Reflex sights are a great way to improve your accuracy and precision, whether in close quarters or at a long distance.
It is important to note that a reflex sight can go a long way to improve your shot group, but it will not fix bad habits or form.
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What Makes a Good Reflex Sight?
There are a few things to consider when buying a reflex sight, such as the reticle, durability, mounting system, and battery life.
Reticle
Reticles come in all shapes and sizes to provide you with a good point of aim.
Each sight comes equipped with various brightness levels to help you shoot in every environment.
Durability
A solid reflex sight needs to be constructed out of high-quality material that is resistant against various forms of damage such as water, shock, and impact damage.
Mounting
You need to make sure that the reflex sight that you are choosing will fit your firearm.
Various models fit all types of rail-mounted weapons, but some reflex sights only mount on certain weapon types such as pistols.
Battery Life
The battery life of a reflex sight is vastly different based on the model.
The lifespan of the sights on this list lasts from a few hundred hours to several years.
Th following is a list of the 12 best reflex sights available.
#1. Vortex Optics Venom Red Dot Sight 1x with Picatinny Mount
- Reticle: 1 MOA
- Material: Aluminum
- Battery Life: 30,000 hours
- Water Resistant: Yes
- Price: $249.99
The Vortex Optics Venom Red Dot Sight comes with a Picatinny mount to allow easy mounting to your railed assault rifle or shotgun.
The single-piece chassis is constructed out of machined aluminum which is both shockproof and waterproof.
For additional protection, the sight includes a hard-anodized finish and an ArmorTek scratch-resistant coating on the lenses.
The sight has a 1 MOA reticle with 10 levels of brightness that can be activated manually or automatically.
With a battery life of 30,000 hours and a 14-hour auto-shutdown feature, you get excellent life between battery charges.
The sight comes with a top-load battery replacement system, allowing you to replace a dead battery quickly.
You can adjust the sight with ease with 1 MOA elevation and windage adjustments to improve your shot group.
It is available from Palmetto State Armory, here’s a link to buy it: www.PalmettoStateArmory.com
#2. Vortex Optics StrikeFire II Red Dot
- Reticle: 4 MOA
- Material: Aluminum
- Battery Life: 300 – 600 Hours
- Water Resistant: Yes
- Price: $199.99
The Vortex Optics StrikeFire II Red Dot is designed to provide you with unlimited eye relief, and the red dot is parallax free.
Parallax free means that if you move your head, the red dot does not move with you to provide excellent aim.
It has a 4 MOA reticle with 10 brightness levels and 2 night vision levels in either red or green.
The sight has a 300 – 600 hour battery life, uses a CR2 battery, and has a 12-hour auto-shutdown feature.
The sight is made of aluminum and has a single-piece chassis design.
It has a hard anodized finish and is waterproof, shockproof, and fog proof.
For pinpoint accuracy, you can make ½ MOA adjustments.
It comes with the Vortex VIP lifetime warranty.
It is available from Palmetto State Armory, here’s where to buy it: www.PalmettoStateArmory.com
#3. Aimpoint PRO Red Dot
- Reticle: 2 MOA
- Material: Aluminum
- Battery Life: 30,000 Hours
- Water Resistant: Yes
- Price: $445.00
Aimpoint’s PRO Red Dot provides a great 1x lens for close-quarters combat.
It features a band-pass lens coating that helps prevent your lens from reflecting.
With 6 daylight settings and 4 night, you can get customizable 2 MOA sight options.
A unique feature that is included with the Aimpoint Pro is the torque-limiting knob that prevents you from overtightening the sight of your weapon.
It can also attach to any rail-mounted system with the included Picatinny mount.
The sight has a 30,000-hour battery life that allows you to always keep your sight on for quick access.
The Aimpoint PRO Red Dot comes with a 10-year personal use warranty and is constructed out of durable aluminum.
It is available from Palmetto State Armory. Here’s where to buy it: www.PalmettoStateArmory.com
#4. Burris FastFire III Reflex Red Dot Sight with Picatinny Mount
- Reticle: 3 or 8 MOA
- Material: Steel
- Battery Life: 5 Years
- Water Resistant: Yes
- Price: $229.00
The Burris FastFire III Reflex Red Dot Sight has two reticle options with a 3 or an 8 MOA reticle.
It is designed to provide a durable sight that is made to withstand the elements.
The body is constructed out of steel, and the sight is entirely waterproof.
The sight comes with 3 manual brightness modes and an automatic brightness mode with a low battery indicator.
The sight can run on a single CR1632 battery for 5 years.
With a Picatinny mount, you can quickly attach your sight to any rail-mounted system on your pistol, shotgun, or rifle.
It also comes with the Burris Forever Warranty.
It is available from Palmetto State Armory. Here’s where to buy it: www.PalmettoStateArmory.com
#5. Trijicon MRO 1x25mm 2 MOA Reticle Red Dot
- Reticle: 2 MOA
- Material: Aluminum
- Battery Life: 5 Years
- Water Resistant: Yes
- Price: $459.99 – $529.99
The Trijicon MRO 1x25mm 2 MOA Reticle Red Dot has a tapered light path and a large aperture to provide you the optimal sight for fast engagement.
The sight’s housing is constructed out of aluminum and is completely waterproof to allow you to use it in the harshest of environments.
With 8 power settings, you can customize the red dots brightness levels.
With a single CR2032, you will have 5 years of battery life at level-3 brightness.
The sight comes with .5 MOA windage and elevation adjustments for excellent groupings to provide a pinpoint zero.
The sight is excellent for carbines, shotguns, and rifles.
It is available from Optics Planet. Here’s where to buy it: www.OpticsPlanet.com
#6. Holosun HS510C 2 MOA Dot & 65 MOA Circle Reflex Red Dot
- Reticle: 2 MOA Dot With 65 MOA Circle
- Material: Aluminum
- Battery Life: 50,000 Hours
- Water Resistant: Yes
- Price: $309.99 – $359.99
Holosun HS510C comes equipped with a 2 MOA reticle and a 65 MOA circle to provide a quick sight picture.
The open frame allows for a wide picture to provide you the best sight possible.
To provide excellent sight picture and eye relief, the Holosun HS510C is designed to be parallax free.
The reflex sight has a few excellent features, such as shake awake, which is a motion sensor to turn on your sight when movement is detected.
You can also manually turn the sight on and off.
The battery has a 50,000-hour battery life which is roughly 5 years of power off one CR2032 battery.
With a dual power supply design, it also uses the sun to help power the sight.
A cool feature is that it comes with a quick-release mount for fast storage after a day of shooting.
It is available from Optics Planet. Here’s where to buy it: www.OpticsPlanet.com
#7. Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Red Dot Sight
- Reticle: 2.5 MOA
- Material: Aluminum
- Battery Life: 300 Hours
- Water Resistant: Yes
- Price: $399.99 – $454.99
The Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Red Dot Sight is constructed out of aluminum with a steel spring.
The reticle has 8 different brightness levels to provide pinpoint aim in different lighting environments.
A single CR2032 battery can keep the sight charge up to 300 hours of constant use.
It can withstand the harshest of environments and has a waterproof rating of 66 feet.
The sight can also operate in extreme temperatures from -20 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
The sight allows for quick acquisition of your target with unlimited eye relief, and it includes a patented motion sensor technology that detects movement for maximum battery life.
For clear vision, the lens is also fog proof.
It is available from Optics Planet. Here’s where to buy it: www.OpticsPlanet.com
#8. Sig Sauer OPMOD Romeo5 1x20mm Compact Red Dot Sight
- Reticle: 2 MOA
- Material: Aluminum
- Battery Life: 50,000 Hours
- Water Resistant: Yes
- Price: $509.99 – $518.99
The Sig Sauer OPMOD Romeo5 1x20mm Compact Red Dot Sight has a battery life of up to 50,000 hours off a single AAA battery.
With motion sensor technology, the sight automatically powers up and down based on detected movement.
The sight is excellent for all light conditions with 10 brightness levels.
It has 8 daytime brightness levels and 2 night vision brightness levels.
The lens is also fog and waterproof for excellent durability and visibility.
The 2 MOA red dot reticle is parallax free and can be adjusted at .5 MOA increments for pinpoint accuracy.
The Sig Sauer OPMOD Romeo5 1x20mm Compact Red Dot Sight can operate in the most extreme conditions with an operating temperature of -40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
This advanced sight can be attached to various weapons to include: carbines, assault rifles, shotguns, and even air rifles.
It is available from Optics Planet. Here’s where to buy it: www.OpticsPlanet.com
#9. CTS-1550 Red Dot Sight
- Reticle: 3 MOA
- Material: Lightweight Polymer
- Battery Life: 20,000 Hours
- Water Resistant: Not Specified
- Price: $159.99
The CTS-1550 Red Dot Sight provides an excellent sight that is designed for subcompact and compact sidearms.
Constructed out of a lightweight polymer, it is designed to last.
With the CTS-1550’s 3 MOA reticle, your performance will increase instantly, providing you tighter shot groups.
It has a 20,000-hour battery life that will generally last 2+ years and has an ambient light sensor that automatically turns off when the cover is used.
The sight also includes a notch cut to provide co-witness targeting.
It is available from Crimson Trace. Here’s where to buy it: www.CrimsonTrace.com
#10. CTS-1250 Compact Open Reflex Sight for Pistols
- Reticle: 3.25 MOA
- Material: Not Specified
- Battery Life: 40,000 Hours
- Water Resistant: Not Specified
- Price: $229.99
The CTS-1250 Compact Open Reflex Sight for Pistols has a 3.25 MOA reticle to provide effortless precision.
It has a highly durable design that is impact, shock, and vibration resistant.
It has a low-profile design to allow snag-free drawing of your sidearm.
The LED red dot sight has a battery life of over 40,000-hours.
If the battery does die, you can easily swap it out with an external battery compartment.
It also includes a 3-year protection guarantee.
CTS-1250 Compact Open Reflex Sight uses a standard mounting platform that will allow it to mount to various firearm models.
It is available from Crimson Trace. Here’s where to buy it: www.CrimsonTrace.com
#11. CTS-1000 Compact Tactical Red Dot Sight
- Reticle: 2 MOA
- Material: Aluminum
- Battery Life: Up to 9 Years
- Water Resistant: Not Specified
- Price: $299.99
The CTS-1000 Compact Tactical Red Dot Sight provides a premium product for rifles and carbines at a reasonable price.
It includes a 2 MOA red reticle designed to provide a clear target that will increase your precision with the included 10 brightness levels.
It is designed to provide full co-witness, and it includes a quick disconnect (QD) M1913 Picatinny rail mount.
The sight is constructed out of durable aluminum and is fog, shock, impact, and vibration resistant.
A unique feature of this sight is that it has a battery life of up to 9 years, and it also includes free batteries for life.
It also includes a 3-year limited warranty.
It is available from Crimson Trace. Here’s where to buy it: www.CrimsonTrace.com
#12. CTS-25 Compact Red Dot Sight
- Reticle: 4 MOA
- Material: Not Specified
- Battery Life: 1 Year
- Water Resistant: Not Specified
- Price: $69.99
The CTS-25 Compact Red Dot Sight is designed for rifles and carbines.
It has a 4 MOA red dot that provides an instant performance boost that provides additional precision and accuracy.
The sight can easily be attached to any rail system with an M1913 Picatinny rail section.
With an included CR2032, the battery can last up to 1 year.
At $69.99, this is the most affordable reflex sight on the list.
Even though the sight is affordable, it is resistant to shock, fog, water, vibration, and impact damage.
It also includes a limited lifetime warranty.
It is available from Crimson Trace. Here’s where to buy it: www.CrimsonTrace.com
See Also
He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2004 and has served over 18 years as a communications maintenance technician with three deployments to the Middle East.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor’s degree in Information System Security with a concentration in Digital Forensics from American Military University.
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