Holosun made a name for itself by offering quality optics and innovative features available at prices the average shooter can afford.
They’ve kept the ball rolling ever since, and there are some wild pieces of new tech on the horizon. The optics we came to love along the way are just as good as ever.
These aren’t just good for the money, they’re solid optics that might be a better choice than some of the higher-priced options on the market, depending on how you use them.
Over time, I’ve come up with my favorite Holosun optics, so let’s talk about which ones stand out above the rest.
THE QUICK LIST
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Editor’s Pick
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Best for Competition
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Best for CCW
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Best Mini Red Dot
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Best Mini Enclosed Emitter
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Best Full-Size
Table of Contents
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Holosun Optics Comparison Chart
| Holosun Model | Footprint | Dot Size | Battery Life | Price |
| EPS | RMR | 2-MOA dot, 6-MOA dot, or multi-reticle | 50K hours | $399 |
| 507Comp | RMR | 2 MOA Dot with 8/20/32 MOA circle | 50K hours | $369 |
| HS510C | QD Picatinny mount | 2-MOA dot, 65-MOA circle, or both | 20K-50K hours | $309 |
| HE509T X2 | 509T (RMR adapter plate included) | 2-MOA dot, 32-MOA circle, or both | 50K hours | $429 |
| 507C X2 | RMR | 2-MOA dot, 32-MOA circle, or both | 50K hours | $309 |
| HS 507K X2 | Shield | 2-MOA dot, 32-MOA circle, or both | 50K hours | $319 |
| DRS-NV | Picatinny mount | 2-MOA dot, 65-MOA circle, or both (day) cross, T (night vision) | 6-8 hours | $999 |
How We Tested the Best Holosun Optics
The Pew Pew Tactical staff has been shooting with Holosun optics for years, and we’ve gotten familiar with the products, their capabilities, and their limitations.
You’ll notice that we got hands-on time with almost all of these optics and have the pics to prove it. The one exception is the new hotness from Holosun, the DPS-NV. It’s a promising piece of new tech that’s too cool to be ignored. And don’t worry, we’ll get range time with it as soon as we can!
Best Holosun Optics
1. Holosun EPS/EPS Carry – Editor’s Pick
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Durable enclosed emitter
- Available in two sizes
- Three reticle options
Cons
- Bulky, especially on smaller CCW pistols
- One reticle option per optic
Specs
- Best Use: Pistol
- Footprint: RMR (EPS), Shield (EPS Carry)
- Reticle: 2-MOA dot, 6-MOA dot, or multi-reticle
- Battery Life: 50K hours
- Weight: 1.4 oz
Following the popularity of sights like their 509T and 512C, Holosun invested even more in the enclosed emitter market with the launch of the EPS (Enclosed Pistol Sight).
While the 509T proved to be a great design, many users found that the mounting solution was not ideal for use on handguns.
Holosun took this user feedback and created two enclosed pistol dots, with the full-size EPS using the 507C/Trijicon footprint and the EPS Carry using the 507K/Shield footprint.
This means you can get all the durability and ease of maintenance of an enclosed emitter dot and do so on your carry gun without fuss.
These are fantastic optics and have proven to be extremely popular since their launch last year.
They are available in 2-MOA dot-only, 6-MOA dot-only, and multi-reticle versions.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Don’t forget to check out our complete review of the Holosun EPS Carry or rate it below!
2. Holosun 507Comp – Best for Competition
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Massive viewing window
- Outstanding battery life
- Durable
- Competition reticle system
Cons
- No option for a larger center dot
- No solar failsafe
- Best Use: Pistol
- Footprint: RMR
- Reticle: 2 MOA Dot with 8/20/32 MOA circle
- Battery Life: 50K hours
- Weight: 1.7 oz
It’s all in the name…the 507Comp was designed with competition shooting in mind.
This lightweight red dot features a massive viewing window and a 2 MOA center dot with three different outer ring sizes you can choose from (8, 20, or 32 MOA).
Like most Holosun optics, you’re still getting that 50,000-hour battery life and shake-awake tech that is definitely appealing, not to mention a side-loading tray for easy battery swaps.
Buttons are very tactile and on par with the regular 507, but with the added feature of being a tad bit recessed. What does this do for shooters? It prevents accidental presses, which is especially helpful during matches where you’re running and gunning.
The downside to the 507Comp? No solar failsafe. Bummer.
Despite that, this optic is an excellent addition to any competitor’s arsenal…especially at its price of under $400.
3. Holosun 507K – Best for CCW
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Compact
- Manual brightness adjustment
- Multiple reticle options in one optic
Cons
- Durable, but not as rugged as a closed emitter
Specs
- Best Use: Pistol
- Footprint: Shield
- Reticle: 2-MOA dot, 32-MOA circle, or both
- Battery Life: 50K hours
- Weight: 1 oz
Adding optics to handguns is more than a fad – it’s likely the future of handguns in general, including small guns.
Sig Sauer, Glock, Ruger, Beretta, and more are equipping their smallest pistols with red dots. Though this is still a growing market, Holosun has conquered it.
And time and time again, the Holosun 507K has proven to be the toughest option available for concealed carry.
The 507K is a tiny little fella using the Shield footprint. It’s light, packs three reticles, and offers two-button controls.
Why two buttons?
Well, it makes navigating your brightness levels a lot easier. It sucks to miss the setting you want and then travel through all the settings once more.
That comes in handy because the 507K utilizes 10 daylight and 2-night vision settings.
Imagine cycling through 12 settings just to get to the perfect one.
Or imagine needing to dial down, but you have to dial up to get back around to the low settings. Nah, I ain’t about that life.
The latest 507K models (2018 and up) come with a lock-out mode that locks the buttons and prevents accidental presses — awesome since these optics are often carried in a deep concealment manner.
If you want a capable concealed carry optic for the world of small guns, then the Holosun 507K is tough to beat.
4. Holosun 507C X2 – Best Mini Red Dot
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Solar charging
- Versatile
- Available ACSS reticle variant
Cons
- Hefty on a pistol
Specs
- Best Use: Shotgun, full-size pistol
- Footprint: RMR
- Reticle: 2-MOA dot, 32-MOA circle, or both
- Battery Life: 50K hours
- Weight: 1.5 oz
When you step up to full-sized handguns or even long guns, the Holosun 507C X2 has your back.
It’s a mini red dot in the same realm as the Trijicon RMR, Leupold Deltapoint, etc. It fits the Trijicon footprint, so you have access to tons of mounts, precut pistol slides, and more.
I took advantage of the 507C’s footprint by using the Scalar Works Sync mount and tossed it on my Benelli M4.
In this role, it shines.
It shrugs off 12-gauge recoil and provides me a co-witness capable sight for shotgun tasks. I also make use of the multi-reticle system here.
That 32-MOA dot is perfect for shotguns. I put it where I want buckshot to be, and within 15 yards, I know the pellets from my home defense load will land in that circle.
This way, I know where every pellet is going.
Oh, and guess what? It can be powered by the sun or artificial light! The solar panel on top provides that battery backup Holosun is known for.
Who wouldn’t want a little backup on your repeating claymore? While it’s great on shotguns, many people have turned to the Holosun for their handguns.
It’s a rock-solid choice for various roles and is likely Holosun’s most popular optics.
Our favorite model of the 507C is the ACSS model from Primary Arms. Check out our full review here.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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5. Holosun 509T – Best Mini Enclosed Emitter
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Great balance of size and durability
- Solid backup to an LPVO
- Solar charging
Cons
- Bulky on smaller CCW pistols
Specs
- Best Use: Pistol, carbine
- Footprint: 509T (RMR adapter plate included)
- Reticle: 2-MOA dot, 32-MOA circle, or both
- Battery Life: 50K hours
- Weight: 1.72 oz
Pistol-sized optics are starting to lean slightly into the realm of enclosed emitters. Enclosed emitter designs up the reliability significantly.
Aimpoint started it with the Acros, and Holosun followed with the 509T.
With a standard mini red dot, the open emitter typically isn’t an issue but the chance of failure is slightly higher.
Dirt, snow, rain, and anything else can get between the emitter and the lens and block the LED or distort it. With the enclosed-emitter 509T, this isn’t an issue.
The 509T also packs three reticles: a 2-MOA dot, a 32-MOA circle, and a combination of the two.
We see a slight blue tint through the glass but it still provides impressive clarity. At the same time, the 509T stays rather small and compact for pistol use.
Since the optic is enclosed, it would even be at home on a subgun or rifle. The durable design ensures it’s always reliable.
The 509T is perfect as an offset optic for use with an LPVO or prism optic. And it packs the solar panel we all know and love.
Additionally, it’s fairly lightweight but ultra-rugged due to the titanium hood. It’s on the high side price-wise, but it’s the cheapest duty-ready enclosed optic.
6. Holosun 510C – Best Full-Size
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Very durable for an open emitter
- Multiple reticles in one optic
- Shake-awake and solar charging
Cons
- Not cut out for the most severe conditions
Specs
- Best Use: Carbine, PCC
- Footprint: QD Picatinny mount
- Reticle: 2-MOA dot, 65-MOA circle, or both
- Battery Life: 20K-50K hours
- Weight: 8.3 oz
Do you ever want the benefits of an open emitter optic on a rifle or long gun? Well, it’s available in the form of the Holosun 510C.
While an enclosed emitter offers a reliability bonus, we shouldn’t ignore the benefits of open emitters full-stop.
The HS510C offers you a lighter-weight optic with enhanced peripheral vision. Additionally, one lens helps clarity … and clarity matters.
Not to mention the HS 510C provides you with an affordable, full-sized option for the open emitter world.
We get the multi-reticle system, solar panel backup, and shake-awake technology — perfect for home defense and competition use.
In fact, it seems to be a favorite of the USPSA PCC crowd. It’s big, easy to see, and gives you a fast shooting, easy-handling optic.
The little 510C packs 10 daylight and 2-night vision settings.
Holosun made the mount proprietary, and it’s better suited for optics that require AR height. It might be a little tall for some guns, but not terribly so.
Holosun offers a spacer to push it up if you want it a little taller.
Interested? We have a full review of the 510C here!
Honorable Mentions
7. Holosun DRS-NV
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Night vision!
- 8x digital zoom
- Records video
Cons
- Expensive
Specs
- Best Use: Carbine, PCC
- Footprint: Picatinny mount
- Reticle: 2-MOA dot, 65-MOA circle, or both (day) cross, T (night vision)
- Battery Life: 6-8 hours
- Weight: 18.5 oz
One of the most exciting developments in the world of red dots is integrated night vision. It’s not something we knew we needed, but it’s great to have the option!
In daylight, the DRS-NV works like any other enclosed-emitter optic. It comes with Holosun’s Multi-Reticle System that lets you choose from a 2-MOA dot, a 65-MOA ring, or both.
When the sun goes down, you can take advantage of built-in night vision with a 1,024×768 sensor, 60 fps, 8x digital zoom, and recording capability with onboard storage. Night-vision reticles include a simple cross or T. The future is now!
Just how practical is this capability? That remains to be seen but we’re drying to find out for ourselves with a hands-on review.
FAQs
What's the difference between the Holosun 507K and 507C?
The Holosun 507K uses the K-series footprint and fits on subcompact or micro compact pistols. The larger 507C works best of full-size pistols and uses the RMR footprint.
Is Holosun duty-grade?
Holosun optics are tough enough for anything that most civilians will put them through. They might not hold up as well as some military-grade optics, but don't let that stop you from getting a great optic at a great price!
Where are Holosun optics made?
Holosun is based out of California, and that's where the products are designed. The optics are built in China.
Are open or closed emitter optics better?
Open-emitter optics are lighter than closed emitters and they can offer a slightly better field of view. Closed emitters require more space and weigh more due to their blocky shape, but they're more durable since the emitter is protected from the elements.
Final Thoughts
Holosun is crushing sales in the U.S. optics market. Surprise, surprise, giving the consumers what they want at a reasonable price point is popular.
With a variety of options on the table, there’s bound to be a Holosun red dot suited for just about every need you have.
What say you, folks — love ’em? Hate ’em? Let us know what you think below! For more on red dots, check out our roundup of the Best Red Dot Sights.
Latest Updates
- June 2025: Removed the now-discontinued AEMS and 403.
- May 2024: Added the Holosun DRS-NV.
21 Leave a Reply
One big "con" I can't get past is that all Holosun are made in China. No thanks. I'll pay a bit extra (perhaps) and get US-made optics that are battle-proven rugged and reliable and keep US industry and workers going. Where things come from matter, especially these days.
(And, yes, I'm a combat Army vet from Afghanistan and Iraq and figured out a long time ago that if we don't take care of our own, others (especially China) sure the hell won't).
So, who are you buying? They seem to be the only ones who have managed to put together everything I want int one unit. I'm not a fan of solar, mainly since they take the buttons off the top and with how long a battery last not really a concern. Now just in case the battery does go I don't want to break out a torque wrench to change it quickly with the spare battery in the grip. That leaves out ones with stupid trays. I also like ones without turret caps. Last prefer the Multi-Reticle System in green with the shake awake feature. That leaves the best Holosun in my opinion made for the AR platform a HE530G-GR, which didn't make the list. Not to mention very few companies make stuff here, you will see designed and/or assembled here a lot. And yes, I will pay more for it to be made here rather than in China.
Well done! Probably the first PewPew article I have thoroughly enjoyed and felt safe in forwarding to friends and colleagues.
I have Holosun sights on all but two of my handguns and on three of my rifles: why use a 1:1 sight on a rifle? The answer? They are the DPS-NV sight — which I have mounted on my suppressed 5.56mm and 7.62mm rifles used strictly for home defense.
I own 12 Holosun sights — including 3 DPS-NV — in all, and have equipped most of my partner’s pistols and revolver with them.
The one drawback I see is that I don’t know whether the DPS-NV (or any other Holosun sights) is capable of handling use on a shotgun. I have a Holosun sight mounted on a Mossberg 590S Shockwave 12-ga intended (and loaded) for daylight home defense (the two rifles mounted with the DPS-NV sight are intended more for precision night home defense.
I’ve put over 16,000 rounds through a Staccato 2011XC mounted with a Holosun sight, and never had a problem (with the sight); living in bear country, Holosun sights are mounted on both of my S&W 460 revolvers (3” and 8 3/8” barrels) and both — with about 5-600 rounds fired using the Holosun sights — have held up to the abuse, so maybe mounting one on a shotgun is a good idea.
Frankly, I’ve heard very little about Holosun’s DRS-TH sight, which uses thermal imaging. Tending to a household with animals, living in an area where bears, mountain lions, and other ‘big cats’ demand use of a thermal sight — and if any of you have one, I’d appreciate hearing about your experience.
I have one, I like it. I live in NJ, so it's difficult for me to roam around with it on a rifle, but I have tested it on a shooting range during day time. It picks up little birds easily at 100 yards, and bigger heat signatures at 300. I use it with a 3x magnifier. Blue jean operator on YouTube has a nice video using it in combo with helmet mounted nightvision.
Thanks for reading and sharing!
For my Taurus tx 22. The 507comp or 507k x2 ? The article Best pistol red dot said using the 507k x2 was like cheating, I like that idea !!!! Need all the help I can get. I use it on the farm for rodents. Thanks, Nick
Both EPS models have an RMSc footprint. The full-size model DOESN'T have an RMR footprint. Like the 509T, it DOES come with an RMR adapter plate, but it's still an RMSc/K footprint.
I own 4 Holosuns; the HE530C-GR & HE510C-GR for rifles and the HE507C-GR X2 & EPS Green MRS for pistols. I think they are all great and have been problem free and accurate.
***NOTE: The EPS Multi-Reticle is going to give you a bit of distortion on the edges.***
I only see it when I use the multi-reticle Circle/Dot combo. Dot-only is not noticeable. If you buy one of the 2/6 MOA dot-only's I bet you won't see it at all. You will read that some say multi-reticle distortion is worse than others and some send them in and get them back 'a little bit' better...maybe. Holosun phone support denies that it distorts at all, but I think the phone guy maybe just does not know. I had multiple conversations with him (always the same guy) and could never get him to say. "I have a multi-reticle in my hand and it does not distort". He always said 'send it in and we will look at it'. After reading numerous posts I decided the distortion was minimal, WAS in all MR EPS's and not worth sending in. Plus, like I said, on dot-only you don't see distortion; only circle/dot.
Since the EPS is enclosed, the distance between the emitter and the glass is reduced. I believe that causes slight distortion and ALSO makes the Circle and the Dot a bit smaller than my other three Holosun sights that are all visually the same size. NOT complaining, just an FYI for you guys that are more OCD than me and who this slight distortion might bother/distract. I think Holosun products are great! :)
Don't forget, they are Communist Chinese and everything they make is from stolen intellectual property!!!. I won't be buying their products no matter what people say about them.
I’m the guy who said they earned my loyalty. I thought they were a California company, but you’re absolutely correct. It’s time to start researching these things more before we buy. Loyalty unearned! For me, they don’t have to be manufactured in the US, but I will not give my money to China.
Are any of these models made in the USA? If not, no thank you...
Quality, variety and price? You bet. But don’t overlook their warranty. My 507k X2 failed after a couple of years of pretty rough use and Holosun paid for postage, tested and replaced it. Short turnaround and no questions. They’ve totally earned my loyalty.
Great article thank you! Only the 507c is mentioned for a shotgun (sorry if I missed something else in the article), I am wondering why any of the other ones would not be a good choice, or if all of them would be good for my semi auto shotgun.
Good article. However, I was hoping to find out what optics are able to withstand the recoil of 10mm handgun loads. (I'll be shooting a XDM elite ops, 4.5"… relatively light weight.) Leaning toward a Holosun EPS Carry, or EPS for the reticle options, features, and affordable price. Trijicon RMR seems the obvious choice for durability, but it is out of my price range.
I have the507K X2 on a Glock 40 MOS 10mm. Love it though it does look a little strange on the large slide. I will be sending my Gen 3 G27 off to have the slide cut and will be moving the 507K to it. I am looking to put a AEMS on my AR. If the G27 comes out good may do my G23 and put one on it. Had some issues finding a mounting plate for my G40. Holosun customer service was great, pointing me to several sources for mounting plates.
Kevin, I know this reply is a bit late, but I have the 507K-X2 on a Gen4 Glock 40 MOS 10mm. It looks a little funny as it is a 'micro' red dot sitting on the large frame Glock, but it has soak up the 300+ rounds I have put thru it (would have put more but the hurricane and a broken leg have kept me away from the range). I am very impressed with the sight.
The 507k with ACSS Vulcan reticle from Primary Arms was just released too. I really like mine although I have yet to take it to the range.
It wasn't until relatively recently I decided to put a red dot on my EDC. Been carrying for almost 40 years now, basically, as, collectively, military, law enforcement, and as a civilian, using open iron sights all that time with no issues even in those cases where I've had to use my carry in defense situations. But now time has caught up with me and my eye sight is not what it used to be and the front sight on the carry is now more difficult to see without the glasses I wear now. But I know from experience that defensive gun use can be very disorganized and messy, its not this smooth cool looking thing you see people in videos practicing on the ranges or you see in John Wick type movies, so I might not have my glasses on all the time for one reason or another (e.g. got knocked off during a preceding physical grappling). I'd had red dots and LPVO's on some of my AR platform rifles for a while before this, and even had red dots on some of my other pistols, and I liked them and am well acquainted with red dots but I did not EDC a red dot.
So, I put a red dot on the EDC. Tried a few different actually. Did not like any of them, not because they did not deliver as advertised but because they made carry for me a little uncomfortable in my carry position at 4 o'clock when I carried concealed. No matter what anyone tells you, a big block of plastic/metal sitting on top of your EDC pistol can be uncomfortable at times with IWB carry. So I started looking at options of things that were more streamlined and less bulky, even in iron sights (e.g. big dot and high visibility sights for example XS sights).
But the only thing I initially came up with that satisfied the comfort, and visibility with and without glasses, issue was the Meprolight FT Bullseye. So I tried one, and after some practice loved it and was just as fast and good with it as I had been with iron sights if I wore glasses or not and it didn't affect carry comfort. So I ditched the red dots for my EDC and went with the Meprolight FT Bullseye which served the same 'red dot type' purpose for me.
Then about a month ago I got my hands on a Leupold DeltaPoint Micro red dot to try out. Mounted it up, I really like it. Have tried carry with it, and its comfortable to carry for me and its easy to see with or without glasses.
Travis, excellent article and I couldn’t agree more. I’m just an average guy on an average guy budget, who likes guns for sport and personal/home defense. I own a couple other brand optics and they’re good but either the quality/features weren’t as good for the same or more money or they were as good but for a lot more money. I’ve outfitted my wife’s and my carry guns with the HE507K-GR-X2 and the HE407C-GR-X2 respectively and looking at the AEMS for a future AR build. I have astigmatism so I prefer the green reticle and with Holosun I feel like I’m still getting a good deal even with the higher priced HE models. To me, Holosun is to red dots what Streamlight is to lights, with both both brands, I get the quality/features I demand with a price I can stomach.
Can you please review the new Holosun SCS MOS Green made specifically for Glock MOS? They are due out in a few months I heard. I have been researching them but would love to get your official opinion if you were able to get one ahead of time to test out.
Thanks for writing great articles. They are very helpful and informative.
Peter
I have a 508 green that was an accidental purchase. I meant to get a 507. I still like it. It sits on a p80 build killer-innovations velocity slide. It really is a great optic.