tritium components.

Pros

• When you are on a range shooting or hunting expedition, you can enjoy the long life of this Sig Sauer red dot. This extraordinarily long battery life is due to the MOTAC feature.
  It enhances battery life by powering up illumination when sensing motion or powering down illumination when not sensing motion. Depending upon the model you choose, you can get upto a massive 50,000 hours of battery life.

• Availability of multifarious reticles (with varying center dot colors)

• With Sig Sauer Romeo 5 Compact Red Dot Sight 1X20MM 2 MOA Red Dot 0.5 MOA Adj M1913 BLACK SOR52001 in hand, you can carry out shooting and hunting in all kinds of extreme conditions including intense shooting practices at more challenging locations.

• You can replace the battery easily as it is located on the right hand side along with the illumination setting buttons.

• There is a wide array of mounts that you can use with this sight. Whether Aimpoint T1 or H1 micro mounts, you can use a multitude of aftermarket mounts as per your preference and needs. You can also add things like quick detach mounting.

• Infinite Guarantee along with 5 Year Warranty makes the deal sweeter.

Cons

• The MOTAC function may be distracting for some shooters, especially in case of unexpected encounters. You may find the illumination off in case you encounter an unexpected situation.
  However, most shooters will not even notice this aspect because it will turn on before the shooter even cheeks the rifle. The slightest motion like picking the rifle up or budging it even one inch will cause the optic to turn on.

Specifications

Videos

EOTech XPS3 Red Dot Holographic Weapon Sight

EOTech has a long history in producing optics used in both combat, law enforcement as well as self defense.  EOTech XPS 3 Holographic Red Dot Sight is one of the shortest and lightest Holographic Weapon Sights (HWS) of EOTech. Its night vision compatibility adds to its extreme versatility and these types of functions are now industry standard for military grade optics. Its compact size and front-mounted single CR123a battery leaves plenty of space for using night vision devices, magnifiers, and rear iron sights.

You can shoot with both eyes open and increased effectiveness as XPS 3 red dot sight comes with a robust viewfinder having a precise red dot. EOTECH HWS XPS3 Red Dot Sight is a durable and versatile unit that really shines in close quarters combat as the legendary eotech reticle allows for extremely fast sight aquisition. You can easily mount it on almost all shotguns, carbines, and rifles using EOTech’s included mount.

This red dot sight’s clear glass helps you get an excellent view of your targets and surroundings. With the help of this red dot, you can make target acquisition, target identification and accuracy even better.

Who should Buy?

EOTech XPS3-0 Holographic Sight is a robust red dot electronic optical sight that comes with a robust/protective metal housing and provides you with maximum speed. It is best for military use. You can use XPS3 in all types of confrontations and hunting purposes. It is best for use in the short range (0-50 meters or 0-164 feet) and medium range (up to 200 meters or over 650 feet).

This red dot sight is also used by customers for hog hunting in limited light or absolute darkness (by using it with a night vision sight, high powered flashlights such as PL79074 and PL79071, or Flip-To-Side magnifier).

What’s so Special?

EOTech XPS 3 Holographic Red Dot Sight provides you with two unique reticle patterns, both providing you with fast target acquisition and MOA accuracy at all ranges.

• Reticle Patterns
  A. 0 Reticle
  XPS3-0 comes with the most popular reticle pattern, consisting of a 68 MOA ring and a 1 MOA dot. This reticle pattern helps the shooter to quickly pick up and lock on a target. 0 Reticle pattern provides three usable aiming points, which are based on .223 cal. 62 gr. 2,900 vel. load.
  1. If you are using other loads and calibers, you’ve to establish the ranges that are associated with the aiming points.
  2. If you are using a shotgun, the shot patterns will be represented by the 68 MOA ring. However, shot patterns will vary on the basis of choke and shell selection.
  B. 2 Reticle
  XPS3-2 comes with a two-dot reticle pattern. Whether magnified or non-magnified, you can distinguish the dots easily. 2 Reticle pattern provides three usable aiming points, which are based on the .223 cal. 62 gr. 2,900 vel load.

• Multiple Brightness Options: EOTECH HWS XPS3 Red Dot Sight provides you with multiple brightness options for Standard mode as well as Night Vision mode. No matter which shooting situation you are in, you can always adjust the reticle brightness as per your needs.

• Estimate Range without Magnification: In most rings, the standard ring equates to around 68″ (5’8″) at 100 yards.

• Fire Control Issues Solved with many Weapon Platforms and Applications: The 2 Reticle in EOTech Holographic Sight XPS3-2 having two red dots solves many fire control issues for a wide array of weapon platforms and applications.

Pros

• EOTech XPS 3 is a robust HWS and has a metal housing with waterproof performance, making it perfect for military use.

• Provides high end optical performance.

• EOTech XPS 3 Holographic Red Dot Sights are compact and lightweight sights that take up very little space, allowing you to add accessories such as NV scopes, flashlights, and other accessories on your firearm.

• This holographic weapon sight from EOTech has one of the best field of views among all available holographic sights.

• XPS3-0 and XPS3-2 sights come with many brightness adjustments, available for both daylight and night vision modes.

• It is one of the truly parallax free optics on the market, an essential aspect of a reflex sight.

• EOTech has made it a clear open sight, allowing you for co-witnessed sightings as well as rapid target acquisition.

• It is made in the USA.

Cons

• The clear glass is beneficial in target identification as well as taking shots at a longer distance. Though it gives you an excellent view of your targets and enhances your target acquisition ability, some may complain about glare on the target. However, it may not be a big issue in case of combat or hog hunting expeditions in the short to medium distances.

• Battery life is also not up to par with other options on the market, although many shooters prefer the clear glass and reticle over increased battery performance.

Specifications

Videos

Holosun HS507C-X2 Multi-Reticle Circle Dot Sight

HS507C is an open reflex Micro Red Dot Sight (MRDS) that is designed for pistols although it will work with shotguns, and rifles. You can enjoy an unrestricted view at all times, thanks to the large lens and a minimalistic design. These sights come with Holosun’s Super LED, Shake Awake feature, Multi-Reticle System, an amazing 50k hours of continuous battery life, Solar Failsafe, Lock Mode, and 12 brightness settings (10 daylight and 2 night vision compatible). 

All these features decrease your target acquisition time and always stay on target. The best part is that you get such a feature-loaded and useful open reflex MRDS at a price, which is much lower than the high-end red dot sights in the category. It is an excellent value for money.

Who should Buy?

Holosun HS507C-X2 Multi-Reticle Circle Dot Sight is best for competition shooters, shooters looking to mount a red dot to their pistols for self defense, law enforcement, and customers who are trying to get acquainted with red dot usage on handguns. It is best used for use with pistols (slide mounted) but these would also work well as a lightweight option on a subgun or carbine.

What’s so Special?

• Power: 50K Battery Life & Solar FailSafe: One of the best things about HS507C X2 is the battery life. This red dot sight is powered by a CR2032 battery, whose battery life is more than 50,000 hours (at brightness setting 6).
  The manufacturer has also incorporated a proprietary, innovative Solar FailSafe technology in this red dot sight. This feature comes in handy especially when the battery fails. With the Solar FailSafe feature, you get a bright reticle when under the sun. However, the level of brightness automatically dims down to match ambient lighting conditions when you move indoors.

• Shake Awake Technology: This technology ensures that during prolonged periods of motionlessness, the LED shuts off. You can program the period of motionlessness after which the LED gets deactivated or enters Sleep Mode. You can reactivate the LED at Holosun HS507C-X2 instantly at the slightest movement. In certain models, this technology can also be deactivated completely so that the sight remains powered on for up to 100k hours.

• Multiple Reticle System (MRS): The MRS system in Holosun HS507C-X2 helps you to turn on or turn off certain sections of the reticle as per the shooting type or job at hand. You can select from a:
  1. Precision 2 MOA dot only,
  2. 65 MOA open circle, and
  3. Fast-acquisition 2 MOA and 65 MOA circle-dot reticle
  

• Super LEDs: You’ll get a versatile range of intensity for varying light conditions (right from the brightest environments to no-light situations), thanks to the Holosun Super LEDs. Three colors are available: red, green, and gold.
  You can choose high luminous efficiency by choosing green and gold colors as humans eyes are more sensitive and comfortable to these colors. The Super Green LED in Holosun HS507C-X2 is more power efficient at high brightness settings and is more suitable for people who find it difficult to see in the red dot spectrum.

• Multilayer Reflective Glass: Holosun Technology has incorporated a glass that comes with high reflectivity, little phase difference, and multilayer coatings. It provides you with a bright and crisp sight picture.

Pros

• Holosun HS507C-X2 Multi-Reticle Circle Dot Sight is definitely one of the best red dot sights available in the market currently. Some believe it to beat even the robust Trijicon RMR sights on all parameters.

• Zero holds perfectly all along. You have to set it only once initially and enjoy its zero hold all along. Even when changing batteries, the optic’s zero is not lost.

• It comes with a hybrid power supply including both battery and solar cells. The battery life is amazing, which is up to 50,000 hours with just one battery. Even if the battery fails, the Solar FailSafe feature gets it going and you’ll never lose your dot under the sunlight.

• The multiple reticle design is helpful in many ways.
  1. The Circle Dot reticle, is helpful for new dot shooters and also for those who want to shoot close at small targets for mechanical offset. This is also a great training tool to help new shooters learn to acquire the sight.
  2. The 2MOA center dot reticle is perfect for use in all locations, both in sunlit day and in indoor locations. This dot comes handy during 25-yard B-8 practices. Once you use it under direct sunlight, it gets brighter and helps you take aim better. In fact, the 2 MOA dot is crispier than that of the 3.25 MOA dot of Trijicon RMR RM06.

• The window of Holosun HS507C-X2 is amazing, especially when compared with that of RMR’s, which has a bluish window.

• Holosun HS507c utilizes the same blueprint for mounting as Trijicon RMR, the most popular pistol mounted red dot. Also, HS507c is a much more affordable option than the more popular Trijicon RMR, thereby providing you with more features for the money.

• The battery is placed through a tray on the right side, which means that you don’t have to remove the optic to replace the battery, negating the step of rezeroing when changing batteries out.

Cons

• There is hardly any negative aspect associated with this sight.

Specifications

Videos

Not Available at the moment. However, you can get a fair idea about the optic by having a look at the sight from the same family – Holosun HS507C.

Trijicon SRO Reflex Sight

The Trijicon SRO (Specialized Reflex Optic) Reflex Sight provides you with a maximized field of view along with a clean, crisp red dot. These features make it easy for you to find and track the dot in both target and competitive shooting applications.

SRO comes with Trijicon’s legendary technology, which enables it to have an extremely crisp reticle, common mounting pattern and great battery life. This Trijicon reflex sight improves both shooting accuracy and speed.

Other important features of Trijicon SRO are manual/automatic LED brightness modes, a top-loading CR2032 battery providing you with a 3-year battery life (at setting 4 of 8), button “lock-in” and “lock-out” mode, waterproof up to 10 feet (3 meters), and durable 7075, T-6 forged aircraft grade aluminum housing.

Who should Buy?

A shooter looking for improved pistol accuracy in competitive-shooting and target-shooting applications should buy Trijicon SRO. It can also be used with a wide array of firearms including pistol, carbine, shotgun, and rifle applications.

Whether you are a hardcore plinker, competition shooter all-around gun enthusiast, or even hunter, you can use Trijicon SRO with ease and precision. Trijicon has manufactured it with the competition shooters in mind. Its ruggedness standard is close to that of Trijicon RMR sights.

What’s so Special?

• Large Viewing Window with Parallax-Free, Unobstructive Field Of View: A lot of shooters will love this red dot sight because it comes with a large viewing window. It makes it super easy for you to make the initial acquisition. During rapid fire situations, you can take faster follow up shots as the red dot will never leave the optics window.
  The sight window measures .98 x.89 inches and the Field of View (FOV) is impressively large. These features make Trijicon SRO sights perfect to make faster follow up shots during rapid-fire situations.

• Robust Construction, Compact, and Lightweight: Trijicon has manufactured SRO red dot sights from 7075-T6 forged aluminum alloy.The 7075 aluminum has been tempered by T6 in this sight, thereby providing the users with double the tensile strength as the untempered 7075 aluminum.
  This robust sight is just 2.2 inches long and 1.4 inches high, making Trijicon SRO virtually unnoticeable even when it is mounted on a pistol. Though this sight makes for a tough sight chassis, the manufacturer has still succeeded in keeping it lightweight. SRO weighs just 1.6 oz.

• Clear and Crisp Red Dot: Trijicon SRO Red Dot Sights come with clear, crisp, and illuminated red dots so that you always get a crisp dot with a clear sight picture.
  1. SRO1 model comes with 1.0 MOA Red Dot
  2. SRO2 model comes with 2.5 MOA Red Dot
  3. SRO3 model comes with 5 MOA Red Dot
  
  It is important to note that Trijicon has incorporated both manual and auto-brightness reticle modes. There are 8 brightness settings in the manual mode,which includes two night vision modes and one super bright mode.

• Amazing Battery Life & Easy to Remove Battery: Trijicon SRO sights are powered by a single, top loaded CR2032 Lithium coin battery, which has a 3-year long battery life. In fact, you don’t have to dismount this optical device from the pistol to change the battery, making it faster and easy to remove. An even better outcome of this design is that it negates the step of rezeroing after changing batteries because you do not have to dismount the optic at all.

• Simple and Easy Sight Operation: Trijicon has placed two side-mounted buttons on the SRO sight for on/off brightness settings. The button placement has made it easier and faster to use in all field and weather conditions. Trijicon SRO Sight can be mounted easily on the firearms, thanks to the base that is used on RMR. The elevation and windage are easy to adjust. The toolless design makes sure that zeroing is hassle free.

Pros

• Large viewing window and field of view are its greatest advantages because it helps you to get some of the fastest dot acquisitions among red dots.

• 3-year long battery life makes it stand out of the rest in its category.

• Top-loading battery design makes it easy and fast to change batteries.

• The optics is very clear and the red dot (available in 3 sizes: 1 MOA, 2.5 MOA, and 5 MOA) is crisp, making it perfect for use in all applications from short-range to medium-range.

• 8 available brightness settings with “lock-in” and “lock-out” modes help you get the optimum reticle brightness in all light conditions. Trijicon SRO Sight is also compatible with two night vision brightness modes.

• Waterproofing up to 10 ft (3 m). You can use it with elan even in heavily moisture conditions.

• Trijicon SRO uses the same mounting blueprint as the RMR, which is definitely a huge beneficial aspect of SRO.

Cons

• When compared with the leading Trijicon RMR, you may find that SRO comes with a larger footprint than the RMR. Therefore, you may find it a problem when it comes to concealing the pistol with this optic.

Specifications

Videos

Leupold Freedom 1x34mm Red Dot Sight (RDS)

Leupold Freedom RDS models are meant to withstand rough and tumble conditions. The manufacturer has brought in two models in the Freedom RDS series. It is a higher quality entry level optic that comes from a leading manufacturer like Leupold. Freedom RDS provides you a great optic at a relatively affordable price.

While one comes with standard-MOA adjustments, the other with a bullet-drop-compensator (BDC) turret. You can mount Freedom RDS on AR Rifles with Leupold’s own AR mount.

These red dot sights from Leupold come with 1-MOA red dot, which is perfect for accuracy at longer distances. The best part is that it provides you with consistency and durability in extreme conditions.

Other important features of Leupold Freedom RDS models (180091 Standard Model, 180092 Standard Model w/ Mount, 180093 BDC Model w/ Mount) are Twilight Red Dot System, Motion Sensor Technology (MST), unlimited eye relief, scratch-resistant lenses, 1/4 moa click adjustments, 8 illumination settings (Push Button Illumination Control), and many more. 6061 T6 forged aluminum housing, waterproofing feature, and beefy 34mm main tube give Leopold the required robustness to withstand any extreme environment.

Who should Buy?

This US-built red dot sight is an all-purpose, optical device that can be used with AR rifles for personal defense, hunting (including big games), law enforcement, recreational sports, and many more. Leupold Freedom RDS can withstand extreme punishment and is waterproof, helping you to use it even in swamps and other extreme environments.

What’s so Special?

• Overall Optical Quality: Leupold Freedom Red Dot Sights (180091, 180092, 180093) provides you with high-quality optics and a wide field-of-view, usually found in sights or scopes having 1-inch objective lenses. The manufacturer has incorporated its own proprietary coating technology, known as Twilight Red Dot lens system. This technology provides users with a color consistency and lens clarity that is better than many other red dots.
  The quality glass along with coatings provide you with an image that comes with richer colors, better contrast for an HD image, and richer mid-tones. The coating on the glass gives you a color that gives a view similar to a light-shade polarizing filter.

• BDC & CDC-Style Turret: Leupold Freedom RDS 1×34 34mm 223 BDC 1.0 MOA Dot w/Mount Red Dot Sight Black 180093 comes with an exposed BDC elevation turret. This CDC-style turret has been tuned to a 55-grain .223 Rem. bullet traveling at 3,100 feet per second.
  BDC turrets make it simple to take shots especially when you are taking shots up to 500 yards. With the CDS-style turret on Leupold Freedom red dot sight, you simply have to range the target, turn the dial, and take aim to hit the target dead on.

• 1 MOA Red Dot: Leupold has incorporated a 1 MOA red dot, which gives you a definite aiming point and ultimately helps in taking precise shots and rapid target engagement. The best thing about the small dot is that it doesn’t obscure the target and also provides a wide field-of-view.
  

• Brightness Level Intensity: There are 8 available illumination settings, which helps users to easily view the red dot in all light conditions, right from low-light to mid-day sun. You can use the manual on/off button (which is also the Leupold logo button located on the side of the Freedom RDS sight) for shutting off the battery when the device is not in use. When the brightness reaches the maximum or minimum brightness level, it prompts you by blinking.

• Motion Sensor Technology (MST): Leupold has incorporated their battery-saving Motion Sensor Technology (MST) in the scope. It optimizes battery usage by putting the device into a battery-saving standby mode after 5-minutes of inactivity. The sight gets immediately activated when the MST detects motion.

• Eye for Detail & Excellent Layout: The layout of this red dot sight is amazing and is appreciated by all rifle shooters. You can adjust the ¼ MOA adjustment knobs with the help of a finger and no tools are required for making the adjustment. While the minute markings are done by large and easy-to-read numerals at 3 MOA intervals, the small quarter-minute markings are done at 1 MOA intervals. The total adjustment range (elevation/windage) on Leupold Freedom 1×34 RDS is 80 MOA.

• Compact and Ultralight Construction: Freedom RDS is just 5.5 inches long and weighs less than 7 oz. Leupold has given this sight a compact and ultra-lightweight construction, helping it to disperse recoil energy and thereby creating unrivaled durability. That’s why this red dot sight is the toughest in its class.

• AR Style Mount: Leupold has provided an AR-style mount (with two models: 180092 and 180093) that gives this sight the optimal height for AR-style rifles. However, you can always remove the mount provided and instead replace it with 34mm rings.

• Tactical Black Ring: The manufacturer has incorporated a new black ring design, which makes it look sleeker on AR-style platforms.

• Battery Life: You can enjoy up to 1,000 hours of battery life (at medium brightness setting on the scale of 1-to-8) on Leupold Freedom Red Dot Sights, thanks to the MST technology.

Pros

• Leupold Freedom RDS will provide you with a distinct advantage when you are either hunting or shooting for accuracy because they provide you with a clearer and richer image.

• The image you get with the help of Leupold Freedom is better than many other similarly priced red dots. While many other similarly priced red dots provide washed out views, Freedom RDS provides richer colors, mid-tones, and better contrast.

• The CDS-style BDC turret on Freedom RDS 180093 makes shot placement easy (especially up to 500 yards) as the shooter simply has to range the target, turn the dial, and take aim to hit the target.

• The Freedom RDS series is night vision compatible.

• Whether at the range or in the field, you will always enjoy unrivaled durability with Leupold Freedom RDS. This is because of its ultra-lightweight construction, Leupold’s legendary standards for ruggedness, steadfast performance, and amazing toughness.

Cons

• Though the view is very close to the natural surrounding, some may consider the light-shade polarizing filter unnecessary. However, there will be no viewing issue as Freedom RDS comes with a quality glass and Twilight Red Dot lens system for enhanced lens clarity and color consistency.

• Up to 1,000 hours of battery life is surely not adequate, especially when compared with the other leading optical sights.

• The aftermarket support could have been better.

Specifications

Videos

Trijicon RMRcc Red Dot Sight

Trijicon RMRcc is the new product series from Trijicon in 2020. The manufacturer has designed this optic with a thinner, lower-profile so that it fits a wide range of pistols for concealed carry. With the RMRcc red dot sight on your firearm, you can carry the combo confidently for improved accuracy, increased speed, and enhanced target focus. When split seconds matter during personal defense, RMRcc comes to your rescue by providing you with the perfect design that reduces the risk of snags for a faster and easier draw. While Trijicon RMRcc RDS CC07-C-3100002 comes with 6.5 MOA Red Dot, Trijicon RMRcc RDS CC06-C-3100001 comes with 3.25 MOA Red Dot. Both have adjustable LEDs.

RMRcc has been designed from the industry-leading Trijicon RMR Sight. With this new RMRcc red dot sight series (CC06-C-3100001 and CC07-C-3100002) on your pistol, you can get a single, crisp, clear aiming point superimposed on your target so that you can shoot more accurately. Once you zero in the device, the impact point of the bullet will be exactly at the same aim point where you see.

Who should Buy?

Trijicon RMRcc Red Dot Sights are best used with pistols for concealed carry. Specifically these optics were designed with single stack pistols in mind.  The original Trijicon RMR’s are too wide to fit naturally on single stack concealment guns.  This was Trijicon’s solution for small frame carry optics. Shooters looking for pistol sights for self defense, recreational sports, competition shooting, or target shooting can buy this device.

What’s so Special?

• Snag-Free Design, Amazing Durability, & Perfect for Concealed Carry: Trijicon has designed this red dot sight with a unique, patented housing shape, which increases durability to a large extent by diverting the force of an impact away from the lens. The slimmer and lower-profile design helps in easy and concealed carry. They have been especially designed for single stack pistols such as the glock 48, 48x, 43, M&P Shield, and Sig Sauer P365. In fact, the unique shape ensures that you are able to draw it easily during real-life situations during self defense or recreational sports.

• Crisp Red Dot: Trijicon has incorporated their RMRcc red dot sights with crisp 3.25 or 6.5 MOA red dots. This illuminated aiming point keeps your focus on the target And at the same time enables you to shoot with both eyes open.
  

• True-color, Multi-coated Lens: The manufacturer has incorporated a wide-band of light transmission so that there is least possible change in the color of the target area.

• Complete User-control Illumination Settings: You’ll get 8 user-controlled brightness settings, which includes one super bright mode and two night vision modes.

• Upgraded Electronics: Trijicon has upgraded their electronics and also the ruggedized battery contacts so that performance and survivability are ensured even in harsh environments.

• “Lock-in” and “Lock-out” Mode Buttons: Both these modes ensure that the user-chosen brightness setting remains secured indefinitely. This is especially important for the competition and target shooters. “Lock-in” and “Lock-out” also helps in securing the Auto-Brightness setting feature. This feature is best for everyday carry and hunting.

• Excellent Battery Life: The power source of RMRcc red dots is the CR2032 battery, which gives these devices a battery life of 4-years.

Pros

• Trijicon has made this red dot sight slimmer so that it becomes easier for concealed carry and also helps in drawing easily on-field. Trijicon RMRcc is around 2/10th of an inch narrower and 1/10th of an inch shorter than the legendary Trijicon RMR.

• The 7075 aluminum housing and unique shape make it durable enough to handle all possible recoil. It is definitely the toughest compact pistol optic currently.

• It can be used in any environmental conditions. The waterproofing feature of RMRcc remains good up to a depth of 20 meters under water.

• The red dot (either 3.25 MOA or 6.5 MOA) is crisp and therefore helps in keeping your focus on the target.

• It comes with a decently long (4-years) battery life.

Cons

• The only negative aspect associated with RMRcc is that you have to remove the sight to change the batteries. This means that you have to re-zero the sight every time the battery is required to be changed.

• Some may also find it a bit expensive as far as the pistol mounted red dots go.

• RMRcc uses a proprietary mounting system that does not share a mounting blueprint with any other optic. Therefore, you either have to buy a separate mounting plate or have the gun specifically milled for this optic.

Specifications

Videos

Trijicon MRO HD Red Dot Sights

The Trijicon Miniature Rifle Optic (MRO) is a reflex-style red dot sight that is perfect for shooters who are looking for fast target acquisition. The large aperture of the optics and tapered light path maximizes the viewing area, thereby enabling you to shoot targets even from non-standard shooting positions. Trijicon MRO HD Red Dot Sights (MRO-C-2200057, MRO-C-2200050, MRO-C-2200051, MRO-C-2200052, and MRO-C-2200053) come with advanced lens coatings, a fully sealed, waterproof, hard anodized forged 7075-T6 housing, ambidextrous brightness controls, and sub-flush adjusters.

Who should Buy?

Trijicon MRO HD Red Dot Sights are best for competition, self defense, and duty use. These reflex-style, sealed sights can be used on rifles, carbines, and shotguns for fast target aquisition of target and maximum situational awareness. This optic is especially useful for fast target engagement from non-standard shooting positions.

What’s so Special?

• Designed for Optimized Use with a Magnifier: The objective lens of Trijicon MRO HD RDS have been designed by the Trijicon engineers to produce a refined 2.0 MOA center dot and 68 MOA segmented circle reticle. The transition between the full reticle and the 2.0 MOA dot are seamless.
  

• Large Viewing Area: Trijicon has incorporated a larger viewing area so that you can acquire and engage targets faster with reduced “tube effect”.

• Excellent Glass Lenses with Amazing View: Trijicon MRO HD Red Dot Sights come with multi coated, superior quality glass lenses. They have superior light gathering capability and amazing optical clarity, ensuring that you can have distortion free view of the crisp dot reticle.

• Easily Adjustable and Ambidextrous Brightness Control: By positioning the illumination adjustment knob at the top of the optic, both the right-handed and left-handed shooters can use the ambidextrous brightness control without having the need of removing the hand from fire control. There are 16 brightness settings available, out of which 12 are for daylight brightness and 4 for night vision compatibility.

• Superior Build: The Trijicon engineers have built it with forged 7075 housing, fully sealed construction, dry nitrogen purging inside. This helps in protecting the sight from the tough elements, hard recoil, and all kinds of field/environmental conditions.

• Long-Lasting Power: With continuous use at 5 setting, the single CR2032 battery can run for:
  A. 75 days for complex reticle (including 2 MOA red dot and 68 MOA ring)
  B. 2.5 years for single red dot only

• Availability of Mounts: While you can buy Trijicon MRO HD Red Dot Sights without mount, you may also buy MRO HD with integrated mounts and magnifier:
  w/ Low Mount
  w/ Full Co-Witness
  w/ Lower 1/3 Co-Witness
  w/ Full Co-Witness Mount and 3x Magnifier with Quick Release Flip-to-Side Mount
  There are also a fair amount of aftermarket mounts available if one is looking for elevated height or quick detaching mounting solutions

Pros

• Trijicon MRO HD RDS comes with unmatched optical clarity.

• The reticle is extremely helpful as it comes with 68 MOA Ring around the 2MOA dot. However, you can also use the 2 MOA dot only.

• These sights come with 16 total brightness levels, out of which 12 are daylight brightness levels (6 settings for ring+dot and 6 settings for dot alone) and 4 are night vision compatible settings (2 settings for ring+dot and 2 settings for dot alone).

• MRO HD sights are extremely durable and tough.

• The field of view is large.

• Multiple reticle options to choose from depending on situation.

Cons

• The users may see reflection of the emitter in the reticle.

Specifications

Videos

Steiner DRS1X Defendu Reflex Sight

Steiner DRS 1X is a versatile and effective reflex sight that has set a standard in the CQB shooting. This 1x reflex sight comes with three reticles calibrated for speed and accuracy at 7 yards, 25 yards, and 50 yards. DRS 1X sight is lightweight, compact, rugged, and simple to use, making it that more perfect for close range shooting. It comes with .96 x 1.26 in. (height x width) window size, giving you a wide field of view.

Who should Buy?

Steiner DRS 1X Reflex Battle Sight 8503 is the ultimate CQB sight that is perfect for use in both home defense and tactical operations. You can use these sights on AR-style rifles, especially with 5.56 caliber for short-to-medium range.

What’s so Special?

• Rugged, Lightweight Magnesium Body: Steiner has manufactured the housing of this reflex sight from rugged magnesium. This has provided amazing durability as well as lightweight features for the Steiner DRS 1X. You can use this reflex sight in most challenging circumstances.

• C2 Reticle with 3 Options: There are three options available in this C2 reticle:
  1. Single 2 MOA Dot
  2. Single Dot and Stadia Lines
  3. Single Dot, Stadia Lines, and Close Dot
  
  The 3 interchangeable C2 reticle options can be toggled by the shooter by pressing the power button when the unit is on.
  The stadia lines are calibrated for an 18-inch target at 25 yards and 50 yards. The second dot is 13.64 MOA in size, which is perfect for close-quarter shooting.

• Steiner Heritage Warranty This warranty ensures that they will repair or replace the product without charging you anything.

• 2,000+ Hours of Run Time & Auto Shutoff Feature: The manufacturer has powered the sight with two AA batteries, providing it with a runtime of around 3,000 hours. Steiner DRS1X Reflex Sight comes with the 13-hour auto shutoff feature, providing you more battery life.

• Picatinny Rail Mount: This provides a mounting height that allows co-witness of iron sights.

Pros

• Steiner DRS1X comes with a wider field of view, providing you more area to keep an eye on.

• They have a very clear glass.

• The three-option capable C2 reticle enables you to shoot at varying ranges (7 yards, 25 yards, and 50 yards) with precision.

• The AA batteries are a plus as they are easily available in all big stores.

Cons

• Battery life may be seen as a con although the use of AA batteries makes it extremely cheap and convenient to replace.

Specifications

Videos

Choose the Right Red Dot Sight for you!

Making the right choice regarding the best red dot sight is subjective and changes depending on the belief and tactics of the individual shooter. Though price plays an important role in buying a red dot or reflex sight, it is not the only factor for the shooters to make a choice. Even if you are buying a sight from the lower-to-mid-price-range, it is important for you to make sure that you are buying an optic that will perform well on your specific firearm.

Some of the factors that you should take into account while buying a red dot sight are size of the red dot, brightness adjustment, and type of firearm on which you’ll be using the sight.  Other important factors are glass quality, reticle option type, weight, and level of durability.  Hope you have found this review of the top 10 best red dot sights useful and we wish you the best of luck to find the most suitable red dot sight as per your needs and budget.

FAQs