Micro vs full sized red dot

[Joejitsu]

Im starting some research on red dots for my AR15 and wondering what are the pros/cons of micro red dots like the bushnell trs-25 vs full sized red dots like the vortex strikefire? Clearly the micro dots are smaller and weigh less but why would anyone buy a full sized red dot then? I really don't know much at all about them so any help is appreciated.

[jokat989]

micro dots take micro batteries

[Nismo]

There are some people that buy one or the other based on how it makes the gun look. Or have limited rail space with all their doodads clamped on.

Most people here just target shoot so either one doesn't really matter.

[zfields]

Slightly larger FOV on fullsize dots.

[myk]

Iron sights FTW! Seriously though, the post about target shooting is correct. The only difference most of us will notice is how it looks on our gun...

[janus408]

Im starting some research on red dots for my AR15 and wondering what are the pros/cons of micro red dots like the bushnell trs-25 vs full sized red dots like the vortex strikefire? Clearly the micro dots are smaller and weigh less but why would anyone buy a full sized red dot then? I really don't know much at all about them so any help is appreciated.

I recently just went through the huge list of what sub $350 red dot to get the other month. It might not be what you are asking for, but let me give you a quick rundown of some of the more common ones, and what I found about them.

Bushnell TRS-25: Great for the price, no positive clicks, wont cowitness with my AK. Pretty damn light at 4 oz. Small objective. $75-80. At this price point I would also check out the Primary Arms microdots, hopefully they will have them in stock in the coming weeks.

Vortex Strikefire: Large, fairly heavy (15.2 oz), two color settings, comes with double magnifier, everyone complains about the caps, requires rings, so again couldn't get it to cowitness on my AK. Lifetime warranty is nice. $170

Vortex SPARC: Small, light (13.6 oz), comes with tons of risers to get the right height (3 of them iirc), 2x magnifier, same lifetime warranty. Positive clicks, very clear/tiny dot. $200. I found this with the $150 mount I wanted for $300 so I got it. No regrets.

Check out the Lucid HD7 ($200), Primary Arms MD06 ($90), Burris Fastfire II or III, and I am sure these guys will have a few more for you.

[ejhc11]

It won't matter too much going to the range but if you need to walk with the rifle for awhile the microdots weight make a difference. 1/2lb less on your rifle plus whatever is on your shoulders will let you decide how long you can walk comfortably.

[chead]

Another thing to consider is nearly all micro dots (except maybe the enclosed stuff like the Aimpoint Micro) will be a lot more fragile than their full-size counterparts.

[hbogart]

You might also consider the size of the dot. I have seen red dot sights with 1, 2, and 4 MOA dots. If you plan to do any target shooting, the smaller dot might help.

[Joejitsu]

Some very useful info here, thanks guys!