Three best options for pistol optics

[Dirtlaw]

OK. Biting the bullet. Moving to red dot or whatever. Which optics does the CalGuns braintrust say are the top choices?

[MongooseV8]

I have an UltraDot 30mm and a Sampfox Green and I really like them both. The UD is on a 308 pistol and the Swampfox is on a 460 pistol. We shall see how long it holds up.

[Dirtlaw]

But what is considered the top of the crop???

[saber]

So I prefer Trijicon RMR's. I have used the Trijicon RMR and then went to a Trijicon SRO. I have it currently mounted on my 1911.

They aren't cheap ($600) but it's rock solid. I prefer the larger window on the SRO vs. the RMR but it is larger overall.

I have also previously owned a Holosun, a Vortex Viper, and a Vortex Venom. I prefer the Trijicons.

[kriller134]

[MongooseV8]

But what is considered the top of the crop???

Oh. I think most people will say Trijicon RMR. Friend has one on a custom Glock and it's a pretty piece of hardware.

[Romeo_alpha01]

+1 for the Trijicon RMR. They're virtually bombproof optics. You just have to overcome the small window by practicing with it often.

You just have to make considerations for what you intend to use the optic for, and then you have to consider the range you intend to be shooting at often. A lot of folks tend to go for the 3.25 MOA, but if I had to do it again, I would consider a 6.5 MOA dot. It's faster to pick up and at most self defence distances 6.5M MOA @ 100 yards would be more like 1.6 MOA @ yards, which I think is a fairly acceptable group at that distance.

[saber]

So here is what I tell everyone I know that wants to get a red dot on their pistol. Here is the thought process I went through.

1. What gun are you mounting on? The size of the gun matters. Mounting a red dot on a full size gun is different than a concealed carry gun. Smaller guns often don't fit the full size red dots.

2. You should figure out how you are going to mount the optic to your pistol. You have 3 options.

A- Your pistol is optic ready (Glock MOS) where there are plates or some other mounting system that is already in the slide.

B- You replace the rear sight with some type of mount that holds the optic.

C- You have your slide milled.

I have done B and C. I personally prefer C. If I lived in a place without the roster, I would probably go towards A.

This matters since if you have your slide milled, you are then stuck with that pattern. If you go with a rear sight mount, you could switch it though that can be a pain.

3. Once you know the pattern, then it helps narrow it down. For example, some Holosuns share the same footprint at the Trijicon RMR. Here is a website about the mounting patterns.

https://optics-info.com/footprints-on-red-dot-sights/#A_list_of_all_the_red_dot_sights,_their_mounting_standards_and_footprints

4. You should then think about what type of reticle you want. Holosuns use a 2 MOA dot with a 32 MOA circle. Some dots are 3.25 MOA, others are 6 MOA. Leupold has a model with a triangle.

I have found it best to go to a store that has a bunch of them in stock and just look at them too. I hold it up at arms length and see how well you can see the dot.

If you tell us what gun or guns you are mounting your optics too, that might help too.

[Munny$hot]

1) RMR 06 Type II 3.25 moa
2) RMR 06 Type II 3.25 moa
3) RMR 06 Type II 3.25 moa
Those would be my top 3. For classes, training, etc Holosun 509T and the 508T

[sbo80]

There's also other features that are relevant to many people. Can you replace the battery without removing the whole thing? Many designs are moving that way, but the RMRs don't. Maybe not a big deal when they claim 4-year battery life. It is auto-on with a sleep, or on-all-the-time? Auto brightness adjustment? Some do, some don't. Any backup illumination? Some Holosuns have a solar panel. Some RMRs have the tritium/fiber optic backup like the ACOGs.

[HKAllTheThings]

Lookup those supersetca guys on Youtube. They have a bunch of pistol dots on their channel.

[geedavell]

tagged

[Rcjackrabbit]

Holoson 508T.

[crufflers]

Maybe the three best are $$$, $$, $ depending on budget.

RMR Type 2 battery-only, HS 509Tx2, Fast Fire III.

There isn't too much price difference between an RMR and 509Tx2 and if you are getting a C&H plate or similar, the HS is actually going to cost you more.

[crufflers]

Fast Fire 4 might be an option especially if you were looking at enclosed sights... the weather shield is not bad looking and it has multiple reticles, various sizes. I would read some reviews first. I have not touched that new one yet.