I'm looking at adding a red dot to my Canik TP9SFX; as the name implies I'm looking at 3 options. The Holosun is tempting because of the solar panel, but the Vortex options have pricing in their favor.

Thoughts? Opinions?

I don't have any experience with the other two, but I do have a Holosun 407c. It's a cheaper version of the 507 with fewer reticle options. I like it...it's rugged, has the backup solar power source, and the widow is a good size with clear glass..larger and clearer than my RMR. Might be one to consider if you are ok with a simple dot reticle and don't need all the features of the 507.

Holosun all the way.

RMR footprint means better overall compatibility across platforms if you end up moving it to a different gun.

Substantially better durability.

I agree that the 407C is a good pick over the 507C unless you're dead set on using the circle or circle/dot reticle (most, in my experience, do not). Honestly, the solar panel is a red herring and unlikely to do anything for you. Replace the battery every year and you'll be fine.

I know you mentioned that price is a factor. Please see my long-running ad in the classifieds and feel free to reach out for Holosun pricing.

You guys are echoing what I was thinking. (Also what almost everyone I've asked said.)

While I'm asking questions, has anyone here played with the Canik offerings? The MECanik 01 and 02. I'm pretty sure it's not what I'm going to get, but they're out there and I'm curious.

FWIW, I bought both my 407 and my RMR from DaBigBR...good guy to do business with.

Mr. DaBigBR, you have mail.

I have an early 507c green on my duty gun. Been through classes and lots of shooting. Never had problem.

I wish I had gone with a 407 since I only use the dot.

Another guy on our city agency does testing on firearms and equipment. He told me last year that he has three 507c and he has beat the hell out of them and they just keep on working.

I've purchased a 507c. I look forward to playing with it.

I've become a recent green dot fan, and Holosun is about the only company offering green dots for both pistols and rifles. I've had the Vortex Venom and while it worked and was clear, the sight was massive. Most suppressor height sights won't clear the optic body even on a slide that was cut for the optic. The Viper takes all the worse qualities of the RMR and puts them into an optic footprint almost nobody uses.

If you want a cheaper Holosun option, the 407 just has the dot instead of the circle dot and around $50-100 cheaper last time I checked.

I was going to go with a 507 for a couple guns but have decided to wait or the EPS to be released.

I have a Vortex Venom and it is a decent optic but the top shroud just seems really thin. Not sure I would trust it if it were really to get banged around.
But it was purchased as a toy.

Also Holosun seems to really make a solid product. Vortex has a good warranty and they back it up but it seems more folks need to use the Vortex warranty.

Pretty sure Holosun is 10 years which is plenty.

I had a Venom and it was fine, but I sold it for a 507c with the ACSS reticle and I like it a lot better.

Good choice going with Holosun. Though for my eyes I do prefer the circle-dot of the 500 series units even on handguns. Single dots and my astigmatism; is no bueno.

As for Vortex, I have two reflex optics. The first is a Viper "Pro" that came on my Canik TP9SF Elite Combat Exec. It's been a fairly good optic that hasn't had any issues to date, but I agree with other posted opinions here that the glass surround is fairly thin and likely not up to surviving any significant amount of rough treatment. I think the same can be said about the second unit, a Venom that I got as a sales incentive reward that Vortex offers its dealers. Seems quite delicate. Elsewhere, to date that unit has also been an operation POS, with switches that love to wig out and don't function correctly. Seems like it was wired by Volvo or Volkswagen. Classic example of the inherent truth with the snide comment, "it has a lifetime warranty, and you're gonna need it".

Regarding red vs green.

I've got a little bit of color vision deficiency and for me the green is easier to see. I find that I have my Holosuns in red on the top two brightness settings all the time (second brightest 90%+ of the time but occasionally up the brightest in bright sunlight. Sometimes, when teaching, I will ask to look at a student's gun and cannot see the dot.

With my greens, I am generally three or four brightness settings down from the max.

I suspect there are people who may have the opposite result.

Eyes are funny things.

I completely agree with this. I was worried that my first green dot wouldn't be bright enough in direct sunlight. I was wrong. It's just right, for me. All of my optics are green.

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:
Regarding red vs green.

I've got a little bit of color vision deficiency and for me the green is easier to see. I find that I have my Holosuns in red on the top two brightness settings all the time (second brightest 90%+ of the time but occasionally up the brightest in bright sunlight. Sometimes, when teaching, I will ask to look at a student's gun and cannot see the dot.

With my greens, I am generally three or four brightness settings down from the max.

I suspect there are people who may have the opposite result.

Eyes are funny things.

Not sure if it's an eye deficiency, but everything I've read on the subject usually days that green is the easiest color for the human eye to pick up in any environment while red causes the least amount of eye strain.

I've had a couple of sub-optimum experiences with Vortex. I really like Holosun's green circle dot reticle, and when I had an issue with the sight, they quickly sent me a new one.

As a company, I really like Vortex. They were Holosun before Holosun was Holosun - bringing in cost-effective alternatives to a lot of stuff and building themselves into a real powerhouse in the industry. Except in pistol optics. It's been alleged that "they've got something coming" by the likes of Steve Fisher and others for literal years at this point. I know COVID has really messed things up, but since COVID hit, Holosun has:

-Released the 509T. Probably the most prolific enclosed emitter on the market.

-Released the 407K/507K. Probably the most prolific micro optics on the market.

-Been sued by Trijicon over the buttons, settled, redesigned the 407/507/508, and returned to full production.

-Expanded green LEDs to the entire pistol optics line.

-Released the SCS. The only optic on the market like it and very likely a sign of where the industry will go.

-Released the EPS and EPS Carry. These are just starting to ship and will bring enclosed optics to micro guns as well as a lot of pre-cut slides.

This is just the pistol optics stuff.

What has Trijicon done in that time? Brought out the RMRcc, an optic that essentially nobody asked for (at least as it exists). Retains the dumb bottom load battery (and not inherently water resistant) design and introduces a new footprint to an already crowded space.

And Aimpoint? Released the Acro P2, universally recognized as what the P1 should have been.

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:
Regarding red vs green.

I've got a little bit of color vision deficiency and for me the green is easier to see. I find that I have my Holosuns in red on the top two brightness settings all the time (second brightest 90%+ of the time but occasionally up the brightest in bright sunlight. Sometimes, when teaching, I will ask to look at a student's gun and cannot see the dot.

With my greens, I am generally three or four brightness settings down from the max.

I suspect there are people who may have the opposite result.

Eyes are funny things.

The human eye is most sensitive to green light if I recall. To be honest I far prefer green dots to red if it's an available option.

I met a competitive pistol shooter who claimed he used to be sponsored by Vortex. When I asked for his opinion on RDS, he said the only ones worth getting for serious hard use are: Trijicon, Leupold, and Holosun in a distant third. He told me he as a box full of broken Vortex RDS he's used & abused.

I bought the 507C because it was my first red dot and I wanted to see if I would like/benefit from a red dot, compared to buying a DPP or a RMR if I didn't. I have a range that is close to me and was able to rent a pistol with a red dot,which happened to have a 507C on it and the guy at the counter said the pistol and 507C get rented a lot,due to the pistol also having a suppressor, so it was a commonly rented gun with thousands of rounds through it and the red dot never had an issue. I love mine and am surprised at how good it works and how well I can shoot with it. Mine has the "red" dot but I shoot great with it. The controls are easier to get to and the battery as well compared to the Vortex. You will be happy with your choice.