RED DOT PICKS

Here is my list of top choices for red dot type optical sights for tactical arms.

I'll update this list with any changes and updates... there are a lot of red dots out there that I've not played with. I've not got my hands on them yet so I'm going to judge them yet.  I know, I don't have a Strikefire yet – but it's one order and as soon as they become available, I'll have it and I'll shoot the hell out of it. I've got the list broken down by price level, just like I did my rifle scope pick list.

TruGlo 1x42. $50. Cheap, simple, but tough and reliable. I tried one out and several rifles and shotguns and it worked just fine. Clarity wasn't that great, but I was still able to pop jackrabbits at 150 yards with it.

Bushnell 1x28 Trophy Red Dot Sight. $80. Simple tube type red dot, nice and clear. I see a lot of these, the optic is a big step up from the TruGlow, and works well on everything from TC Pro Hunter .50 muzzle loaders down to .22 Buckmark pistols. They never fail.

Bushnell Trophy 1x32 T Dot. $140. Looks similar to a Trijicon ACOG. Fast shooting, very strong, a great shooting optic for any M-4gery for those of you who don't have a lot of scratch.

Vortex Strikefire. $150. Vortex is a new company and this is a new optic for them, but it is packed with features that are only found on optics costing twice as much. Including an optical doubler. I'm expecting this to be an awesome sight. If it fails, I'm going to be super pissed. However, looking at everything else Vortex does, it should be fantastic.

Bushnell HOLO Sight Gen II. $250. The poor man's Eotech. In fact, it is made for Bushnell by Eotech. You give up the armored shroud, ARMS throw levers, and the night vision mode. The holographic reticle is very cool. The technology started out in aviation, heads up displays and weapon sights. Now we have them on our rifles. I love this sight. I have it on my SIG 556 and it's fantastic... same as the Eotech but half the price.

Trijicon RX01NSN Reflex 4 MOA. $450. Simple, no switches or battery. Works perfectly. I've tried mine in all light conditions and it's always worked just fine. Polarized filter allows it to be used anywhere, any time. A lot of guys use these as a backup system to other optics that use batteries. The price might seem high for a simple optic, but the fact that it will always be there.

Leupold Prismatic 1x14 Hunting. $450. I like the hunting better than the Tactical version. Illumination switch so you can roll with it on or off. Off saves battery power. It's 50 bucks less than the tactical but you are not giving anything up.

Trijicon TX30 Tripower. $575. Tube sight with fiber optic coil, battery, and tritium. I've tried this unit and it works great. In all light conditions, moving from brightness to darkness like moving into a dark building from outside, and vice versa... this red dot remains visible and doesn't wash out or get too bright and glaring.

Aimpoint Micro T-1 red dot. $585. Super compact little red dot. Awesome for handguns, SMGs or a compact shotty.

Leupold MARK 4 CQ/T 1-3x14mm. $900. Illuminated circle dot reticle. Very fast and accurate. Being able to set in some magnification gives you greater ability to not just hit your target, but place your shots. These are awesome units, one of my very favorites. But they are very hard to find.

EOTech HOLOgraphic Weapon Sight 553.A65. $640. Throw levers for quick attach/detach to your rails, night vision mode, very tough. I love these units. The reticle is super fast to use, and extremely accurate. Parallax free. You can hold the reticle to the sides of the window and you are still hitting your target.

Aimpoint CompM4. $700. Super tough and rugged. The military uses an older version, this one is new and has updates that the M2 doesn't have. Aimpoint is very cool, they've been around the block and is the first company to get a military contract for a red dot sight. They have units that cost less, but I think this unit is their top sight for a fighting gun.

Trijicon ACOG 4x32 USMC reticle. $1250. This is probably the top choice for topping your tactical gun. It's also the most expensive.... some are up to 1800 bucks. Lots of different options, different price levels, all expensive. I like the USMC version the best. The red chevron reticle makes hitting fast and precise. The close eye relief however makes this optic suitable for 5.56mm weapons or Semi .308 like the M-14 and nothing much more potent than that. You will get scope-bite if you try it on anything that kicks harder.