School me on red dot sights

[blaqkpanda]

First question is do you have astigmatism? A standard red dot will appear blurry or sunburst if you do. Guys with astigmatism can run a holographic sight like an Eotech or a Vortex Huey. The battery life isn't as great as one of those. There's also the prism scopes like the Primary Arms cyclops which will have a fixed 1x, 2x, or 3x. The nice thing with those is they have an etched reticle and will also work without batteries. They're basically an updated Acog with much better eye relief. As far as actual red dots, I run this one on my 9mm AR. Shake awake features, Eotech style reticle with BDC and it doesn't break the bank if you're just getting into red dots.

https://www.primaryarms.com/holosun-paralow-hs503g-red-dot-sight-acss-reticle

[Bullseye07]

School me on red dot sights

I wouldn't put anything cheap on that SCAR unless you plan to try out some optics warranties....
They're well known to destroy optics.

Aimpoint or Eotech are the gold standards and both have their positives/negatives.
Eotech has the biggest window and is thus the fastest.
Aimpoint has the best durability and a battery life measured in years.

In order to get a LVPO with a true 1x you'll spend a couple thousand bucks, some of the cheaper options can get you most of the way there but they're just not as fast as a RDS.
Another popular option I'm personally not a fan of is the Trijicon MRO. I experienced parallax issues and it didnt feel like a true 1x.
Some of the cheaper red dots are just that... cheaper. There are corners that have been cut in one way or another (CHYNA).

I assume if you shelled out the bucks for a SCAR you want a top quality dot, so get an Aimpoint T2/CompM5 or an Eotech EXPS.

EDIT: I have an astigmatism and the "bloom" is not as dramatic of an issue as its made out to be, especially if you have corrected vision.

He said FNAR not SCAR. Quite different.

I’ve tried a couple different red dots. Sig romeo5 and a vortex. They both seem to work well. Great for short distance and fast engagement of targets. For pigs, I’d probably go with a 1-4x personally because they’re usually not gonna be right on top of you when you shoot.


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[SHSU18]

Tagging for later as i have been wanting a low power scope or red dot.... good info here.

[louieagarcia]

I've been using SigSauer Romeo sights on my "truck guns" and they are very reliable. Nice field of view, have shot tons of pigs on the run. Great sight, great battery life and great price if you catch them on sale. I have them on both a .556 and .458 SOCOM.

[Caddo]

x3 on the Sig Romeo red dots! The only one that’s stood up to my 12 ga. AR!


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[BigJimmyRustler]

He said FNAR not SCAR. Quite different.

Don't know how I missed that, and yeah they're different but either way I still wouldn't buy a cheap Chinesium red dot.

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[Raider4044]

Aimpoint or EOTech. I’ve got one of the Sigs on a .22, and it’s pretty good for the money, but I wouldn’t trust it for a defensive rifle or anything important.

With that said, for a AR truck gun, it’s had to beat a QUALITY LPVO with good glass and a true 1x. (Not talking about any of the cheap options on the market like the Strike Eagles, Primary Arms, etc.)

[blaqkpanda]

Nothing wrong with the Sig red dots. However, they are just rebranded Holosuns.

[imyomama]

i have a holosun with solar panel on one of my ak's , never have to turn it on.. gets brighter the more sun is out .. i like it, gone one on an ar too ... both are the 2 moa model. with american defense qd bases added... my favorite red dot is still my aimpoint comp m3.. those would be my 2 choices ..

[wade _s]

I like the EOTECH holographic reticle more than the tradidional red dot and would likely keep the EOTECH if I could only have one red dot type sight. Battery life isn't as good as with my red dots, but easy + inexpensive to replace.

The ROMEO 5 is small, light, has good battery life and I enjoy it for a plinking sight. The instant on feature seems to work well.

The Aimpoint PRO is a nice, durable full-sized red dot, reasonably priced for what you get, always on and I really like the battery life.

I don't have a Vortex AMG UH-1, but looked at one the other day at Academy and it seemed pretty nice. I may give one a try.

I had a Vortex Strike-Eagle 1-6 and didn't care for it due to size and weight. Also had to send it back due to developing a little black spot on the lens/reticle. Was repaired quickly under warranty no questions asked.

[175gr7.62]

I’ve been supper impressed with the Sig Romeo 5.


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[Briar Friar]

Aimpoints are tanks! I'd go with the Pro

Yes. Aimpoint. Battle tested and battle proven. The battery life is stupidly long because of dogfaces leaving them on in the field when not in use.

I rifle train(ed) my eldest on a Aimpoint on a Mossberg MVP. Whereas I didnt like his groupings at further distance and changed him over to Leupold crosshaired scope for more exacting aim.

For me and him with the Aimpoint…the sight line is so high it causes/encourages poor cheek weld and subsequently poor form and poor accuracy. I layered pipe insulation foam on the stock and it became super comfy and we were able to achieve better cheek weld, better form and subsequently better accuracy.

Good luck MrJello

[rubicon51]

Another vote for aimpoint. I have had one on my AR since 2010 and it has never failed me. I have had to change the battery once since I purchased it.

For a value option, the sig romeo5 is not too bad. I just got one in for ar 22 and it seems to be fairly good for the price. But that is purely observational, I have not taken it out to the field quite yet.

[kae006]

I’d say an LPVO would fit the bill well given your intended use

[TxHamJello]

Thanks all for the input. Some great things to consider while I decide what to move forward with. The input on the low power optics makes a lot of sense, and gives me something to think about that I hadn't earlier. The positive and negative on different brands and models will also be extremely helpful.