RedDot Reflex or tube

[Sasquatch-1]

What would you suggest? A reflex or a tube reddot?

[Pitanga]

For what kind of shooting? For hunting and plinking, I would go with a tube sight.

[GT27]

Tube here too.I've had problems with the rheostat coming loose on the 3 different open reflex sights I tried on a Hipoint 9mm carbine...GT27

[bobthenailer]

i have several examples of both i use a Tasco optima, Pride Fowler , Burris fast fire & Trijucons sights on some semi auto pistols so they can be mounted in the rear sight cut with the correct base . without drilling & tapping holes
On other SS pistols , revolvers, & semiautos i prefer the standard tube styles with correct base/ mount . & drilling & tapping if needed.

[winelover]

Depends, they all have their uses and I use them all. I prefer a Armson OEG (red dot) on a revolver, bow, or shotgun. For medium range, on a carbine, I like a Trijicon Reflex. For a rifle, my choice is a Trijicon Accupoint or a Leupold Gold Ring variable. And yes, I'm a optics snob. I'm a firm believer in that you only get what you pay for, when it comes to optics.

Winelover

[rhadamanthos12]

I like tube red dots, I have a vortex sparc on one of my rifles. My only complaint against it is the glass has a blue color to it, might not bother you it just looks weird to see the target with a slightly blue tint.

[S. Galbraith]

I've been using an Aimpoint T-1 for sever years and couldn't be happier. I bought the older 4MOA in 2008 and the battery is still running, and then I got the newer 2MOA model in 2012.

[W.R.Buchanan]

This is a place where you have to decide what is the best value for your money. I have seen and used many different brands of these devices. The ONLY difference I have been able to see in them is that the less expensive ones tend to have a less round dot.

My current favorite is the Bushnell TRS-25, and they are pretty good value for $90. They are made in China but are made to Bushnell standards and are a cut above the $30-50 units.

I personally think you have to seriously evaluate what you're going to use the thing for. If it is for real combat then maybe you can get your monies worth out of a $500 sight. If you are just shooting for fun or competing at a lower than professional level then the Bushnell might be a more cost effective way to go. Tru-Glo is now marketing a similar one to Bushnell's that has both red and blue dots in the same price range. Both are plenty good for all of the action shooting I am doing and I can hit a 1'square target everytime at 200 yards with the one I have. If it was attached to a levergun it would be a very quick and deadly combination.

The idea that you get what you pay for is not always true nowadays. You need to be able to seriously evaluate something based on it's technical merits and not necessarily it's price. If you pay top $ for something with a name brand on it only to find out later that it was "rebranded" and is actually a cheap *** not actually made by the named company, then you'll see exactly what I am talking about. Lots of Big US companies are doing this nowadays and it almost makes me puke when I find out who they are. Most are very well known.

I recently bought a name brand tubing flaring tool that was purported to be the best there is. It was not, and in fact was a nickle plated *** made in India that didn't deliver one proper flare out of a dozen attempts!

I returned it along with a very snotty email explaining my disgust with their comany for rebranding junk and calling it first quality, I received a call from customer service shortly thereafter with some fool who wouldn't know a flaring tool from a crowbar telling me how sorry they were, but not offering to even pay the return shipping!

His supervisor did pay the return shipping!

I bought "Ridgid" Brand Flaring Tool to replace it and every single flare it has made has been Perfect. It was $3 more than the other one!, but made in the USA by "USAinians" not Indians or Chinese, who have no idea what they are doing or why they are even doing it.

You only get what you pay for "IF" you actually "get" what you think you're paying for!

Anything else is "Bait and Switch."

Randy

[lovedogs]

I'd love to try an Aimpoint but just can't justify the price. I've tried and had to return three Bushnell red dots. That reflects the luck I've had with everything I've ever bought with that brand on it. We have five (I think) $50 TruGlo red dots that have worked perfectly for several years. They also have a lifetime warranty versus others that are only 1 or 2 years. I'm sold on those TruGlo red dots.

[Sasquatch-1]

I'd love to try an Aimpoint but just can't justify the price. I've tried and had to return three Bushnell red dots. That reflects the luck I've had with everything I've ever bought with that brand on it. We have five (I think) $50 TruGlo red dots that have worked perfectly for several years. They also have a lifetime warranty versus others that are only 1 or 2 years. I'm sold on those TruGlo red dots.

My usage of this sight is on a Desert Eagle in 44. I contacted Truglo and asked about their warrenty and was told putting the sight on such a gun would be outside the application as far as warrenty went. In other words they would not replace it in this application.

I ended up buying a Sightmark digital quick release. It was $100.00 on Amazon. After about 15 shots I experience what others have where the sight would not stay on. I have contacted them and they are replacing the sight right now. Did not ask what type of weapon I was using it on, just if I had put the batteries in correctly.

Will give further review once it returns.

[Lloyd Smale]

yes aimpoints are expensive but factor in return shipping a few times on a *** cheap one and all the batterys you will need over the years you own it and the piece of mind you will have knowing its not going to fail at an inopertune time, and the ammo youll waste sighting them in over and over and youll find aimpoints are pretty good investment afterall. As are quality optics for about any gun.

[lovedogs]

I was surprised to see TruGlo wouldn't warranty their Red Dot on a Desert Eagle. When I talked with them they didn't mention anything like that. But I wasn't inquiring about using it on a semi-auto. As far as battery usage, I've only replaced two batteries in six or seven years so I think they are good on batteries. In fact, one of those I replaced was my fault. I'd forgotten to turn it off and didn't notice for two days so it was left running and the dot got dim. The other had been used a lot and the dot finally started getting hard to see in bright sunlight. I changed the battery and everything worked fine. I guess I'm a sucker for lifetime warranties. Many Red Dots have short warranties. I believe the Aimpoints have a 10 year warranty, which is long but for their price I can't understand why they can't do a lifetime like regular scopes. Ten years seems like a long time when you're young. But when you are 60+ years old you realize that 10 years goes by pretty quickly.

[bobthenailer]

I personaly prefer aimpoint red dot sights must have 10 of them + about 15 others of various brands
id have all aimpoints if they were less expensive ,.
Ive been using aimpoints almost since they came out my first was a 2000 model . the only problem ive had with them is the on/off dot intensity switches after years of use on 44 mag & 454 casull revolvers go bad and the dot goes off & on usually a bump or a slight turn of the knob usually fixes for one or a few more shots until it does it again.
Of the 2 i had go bad both COMP XDs with switch problems 1 was covered under warrenty twice the second time i sent it back for repair time they sent me a new sight.
the 2ed one also a comp xd is now a disconued model and out of warrenty & they dont have parts to repair it ! so now i may possibly have a $400.00 pice of junk .
I checked with ABO optics repair in FL and there saying they can possibly fix it ? for a minum of $100.00 or possibly more ! im still deciding what to do and im very disappointed in aimpoint for not having the parts to repair my sight !! im considering just buying another brand but undecided as to which one possibley Vortex with a lifetime warrenty for as long as there in business ?

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got a couple of the vortex strikefires. there good solid units and a steal for the price they ask for them. If theyd get rid of that auto shut off which makes absolutely no sense on a battle sight, the only thing theyd be shy of when comparing to a comp 2 in my opinion is battery life and possible the quality of the switches. Battery life is still better then most of the 50-100 dollar sight but it isnt so good that you can leave it turned on all the time like an aimpoint. Bottom line though at a 1/3 the cost of an aimpoint its a steal!

[bobthenailer]

Thanks for your input on the Vortex sight Lloyd ! i was leaning towards them, but now im going to get one.