12 Best Red Dot Sights [Hands-On]: Rifle, Pistol, & All Budgets - Pew Pew Tactical

Oct 22, 2024

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.

Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic (PRO)

AT3 Tactical Alpha Red Dot

Sig Sauer Romeo5

Aimpoint Micro T-2

Trijicon MRO

Trijicon RMR Type 2

Holosun 507C X2 – ACSS Vulcan Reticle

EOTech EXPS 2-0

Holosun HS510C

Holosun HS507K X2

Holosun HS507Comp

Show more(4 items)

We’ve shot thousands of rounds and spent hundreds of hours with red dots over the course of our years of testing guns and gear.

So, for this article, we put our collective heads together to come up with the best red dots we’ve had hands-on time with. To make the list, we picked a mix of rifle, pistol, and holographic sights that a majority of the full-time editorial team liked.

We also only selected red dots that have seen 1,000 rounds minimum through them over a one-year period — though most have undergone more than a few years of testing. We made sure to link to specific reviews we have on the red dots we chose and also include view-throughs captured during testing.

All red dots are evaluated based on durability, reliability, accuracy, features, and overall value.

Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic (PRO)

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

The Aimpoint PRO is our Editor’s Pick if you want the best red dot for everything from range plinking to all-out war.

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 (the dot will cover 2 inches at 100 yards), is night vision compatible, is 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!

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. We also have a YouTube review of it after 3+ years of testing and thousands of rounds.

Plus, it looks great on almost anything…

AT3 Tactical Alpha Red Dot

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

The Alpha is our new bang-for-the-buck red dot after testing several units for nearly for a year.

We’ve had it on 9mm blowback full-auto guns for over 1000 rounds. As well as on AR-15s and 12ga shotguns.

And the Alpha stayed true the entire time.

It has all the features you get from higher-priced optics, like a 50,000-hour battery life (almost 6 years). As well as a 15-minute shake-awake that raises the life even more.

Plus, we love that it comes with two risers that give you three heights to choose from. So whether you want a low optic on a shotgun or AK to an absolute co-witness or 1/3 co-witness on an AR…you don’t need to buy anything else.

The view through is also great with clear glass and a crisp dot. Only knock is that you can slightly see the emitter at the 4 o’clock section. But once you’re shooting…you don’t even know it’s there.

See it in video action here, although the real deal is way crisper:

It also feels overbuilt in hand…and has the performance to back it up with it surviving our 10-drop and water immersion torture tests.

Check out the full review of the Alpha for more info.

Sig Sauer Romeo5

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

The Sig Sauer Romeo5 used to be the 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 battery 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.

What do you think of the Sig Romeo5? Rate it below.

Aimpoint Micro T-2

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

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.

Unity Tactical FAST Mount

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Trijicon MRO

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

Another favorite is the Trijicon MRO, which is around $400 and is in the same price range as the Aimpoint PRO.

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:

Trijicon RMR Type 2

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

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.

It is trusted by professionals and has the most widespread “cut” for pistol slides, so if you’re upgrading your slide, it will likely be an RMR cut.

Up to 4 years of battery life (always keep it on) plus night vision compatible.

Find out more about the RMR Type 2 in our Best Pistol Red Dots article.

Holosun 507C X2 - ACSS Vulcan Reticle

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

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 and have a full video review below.

EOTech EXPS 2-0

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

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. Its large 68 MOA circle and small 1 MOA center allow for 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.

I run it as my main suppressed night-vision gun since the newer generation tubes are ok with the lowest settings.

Learn more in our Best EOTech Holographic Sights.

Holosun HS510C

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

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.

Check out more pics and videos of the 510C in Best Holographic Sights.

Holosun HS507K X2

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

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 it’s 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 are 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.

Holosun HS507Comp

Prices accurate at time of writing

Prices accurate at time of writing

Specs

If you like the 507K, you might love the 507 Comp; there’s just so much more to love.

This sight is enormous and the reason why is in the name — competition. If you’re the type that doesn’t like to hunt for your red dot on presentation, then 507 Comp might be a good option for you.

Featuring a 1.1” x 0.87” objective lens and new Competition Reticle System, shooters can choose variations between a 2 MOA dot, 8 MOA circle, 20 MOA circle, and 32 MOA circle.

The 507 Comp is built with 7075 aluminum housing and mounts up using the Trijicon RMR/SRO footprint. Running on a CR1632 battery, Holosun says the unit gets 50,000 hours of run time.

The power source is conveniently tray-mounted, so you don’t have to remove the optic to change batteries.

For electronics, the dots come in red or green, and there are 8 brightness settings, with the final two being night vision compatible. The 507 Comp also utilizes Shake Awake technology as a battery-saving measure.

We’ve tested this unit quite a bit and love how easy it is to find the dot, and even keep it during recoil.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

Leading the research and testing of this article is Pew Pew Tactical Founder and CEO Eric Hung. Though Eric got into guns later in life, they have become his passion and given him a gateway to put his research and data-driven brain to use. Eric has researched and written over 250 articles on firearms and gear since getting into guns and uses his expertise as an NRA-certified pistol instructor and a USPSA/3-Gun/NRL22 competitor to help him evaluate and choose the best red dot setups for rifles and pistols.

Overseeing all operations at Pew Pew Tactical (and editing the articles) is Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings — who runs our experienced team of reviewers. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, NSSF, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With over 2,000 articles under her belt and two book edits, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.

Content Producer Sean Curtis & Jr. Editor Wyatt Sloan, and former Pew Pew Tactical staffer John Currie also contributed to this article.

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.