Differences Between Pistol Red Dots

[yogiibare]

I have limited experience with differing brands and price points of red dots on a pistol. For action pistol competitions, not carry, what benefits can I expect from something like an SRO that costs approximately 2x what a Holosun or Vortex costs? For those that have been using dots for awhile what are the noticeable differences? Are the more expensive dots worth it in your opinion?

 

[Hop]

It kind of depends on how rough are you going to be on your gear. Action pistol won't tear up anything unless you drop the gun. Might as well start out with something a bit cheaper to see how you like it. Just keep in mind that not all dots have the same gun mounting plates.

I do 10k Run-n-Gun obstacle course races & it's about the toughest thing you can submit your gear to outside of fighting a war imo.

I've killed nearly every brand I've owned. The more expensive name brand stuff has held up better.

 

[yogiibare]

Thanks, Hop. Have you noticed much difference in the quality of the glass/dot projection? I definitely won’t be as rough on it as you.

 

[desnifter]

Having shot in 2 literal hurricanes, having a closed emitter can be beneficial as well. Depending on rain that can affect the dot in the optic. I had issues with my RMR in those matches. My personal favorite is the aimpoint acro. Currently on a bunch of waiting lists for an ACRO P2

 

[NHT3]

After a horrible experience with Trijicon several years ago I've completely sworn off of them. I've been carrying an optic every day for several years and have had good luck with Holosun and Vortex. Currently what I use daily is a Holosun and I couldn't be more satisfied with it.

 

[Tactically Fat]

The differences can be myriad - depending on what qualities you want to focus on.

Case material? Window material? What shape & material is the portion surrounding the window? Dot size? Dot color? Battery access? What type of battery? Does it stay on 100% of the time or does it have a motion activation feature?

For me, I like to think of them in terms of "open" vs. "enclosed". And now the newish Sig Romeo2 is BOTH. No, it's not a sealed/purged enclosed dot - but you can have a choice of 3 different configurations. Open, half, and enclosed.

There are a ton of benefits to an enclosed emitter. One small drawback is that the enclosed ones' windows just aren't as big as some of the open ones (like the SRO, for example).

As far as brands go? Also myriad... And which brand you go with kind of depends upon what your mission is. Let the mission dictate the gear.

Do you need something duty-rated? If so, then it's RMR, a few Holosun, and now the new Romeo2. (I base this on Sage Dynamics' videos. Aaron Cowan may as well be on the Mt. Rushmore of SME's as far as MRDS on pistols. I urge you to look up his channel)

If it's just range time - then you can literally take your pick and spend whatever you want.

 

[ChooterMcGavin1973]

My first pistol red dot was a “budget”. I put it on my Glock 26 with an adapter that slid into the rear sight dovetail.
I really only purchase this just to see if I was comfortable acquiring a site picture with a red dot on a pistol. There is a huge price difference between the two units. Once I was satisfied that I wanted to make the investment in a pistol red dot, I purchased my first Holosun 507C
The two biggest differences I noticed were with durability and the actual dot.
1. The glass actually came out of the budget red dot. (I have since secured it and had no further issues.) I’ve had absolutely no issues with the Holosun.
2. When you move the dot around from target to target with the budget dot, you see it kind of stutter. The Holosun maintains a solid dot no matter how fast you move.
3. The budget red dot has auto off after 4 hours but has a manual on/off button, it doesn’t claim any certain amount of battery life and you have to change the battery by removing the unit from the mount. The Holosun has shake-awake, auto off, battery tray on the side, solar backup, waterproof, etc.
4. The finish on the budget red dot wore off very quickly. The anodized finish on the Holosun has been incredibly durable.
I’m sure I left out a few things but these are the biggest differences I’ve experienced.

 

[Jim McKalip]

The Holosun circle-dot family are very sharp to my aged (91 year old) eyes. I have both the auto brightness and manual types. All are the red dot types. I'm too cheap to pay extra for green.

 

[marvin02]

Sage Dynamics' videos. Aaron Cowan may as well be on the Mt. Rushmore of SME's as far as MRDS on pistols. I urge you to look up his channel)

Agree with this. Spend some time watching these. Consistent testing methodology, good information.

 

[fzd]

For me larger window size helps target acquisition. But I really hope that Holosun can make a reflex sight with window size similar to SRO/Romeo 3Xl/Delta point pro and offering multiple reticles

 

[yogiibare]

Thanks everyone. Lots of good advice…I’ve gone down the Sage Dynamics YouTube rabbit hole.