what red dot optic is best for $

D

Dry-Swamp

Inactive
what red dot optic is the best for a small amount of money.. i lookin to buy another AR and i dont want to buy another $400+ EOTECH!! so which one is the best bang for your buck??
 
Well you could buy yourself another $400 EOTech that will last forever, or you could buy a cheep optic, and then another when it breaks, and then another when it breaks, and so on until you get fed up and finally purchase another EOTech/Ampoint/etc that will actually last. Except in this scenario you have spent $800 over a few years rather than $400 once. I always recommend saving up to buy quality once rather than buying junk a hundred times. I would try gunbroker.com, you can usually find good deals on quality optics or quality used optics and end up saving yourself a lot of money in the long run.
 
I agree with the last two posts also - I own the PrimaryArms M4, uses one AA battery. The service is great the CEO writes back himself.
http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/ac352/ejhc11/AR15/P1080682.jpg

There is also another brand - the company was formed by a former Brunton employee. Lucid HD7. You can check it also - has a lifetime warranty.
http://www.mylucidgear.com/reddot.php

You can buy it here. Sold out currently.
http://www.architects15.com/product_p/hd7-01.htm

Oh, yes Eotechs are still better but ACOGs is what I would save up for - I like products that don't require batteries.
 
I'd recommending saving your money, and going without a red dot for a while. I firmly believe in the "buy once, cry once" mentality.

Iron sights will work perfectly fine in the mean time.
 
Buy cheap and get what you pay for.

I am a fan of EOtechs but Aimpoints are good too.

There may be some "good enough" optics out there for less than $400. I got a 551 EOtech at a gun show for $300 last fall... And that was good enough for me!


If you want junk, buy junk. If you want good quality optics, be it red dots or scopes, you get what you pay for.
 
Nutnfancy over on youtube likes the Bushnell TRS-25 $90. Have also head good things about the Vortex Strikefire $150. Just remember that there are a ton of tactical operator wannabes on the internet who buy LWRC's and Trijicons and just go out and plink a couple times a year. They are the ones who think you will need a "battle tested" optic for occasional plinking.
 
I've got a Primary Arms Micro Dot I'm pretty happy with. I did a lot of research before buying and couldn't find one bad review. There's a vid on YouTube of a guy tossing one around on concrete and it still worked fine.
 
my eotech has taken over 90 rounds of 3 inch max mag. on a rem 870 mag with out a wimper in several down poures while turkey hunting. eastbank.
 
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I'm happy with my EoTech 512. It has been on both an AK and a AR15 and never failed in any way. These sights are excellent. And the AA batteries are easy to find and cheap.

I also have a Trijicon Reflex II RX06 (the one with the amber triangle) that is currently mounted on my AK via a Ultimak Rail/A.R.M.S. #15 mount. It has been great too and dosen't need batteries.

Aimpoints are also excellent.
 
+1 for the Trijicon Reflex. No batteries, great manufacturer, accurate and reliable. Put it on a LaRue mount and you're good to go.

Aimpoints are nice, but I think you're paying a bit more for the name. Same thing with EOTech. Both make good optics, but because they both sit on the rifles of a SEAL Team/ODA/Ranger Battalion, you'll pay a bit more for the name.
 
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The Trijicon ACOG is widely used in the military, so I don't think it's about the name.

Anyway, the OP is looking for lower cost alternatives, not Aimpoints, EOtechs, or Trijicons.
 
Primary Arms is dependable for most applications but Aimpoint rules above all for red-dot sights. Aimpoint Pro for $400 is very hard to beat.
 
I typically stick to top shelve optics for my go to rifles, but I wanted something for my plinkers that would not break the bank.

I did my research and wanted to outfit my ruger 10/22's and AK's with something affordable. I read the reviews and finally just decided to go to Primary Arms myself. The guys there are top shelf and they carry all optics up to the high end stuff so you can compare quality. They spent about an hour with me and know their stuff.

I ended up buying their Aimpoint Clone Red Dots and the 1x4 scopes. The
1x4's are an incredible value and are basically the exact same scope as the Millet made in the same factory but with a better reticle. I compared both side by side. The PA is significantly cheaper.

I have had them for over a year now and shoot almost every weekend. Zero issues, very reliable, I am pleased with these. These are a great way to outfit your plinkers for not a lot of money.
 
I bought one of the Vortex SPARC's a few months ago. At around $200 it is much closer in quality to the high end units. I'm happy with mine.
 
I know I will get blasted but...

Barska AC10332 -30$ from Optics planet.

I am not going to say it is a good optic, Would not even think of attempting to compare it to the above mentioed optics.

I have one that has seen rounds on a 12 & 20ga, .22, .223, .308 as it gets swapped from firearm to firearm over the last 5 years and has worked well. Is it a substitute for any of the above ... not really, but if you want to throw a couple $ at a red dot while you save for a real one, they are not a bad choice. For 30$ though you can get a spare in case one goes down and still not be far behind on saving for that good one later.
 
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