Best budget red dot?

[surferdaddy]

When I recently was outfitting a rifle, I went with the Romeo 5. I actually liked the optic. It had a nice clear view and not much tinting. Mine started to flicker a bit and eventually would intermittently turn off. I tried a different battery and really torquing down the cover but it didn’t fix it. I called sig and they offered to send me a new battery cap to “maybe” fix my problem. I wasn’t very satisfied with sig’s response. I took the optic back to where I bought it. When the cap finally came (3weeks later) I took it to the retailer so that perhaps they could fix the optic I returned. I’m pretty sure it had something to do with the accelerometer that controls the shake to wake feature as it started intermittently cutting out when I would bump my rifle.

I then bought an msr, got the green dot. The optic was nice in that it had a very sturdy knob for adjusting the brightness but the dot was fuzzy for me at all settings. The msr has a very slight magnification which goofed with my vision a bit. Just enough to be annoying. I eventually returned the msr but think that for the money it is a serviceable model.

In the end I went with EOTech.

Just my experiences,
Surfer

 

[BigBL87]

When I recently was outfitting a rifle, I went with the Romeo 5. I actually liked the optic. It had a nice clear view and not much tinting. Mine started to flicker a bit and eventually would intermittently turn off. I tried a different battery and really torquing down the cover but it didn’t fix it. I called sig and they offered to send me a new battery cap to “maybe” fix my problem. I wasn’t very satisfied with sig’s response. I took the optic back to where I bought it. When the cap finally came (3weeks later) I took it to the retailer so that perhaps they could fix the optic I returned. I’m pretty sure it had something to do with the accelerometer that controls the shake to wake feature as it started intermittently cutting out when I would bump my rifle.

I then bought an msr, got the green dot. The optic was nice in that it had a very sturdy knob for adjusting the brightness but the dot was fuzzy for me at all settings. The msr has a very slight magnification which goofed with my vision a bit. Just enough to be annoying. I eventually returned the msr but think that for the money it is a serviceable model.

In the end I went with EOTech.

Just my experiences,
Surfer

That is actually the reason I, in theory, prefer optics with leave-on 50,000 hour battery life over shake awake. Both are different approaches to the same goal of extended battery life. Shake Awake requires an additional moving part, which can fail. Failures are possible with both methods to be sure, though.

 

[CraigC]

I usually 'say' that budget for me is $100-$150 but I'll be damned if the two $30 BSA's I bought decades ago to see if I liked the concept of a red dot aren't still working. Anyway, I will echo the recommendations for the SIG Romeo5 and MSR, along with those from Primary Arms and the Bushnell TSR25. I prefer push buttons to knobs if I can get them and "shake awake" is the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[Pew-Pew]

I have a $40 Feyachi on a 10/22 bullpup that is great. Would I put it on a shotgun? No. I'd try it on an AR if need be, though. Otherwise, MSR or Romeo5 for me

 

[Pew-Pew]

Romeo5 for me. If you want cheaper still, TRS-25

 

[Pew-Pew]

or Sig MSR

 

[doubleh]

I have a $40 Feyachi on a 10/22 bullpup that is great. Would I put it on a shotgun? No. I'd try it on an AR if need be, though. Otherwise, MSR or Romeo5 for me

I'm thinking it's more like they charge $85 per hour with a one hour minimum charge. At least that's how they'd justify it.

I bought one of those for a kid to try out. It is a couple of years old and still going strong. Of course it is on a 22 rimfire so it doesn't exactly lead a stressful life. It was cheap, she likes it, and it still works so everything is good.

 

[JDGray]

I have a few AT3 Tactical dots, very good dots for the money.

 

[arsterling180]

I think the bare minimum is the trs-25. Even then try to scrounge to get you to the romeo 5 or sparc II. My reason for that is a 2 moa dot is more versatile than a 3 moa dot for a rifle if you think you might reach out with it.

 

[12Bravo20]

I think the bare minimum is the trs-25. Even then try to scrounge to get you to the romeo 5 or sparc II. My reason for that is a 2 moa dot is more versatile than a 3 moa dot for a rifle if you think you might reach out with it.

I have to agree with the above.

For me the minimum is one of the following: Bushnell TRS-25, Primary Arms Classic, Sig Romeo MSR or Romeo 5, and Swampfox Optics Liberator or Liberator II. The reason for this is that they are all from well known companies with excellent warranties and great customer service. Yes you can buy cheaper red dots, but you won't get the warranty or good customer service with those cheaper optics from Amazon or eBay.

 

[Mike J]

I am not sure how good of a deal it is but I noticed today that PSA has the MSR on sale for $79.99.

 

[Blkhrt13]

I am not sure how good of a deal it is but I noticed today that PSA has the MSR on sale for $79.99.

I jumped on the trs25 from Bushnell and bought two. They had a deal on them at midway so I paid 99 with free shipping and they had a fifty dollar rebate for march. But that’s not a bad deal for the msr.