Red dot Fail

[unknown]

Blah!

Tonight I learned a valuable lesson. Don't cheap out on your optics. I finished building my first a r15 a few months back. I got a $40 optics because I had no sights and I really wanted to shoot my master piece. Today after 65ish rounds the sight gave up. The red dot moved to the upper corner and there was nothing I could do to zero it back in. So I guess I have to buy better optics.

Could you give me a few recommendations of a good red dot? Preferentially in the $500 price range and light weight.

Than you!

[Hmac]

Aimpoint PRO. Easily the most bang-for-buck in the RDS arena. $400. Durable, good battery life, includes mount and flip-up covers. Not terribly light (about 11 oz), but to get appreciably lighter is going to kick you up into the $650 range.

[Dave Timm]

Agree with Hmac, Aimpoint pro is the best sight under $500. It is my favorite optic in the price range and I prefer it to some of the more expensive models. The mount works well but if you wanted to spend more money you could. Some prefer a better mount like larue or adm but the factory one really does work well. Also announced is the new entry level Aimpoint a carbine Optic ACO, but the difference in price is minimal and you gain a lot with the Pro making it the easy choice.

[yuppiejr]

+1 for the Aimpoint Pro, if you watch closely you can nab one for $380 on sale (Palmetto).

[unknown]

I'm surprised to not see any ecotech or vortex suggestions. How come?

[Hmac]

I'm surprised to not see any ecotech or vortex suggestions. How come?

I have a few of both Eotech and Aimpoint, but no clue about Vortex. IMHO, Eotech is a good sight. Mine have been utterly reliable. For me, battery life is a non-issue. The only Eotechs I'd be interested in are the EXPS series and they're about $150 more than the PRO....not worth the price difference IMHO. Eotech XPS is an OK alternative if you want absolute co-witness, but even that is $500.

Eotech is a good RDS, but IMHO the PRO is a much better deal.

[Bearcatrp]

I have a vortex strikefire II on my 308 AR shorty. Great glass, built very well and has red/green dot to choose along with adjustable dim settings. Good red dot for the money.
http://www.vortexoptics.com/category/st ... II_red_dot

[Scratch]

I have an Aimpoint PRO... Which I like a lot. It has lens caps, that you really never have to open if you really need to get to it fast. It has an incredibly long battery life, and I really dig the automatic torque feature it has built into the mount should you need to remove and replace for some reason... Which I never thought I'd do, but seem to do often enough that I'm glad it has that feature.
Sometimes I feel on real bright days, it could be a little brighter though...

My biggest complaint is the weight. It's not much, but it's a lot heavier than a T1 or an H1. Or even an Eotech XPS2.

I can't get myself to spend that much money on a T1 or an H1 though so I bought the Primary Arms Advanced Micro Dot.

It has a super long battery life, is super tiny, NV compatible, and weighs like nothing. Plus it's a lot cheaper than the Aimpoint micro dots.

I still really like my Aimpoint PRO, but I have to ask myself why I need such a big heavy red dot, when the micro dots do the same thing at a fraction of the weight?

Although now the T2 came out, and has the same type of lens caps that I like, just like the PRO has... But it's in the 700's for price I think...

[yuppiejr]

The Pro with mount weighs 11.6 ounces, the T2 is 4.9 with mount, a savings of 6.7 ounces (about 1/3 of a pound) for a premium of $200+. The Eotech XPS2 is 8 ounces, a 3.6 ounce saving over the AimPoint Pro for about $100 more.

[unknown]

Are you sure? http://www.eotechinc.com/holographic-weapon-sights/model-exps2 that says 11.2 oz (317 g)

[yuppiejr]

Aah, I was looking at the XPS2:

http://www.eotechinc.com/holographic-we ... model-xps2

8.0 oz (227 g)

[Hmac]

I have a T-1. It's light, but I don't particularly care for it. Picking up the red dot within a 20 mm tube can be more difficult than the 30 mm tube on the PRO or on an Eotech, especially if the exigencies of the shot don't allow an optimal cheek weld. Personally, I think the Aimpoint Micros are significantly overrated and for me, not even close to being worth the extra money over the PRO.

The weight difference comes up a lot. I don't think it's a big deal. That weight is farther back on the lever arm, so it's effect on swinging the rifle up is going to be significantly less. Overall weight, I carry the rifle on a sling, for one thing. For another, I will never be in a position where I have to hump that rifle all day. IMHO, the weight difference is not a significant issue.

Primary Arms micro dot....same usability issues due to the small tube, plus I am skeptical that the durability of the Primary Arms Chinese RDS is any better than the $40 Chinese RDS the Scratch started out with.

[palindrome]

I had a T-1 and sold it. It is a great optic. I agree with Hmac the smaller tube does mean your cheek weld needs to be consistent. I didn't like having to either have it always on or have to turn the knob 8-10 stops to get to a good dot. An H1 will get you there quicker.

I recently got the Meprolight Tru-Dot RDS. IDF holsters had a BF sale of 30% off. It normally sells at $400 which is a good deal for this optic. It has a window like an EOtech, but a RD like and Aimpoint. Comes with it's own quick detach system at lower 1/3rd co-witness, pro or con depending on preference. Uses one AA battery. 15,000 hour battery life. Has an auto on, auto off that works and is pretty sensitive. I like it so far, but haven't really taken it outside since it is Winter.
The IDF tested it and are using it. It has only 4 settings and is quicker and easier than an Aimpoint to get to a good visible dot. It does have one NV setting.
http://www.idfholsters.com/optics/meprolightmepro-tru-dot-rds.html
Things I don't like. Gets some glare indoors. Outdoors I don't know. Not pretty looking. Takes up more rail space. So if you run a magnifier, you won't have room for BUIS or vice versa.

[UnaStamus]

I also prefer an Aimpoint PRO and CompM4S to my T1 due to the tube diameter and the ease with the larger tubes to pick up the dot. This is a big benefit when shooting from alternative or awkward positions that do not allow you to get a solid cheek weld or directly behind the optic (roll-over prone, SBU, supine, etc).

For the money, I also don't think there's a better option than the Aimpoint PRO. I set up a procurement of 15 Aimpoint PROs for a metro LE agency 3 years ago, and some of those optics have been beaten to hell. All are working just fine and have outstanding battery life. They're durable, reliable and simplistic.

As a lower-cost alternative, I am a fan of the Bushnell TRS-25 optic. It's a pretty durable little optic and offers a lot of value for what it costs. There is a metro SWAT team that has several officers using the TRS-25. I don't recommend it due to them not being to the same quality as an Aimpoint, but nonetheless the things have been reliable and problem-free.

Vortex has been stepping up their game.

I would say avoid the Meprolight, but it's pretty heavily backordered right now so no worries there. The IDF has different standards and requirements for their product selection, so don't place a lot of creedence on "what the IDF uses". They have systems in place to restrict general units to only using domestically-built weapons, optics and components.

Try out a bunch of stuff and see what works. Remember what happened when you went cheap, and take that with you when you make your decision to buy something.

[shooter115]

I don't own an Aimpoint Pro or Eotech. But I can say I've never seen an Aimpoint Pro fail at a match, whereas I've seen at least 3 Eotech's crap the bed for various reasons. Just off that I'd go with the Aimpoint.

I've also got a Burris XTS-135 that I've been using for over 5 years and it's been solid.

I'll also agree the the TRS-25 is a good buy in the budget arena. I've had one on a .22 AR upper for a while and it's great for that application. I haven't beat on it at all, but it's been good enough that I bough another a while back when Palmetto was selling them super cheap.