Red dot scopes are small, lightweight sighting devices with illuminated reticles used to acquire targets under varying conditions. They’re used for aiming handguns, long guns, compound bows, crossbows, and other items that require precision aiming to be effective, such as cameras and telescopes. Entry-level red dot sights are inexpensive and typically are among the first accessories gun owners add to personalize their AR-style rifles, which continue to be the most popular rifle platform sold in the U.S.
Red Dot Scope Overview
A red dot reflector scope is an aiming device that bounces a beam of light emitted from an LED off a slanted glass element or curved mirror within the body of the sight and back into the shooter’s eye. Situated behind the scope’s lens, the glass is chemically coated to reflect only the LED’s wavelength and makes other light wavelengths invisible to the human eye. The result is typically a red dot superimposed over the target seen by the shooter and used as an aiming reference point in preparation for taking a shot. Some red dot scopes have green or blue dots or reticles of other shapes. Red dot scopes are highly effective for hunting, target shooting, and military and civilian tactical applications. Being virtually parallax free, the reticle stays in alignment with the firearm’s sight, regardless of movement or shifting of the shooter’s eye position. More about parallax and reticle types later.
History of Red Dot Scopes
The concept of fastening a reflector sight to a firearm originated in the early 20th century. Irish optics designer Howard Grubb conceived a sight in 1900 that allowed aiming with both eyes open, while at the same time giving shooters faster target identification and acquisition. Grubb’s design was offered as an alternative to traditional iron sights that required the time-consuming task of precisely aligning the front and rear elements with the target. Grubb’s design also overcame the problem of the limited fields of view associated with high-powered telescopic sights. The result was a tubed-shaped sight illuminated by ambient light, and was the predecessor of today’s highly sophisticated red dot scopes and sights.
By 1918, the German military had begun using reflector sights with machine guns mounted on fighter aircrafts. During WWII, reflector sights were widely used on military fighters and bombers by both sides. Reflector sights are still in use today on combat aircraft and ground weapons, ranging from handheld small arms to anti-aircraft guns.
The first red dot sight that used a battery-powered LED to project red light onto a reflecting mirror was created in 1975 by Swedish manufacturer Aimpoint AB. Called the Aimpoint Electronic Sight, the small, closed tube device was based upon a design by Swedish engineer John Arne Ingemund Ekstrand. The lightweight Aimpoint AB sight could be attached to a firearm in the same manner as a telescopic sight, and its built-in LED would function for up to 3,000 hours before its mercury batteries needed to be replaced. Another Aimpoint innovation was the Aimpoint CompM2, which is still being used today by the U.S. Military who gave it the designation of M68 Close Combat Optic. Today, more than a dozen companies manufacture red dot scopes, many of which will continue to illuminate images for years without replacing batteries thanks to technologically advanced LEDs and redesigned electronic components.
More about Red Dot Sights
Most, but not all red dot scopes for sale are 1X, zero magnification sighting devices since visual amplification usually isn’t needed for acquiring and taking targets at 200 yards or less. There are, however, some red dot sights with fixed magnifications as high as 6X, though most are between 2X and 4X. Variable magnification red dot scopes aren’t available, although detachable magnifiers for red dot scopes such as the Lucid Optics 2X-5X variable power magnifier can be added to assist the shooter with acquiring targets at distances of 200 yards or more.
Compact, lightweight and easy to use, red dot sights allow the shooter to quickly zero-in on a target and take the shot. Red dot scopes also make open eye aiming possible, which lets the shooter use his or her peripheral vision to continually monitor activity in the surrounding area or to quickly switch targets. Open eye aiming is particularly helpful in close quarter tactical situations.
Red dot scopes’ illuminated reticles make them effective even in low light conditions or when the shooter’s eye isn’t perfectly aligned with the sight since red dot scopes are virtually parallax free. Red dot sights are used by military and civilian law enforcement agencies throughout the world, as well as hunters, home defenders and competition and casual target shooters.
Most red dot scopes use a solid state, battery powered light emitting diode (LED) that illuminates a reticle and gives the shooter a highly visible aiming reference point. There are also some battery-free red dot scopes called reflex sights that use tritium as a light source. Reflex sights will continue to emit a glow for 25 years or more, although the aiming reference point may fade over time. Tritium-illuminated sights can be difficult to see under varying light conditions since there is no way to manually increase or decrease the intensity of the light being emitted.
Red Dot Sight Types
The two main categories of red dot scope bodies are tube sights and open sights. Similar in appearance to small conventional telescopic sights, tube red dot sights are aluminum cylinders that hold the device’s lens, LED and reflector elements. Accessories, such as dust covers, interchangeable polarizing and haze filters and sunshades to reduce glare, can easily be added to tube red dot sights. Most of today’s red dot scopes have either manual or automatic adjustments that increase the reticle’s visibility in bright light conditions or reduce it in dim light to help prevent night vision loss. Examples of tube red dot sights are the Sig Sauer Electro-Optics Red Dot Sight, Burris AR-536 Red Dot Sight and Trijicon ACOG Red Dot.
Open Red Dot Sights
Open red dot sights, sometimes also called mini red dot sights, have only the sight’s basic components, which are a support to hold the objective window (where the reticle is displayed), the lens and reflective surface and the source of illumination. Open red dot sights are smaller and weigh less than tube red dot sights, but since they lack a tubular body, dust covers, sunshades, filters or other accessories can’t be added. Because their components are exposed, open red dot sights are generally less rugged and more susceptible to damage than tube red dot scopes. The a href=”https://www.hinterlandoutfitters.com/burris-300215-flattop-fastfire-scope-1×32-objective-waterproof-black-finish-p-47058.html”>Burris AR-F3 Fastfire and Trijicon Reflex Sight are included in the extensive selection of open red dot sights available from Hinterland Outfitters for purchase online.
Micro Red Dot Sights
Micro red dot sights (sometimes referred to as RMR’s) are the smallest commercially available red dot scopes, and come in both tube body and open sight versions. Examples of both types are the tube body Holson Micro Red Dot and the open body Trijicon RMR red dot micro sight.
Micro red dot sights are very popular to be used with handguns but can also be used as a stand-alone aiming device or in combination with a telescopic sight. Micro red dot sites offer a quick and simple way to overcome the problem of limited fields of view associated with fixed and variable telescopic sights. A telescopic sight’s field of view decreases in direct proportion to increases in magnifying power, which can make it difficult to quickly acquire and zero in on a target. Using a 1X red dot sight as a finder scope attached to the side of a telescopic sight provides a quick, easy and affordable solution to the decreased field of view situation. The micro red dot scope and telescopic sight combination is frequently used by shooters participating in 3-gun competitions. Because of their light weight and compact size, micro dots are also popular among handgun hunters, target shooters and tactical marksmen.
Holographic Sights
Holographic sights are similar to red dot reflector sights, but unlike reflectors, holographic sights are illuminated from the front rather than behind the lens. Light from a laser diode, or LD, shines onto a square viewing window and lights up a holographic reticle visible to the shooter. Often more expensive than red dot reflectors, holographic sights are frequently used by the military and civilian law enforcement agencies. A potential drawback of holographic sights is that they can have a shorter battery life than red dot reflectors. A popular Holographic sight is the Eotech EXPS22.
Hinterland Outfitters carries red dot tube scopes, open body and holographic red dot sights from all major manufacturers, including:
EOTech Aimshot Bushnell Leupold Lucid Optics Aim Sports Ultradot Sig Electro TruGlo Firefield BSA Barska Trijicon And more
Red Dot Reticles
A red dot scope’s reticle is an aiming reference point visible to the shooter when looking through a red dot sight that’s used to quickly acquire a target. The reticle of a basic red dot scope is typically a small dot that’s usually but not always red in color. Depending upon the manufacturer and model, reticles can be green, blue or even amber colored. Regardless of the color, size or body type, sights that project reticles to help the shooter align a shot are generically referred to as red dot scopes or sights. Reticle shapes other than the traditional round dots include crosshairs, chevrons, diamonds, triangles and “donuts,” which have the aiming point enclosed within a circle such as the EOTech 512A65 holographic sight. Selecting reticle shapes and sizes usually comes down to a matter of the shooter’s intended use and personal preference.
A reticle needs to be large enough to be easily seen by the shooter but small enough to not obscure the view of the target. A reticle that’s too small will take longer for the shooter’s eye to pick up. Conversely, too large a reticle will block the target when shooting at long distances. 3652
Minutes of Angle
The size of a red dot sight’s reticle is typically expressed in Minutes of Angle (MOA). One MOA is 1/60th of a degree, and corresponds closely to a 1-inch target coverage at 100 yards, 1/2” at 50 yards, 2” at 200 yards and so on. For example, a red dot scope that is a 4 MOA, meaning that the reticle will cover or obscure 4 inches of target view at 100 yards. A 4 MOA reticle is large enough to be quickly picked up by the eye but small enough to easily acquire most targets when shooting at close to medium range. Common MOA dots include 1 MOA, 2 MOA, 4 MOA, 5 MOA and 6.5 MOA.
Parallax Effect
Parallax effect occurs when an object’s position or direction appears to change when viewed through a lens from different angles. Parallax effect in telescopic sights makes the reticle appear to shift when the shooter’s head moves even slightly, leaving the scope incapable of accurately focusing on the target and reticle on the same plane, often resulting in poor groupings or missed shots. Red dot sights with their zero or low power magnification are virtually parallax free, which means that movements of the head or less than perfect eye-to-sight alignment won’t prevent the shooter from quickly and easily acquiring a target.
Eye Relief
Eye relief is the distance a sight can be from the shooter’s eye and still be functional. As with parallax, eye relief is not a concern when using red dot sights, meaning that the distance between the shooter’s eye and the sight’s mount won’t affect focus. Shooting a high-recoil firearm equipped with a short eye relief telescopic sight can potentially injure the shooter by driving the body of the scope into his or her eye or cheekbone. Because mounting distance is immaterial when using a non-magnifying red dot sight, the recoil problem is eliminated.
Reticle Types and Shooting Conditions
Reticle choice can directly affect target acquisition and accuracy. Over and above personal preference, different shooting situations call for different reticle shapes, sizes and even colors. Here’s an overview of various reticles and their applications.
Reticle Shape
Red dot sight reticles are available in several shapes, and when holographic sights are included, the number is virtually unlimited. Here are the three most popular reticle shapes and the various conditions under which they’re used:
- Dots are the most popular of all reticle shapes, and are standard on most inexpensive red dot sights. A dot in the middle of a tube red dot scope or open red dot sight simplifies target acquisition. Their small size won’t overly obscure the field of view, which allows the shooter to be aware of situations surrounding the target. When properly zeroed, the dot’s small size also serves to improve shooting accuracy. Dot reticles are recommended for both close range and long distance shooting without telescopic sights.
- Ring reticles, which are sometimes called donut reticles, are circles that surround a smaller image used as an aiming point. Used with both rifles and shotguns, ring reticles are recommended for close-in shooting conditions that require quick target acquisition. Although less accurate than dot reticles for shooting over long distances, the ring’s upper and lower portions can be used as markers to estimate bullet drop over known distances. An example of a reticle red dot sight is the EOTech 512A65 sight, which has a 1 MOA dot within a 68 MOA outer ring.
- Crosshair reticles have vertical and horizontal markers that help the shooter estimate and compensate for bullet drop and make windage corrections when shooting over long distances. When properly zeroed, crosshair reticles give the shooter better accuracy than dot and ring reticles. Crosshair reticles are recommended for mid- to long-range shooting situations.
Reticle Color
Most illuminated reticles are red, which provides good contrast for both outdoor and night shooting. The second most popular reticle color is green. Illuminated green reticles are used for indoor and nighttime shooting, although they can wash out when used outdoors, particularly in wooded settings. Many shooters find that because of their low contrast, it takes longer to find green reticles in the sight picture, which can be critical in close quarter tactical situations. Other reticle colors include blue and amber, although red dot sights with red reticles remain the most practical and popular among both military and civilian shooters.
Reticle Size
As previously mentioned, red dot reticle sizes are measured in minutes of angle, or MOA. One MOA will cover 1 inch of an area at a 100-yard distance. Most red dot reticles are 2, 4 or 5 MOA, which make them suitable for quickly acquiring close-in targets. Small size reticles are better for long-distance precision shooting since they will obscure less of the target. Small reticles, however, are more difficult for the shooter to locate and see, particularly in brightly lit conditions.
Selecting a Red Dot Sight
The primary considerations in choosing a red dot scope or sight are the type and caliber firearm with which it will be used, the intended application and cost. Red dot scopes and sights are used for competition target shooting, hunting, tactical situations and personal defense. Prices range from less than $100 to several thousand dollars.
Ready to Purchase Your Red Dot Sight or Scope?
Hinterland Outfitters carries a full line of brand name, top quality red dot scopes and sights for virtually every shooting situation at prices to fit any budget. After checking out our extensive inventory online, contact us by telephone at 877-446-8370 or email us at info@blog.hinterlandoutfitters.com. One of our knowledgeable and highly experienced team members will be pleased to answer any questions you may have and recommend a red dot scope that’s right for your particular situation.