Best Pistol Red Dots of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

A decade in the past, pistol purple dots had been little greater than a novelty for the common shooter. If you weren’t attempting to attain dominance on the Steel Challenge whereas capturing one thing like a tricked-out Caspian 1911 comp gun in .38 Super, you didn’t have a lot use for a purple dot. Things have modified.

The idea of utilizing a reflex or projected purple dot sight for a pistol was all the time a superb one, however the know-how wasn’t superior sufficient to make them sensible for the on a regular basis shooter. The sights weren’t compact or sturdy sufficient for carry-gun use. Some of the previous competitors pistol purple dots are bigger than what many shooters have on their carbines right this moment. Another problem for would-be red-dot shooters was mounting the optics. Any commonplace carry pistol needed to be customized milled, drilled, and tapped to host a purple dot sight. 

As rugged and compact pistol purple dots, led by the Trijicon RMR, trickled onto the market, extra shooters started adopting them. Within the previous couple of years, the market has exploded, and plenty of pistols ship in optics-ready configurations as a normal. Shooting pistols with purple dots has a studying curve however with follow, in comparison with iron sights, most good purple dots might help an individual goal faster and shoot extra precisely. Contemporary pistol purple dots are rugged, dependable, versatile, and sport a protracted battery life. Each has its execs and cons, however a broad market means numerous decisions for you.

Best Pistol Red Dots: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Overall: Trijicon RMR Type 2

Key Features

• Weight: 1.2 ounces
• Objective Lens Size: .83 x .63 inches
• Reticle: 1, 3.25, or 6 MOA dot
• Adjustment: Eight settings, two for evening imaginative and prescient
• Battery Life: Four years
• Battery: CR 2032

Pros

• Built for laborious use
• Good ergonomics
• Great engineering

Cons

After spending months testing one of the best pistol red-dots, I needed to decide one because the winner. It’s a Sophie’s Choice situation for certain—however guidelines are guidelines, and the Trijicon RMR Type 2 bought the nod as the general greatest purple dot sight. The Trijicon RMR Type 2’s distinctive options set it aside from the remainder of the sector and justify its lofty price ticket.

For starters it’s tough to search out something to criticize about this sight, aside from maybe its worth. But you get what you pay for, and once you slap your cash down for considered one of these, you’re getting a hell of a unit.

The RMR sights have a few distinctive options in comparison with the remainder of the sector. One is the drain holes on both aspect of the housing that preserve water and different particles from accumulating across the emitter. The different is the curious form of the housing, with its concave high. Both these components trace towards the top customers that Trijicon had in thoughts when creating the sights: severe professionals who depend on them for his or her lives.

The utility of the drain ports is clear. Whether Marines are on patrol in a swamp or a Special Operations unit is utilizing scuba gear, they need their sights to be clear and good to go always. The form of the housing mitigates laborious impacts and protects the glass from injury. The Trijicon RMR Type 2 is rated waterproof to twenty meters (66 ft).

There are a pair dozen completely different variants of the Type 2 to select from with numerous mounting techniques and dot sizes. It may be had with 1, 3.25, or 6.5 MOA dots. Mine, a 3.25 MOA dot, is vivid and crisp. The unit has minimal optical distortion (although the glass does have a noticeable blue tinge), eight brightness settings to select from (together with two for evening imaginative and prescient), and a four-year run time from a CR 2032 battery. If desired, the sight may be set to an automated mode that adjusts reticle brightness primarily based on ambient mild.

If you’re on the lookout for a pistol or small arms sight that may do all of it—private safety, hid carry, goal capturing, looking—the RMR Type 2 is it.

Best Enclosed Emitter: Aimpoint ACRO P-2

Key Features

• Weight: 2.1 ounces
• Objective Lens Size: 15x15mm
• Reticle: 3.5 MOA dot
• Adjustments: 10 settings, 4 for NV
• Battery Life: 50,000 hours        
• Battery: CR 2032

Pros 

• Extremely rugged
• Great optical readability
• Excellent ergonomics

Cons

When I used to be placing collectively a brand new handgun for bear safety, I topped it with this sight. The Aimpoint ACRO P-2 checks all of the bins I want and excels by way of reliability and survivability.

The essential advantage of an enclosed emitter is that it is protected against the setting. I spend a number of time in grizzly nation, each within the mountains and in low-lying river bottoms. Between the snow that’s typical at elevation and the mud and particles that’s a part of any river system, there are a number of methods for a purple dot to get clogged with gunk. The ACRO P-2 has flat home windows on both aspect of the unit that may simply be wiped with a shirt sleeve to clear the glass.

The ACRO additionally has best-in-class waterproofing. It is submersible to 35 meters (115 ft) so you’ll be able to dunk it with out harming it in any method. The P-2 additionally has a lot improved battery life over the unique ACRO and might ship as much as 5 years of service on a single CR 2032.

The 3.5 MOA dot has spherical, crisp edges, although when the depth degree is jacked as much as the max (there are 10 settings, 4 of that are for evening imaginative and prescient), the dot has a good bit of blooming. On the plus aspect, there isn’t any lighting scenario the place the ACRO’s dot will wash out. The buttons that management the dot depth give very optimistic suggestions, which permits them to be manipulated whereas carrying gloves.

The optical readability of the unit is among the many greatest within the subject. There could be very little colour distortion and no optical distortion whereas wanting by way of the sight. Picking up the dot and recovering it whereas capturing is a snap. It could be very forgiving.

All this efficiency, nonetheless, comes at a price. The ACRO P-2 is among the many most costly purple dots on the market, however it’s a severe professional-grade software that’s effectively price it.

Best for Fast, Close Shooting: Leupold DeltaPoint Pro 6 MOA

Key Features

• Weight: 2 ounces
• Objective Lens Size: 20mm
• Reticle: 6 MOA dot
• Adjustment: 8 settings
• Battery Life: 1,600 hours
• Battery: CR 2032

Pros

• Excellent optical high quality
• Large, vivid aiming level
• Convenient battery compartment

Cons

• Expensive
• Sits excessive on the pistol

Like all Leupold DeltaPoint’s, this mannequin is splendidly engineered. The toolless battery compartment/adjustment button is handy and intelligent. Pushing on the button permits the shooter to cycle by way of eight completely different brightness settings.

The coin-slot windage and elevation changes have 60 MOA of journey. They regulate in 1 MOA clicks and provides glorious tactile suggestions when turned.

The battery life figures that Leupold provides are a lot decrease (and extra lifelike, to be sincere) than you’ll see with different sights, however it’s price retaining the dot brightness to a decrease setting or making a degree to show off the sight when not in use to get extra from the battery.

To harden the sight, Leupold encloses it in a metallic protect that wraps over the optic. This bumps the burden to 2 ounces, making it one of many heavier open-emitter sights within the check.

Best for Competitive Shooting: Trijicon SRO

Key Features

• Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Objective Lens Size: 26mm
• Reticle: 1, 2.5 or 5 MOA dot
• Adjustment: Eight brightness ranges, two for evening imaginative and prescient
• Battery Life: 3 years
• Battery: CR 2032

Pros 

• Generous sized goal lens
• Great ergonomics
• Tough

Cons

Looking by way of the Trijicon SRO is like staring out of a big image window with mountain views. It’s a factor of magnificence. The generously sized goal lens measures 26 mm in diameter making it straightforward to search out and reacquire the dot throughout fast capturing. That high quality is a giant a part of the rationale why the SRO is my best choice for competitors. In addition to that’s the bomb-proof building and top-notch engineering of all Trijicon’s greatest pistol purple dots.

The SRO is obtainable with three sized dots relying in your wants: 1 MOA, 2.5 MOA, or 5 MOA. I opted for the two.5 MOA mannequin, which strikes an incredible stability between dimension and precision and handles any capturing chore effectively.

For a bigger sight, the SRO manages to sit down comparatively low on the slide. That makes sighting by way of the window that a lot sooner and helps the sight co-witness with irons extra simply.

The SRO has a tiny little bit of optical distortion, however not sufficient to detract from the sight’s efficiency. In truth, with its massive goal lens, the SRO dealt with monitoring and goal transitions higher than every other red-dot within the check.

The ergonomics on the unit are fabulous as effectively. The windage and elevation adjusters have medium-sized slots that may accommodate an everyday screwdriver bit or skinny coin and provide optimistic suggestions with every click on. The sight has 150 MOA of w/e journey with every click on transferring the sight 1 MOA. The battery tray is simple to entry and doesn’t should be faraway from the pistol when placing in a brand new one.

It has eight brightness ranges, two of that are for evening imaginative and prescient. The sight may be set to routinely regulate brightness ranges as effectively when you select.

And, for these of you who wish to take your weapons underwater, the SRO is rated waterproof to a few meters (10 ft) and has drain holes within the aspect of the housing.

Best Lightweight: Sig Sauer Romeo Zero Elite

Key Features

• Weight: 0.5 ounces
• Objective Lens Size: 20mm
• Reticle: 3 MOA dot
• Adjustment: Eight settings
• Battery Life: 20,000 hours
• Battery: CR 1632

Pros

Cons

• Inconvenient management button

I’ve been operating a Romero Zero Elite on a Glock 19 for some time now and it has stood as much as some tough use and a number of rounds.

It’s a fundamental unit with a 3 MOA dot with eight brightness ranges. It’s additionally provided with a 2 MOA dot inside a 32 MOA circle for many who need a bigger reticle. A small button simply behind the target lens controls the unit. While unobtrusive, the button is just a little laborious to succeed in, particularly in case you have sausage fingers, and a little bit of a ache to control. If my fingers had been soiled—from doing a number of capturing, say—I had problem adjusting the brightness with out getting a greasy smear on the within of the target lens. Not a deal killer by any means, however it’s pesky.

Other than that, I had no complaints with the Romeo Zero Elite. The optical high quality of the sight is fairly good. It has a metallic protect you’ll be able to set up to offer the polymer-framed unit extra safety when you like. The zero is simple to regulate by way of the recessed windage and elevation controls that use a tiny hex key wrench.

Another factor in its favor is its affordability. It’s top-of-the-line purple dots for the cash. With a CR 1632 on board, it delivers as much as 20,000 hours of run time.

Excellent All-Around Sight: Vortex Venom

Key Features

• Weight: 1.1 ounces
• Objective Lens Size: 20 mm
• Reticle: 3 or 6 MOA dot
• Adjustment: 10 settings
• Battery Life: 30,000 hours
• Battery: CR 1632

Pros

Cons

The Vortex Venom doesn’t deliver any fancy know-how to the celebration, however what it does have is a beneficiant window, a crisp 3 or 6 MOA dot that may be adjusted to any of 10 brightness ranges, controls which can be straightforward to control and a strong housing product of aluminum that may take a beating.

You can even change the sight to “auto” mode the place it adjusts the reticle brightness based on the ambient mild.

The slot-head windage and elevation adjusters are straightforward to dial in. The sight has 130 MOA of elevation journey on faucet and 100 MOA of windage elevation, with every click on of the adjusters transferring the POI by 1 MOA.

One characteristic that has attracted a number of shooters to Vortex’s merchandise is their beneficiant no-questions-asked guarantee program. Basically, when you handle to interrupt it, Vortex will change it. Critics say that’s borne of necessity as a result of the corporate doesn’t make optics as sturdy as others. Be that as it might, nonetheless, the actual fact is that Vortex does stand behind their choices they usually’ve earned a number of loyal prospects due to it.

Most Versatile: Burris Fastfire 4

Key Features

• Weight: 1.7 ounces
• Objective Lens Size: 27x18mm
• Reticle: Four user-selectable choices
• Adjustment: Three brightness ranges
• Battery Life: 26,000 hours
• Battery: CR 1632

Pros 

• Multiple reticles
• Versatile design

Cons

With the push of a button on the fitting aspect of the unit’s housing, you’ll be able to cycle by way of 4 reticles. The reticles embrace a 3 MOA dot, an 11 MOA dot, an 11 MOA dot surrounded by a 50 MOA circle, and a 3 MOA dot surrounded by a 50 MOA circle with the addition of two “wings” that successfully type a horizontal crosshair.

Each of those reticles has helpful purposes. The 3 MOA dot is nice for exact shot placement and common handgun use. The 11 MOA dot is nice for vivid lighting circumstances and would work effectively for turkey hunters and slug-gun hunters. The 11 MOA with a circle is nice for private protection and CQB situations, and the three MOA circle with wings can deal with shut and mid-range capturing. It can be a superb choice for wingshooting as effectively. The depth of those reticles is managed by a button on the left aspect of the unit, which has three ranges of brightness.

As the late-night TV pitchmen say, however wait, there’s extra! The Fastfire 4 can be the one sight on this roundup that converts from an open to closed emitter design. It comes with an environmental protect that screws on to the again of the unit and encloses the emitter. While this gained’t make the Fastfire waterproof in opposition to submersion, it should forestall rain, snow and dust from clogging the LED.

The Fastfire 4 comes with a cross-slot base so you’ll be able to simply screw it on to a Weaver or Picatinny sample mounting floor. With the climate protect put in the burden of the unit is true at 2 ounces. With the bottom eliminated the Fastfire has a Docter/Noblex footprint, so with an adapter you’ll be able to mount it to a handgun and it gained’t be too cumbersome.

The large goal lens makes reticle acquisition straightforward, however the glass does have noticeable optical distortion.

Ultra-Rugged: Steiner MPS

Key Features

• Weight: 2 ounces
• Objective Lens Size: 20x16mm
• Reticle: 3.3 MOA dot
• Adjustment: Eight ranges, two for evening imaginative and prescient
• Battery Life: 13,000 hours
• Battery: CR 1632

Pros 

Cons 

• Can be difficult to mount on completely different platforms.

The Steiner MPS is arguably the sexiest pistol reflex sight on the market. It has head-turning futuristic traces that visually set it aside from this crowded subject of one of the best purple dot sights. For that cause, any gun proprietor who values the aesthetic affect of their gun will wish to take into account the MPS.

But this sight is greater than a fairly face. It’s a rugged and succesful enclosed emitter with user-friendly ergonomics and a distortion-free sight image. And, whereas not low cost, it runs about $100 lower than the Acro P-2, so it has that going for it as effectively.

The 3.3 MOA dot is spherical and crisp—one of many sharpest within the check. The MPS has eight brightness settings on faucet (two for evening imaginative and prescient), which can be actuated by the “+” and “-” buttons on the unit’s left aspect.

The MPS’s battery compartment sits on high of the metallic housing and takes a CR 1632 battery that gives sufficient juice for 13,000 hours of run time. To preserve battery life, the MPS routinely shuts down after 13 hours.

To improve the MPS’s survivability, Steiner added two beefed-up panels on both aspect of the sight and recessed the target lens within the housing. With this added diploma of safety, the sight solely weighs 2 ounces.

The slot-head POI adjusters give glorious suggestions with every click on. The unit has 90 MOA of journey in each windage and elevation with every click on transferring the dot 1 MOA.

The MPS suits an ACRO footprint and comes with a Docter adapter plate. Plates for different mounting patterns can be found as effectively.

Best Compact Enclosed Emitter: Holosun EPS Carry

Key Features

• Weight: 1 ounce
• RMS Shield Footprint
• Battery: CR1620
• Max Battery Life: 5,000 hours
• Length: 1.62 inches
• Width: .95 inches
• Height: 1.07 inches
• Window Size: .58 x .77 inches
• Eight brightness settings and 4 evening imaginative and prescient settings
• Dot Size: 2 moa, 6 moa, 2 moa dot with 32 moa ring 
• Red or inexperienced reticles obtainable 

Pros

• Bright, crisp dot
• Easy to vary battery
• Good choice for hid carry or turkey gun

Cons

• Can bloom if setting is just too vivid

The Holosun EPS Carry mounts on weapons with RMSc, Holosun Okay, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro, and Sig Sauer RomeoZero optic cuts or mounting plates. It comes with screws of assorted lengths (use the longest that can work) every with Blue Loctite already on them. Holosun recommends torquing the screws to fifteen inch-pounds. 

The battery door is situated on the fitting aspect of the optic and is accessible with out eradicating the purple dot. Holosun says the battery life is 5,000 hours, which is about 200 days. It’s not the five-year battery lifetime of the Holosun 507 Okay, however altering a battery as soon as each six months remains to be fairly rattling good. 

The 6 moa dot on my EPS Carry is crisp and spherical. This is strictly how a dot ought to look, however many purple dot sights come up brief on this characteristic. The EPS Carry’s glass has a slight blue hue, which is frequent on purple dots. 

I slammed the entrance of the EPS Carry into my tailgate ten occasions to rack the slide on my empty XMacro. Then I dropped the unloaded gun from chest top in order that it landed, purple dot down, onto a gravel highway. I picked up the handgun, loaded it, and confirmed my zero at 25 yards. The solely proof of this spherical of battery was some slight character marks on the housing. It held zero and functioned nice all through the remainder of my vary session. After a couple of hundred rounds, I repeated the check, and as soon as once more it was unfazed. 

This isn’t a torture check meant to see if I might break the EPS Carry or to see if it’s worthy of use within the apocalypse. It’s a check that provides me confidence that if the optic takes a tough hit, it should preserve its zero and proceed working. -Scott Einsmann

Read the complete Holosun EPS Carry overview to be taught extra concerning the optic and see the way it held up in opposition to the Trijicon RMR in a down pour.

Best Value: Bushnell RXS-250

Key Features

• Footprint: DeltaPoint Pro 
• 4 MOA dot
• 10 brightness settings
• CR2032 battery 
• 50,000 hour battery life
• IP67 rated waterproof
• Comes with Picatinny mount
• MSRP: $249.99

Pros

• Clear glass with no blue hue
• Bright 
• Top loading battery 
• Positive adjustment clicks 

Cons

• Reticle isn’t an ideal spherical dot
• Brightness adjustment buttons are small 

The huge, clear window on the Bushnell RXS-250 makes it straightforward to select up the 4 MOA dot and place it heading in the right direction. The 4 MOA dot is a good stability of precision and quick acquisition. Competitive pistol shooters are inclined to favor massive dots, round 6 MOA, as a result of they’re straightforward to see and placed on goal shortly. I like a barely extra exact dot than 6 MOA, and the 4 MOA is a good compromise. Whether you’re in a darkish indoor vary or in a blindingly-bright sand pit, one of many ten brightness settings will be just right for you. I discover setting 5 to eight are those I take advantage of most frequently. 

My RXS-250 doesn’t produce a wonderfully spherical and crisp dot, however in sensible use it didn’t hassle me. The dot remains to be fantastic sufficient for exact pictures and after I’m capturing quick, I’m simply seeing a flash of purple on the A zone anyway. Another nitpick is the brightness adjustment buttons are smaller than different purple dots and just a little tougher to regulate on the fly.

One factor I do like is that the buttons are separated—one on the left and one on the fitting aspect. That makes it straightforward to regulate with out wanting. Speaking of nice changes, the 1 MOA clicks for sighting in are tactile and audible. In 5 years when it’s time to vary your battery, you don’t should take away the optic from the mount as a result of the battery conveniently adjustments from the highest. 

You get lots on your cash with the RXS-250. It has a vivid dot, waterproof score, massive window, loads of battery life, and it comes with a Picatinny mount.

How to Choose the Best Pistol Red Dot

When you’re searching for a pistol purple dot, you’ll doubtless really feel overwhelmed with the alternatives you see. Fortunately, with some consideration, you’ll be able to kind by way of a couple of qualifiers that can slender the sector and assist you decide one of the best pistol purple dot on your utility. 

What’s Your Intended Use?

The most essential factor to think about when selecting a purple dot is the precise job you want your pistol purple dot to do. Is it for competitors, looking, carry, or one thing else? For competitors, you may want a giant purple dot with a large subject of view. For your carry gun, dimension and sturdiness will probably be extra essential. For 10mm bear protection pistols, you need a rugged optic that can maintain as much as recoil. In some environments, an enclosed-emitter purple dot could be a more sensible choice than an open-emitter sight. Sometimes it may not matter.

What Pistol is it For?

A irritating a part of deciding on a pistol purple dot is sorting by way of the assorted mounting footprints and adapters. There isn’t a common commonplace for optic footprints and mounting screws, and it may possibly appear fairly complicated. There are commonly-used mounting footprints just like the RMS/RMSc, Docter Noblex, and RMR requirements, however some are solely distinctive.

Often, your pistol will dictate which optics you should use. Some pistols that come optics-ready are solely suitable with sure optics. Other pistols have adapter plates for a wide range of optics obtainable. Do your homework beforehand as a result of your pistol alternative can eradicate a few of your purple dot choices.

Adjustability and Battery Life

Most pistol purple dots have good battery life and can run for six months to a yr off a CR2032 or CR2016 battery. Plan on altering batteries a minimum of yearly as a matter of follow, however observe how the batteries are modified. Although many sights have straightforward battery entry, some have to be totally eliminated to vary the battery. Some sights will shut off routinely when left sitting nonetheless, and others will keep operating it doesn’t matter what. Look at a couple of of them, and also you’ll discover that many have adjustable brightness settings, and a few regulate routinely. Buy what fits your wants greatest, however attempt to have a look at the sights in each darkish and vivid circumstances. I’ve discovered some sights to be tough to see in vivid daylight. 

FAQs

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Final Thoughts

A jam-packed subject makes sorting by way of pistol purple dots an intimidating process, however it additionally supplies a number of choices. Even on a meager funds, you’ll be able to doubtless discover a sight that can fulfill your wants. There isn’t any single greatest pistol purple dot sight, however there’s a hell of a number of good ones. If you take into account your utility, your specific pistol’s mounting choices, and the options you like, you’ll find the fitting one for you—and also you’ll most likely by no means look again.