First, I am new to the platform. I have 1 20" rifle with iron front sight and a carry handle. I also have 1 10.5" pistol with iron front sight only. Both are Anderson lowers with PSA uppers on them. My intended use for either would be plinking. I suppose there could be a remote chance of some sort of hunt (hog maybe? doubtful though). Heaven forbid something goes bump that must be investigated.

I understand the buy once cry once mantra. I also don't always require top of the line when middle of the road will suffice.

I also struggle to see the value of a site that approaches or surpasses the platform. Guess I learned that lesson when in the 80's I put some Pirelli tires on a $350 1971 VW squareback.

So, all that said, what are the good value for the dollars spent sights that can be put on what I have?

I intend to learn iron sights, but would also like some sort of red dot.

I will even listen to discussion for high end equipment, but I need more than brand reputation and high prices to sway me.

I am not a sniper, tacticool, or an operator. I am just an aging over weight guy that on occasion likes to shoot.

Thanks in advance.

Magpul MBUS sights are inexpensive. Polymer but of great quality.
You seem to only need a rear at the moment as you have front sights.
The Daniel Defense fixed rear sight is a very nice sight and around $65.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Magpul MBUS sights are inexpensive. Polymer but of great quality.
You seem to only need a rear at the moment as you have front sights.
The Daniel Defense fixed rear sight is a very nice sight and around $65.

Thank you, I will check on those.

I clarified my title a bit, my goal is a red dot at some future time.

SIG Romeo 5 for a red dot, you can get them on sale for about $120 or so.

Primary Arms, Holosun, and Vortex also make quality red dots that are $100-300.

I wouldn't spend money on NcStar or anything cheaper.

Those 3 brands aren't up to the quality and durability of brands like Trijicon and Aimpoint, but as you noted you're not looking to go to war and bet your life on the optic.

For mounting options you can get a gooseneck adapter for the carry handle. If it's a removable handle you're likely better off removing it and going with a rear sight and dot mounted to the receiver, but a fixed carry handle paired with a gooseneck and red dot is still a decent setup without going super high with a mount on top of the carry handle.

With the front sight post I'd recommend a lower 1/3 height if you're mounting it to the receiver. This lets you use more of the optic window for aiming and peripheral vision of the target. If you intend to use the sights more, or are mounting it on a gooseneck I'd go with an absolute cowitness height so the sights are easier to use at the center of the window instead of crammed into the lower portion.

quote:

Originally posted by Rustpot:
Primary Arms, Holosun, and Vortex also make quality red dots that are $100-300.

I wouldn't spend money on NcStar or anything cheaper.

Those 3 brands aren't up to the quality and durability of brands like Trijicon and Aimpoint, but as you noted you're not looking to go to war and bet your life on the optic.

For mounting options you can get a gooseneck adapter for the carry handle. If it's a removable handle you're likely better off removing it and going with a rear sight and dot mounted to the receiver, but a fixed carry handle paired with a gooseneck and red dot is still a decent setup without going super high with a mount on top of the carry handle.

With the front sight post I'd recommend a lower 1/3 height if you're mounting it to the receiver. This lets you use more of the optic window for aiming and peripheral vision of the target. If you intend to use the sights more, or are mounting it on a gooseneck I'd go with an absolute cowitness height so the sights are easier to use at the center of the window instead of crammed into the lower portion.

I agree with the above. I have a Primary Arms RDS on a fun gun and it works as well as the more expensive Aimpoints. If the rifle isn't going to be used for HD there is really no reason to spend $400+ on a sight.

quote:

Originally posted by SgtGold:If the rifle isn't going to be used for HD there is really no reason to spend $400+ on a sight if you don't have the money. .

FIFY.

quote:

I agree with the above.

Another +1. I frankly think technology has caught up with the more expensive options. I've got a PA RDS that I have knocked around pretty good. It's held battery life & zero.

I'd go with a Primary Arms, Vortex or Romeo 5 if it were me.

I have a couple Primary Arms, and a Bushnell TRS-something,

all work like they are supposed to and are not expensive

I understand your approach and agree with what’s already been recommended, particularly the Primary Arms/Holosun/Sig Micros, which appear to be manufactured on the same line with different specs.

Outside of a TRS25 on a .22, the above are as low as I’ll go for red dots, not because I’m a optics snob but because the cheaper sights bring a great deal more frustration for range time.

I’ll also echo others: quality red dots like Aimpoint are priced the way they are for multiple reasons, one of which, is they are that reliable.

My SBRs that are set up for HD all wear Aimpoints, a few range toys have PA Advanced Micro Red dots, and then only .22s for the TRS25 level.

Hope you find a fit. Good luck.

I think the Sig Romeo5 would be great for you. $119 shipped free from Palmetto all the time. I’ve yet to hear anything but positive reviews. Got one for my 300 blackout pistol.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Leemur,

I’m not sure how many aim points I have, but it’s at least 10. I recently bought two Vortex Crossfire Red Dot because they are the same (button wise) as my T2’s and I wanted something t just slap on a couple shot guns.

I must say, I am extremely impressed with them. For what you’re describing, I think they’d be perfect.

The primary arms and Holosuns are also very popular budget red dots that people seem very happy with.

Had a chance to shoot a few magazines of a friends LWRC that had the Romeo 5 mounted on it. Awesome gun, but the optic was perfect too. I am no expert when it comes to shooting with red dots, but it checked all the boxes. Glass was clear, red dot was crisp and the "MOTAC" feature seems like a concept most future optics will come with. I liked the Romeo 5 a lot and would strongly recommend it for the money.

Okay,there are some good options listed that I will need to investigate.

Please help me understand what changes as prices go up. Again, I am not looking for the "it's what the military uses" type answers because I am not in the military. I won't be out walking patrol or ....

I am trying to understand the wide range in pricing also. There will always be the "best in class" and "most expensive.," but do my intended uses fall anywhere toward those requirements?

Is there an advantage to a 1 MOA dot on a rifle that is capable of 3-4 MOA and a shooter that at this time is BSOB? sjames mentioned that cheap ones could cause frustration, I would like to limit that. Perhaps at some point in the future, I will want a better rifle and better glass, but I don't think it is realistic to desire ultra high end glass on what is likely an average rifle. I understand the military needs for something that is more durable and so on. Is there something about that type of setup a novice can justify? You don't go out and buy a 747 because you want to learn to fly.

Thanks for your patience at what are likely novice questions.

Keep in mind, less than a year ago, I wanted to ask how long an AR would hold the charge when the charging handle was pulled because I didn't understand that was simply "racking" the slide...

I have a Romeo5 and it has been good. I am not going into harms way and have BUIS on the rifle also. It's a $400 PSA AR so i couldnt justify a $500 optic on it. However, based on a couple of reviews, if you can shoot it with a 12ga and it lives, it's good enough for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fuq_N129SAI

quote:

Originally posted by ffips:
Is there an advantage to a 1 MOA dot on a rifle that is capable of 3-4 MOA and a shooter that at this time is BSOB? sjames mentioned that cheap ones could cause frustration, I would like to limit that.

The size of the dot is wholly subjective. Outside of the bullseye shooting community, the use of a red dot sight is to give the shooter a quicker way to get hits on the target. It's easier and quicker to place a dot on target and get hits than it is to have to align sights and change your point of focus.

I like Vortx at the $200 price point. I’ve had an original Sparc on my .22 that’s still going strong years later.

I also had a SparcAR that I sold with a gun. It’s a cool unit, albeit a little big but the built in mount has a battery compartment that takes a standard battery, AA or AAA, I forget which. When I say big, I mean bigger than the Sparc or the T1/2 type micro units but still way smaller than an Aimpoint Pro or something.

PSA runs them on sale all the time and usually bundles them with 10 Pmags.

quote:

Originally posted by ffips:
Okay,there are some good options listed that I will need to investigate.

Please help me understand what changes as prices go up. Again, I am not looking for the "it's what the military uses" type answers because I am not in the military. I won't be out walking patrol or ....

I am trying to understand the wide range in pricing also. There will always be the "best in class" and "most expensive.," but do my intended uses fall anywhere toward those requirements?

I agree with most of the suggestions. For lower price decent stuff I have direct experience with Holosun and SIG. For your use they'd probably be about perfect. What you mostly get for more money (Aimpoint, Trijicon, etc) is better glass and durability. Want your optic to survive being run over by a truck or burned in a fire? That's one of the main things the pricier options get you.

https://www.recoilweb.com/shoo...-aimpoint-82207.html

quote:

Originally posted by ffips:
Okay,there are some good options listed that I will need to investigate.

Please help me understand what changes as prices go up. Again, I am not looking for the "it's what the military uses" type answers because I am not in the military. I won't be out walking patrol or ....

I am trying to understand the wide range in pricing also. There will always be the "best in class" and "most expensive.," but do my intended uses fall anywhere toward those requirements?

Is there an advantage to a 1 MOA dot on a rifle that is capable of 3-4 MOA and a shooter that at this time is BSOB? sjames mentioned that cheap ones could cause frustration, I would like to limit that. Perhaps at some point in the future, I will want a better rifle and better glass, but I don't think it is realistic to desire ultra high end glass on what is likely an average rifle. I understand the military needs for something that is more durable and so on. Is there something about that type of setup a novice can justify? You don't go out and buy a 747 because you want to learn to fly.

Thanks for your patience at what are likely novice questions.

Keep in mind, less than a year ago, I wanted to ask how long an AR would hold the charge when the charging handle was pulled because I didn't understand that was simply "racking" the slide...

The main items that cause a difference in price are features, build quality, and technology.

One of the main items that sets the $3-500 sights apart is the waterproof build, the clarity of the glass, the robustness of the body and electronics, and the battery life from the technology in the electronics.

Aimpoint, for instance, will run for several years on one battery with the dot on continuously. I have an AR at my bedside that has the dot on 24/7 so that if I need to grab it I don't have to fiddle with a knob. Others are getting better, we've come a long way in just a few years. My first Primary Arms dot went through several batteries before I sold it, my newest one has something like 20,000 hours of life, and will automatically turn off if left idle, only to turn back on if the optic is shaken slightly.

Another issue earlier Primary Arms dots had was that the emitter was clearly visible, and in some instances protruded enough into the optic window that a lower 1/3 mount would block you from getting an actual sight picture if you were trying to use your iron sights. They fixed it with a design change of the emitter location. A $50 no-name on Amazon probably doesn't care enough to fix issues like that.

Part of the robustness and build quality is in the adjustment and emitter of the dot itself. Cheap optics can have the adjustments wear out fairly quickly, or not even stay in place under recoil. Similarly the physical electronics and emitter can loosen up over time and cause the sight to malfunction, resulting in intermittent issues or just a dead optic. The more expensive brands use stronger materials, shock absorbing internals, coated electronics, and have more precision in the adjustment so the 1 MOA per click is always 1 MOA of movement.

"Tracking" is a term used to describe the ability for an optic to follow the adjustment inputs. If you move it 20 clicks left, then 20 clicks right, will it be exactly where it started? In a cheap optic the answer may be no, even when it's new and hasn't worn out the adjustments.

Some have nightvision compatibility, where several dot settings are in the IR spectrum instead of the visible spectrum so that nightvision can be used in conjunction with the sights.

For brands like Holosun, they offer a LOT of different models. Some are built better than others, some are more feature-packed such as having a solar panel or a circle-dot reticle like the EOTech sights. Green is a bit tougher to deal with for a reason I'm not aware of, I think Trijicon and Holosun sights with green dots cost more than their red counterparts. Some optics can change the dot style or color with the push of a button. Some use buttons where others use knobs to adjust the dot (and not all buttons and knobs are the same quality).

Most of the cheaper optics are made overseas, as well, and the company simply asks the factory in China to build a certain spec. Which is why a lot of the sights look identical, or different models/generations may be exactly the same from different brands. That spec should include quality control and testing, but it's the nature of the beast that you're going to have a higher failure rate from a Chinese factory producing thousands of different sights vs. a facility in Michigan (Trijicon, EOTech) or Sweden (Aimpoint) that controls everything in house and tests everything heading out the door. Yes, Aimpoints can fail- it's just a rarity vs. an inevitability with a cheap, bargain optic.

The brands mentioned in this thread are Chinese made, but the companies have built a reputation for ensuring they have a quality optic, and when something slips through the cracks and you get a bad one they'll take care of you and replace it.



Edit: I forgot about the emitter clarity. Cheap optics may not actually present a "dot" for you to aim with. Part of it may be your eyes, an astigmatism in your eye can bend the light and cause issues with focus. But cheap red dot sights might not have all of the light aligned properly so the point you get is a blob, several dots, or a smear as your aiming dot.

As to the size of the dot: the fine point of a 1 MOA or 2 MOA is nice, even if your rifle isn't capable of that accuracy, so that you can aim consistently and not block the target as you get further out. 2 MOA is about as small as I'd recommend if the sight is just a dot, but there's not really an issue using a 4 MOA or even 6 MOA as your aiming dot if it's quality and consistent. The EOTech reticle is a 65 MOA circle with a 1 MOA dot, and I think having that circle lends itself well to the small dot since you can use the circle for "rough" aiming when your target fills all or most of that circle, and the 1 MOA dot can be used for finer precision if needed.

Essentially: bigger is faster, smaller is more precise.

Brightness is another factor. Cheap dots may not be able to get bright enough to be visible against a bright background, or if you're shooting with the sun in your face - their electronics simply can't generate enough brightness off the voltage supplied by the battery. I'd like to say the brands mentioned would all be bright enough, but I don't have experience with enough of them to make a blanket statement like that.

Edit 2: re-reading my post it might be unclear since I use "cheap" "cheaper" and "bargain" terms a bunch. The brands mentioned are typically "cheaper" and not the junk sights that are just "cheap". You should be good to go with PA, Sig, Vortex, Bushnell, Holosun (and probably a few others, but with all these good options lets not muddy the waters further).

We have a Vortex on a VZ-58, still working fine. My son wanted to try one, research included Vortex(and others) in the $160-180 range.

The cheapest ones on Amazon are not worth it at any price.