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.
Best Red Dot Sights For Your Gun
1. Aimpoint PRO
The Aimpoint PRO is our Editor’s Choice 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.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
2. Bushnell TRS-25 AR Optics
We understand not everyone has $400 to spend on a red dot. The Bushnell TRS-25 is our go-to for something around $70.
It’s served me well on my first AR and now currently lives on my AK pistol…which has even more recoil.
3000 rounds total (with 1000 on the harsher recoiling AK and still going strong…plus some rain here and there.
Not the greatest glass but she’ll work!
If you’re thinking of going even cheaper…don’t!
This is the lowest I would go for something that will stand up to range plinking here and there.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Don’t get the TRS-25 with a riser…it’s terrible! I highly recommend getting it with the UTG 1″ Riser so it’s the perfect height (1/3 cowitness) on an AR-15.
Check it out more in our Best Under $100 Red Dots article and video. Or now the standalone review of the Bushnell TRS-25.
3. 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:
It comes in a variety of mount flavors from no mount to 1/3 cowitness and full cowitness. We prefer the 1/3 cowitness so you can still use irons as a backup but they aren’t in the way.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
4. Sig Sauer Romeo5
The Sig Sauer Romeo5 takes our current Editor’s Pick for Best-Bang-For-the-Buck red dot at around $140.
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.
We’ve put a lot of rounds through several units and you can check out the full Romeo5 review here.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
What do you think of the Sig Romeo5?
5. 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 ($469).
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.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Find out more about the RMR Type 2 in our Best Pistol Red Dots article.
6. Vortex Venom
Now how about a pistol red dot for the rest of us? Enter the Vortex Venom ($230).
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.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
7. 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 ($490) 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.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
8. Holosun 510C
And you know I wouldn’t leave you hanging without a more affordable holographic option…
Holosun’s 510C ($299) 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.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Check out more pics and videos of the 510C in Best Holographic Sights.
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.
41 Leave a Reply
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.
Great and informative article. Thxs.
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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?
Clueless noob here - What warrants the MASSIVE price difference between these and airsoft replicas when both seem to do the same thing? Is it just sheer ruggedness?
More or less, yes. Airsoft optics will not survive on a real firearm. The recoil and shock will ruin their electronics very quickly, depending on the gun and the optic - 10 shots or less isn't surprising. The outside housing is also much more robust on real firearm optics since many of these are used for self-defense where your life literally depends on them working. Lastly, real firearm optics need to hold zero. Airsoft can walk a little and it doesn't matter too much since they aren't very accurate to start with. A real firearm optic needs to hold a zero at fairly long ranges while also enduring much more force and shock.
Where is the sig romeo5?
I went red dot on a G-19 RMR Trijicon (holding up) Type 1. Slow at IDPA but accurate. On the PCC went with reflex Sighmark Ultra 79.99 at Midway; because of red/green choice. I favor green. Fast and accurate with PCC on steel. Learning curve is huge but I like them. And thanks for article Eric very enlightening. P.S. Be careful with the clones.
what saith thou... Holosun good to take to battle?
I vote for the SPARC-AR from Vortex. First off they have their lifetime warranty and second it is a nice crisp 2moa red dot. I have one on a Ruger 10/22 and one on a SBR.
a steiner 536 is pretty great also 529 bucks and am Burris 536 is good and has an 6 minute reticle and focuses well its a 5 x good to 200 yards
Just picked up an Aimpoint Pro for $378, including expedited shipping, from Sportsman's Guide.. Discounts included membership (-$43.80) and current code SK1760 (-$40). Current code takes $40 off anything over $250, so this could be used for other products...
Aimpoint PROs 'can' be picked up as low as $350-$360 if you are patient and get the right sale. They used to happen more often, but not so much lately. Watch for a LAPG discount code; PSA occasionally drops them into the $360 range as well. Get the right coupon at Sportsman's Guide and you can pick up a XPS2-0 or XPS2-2 for right at $399 after discount (Buyer's Double Discount code for 20% off) plus about $15 shipping. Sig's Romeo5 and Primary Arms 50K hour RDS are also both 'bang for your buck' solutions, the Romeo5 around $129 shipped at a few places right now, and the Primary Arms ~$150 every day. The PA dot is Holosun sourced and the Sig is believed to be Holosun sourced.
just got a Burris 536 a 5 power 36mm objective and a focusable eye piece ,took 3 rounds to shoot in absolute Co witness on a sig 716 .7.62 x 51 dmr ,shoots about an inch at two hundred yards bi pod and butt rest ,I have 4 acogs for some pretty nice fn heavy and light sca r rifles the Burris was a present from my gf who shoots with me .this Burris 536 is just as clear an my acogs and its reticle is pretty well set up for up to 600 yard hold overs .im surprised at the build quality I think this was manufactured in Japan because the glass is excellent ,came with non reflector filter and a sun shade ,I have seen them go for 499 ,mine came with a leupold delta point on the top rail ,I really like this set up ass its as nice as an acog and my gf who works at Amazon got it for me cause she loves me and I give her a magic injection almost every night .
How does the Romeo1 show up if the weapon light is on in a nighttime condition?
Do you recommend co-witnessing on a pistol with Red dot?
I personally don't since my red dot pistols are more for competition or fun. If you're using one for duty it might make sense.
What is easier to aquire with, a smaller red dot sight or larger one, I use on a 10/22 for speed steel shooting?
Hey Todd, a larger red dot (in terms of the size of the dot) will be easier to acquire. You can check out 6 MOA sizes.
I'm new to the AR "scene" and just finished building my 3rd. My first 2 have flip up "open" sights but, my 3rd, I put a Vortex Sparc AR on it and plan to install a set of back-up open sights. I have two questions; 1) In "zeroing" in my Red Dot, does the dot have to be centered when setting it up? I've zeroed in scopes but Red Dots are new to me. 2) When co-witnessing open sights with a Red Dot, is there a simple process for setting it up at 1/3? Sorry for the dumb questions, I've been a handgun guy most of my life.
The dot does not have to be centered when you are zeroing. And for having absolute or 1/3 cowitness will depend on your red dot height. When setting it up you have either the optic or the irons zeroed, and then move the other to match it up.
or a bore laser/
Eric I have a sig 320 9mm with a romeo1 red dot. when looking at red dot I see a clustered group of red all around the dot which is hard to find the single red dot. its like red clouds all around the window ,
Not sure if its the sight or your own eyesight...do you have astigmatism?
The red dot is round, astigmatism causes this. Sight through your glasses.
Great help, good article - thanks for the info! I think I'll get me an ACOG
You're welcome Rick!
Loved the article! I enjoy using these sights on a few of my rifles and handguns, but I learned some new info. Thanks!
You're so welcome, Peter!
Great background, thanks. I would like to know more about trajectory and distance using a red dot. Can't seem to find much about that.
Hi Dave, thanks for the suggestion! I'll be adding in that soon. I would personally use it up to 100 yards but I've seen people in competitions outshoot me easily up to 400 yards with a red dot while I'm using a 6x scope. Just depends on your eyes and if you know your holdovers.
Thanks for commenting on the different types. I'm (now) a civilian shooter, and this technology is new to me. I am researching to understand, and your explanations help.
Thanks so much...glad I could help!