Best Red Dot for an AR15

Charlie Martinez

Charlie Martinez

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Joined
Nov 4, 2018
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980
Location
Florida
A friend has offered me a choice of one of the following:
1. Vortex SPARC
2. Vortex SPARC II
3. Vortex Crossfire

This will be my very first Red Dot sight and I know absolutely nothing about them. I plan on installing it on my AR 15.

Which should I choose and why?
 
It looks like the Crossfire is a more traditional rifle scope and probably not what youre looking for here.

As to the other two, I dont have either of those, but I have a couple that are similar. If it were me, Id probably go with the SPARC II, mainly because I like that type a little better and it has attached lens covers and that gives you options the SPARC doesnt.

Both will probably work fine for you though.

Be prepared to get sucked in too. :)
 
Sorry, they have a couple of things called "Crossfire". What was coming up first were the rifle scopes.

Looking again, it looks similar to the SPARC.

I have Romeo 5's, which are similar to the SPARC and Crossfire. Decent smaller sights and work well. With the red dots you really arent looking at/through the sight itself (you are, but you aren't), but the focus is on the target and the dot appears on it. The size of the tube doesnt really matter, unless it bugs you I guess.

Most of what I use are older Aimpoint M2's, which are very much like the Vortex Strikefire. They are bigger, but not a problem. I do like the covers attached to the sight and being able to close the front cover on them, like you can on the SPARC II. It lets you set the dot to a comfortable brightness in darker conditions and still easily see it in bright light, and you can go back and forth without fiddling with the adjustments. You just need to shoot with both eyes open.

With the other type sights, the little rubber covers work, and you can leave them on while you shoot by spinning them around and off the lenses, but I just find them annoying, and I cant cover the front lens.

I think for your first one, any of those would work fine. Pick your poison. Since your buddy has them, can you take your gun over and pop them on and see which you think you might like best?
 
Just an FYI, and I dont know what your buddy is asking for them, I just got an email from PSA and they have the SPARC II on sale for $100 now.
 
He's giving it to me at no charge but only one. He's giving me the option of choosing.
I'm undecided between the Crossfire and the Sparc II. Price is not an issue but I assume the costlier one is better so the Sparc II has the edge. On the other hand the Crossfire is near half the size and as far as I can tell the only disadvantage it has compared to the Sparc II is that the covers are not attached and that the Sparc II automatically turns on and off. However there may be a lot more I am not aware of. I'm hoping someone like you can help me decide and not regret my choice later.
 
Your best bet is to put them both on the gun and see what you like best. You wont know what both are like if you dont, and youre way ahead, as you have the luxury of doing so where you usually dont.

To me, the SPARC II has more going for it and more options, so that would be my choice. Not saying theres anything wrong with the SPARC or Crossfire, just from what I've read, the SPARC II would likely be the better choice, for me anyway, unless once I saw it mounted for some reason something really bugged me about it.

As far as mounting goes, I like to get them away from my face and I put them as far forward on the upper as I can. Theres no advantage mounting them back like a scope, but if youre not sure, do what you like best. If you have BUIS, they will dictate how far back you can go any way.

I dont think you can really go wrong here with either, or any of the three for that matter. They will all basically shoot the same and youll get a feel for things as you go. Down the road, youll have a better idea as to what you might like and need, and you can look for something that might fill that. Or, you may be perfectly happy with what you have and not bother. As I said, Im still running 20 year old Aimpoints on any of the guns Id consider for serious use.

The only way to find out is to pick what you think you like best and have at it. And at least youre in a pretty good position to try things out and actually see beforehand. Im sure your buddy can help you out and point things out too.
 
SPARC

They're all 2 MOA, and once it's set you won't be fiddling with the controls like a traditional scope.

Sparc is streamlined with less protrusions, uses a AAA battery and controls are tucked under out of harms way.

IMO Sparc II is a step backwards in practicality, but just looks more tacticool.
 
I've been reading up on them and it appears that the Sparc II is the newest & most advanced. One of the videos said that the battery on the Sparc is harder to find than the one used by the Sparc II. The Crossfire appears to be a less expensive option offered by Vortex but I like the the adjustment knob because it appears to be stronger & easier to use than the adjustment push buttons on the Sparc models.
I will not choose until after I see them mounted on my AR and get a feel for each but I'm pretty sure the Sparc Ii will be the winner. I will post the winner as soon as I get it.
 
I finally picked up the three red dots & took them home to look over. My buddy asked me to return the other two after I decided which to keep. All are in their boxes & in new unused condition.

Initially I drifted to the Crossfire because it's the newest & I like the idea of a mechanical brightness adjustment instead of push buttons. I also liked the longer battery life, longer than SPARC II and considerably longer than SPARC. However the Crossfire did not display a red dot until I reached the 5 setting. Having 1-4 settings strictly for night vision, something that I will probably never have or need seemed like a waste. The Crossfire also did not have threads to screw in a magnifier.

The SPARC II came next in line because I liked the flip up covers and it looks cool as heck. However the push button controls are mushy and give absolutely no feel to what is going on. I also noticed that the first few levels of brightness were wasted on nigh vision settings which as I said earlier I will probably never use or need.

Then came the SPARC. Initially the least desirable because it is the oldest model and has the lowest battery life. The battery is also supposedly harder to find but I went to my local ACE hardware store and found one without any problems. The OFF and ON switch is separate from the brightness settings and the feel of the clicks when I push each button is very clear and positive. The brightness settings are also easily felt as you go up and down and since there is a separate button for night vision none of the brightness settings are wasted. Also the SPARC comes with a 2X magnifier that I think will be really useful. The other two do not. Finally to me the SPARC appears to have the better overall quality than the others.

Most folks I asked preferred the SPARC II, some preferred the Crossfire (including the Vortex rep I spoke to). One person preferred the older SPARC and as of this moment unless someone changes my mind I agree & the SPARC is going to be my choice.

An interesting piece of information that I got from Vortex (extremely helpful folks by the way) was the response when I asked why the sight system had evolved from SPARC to SPARC II and so on. He responded that increased battery life & affordability was the main reason. I agree that the latest change to AAA batteries is a really good feature. However when I asked why battery life was so important (IMO changing a battery is no big deal) he explained that long battery life was important to their market in law enforcement. He explained that LEO turn on their units at the beginning of each shift and leave them ON for at least 12 hours a day & often longer because they forget to turn them OFF. He went on to explain that while running out of battery was no big deal to a civilian it could be very serious to LEO if it occurred during a conflict. I understood that 100% but I also concluded that having a battery that lasted 7,000 hours was not that important to me. I shoot 4-6 hours a month therefore a battery that lasts 1,300 hours (SPARC) equals 330 months or 18 years of shooting. I concluded that all I needed was a couple of spares and battery life would never be an issue for me.

I would like to get more opinions from the folks that know and thank all the guys that responded earlier.
 
Battery life inst an issue until you leave it on and its dead the next time you go to use it. And no matter how much we think we will always turn them off, reality is, we dont. The shake awake feature is a big help there, as at least it shuts itself off when its sitting in the safe. You just need to understand how that works too. As long as the sight sees movement of any kind, the dot is back on.

If you lke the SPARC, go for it. The only way youre going to know what these are about, is to jump in and start using it and figuring it out. They keep making new and better models every day, and this one wont likely be your last. :)

Now, since youre already sliding into the abyss, better duct tape your wallet shut right now! Hey, you gotta look like you made an effort, right. 😁 Once you start shooting with them, theres no telling where youre gonna end up.

A few weeks back I started into that abyss with a pistol red dot, and now I already have three, and Im figuring out a way to get a fourth. 🙄 Now I keep hearing Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath playing in my head for some reason.:)

Good luck with your quest. 👍
 
trackskippy said:
Battery life inst an issue until you leave it on and its dead the next time you go to use it. And no matter how much we think we will always turn them off, reality is, we dont. The shake awake feature is a big help there, as at least it shuts itself off when its sitting in the safe. You just need to understand how that works too. As long as the sight sees movement of any kind, the dot is back on.

If you lke the SPARC, go for it. The only way youre going to know what these are about, is to jump in and start using it and figuring it out. They keep making new and better models every day, and this one wont likely be your last. :)

Now, since youre already sliding into the abyss, better duct tape your wallet shut right now! Hey, you gotta look like you made an effort, right. 😁 Once you start shooting with them, theres no telling where youre gonna end up.

A few weeks back I started into that abyss with a pistol red dot, and now I already have three, and Im figuring out a way to get a fourth. 🙄 Now I keep hearing Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath playing in my head for some reason.:)

Good luck with your quest. 👍
Click to expand...
Thanks trackskippy.

I believe the SPARC shuts itself off after 12 hours if left but I realize that having a shorter battery life it won't hold as many careless incidents as the others. I hope I don't get caught up in this game I already have too many guns and don't need to start buying more stuff. I really like shooting iron sights with my AR and do not especially care for red dots on my pistols. The red dot gadget was a surprise and I would probably have never been interested in it but being free of charge it would be stupid to not take it. For me it is something of an experiment and if it doesn't work out it won't cost me anything. I cannot afford to fall into "the abyss" that's for sure. I was in the process of deciding whether to place a Nikon 300 BLK scope on my AR when this offer came along. I may still put the Nikon on and get a 45 degree mount for the red dot but it all depends on how I feel about the red dot after I shoot it a bit.
 
I bit the bullet today with a Fox Army red dot 2 MOA, Shake Wake, 1×22. They have a Lifetime warranty. Reviews are good but seems they have had some defect products shipped but the customers claim they were easily replaced. Bought directly from the manufacturer at their Amazon store for under $69 on sale. Seems like a good deal.
What sold me is the warranty and the fact that Im buying direct. Also, the controls are flush which interested me. If it's good I will buy 1 more. Screenshot_20231016-220049~2.png Screenshot_20231016-220049~2.png
 
Last edited:
I probably won't buy another Vortex red dot, after having two Strikefires go belly up but I wouldn't turn down a free one. Especially since this is your first foray into red dots, you need your feet wet.

Disagree with the dummy you spoke to. Battery life is important to everyone, especially on a defensive firearm. Not only in individual use but a battery life of 50,000hrs does a good job of alleviating everyone's greatest fears. LE use is not 'why' they improved it anyway. It's simply what the market demands and we have Aimpoint to thank for that. I wonder how many LE are actually using sub-$200 red dots anyway.
 
CraigC said:
It's simply what the market demands
Click to expand...
Hello CraigC: This comment struck home. What was the market looking for when Vortex decided to make changes to the SPARC, the SPARC II and end up with the Crossfire? This is important for me to know because I have not returned the sights to my friend and I am still able to change my mind.

For example why did Vortex eliminate the 2X adapter from subsequent models? Is it because it didn't work or nobody found any good use for it? Why did the ON/OFF switch and brightness adjustments evolve from those in the older SPARC to the simpler (but to me cheaper) system of the SPARC II and finally the dial system of the Crossfire? Was the intent to make things better or cheaper?

What the Vortex guy was telling me was that battery life is important to everybody but much less for me as a civilian than for LE or a soldier. In any case I don't believe any of the three sights I have reach a battery life of 50,000 hrs. To the best of my knowledge the respective battery life of each are SPARC - 3,400 hrs, SPARC II - 5,000 hrs and Crossfire - 7,000 hrs.

I agree that market demand dictates product modifications. However sometimes market demands require companies to cut corners on quality or features to reduce costs. If the modifications of the Vortex optics were incorporated to reduce cost and meet lower price demands I feel OK keeping the SPARC. However if these features evolved to make the optics better as result of customer preferences then it would be reasonable to assume that the latest of the three sights (Crossfire) is the best.

I have not read anything that leads me to believe that any of the three are bad. Based on my very limited knowledge of these contraptions it appears to me that aside from the lower battery (unless I'm missing something important) the SPARC has the quality and features edge over the other two.

What are your thoughts on this?
 
I have no idea why they made changes or even what those changes are, as I have lost my faith in their red dots. I'm not saying they're bad, I'm just saying that having not one but TWO Strikefires take a dump has negatively affected my opinion of their red dots. I do very much like their Spitfire Gen 2 prism sights.

It says right on the website that battery life is up to 50,000hrs. Again, I wholeheartedly disagree that battery life is less important to civilians. I have literally dozens of red dots and battery life is always a concern. Especially when they're using three or four different battery types. In fact, I would say it's less of a concern for law enforcement (no military is going to use Vortex red dots) because we're talking one or two at most and it's no big deal for folks who make their living with a firearm to change batteries every year or two. Aimpoint was the pioneer in long battery life red dots (and red dots in general) and they are the primary choice in military usage.

1697556109089.png
 
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