There’s a lot of red dots out there. And probably even more GUIDES to finding the perfect red dot.
What sets this guide apart?
We have everything in-hand and tested them across tons of rifles, shotguns, and pistols.
By the end you’ll know the best red dot for your specific firearm AND budget. Plus some of the great reasons to even use a red dot in the first place.
Summary of Our Top Picks
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Best Bang-For-The-Buck40K hours, crisp dot, comes with a high-riser, shake-awake, and proven.
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Best Budget Red Dot20K hours and decent glass/dot help this red dot punch above its price tag.
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QD Mount IncludedSTNGR Axiom II Red Dot + QD Mount Bundle
Super crisp dot, 50K hours, and comes with a quick-detach mount.
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Also Great High-End Red DotSmaller profile and larger view compared to the Aimpoint PRO.
Best Red Dot Sights For Your Gun
1. Aimpoint PRO
The Aimpoint PRO is our Editor’s Pick if you want the very best red dot that can handle everything from range plinking to all-out war.
Literally bomb-proof with 30K hours of continuous use…you can just leave it on and forget it. And then change out the batteries every few years.
Plus it has a crisp 2 MOA dot (dot will cover 2 inches at 100 yards), is night vision compatible, waterproof up to 150 feet, and has an operating range of -49 to 160 degrees F.
If you need more than that…then I don’t know what to tell you!
We now have a YouTube review of it as well after 3+ years of testing and thousands of rounds.
And check out our full-on written review of it where we bash it real good with a hammer. It kept zero and didn’t even hiccup.
Plus it looks great on almost anything…
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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2. Sig Sauer Romeo5
The Sig Sauer Romeo5 takes our current Editor’s Pick for Best-Bang-For-the-Buck red dot at under $200. And nowadays we’re setting it for around $120.
We’ve been testing several units for 4+ years and so far none have failed.
Clear and crisp 2 MOA dot, 8 daylight settings and 2 night vision modes, and motion on/off.
The daylight settings are enough for our desert days and you get 40,000+ hours of batter life at the medium setting.
There’s a slight green hue but it doesn’t bother me at all. When indoors you can see how crisp the dot is.
Button adjustment is easy on the top and you can set up shake-awake as well which really helps the battery life.
Once set it will turn off with 2 minutes of inactivity and turn on with any movement. A great feature that was previously only present in higher-end red dots.
Plus it comes with a high riser that is perfect for AR-15 platforms.
We’ve put thousands of rounds through several units and you can check out the full Romeo5 review here.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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What do you think of the Sig Romeo5?
3. Sig Sauer Romeo MSR
The Sig Sauer Romeo MSR red dot takes over as our best budget red dot that we’d still put on a defensive gun.
We understand not everyone has $400 (or even $120) to spend on a red dot. If you’re thinking of going even cheaper…don’t!
The MSR is our go-to for something around $80 and it overtakes the older-tech Bushnell TRS-25 that we’ve been recommending for a few years. The TRS-25 is only rated for a few thousand hours and has no night vision settings.
And while the Romeo MSR has a slightly smaller view-through compared to others, the glass and dot are still crisp.
Turrets are exposed but I don’t see them changing zero unless something weird happens.
Brightness adjustment is via a pretty stiff dial at the top and gives you 10 daylight settings and 2 night vision settings. I usually keep mine at 7 for bump-in-the-night use.
Note…the MSR uses a weirder/smaller CR1632 battery and is rated at 20,000 hours. However, I left mine on at the 7 setting for 9 months before it ran out of juice.
So I’d recommend swapping out batteries every 6-months in case (or use a lower setting).
Otherwise build and dot quality is quite good and great at the ~$80 price range. Green dot versions are also only about $10 more.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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4. STNGR Axiom II
The Axiom II built upon the initial success of the original as an affordable, durable, and no frills red dot.
It’s our recommendation if you want a reliable optic with a quick-detach mount, the crispest dot in its class, and 50K hours of run time.
The Axiom II is shock tested, IPX7 waterproof rated, and comes with a lifetime warranty.
In addition, the unit has 11 brightness settings and it’s 2 MOA red dot is very visible even in bright daylight.
Running on a single CR2032 battery, the Axiom II provides up to 50,000 hours on an average setting.
Included in the bundle, you even get a 1/3 co-witness riser that’s perfect for AR platforms and a quick detach mount.
Also be sure to use the code PEWPEW-10 to bring it down to around the $105 mark.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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5. Trijicon MRO
Another favorite is the Trijicon MRO which sits in the same price range as the Aimpoint PRO at around $400.
However, it comes in a smaller profile AND a larger field of view.
Beefy and now an often chosen duty optic…the MRO gives you 6 daylight settings and 2 night vision with 5 years of battery life at a medium setting.
It survived a lot of punishment in our High-End Optics Torture Test…from water immersion to drop test, heat/cold cycling, and being shot with a variety of loads.
And it took them like a champ with only a slight shift in POA with the drop test.
Want a place where we sum it ALL UP? Check the full Trijicon MRO review plus video:
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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6. Aimpoint Micro T-2
How about the gold standard in rifle red dots when price is no object?
Then it’s got to be the Aimpoint Micro T-2.
This lightweight (3 oz) red dot has a 50,000 hour battery life, is fully waterproof, and comes with 8 daytime and 4 night-vision brightness adjustments.
And of course…the incredible pedigree that is Aimpoint.
I like pairing mine with a Unity FAST mount which comes with its own irons.
Plus the height makes it great for reduced neck strain and easier acquisition with night vision goggles.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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7. Trijicon RMR Type 2
Now we’re entering the realm of micro red dots…or red dots that fit on your pistol.
We’ll start with the Gold Standard…the Trijicon RMR Type 2.
If you’re serious about a red dot enabled fighting/competition pistol…you go with an RMR.
Trusted by professionals and has the most widespread “cut” for pistol slides so if you’re upgrading your slide it will likely be RMR cut.
4 years of battery life (always keep it on) plus night vision compatible.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Find out more about the RMR Type 2 in our Best Pistol Red Dots article.
8. Vortex Venom
Now how about a pistol red dot for the rest of us? Enter the Vortex Venom.
It’s the lowest and smallest of the bunch that we tested. Plus it comes with a Picatinny rail mount for other pistols and even rifles.
We like the Venom over Vortex’s older Viper because it comes in two dot sizes (3 MOA or 6 MOA) and has slightly better reviews. Check out our video on both:
If that helped, please subscribe to our YouTube channel since we’re adding new videos every week!
It’s “cut” is not as widespread as the RMR but there’s adapters for out-of-the-box optic-ready slides such as the Glock MOS and M&P Core.
Or you can always get a Outer Impact dovetail mount.
Check out the install in our video:
Learn more about the Venom and the other pistol red dots in our Best Pistol Red Dots article.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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9. Holosun 507C X2 ACSS Vulcan
Looking for the new hotness in pistol red dots with an innovative reticle? We’re digging the Holosun 507C X2 ACSS Vulcan that’s a collaboration between Holosun and Primary Arms.
It has all the nice things like 20,000 hours battery life with a solar backup, shake awake, night vision compatibility, and extreme durability.
But what really does it for us is its reticle.
A nice crisp chevron that has some built in dropoff indicators…and a large ring on the outside that helps you realize you’re off center and quickly correct.
Super useful especially when you’re learning the switch from irons to red dots and you tend to aim too low in the beginning. And once you get the hang of it…you can choose to turn it off to save some battery life.
We’ve done an in-depth review of the 507C right here.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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As well as a video review:
10. EOTech EXPS-2
This one is technically a “holographic” sight. The technology of showing the reticle in front of your eyes may be different…but it still does the same thing as a red dot.
The EOTech EXPS-2 is my go-to for a serious rifle. As it is for a lot of our military.
EOTech pioneered the reticle that has become synonymous with other holographic sights. The large 68 MOA circle and small 1 MOA center that gives you both quick acquisition and precise targeting.
Battery life is less for holographics overall. The EXPS2-0 has 600 hours…but you get a much larger view window and the great reticle.
We took an EXPS model and also subjected it to untold horrors in the High-End Optics Torture Test.
It survived everything (with no POI shift in the cold/heat cycling) until the .22LR Mini-Mag which took down all but one optic.
But due to the holographic technology which doesn’t need the rear glass…it still technically worked.
Learn more in our Best EOTech Holographic Sights.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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11. Holosun 510C
And you know I wouldn’t leave you hanging without a more affordable holographic option…
Holosun’s 510C combines the typical holographic reticle with red dot technology. Now you get tons of hours, a great view window, and the ability for quick snap or more precise shots.
Plus…it even has a solar panel to not use up battery power during the day. Not that you have much to worry about…it’s rated for 50K hours.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Check out more pics and videos of the 510C in Best Holographic Sights.
12. Holosun HS507K
Ok…we do kind of love our Holosuns.
And with the extreme popularity of micro compact 9mm handguns that hold 10+ rounds…there’s a whole new category of micro pistol red dots to accompany them.
But our favorite is the Holosun HS507K X2.
A quick comparison of the larger HS507C vs the micro HS507K.
It’s got the same things you expect like its big bro…50,000 hours, night vision compatibility, great build quality, and a nice reticle.
The dot and circle is one of our favorites and makes it almost cheating to shoot with the HS507K. Get the reticle on target and you’ll hit it.
See it in action here:
There’s a lot more micro pistol red dots and we go over all our favorites in our giant Best Pistol Red Dots article. But our go-to for price and performance has to be the HS507K.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Why Do You Want a Red Dot?
Now that we’ve gotten our favorite picks out of the way…why would you even want a red dot? Haven’t iron sights worked for hundreds of years?
Well…there’s always room for improvement!
1. Eye Relief
This means you don’t need to have a set distance of your eyeballs from the sight. More apparent for scopes…but it’s also a thing you deal with on iron sights.
2. Parallax Free
This means when you move your head around…the red dot still stays on target. This combined with eye relief gives you a lot more freedom in position.
3. Co-Witness
You always want a backup since electronics can fail…even if you go with the gold standards.
Red dots let you either absolute co-witness or lower 1/3 co-witness with your existing iron sights.
I prefer the lower 1/3 so you don’t always see the front post in your face until you drop a little lower and WANT to see it.
You can select the specific co-witness height based on models and riser heights. Don’t worry…we cover everything in the in-depth articles!
4. Both Eyes Open
Lastly…you can keep both eyes open with red dots which opens up your entire field of view. No more squinting behind your irons and ignoring potential threats on the side.
Conclusion
There you have it…our picks of the best red dot (and holographic) sights for all types of guns. Here are the specific articles we referenced if you want to see more in-depth reviews.
How did we do…anything else you’d add to our list? If you’re looking for something with a little more magnification…check out our Best AR-15 Scopes & Optics or more general Best Rifle Scopes post.
66 Leave a Reply
Israeli based Meprolight RDS Pro V2 is an excellent choice. The design and build quality is second to none. Is there any way PPT can do a review of this quality optic? Kudos PPT for your unbiased reviews.
Fuck Israel.
Dear Eric,
What would be the best "DOT" for me to use on my .454 Alaskan w/2.5 inch barrel? Am concerned about aiming quickly (bear defense) and the recoil possibly "readjusting" the setting.
What about the strickfire2 red green dot under 200$ Really works great
I am not sure why the MRO was 5 and the Aimpoint Pro was 1 when the MRO is the same price, smaller profile, and larger field of view. Don't get me wrong, I have the Pro and love it, but it is big relative to the MRO. But given your rankings, I would assume if you could only grab one red dot to put on your rifle you would go with the Pro?
Because the MRO had an awful launch and has issues that persist to this day.
Fisheye, poor light transmission and mediocre NVG compatibility being a good start. The pricing is okay but you consider an Aimpoint at similar price and the choice is easy.
The MRO is very aesthetic and I would love for it to not suck but... Such is life.
Thanks that is good to know! I was considering getting another rifle red dot and was thinking about either a Holosun 515, Aimpoint Pro ( I have both the 515 and Pro), or the MRO but you are not the first person to mention issues with the MRO so will focus on either the Holosun or the Aimpoint Pro
Watch out for fake Sig Sauer Romeo 5's. Buy one from an authorized seller. YouTube has videos on how to spot a fake. I got a fake one on eBay.
The Romeo 5 is a terrific red dot. Every bit as good as ones that are three or four hundred bucks. There is a video where the guy shot the Romeo 5 with a shotgun (birdshot) from ten feet away, and after the red dot still worked perfectly! Fantastic product.
AT3 RD-50 Pro comes with an option for either absolute co-witness, or lower 1/3 co-witness (your choice). Also includes a rubber removable armor jacket for weatherproofing and shock absorption.
If you can't decide between how to co-witness, you can order the other mounting option separately, and see what works best for you.
Second the RD50; paired with the AT3 3x magnifier, it's a decent combo that is inexpensive (often one or both components on sale), feels rugged and gives a crisp fov. Great bang for the buck..
Arguably the best Pew Pew article ever researched for the consumer....nicely accompanied with videos. Really appreciate the knowledge compiled to make a viable "read it again a few times" article. Thanks for the energy boost.
The open reflex sights, like the Sig Sauer Romeo 3, are a hundred times better than looking through a skinny little tube. Trijicon is similar. If you’re on a tight budget get a Romeo 5.
I run the Vortex Venom 3 MOA on my .300 AAC SBR 10". It performs flawlessly. I run it on its proprietary QR mount and it Absolute Co-Witnesses with Magpul MBUS BU Sights.
I'm looking at the SIG Romeo as an Alternate for my other AR (currently sporting a 4 - 12 X 40 Barska I picked up at a yard sale for $15 still in its box. surprisingly, the Barska works pretty good. It keeps its zero, hasn't fogged up, and its only issue is it's a battery hog, even when turned off the battery discharges. MSRP on this scope was $199 though it probably sold in the $70 to $100 range new at the stores. The mil dot reticle works with out without a battery so I keep it empty when stored. It works well from 100 to 300 yards, but I'd like a Red Dot for 25 to 100 yards CLARENCE, which the Romeo looks to fit the bill without maxing my CC out.
Thanks for a good review
Anyone have experience with micro dots like the RMR for use on rifles?
I have the Bushnell TRS-25 and love it. It didn't break the bank either. It's mounted atop my SW 22 Victory serving target practice. I am more accurate and can deliver more lead on target with this Red Dot. Not for concealed carry but you know that already anyway.
No love for the PA SLx MD-25? I've been running it for a while and I love it. HUGE field of view, 2 night vision settings, great battery life, and a nice price. I'd recommend it for sure. And yeah, good call on the Bushnell TRS 25. That was my first red dot and I've had it on a bunch of guns in 5.56 and 7.62 ... holds zero like a champ.
I've been looking at that Optic too, but couldn't find a lot of reviews for it. Thanks for speaking up. I'm already set on the SIG, but I've 2 more builds I need to optic up.
Beings retiree of limited means, under "$200 is something that gets my attention.
Probably just me, but while I have optics on my AR and Tvor; just not that impressed with handgun optics. Inside 15m the dot moving in the figure-8 is distracting. Shot just as well with irons; outside 15m absolutely. One single advantage of irons is they won't die on you; with tritium IMHO you can shoot equally accurately in no-light/low light conditions.
Yeah, Im in the minority.
Sig sauer Romeo 8T
Hi, I really like the information on the Bushnell TRS-25 for the economy and the testimony of the quality. Can this red dot be mounted on a Weaver rail?
Yes! It should have no problem mounting to Weaver or Picatinny
I have a trs 25 I would suggest u don’t get I have it on a Ruger 10/22 it doesn’t hold it’s zero very well and now brightness stopped working with a brand new battery in it I’ll have it on highest setting and u can barely see it
hi, really great article, thanks!!
I'm very new to guns and trying to learn more.
In the section of why one might want a red dot one of the pros is that you can keep both eyes open.
Does that mean that one should keep one eye closed when shooting with iron sights?
thanks
p.s. I read all of your articles and find them very informative so thanks!
I may be way off, but that backyard photo sure reminds me of the San Gabriel Valley
I'm getting into rifle target shooting 22lr at 100-200 yards. Is a scope better than a red dot for that? Excuse my lack of knowledge.
Thank you.
I would highly recommend a scope for that! 200 yards is considered long range for .22 LR and having the magnification will help a lot with calling your shots.
At those ranges, consider high-velocity ammo as well.
Great and informative article. Thxs.
eeeYehehehes
I don't wish to appear overtly vitriolic in my self-criticism but after reading this and a few other articles on this site I feel rather like an "Idiot"!! I just purchased a Nikon P-Tactical Superdot and placed it upon a Ruger AR556 MPR thinking I really had something nice. For me the combination worked fantastically well albeit I am new to these types of products. Now I feel like I should toss them in a river as junk since to the best of my knowledge none of these items have ever been mentioned by experts like yourselves. My question is have I made an egregious mistake and if so what shall I do? Thanks for your assistance.
Nikon isn't bad at all, I don't think you've made an error of any kind. The issue with Nikon is that they got a bit lazy over the years and stopped trying to push their optics design. As the market got more crowded, Nikon was content to rest on their laurels. Over the years, the rest of the market simply left Nikon behind in price and quality.
That isn't to say Nikon scopes are bad, they aren't generally. But you can normally get better for cheaper. However, that is kind of changed right now because Nikon scopes are all on firesale prices. Nikon recently announced that they would be stopping their scope lines and exiting the market. The Nikon scopes that are being sold right now will be the last ones on the market. As such, every retailer is having huge sales on them.
At the firesale prices you can find a Nikon, it's a solid deal. Good glass for a really good price! The downside is that if something breaks and you need to warranty it, no one knows what Nikon will do. They have said that they will be honoring warranties still, but you never know with a big company and since they want to get out of the market -- they don't really have much motivation to honor their word in the long run.
tl;dr -- Nikon is good, just not competitive at MSRP. If you can get one on a steep discount, they are a solid buy generally. However, there is some risk involved with that now.
I am surprised the Sig Romeo 5 or any of their red dot optics was not on the list. 10 times better than the Bushnell.
Yup, we've subbed in the Romeo5 for the Holosun in the $100-$200 category! Bushnell we still like for sub-$100.
Isn't the Romeo 5 contracted through Holosun?
No, it is not. I asked Sig Sauer about that rumor several months ago and they stated that it was completely false.
What would you recommend to put on a Ruger Super Redhawk 44 magnum for hunting?