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After searching high and low for a truly good tactical red dot sight for less than $100, I was beginning to believe that such a thing did not exist. Many were OK for what they were but did not inspire confidence when shooting. Mostly these were the sub $50 red dots that were really meant for no more than an air or rimfire rifle, even if they boasted features like weaver-type bases and so on.
While surfing the online catalog at MidwayUSA.com I came across a brand I had heard of before, but never for optics. Walther. Now, when I hear the brand of Walther my mind immediately goes back to Agent 007 and his trusty Walther PPK. So right away I thought "Well, if that brand is good enough for James Bond....". I continued to read the reviews on Midways site and after the first ten glowing reviews I decided to give one a try, even though "online reviews" have steered me wrong in the past ( ironic that I'm writing one now, huh?
). So I placed my order and crossed my fingers, hoping for the best. Three days later I come home to find a small package from Midway on my doorstep. I my excitement (yes, I live a dull life) I opened the package before I even unlocked my front door. My first impression of this piece was that it is well built, feels solid and it doesn't feel like it weighs five pounds like my Bushnell Trophy 1x32. The cantilever mount that comes with it is also of relatively high quality as well. Did I mention that the red dot sight comes mounted onto the cantilever mount right out of the box? Well, it does
So far, so good.Once inside I headed straight for my safe and pulled out my Stag AR-15. I generally only use iron sights on this rifle (Midwest Ind. rear flip up BUIS and the A2 front post) and I was hoping that this red dot would co-witness as well as my Bushnell did. I wasn't disappointed. Co-witness in the lower third of the glass was perfect. I reversed the cantilever mount to make a little extra room for the rear flip up cap to clear the BUIS when it was raised, but I decided to keep it as shipped because, well, it just looked better that way.
After fondling it for a week and zeroing it against my irons I finally got to take it to the range today. To say I am pleased with it would be an understatement. My first shot with it was 1/2" below the bull and after dialing it in the rest of the way I was getting better groups than I was getting when only using the irons at 100 yards. Two hundred rounds through the rifle today and it held zero from start to finish. The dot is crisp and clear and has eleven brightness settings. It was bright enough to be seen in the daylight even when set on the seventh or eighth setting. The flip up caps it comes with are thick and sturdy, not the flimsy cheap ones you would expect as OEM accessories. The glass has a very slight green tint to it, but it actually seems to help cut glare and keep things clear. In conclusion I would have to say that this sight represents the best red dot on the market for under $80. I say this having tried out at least eight of it's competitors and I'm confident that anyone who is looking for a quality red dot sight and wants to spend less than $100 would consider this sight as money well spent, if they were to purchase one.
And just to be clear, for all of the Aimpoint and Eotech fans that will inevitably come out of the woodwork, this sight is not in the same class as the Aimpoints and Eotechs of the world. But having said that, it costs at less than 1/3 the price of those "other" brands. So put that in your pipe and smoke it!
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