Choosing the Best Red Dot Sight

Any non-magnified, illuminated sight that can be equipped to a shotgun, a rifle, or a handgun is considered a red dot sight. A standard red dot sight design makes use of a red LED lighting system to create a reticle, which is basically an illuminated red dot that is aligned with your firearm and helps you accurately keep your aim on the target — ideally while keeping both your eyes open. When looking for a good red-dot sight, you want to strike a balance between specific features you desire for sighting your firearm, while at the same time you should avoid getting tempted by high cost premium features not usually found on traditional red-dot sights. There are many different dot sights available on the market, Generally if you come across Higher end features like magnification or illuminated reticles (in some cases), these features often take the place of many primary features of a solid red dot sight.

Budget red dot sights can go as low as below $30 in cost, we strongly advise to stay away from anything below $69 if you don’t want to keep replacing your red dot sights. Anything up to around $200 is still considered budget, but for around that price you can get some really premium quality sights that can be paired with a magnifier if you require extended magnification. Some of the best sights cost around $240 right up to over $1200, but you’d have to match your specific requirements to a specific sight, otherwise versatility generally takes away from optimal performance.

Red Dot Sights

There are different types of red dot sights, which all need to be highly considered when making a purchase. Some sights are designed to have a tube-like appearance and the other more preferable sights are made in a more open manner and take on a square-like shape. Hunters need to examine each type of sight before making a purchase. You need to know the quirks of each type and the differences between all three before you can make an educated purchase. There are three common types of red dot sights: laser, holographic, and reflex and all vary in many ways.

Holographic Sights

Also known as holosights, these sights work by superimposing the reticle in your view through the use of a laser transmission hologram. The hologram itself is in between glass which forms a window to view through and acquire your target. The hologram is made up of a laser that is spread out by the window, or lens, and is shone back towards the shooter. These sights mostly mount on top of a firearm because of their “head up,” design and cannot be mounted as low as the iron sights. Holosights do in fact come in personal choices of shapes, or patterns, and colors, adding customization to the piece.

Reflex Sights

Most of the red dot sights fall under this type. Reflex sights work by projecting the aiming reticle forward through the objective lens which is then reflected back towards the shooter. The objective lens acts as a one way mirror and doesn’t allow a lot of light to pass through.

These sights mostly use LED’s, because of the LED’s narrow emittance output, they act ideally for this type of sight. Although this is the preferred choice, in low light conditions a tritium beta lamp is used and also a fiber optic system, that uses ambient light, can be used. These latter choices rely on a wider band of light and can alter the light passing through more than the LED version. Reflex sights also come in the, “head up,” configuration and are available in a tube-like configuration that mimics the appearance of a scope.

At The End of The Day...

What is the best red dot sight for your first upgrade? Remember that your Rifle can be a very accurate machine. As a defensive rifle it will do its part to get rounds on target. Buying a red dot scope to augment your ability to quickly acquire and fire upon the target is an excellent first upgrade. The wide variety of models and design goals means you should choose a system carefully based on your shooting goals. A quality red dot will give you a precise aiming point that is both faster than iron sights and (depending on dot size) more precise than irons as well. We suggest you save your money and go for a quality system the works for your needs, and you will be quite happy with its durability and performance.