Best Red Dot Sights

The T-2 is the optic every duty red dot is measured against. It is small, stupidly durable, and has a battery life that makes charging it a twice-a-decade chore.

The Type 2 fixed the battery-contact bug of the original RMR. Still the pistol-dot benchmark for holster draw and slide-ride durability.

The EXPS3-0 is the reticle everyone copies. Instant acquisition, generous field of view, and the 68 MOA ring is faster than any dot under stress.

The Aimpoint PRO is what happens when a duty optic is engineered for a decade of hard use. Glass is bright, the dot is crisp, and the mount is included. Heavy, but you will never worry about it.

The MRO behaves like an Aimpoint T-2 at two-thirds the price. Bigger objective window makes it easier under stress than a micro-tube dot.

The AEMS is Holosun's answer to "give us a closed-emitter Aimpoint at half the price." It delivers. The dot is crisp and the window is bigger than an H-1.

The 510C brings a holographic-style window to a red-dot price. Solar backup is surprisingly reliable. The QD mount is slightly wobbly — replace it.

The 507C is the most-copied pistol optic on the market for good reason. RMR footprint, solar fail-safe, and a price that hurts the Trijicon.

The XPS2-0 gets you the EOTech reticle at ~$200 less than the EXPS3. You give up NV compatibility and the QD lever, and you cannot swap the mount.

For the price, the Romeo5 is the value red dot to beat. Motion activation is reliable and the glass is good enough for training and plinking.

The Romeo7 is a full-size tube dot at micro pricing. Glass is clear, the mount is included, and it bolts onto an AR carry handle if you need it.