10 Best Red Dot Sights Reviewed

February 16, 2021/Riley Draper Table of Contents

When you’re first picking up a firearm and learning to keep your form tight and line up your iron sights, you’re building fundamentals. Eventually, you’re going to grow past that. You’ll be adding sights and trying to acquire targets faster than lining up a set of iron sights might allow, or maybe you’ve been burned by a scope creeping a little too close and bonking you on the noggin. A red dot sight fixes a lot of the problems you’ll encounter when you’re developing your gunplay. Adding a red dot sight to your firearm is quick and easy, and you’ll feel like the firearm is more of an extension of yourself if you do. So here are the 10 best red dot sights on Amazon right now!

In a hurry? Here’s the test winner after 10 hours of research:

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10 Best Red Dot Sights – Overview

Here are the top 5 picks (keep scrolling for more details and picks 6-10).

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1. Burris Fastfire III with Picatinny Mount

[amazon box=”B007I9D8QE”]

The Burris Fastfire 3 is red dot sight that’s going to be pinpoint accurate every time you line up your firearm. The red dot is clear and it’s always going to be right on top of the point of impact. This is a sight you can put your trust in. It’s lightweight as well, so you’re not going to be altering the specs of your gun too much when you add this to your loadout. The light construction doesn’t mean it’s delicate. This is going to be a durable piece of equipment. It’s designed to live on top of your gun, after all. If it was going to succumb to something as trivial as a drop or shock then you’d be better off with the sights they put on at the factory.

This scope is incredibly versatile. There’s a brightness sensor built into it and it will automatically match the light levels of your environment. You won’t be blinded by the dot in the dark, and you also won’t be squinting to find it on a sunny day. It knows how important target acquisition is, and it’s designed to keep up with you no matter what. This sight comes in 3 MOA or 8 MOA models to suit your needs. If you’re shooting near or far you’ll be able to rely on this sight.

PROS

  • The automatic brightness sensors make this sight easy to work with, just set it and forget it
  • The dot is bright and unmistakable
  • Incredibly sturdy for how light it is

CONS

  • Several reports of difficulty with the battery compartment
Check Latest Price

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2. Vortex Optics Sparc II Red Dot Sight – 2 MOA Dot

[amazon box=”B00HYRGX3K”]

This red dot sight makes the controls easy to reach. There’s nothing worse than having to reach all over the place to adjust your sight. This red dot sight has all of the controls mounted on the rear end of the sight, and there are only two buttons to worry about. If you hate fiddling with fussy scopes, then this might be the last one you ever need. It’s a tight package, and it’s easy to install. It comes with a modular three-piece base with four different heights you can choose to mount it on. It’ll allow you to custom fit it to pretty much any firearm out there without trouble. Once you install it you’re barely going to notice it because it’s so light. That is until you line up your shots. 

The multi-coated lenses are going to give you a clear shot no matter what the weather is like. Bright sun or messy rain can’t do a thing to you the moment you raise the sights. It’s simple to adjust the elevation and windage with the turrets conveniently located along the short aircraft-grade aluminum body. 

PROS

  • Shock and weatherproof single-piece construction makes this sight nearly indestructible
  • The red dot inside of this sight is clear and precise no matter what the weather is like thanks to the treatment on the lenses

CONS

  • No light detection, all of your red dot adjustments have to be manual
Check Latest Price

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3. Predator V3 Micro Red Dot Sight

[amazon box=”B07Q3NXS6W”]

The predator V3 sets itself apart by allowing itself to play second fiddle to your magnified sight if you already have one on your firearm that you’re partial to. If you love your scope or your needs are just a much further range than a red dot sight will accommodate then you can put the Predator V3 on a 45 degree offset. Offsetting a red dot sight is a clever way to take advantage of the most useful aspects of a red dot sight. You can lean or tilt your head without having to fight with the parallax moving your head would usually cause in a traditional sight.

This sight comes from a veteran-owned company, so you know you’re going to be getting a quality piece of equipment. This sight is sturdy and accurate. This is the kind of equipment you buy once and trust for the rest of your life. If you’re looking for a sight that has a lot of utility and resilience then look no further.

PROS

  • Waterproof, fog-proof, and the lenses are treated to prevent reflecting light into your eyes
  • The 45-degree offset adds an incredible amount of utility to this sight

CONS

  • The sight itself is great at holding its settings after thousands of shots, but an uncommon defect leads to the turrets failing much earlier 
Check Latest Price

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4. Feyachi RSL-18 Reflex Sight

[amazon box=”B07GWNTJR4″]

This low-profile reflex right is practically invisible. Once you’ve installed it on your firearm and acclimated yourself to it, you’ll be lining yourself up and popping off accurate shots like its second nature. The unobtrusive design of this simple yet effective red dot sight allows it to sit on top of your firearm and feed information directly into your brain. The wide field of view and clear glass are going to become fast friends with your eyes. 

There are multiple reticles to choose from as well as red or green illumination and 5 different brightness settings. You’re likely going to settle quickly on a favorite and learn how to spot the dots displayed on this reflex sight no matter what your surroundings are like. The real beauty is that you’re able to change the settings on the fly. The dials are simple and accessible 

PROS

  • Made from a durable high-grade aluminum alloy
  • The sight holds zero even when dismounting and installing

CONS

  • Weather will be a problem for this sight
Check Latest Price

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5. Feyachi RDS-22 2MOA Micro Red Dot Sight

[amazon box=”B07Z7TV46K”]

This red dot sight is a dense package of performance. The sight is small, dependable, and lightweight. Once it’s on your firearm you’ll be lining up sights quickly and effortlessly be it day or night. The red dot is vibrant no matter what time of day, the lenses are fully coated to mitigate the weather, and the lightweight riser mount makes installing this easy and unintrusive. The small body of this red dot sight is incredibly durable. The construction and physical reality of the sight make it shockproof and long-lasting. It’s going to be hard to hurt something this small and light.

You can mount this red dot sight at the same height as your iron sights, keeping your firearm as close to the intended function as possible. With this red dot sight lined up with your iron sight, you can look through the rear sights like you normally would and you’ll be greeted by this much-easier-to-read red dot sight.

PROS

  • The black anodized finish makes this a stealthy and sleek sight to behold
  • Durable and long-lasting
  • The lenses, vibrant red dot, and body make this sight excellent for quick target acquisition

CONS

  • The mounts tend to come loose, so be ready to tighten this after installation
Check Latest Price

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6. HOLOSUN HS403C Solar Power Micro 2

[amazon box=”B085P1MNFN”]

The Solar Power Micro 2 does something interesting with its solar power failsafe. You’re going to be outside or under some pretty bright lights with this sight often, so you might as well get a little bit of power from those light sources. If your batteries die and you’re under some light then you’re going to get a pass from the solar panels that also detect light levels and automatically adjust the brightness of the dot in your sights.

The sighs also come with a “shake awake” technology. As long as there’s motion the red dot will stay awake, but once you set your firearms down the dot will take a nap to save you some battery power. This along with the solar backup makes the batteries last a much longer time than you’d expect.

PROS

  • Solar power failsafe will buy you some time if your dead batteries sneak up on you
  • The panels also detect light levels and control the brightness of your red dot
  • Long battery life thanks to its features 

CONS

  • The solar power failsafe doesn’t hold a charge, so this trick only works as long as you’re under some light
Check Latest Price

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7. UDO Optical 2MOA Micro Red Dot Sight Scope

[amazon box=”B07BWDLDHM”]

This is the plainest red dot sight on the list, but it’s going to serve you well. Because it lacks a wealth of features, you’re able to focus on learning the sight and appreciating the red dot sight for what it is without all of the garnish. This sight offers you an unobstructed view of your targets, you’ll always be able to see the red dot, and the compact spartan design will offer you a sight that is durable and reliable.

Unlike iron sights, when you raise this up to acquire your target, you’re not going to be covering it up to ensure your aim is true. You can trust that your aim is accurate because you can see exactly what you’re going to hit while you aim at it. This sounds obvious, but once you get the sight on you’ll see how big the difference is.

PROS

  • Powered by a lithium-ion battery

CONS

  • If anything ever goes wrong with your battery replacing it isn’t as easy as hitting the grocery store
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8. Sightmark Ultra Shot M-Spec Reflex Sight

[amazon box=”B07PN3JXNJ”]

This red dot sight comes with a neoprene lens cover to keep your sight safe. If you’re prone to scratching up scratch-resistant lenses no matter how hard you try, then take them up on it. It’s soft without becoming a pushover and it’s going to provide a last line of defense against your bag if you’re throwing things in there carelessly. The sight itself is impressive. The red dot displays itself clearly day or night, and it’s all packaged away in a wide-angle, unobtrusive body.

PROS

  • Comes with a lens cover
  • The quick-detach system is more useful than it initially presents itself
  • Long battery life

CONS

  • If you don’t take care of the lens you’ll start seeing double the dots, and that defeats the purpose of the sight
Check Latest Price

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9. Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 Red Dot Sight Riflescope

[amazon box=”B00200E0HM”]

Slapping this onto your rifle is the best move you could make if you’re sick of scopes. As long as you don’t need the magnification of a larger scope, this red dot sight from Bushnell is going to serve you just fine. Acquiring targets is a breeze with this, the body of the sight is built with the same kind of obsessive care you find in traditional rifle scopes. The body is made with incredibly durable aluminum and purged with nitrogen to prevent fogging.

PROS

  • Simple target acquisition
  • The red dot in this sight is bright and easy to spot no matter the time of day
  • An amazing alternative to a full rifle scope 

CONS

  • No real magnification to speak of, so long-range hunting might be a little tough 
Check Latest Price

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10. CVLIFE 1X22X33 Red Green Dot Gun Sight

[amazon box=”B00A36MKUO”]

This red dot reflex sight is something you want on your side if you’re practicing your quick targeting. The frame and lens are subtle. Once this is on your firearm and you’ve selected your dot color, you’ll be getting some of the best reflex targeting practices in the world. 

PROS

  • Three modes in each color so you can choose your most comfortable settings 
  • Adjusting windage and elevation is simple as long as you have an Allen wrench

CONS

  • The tubeless design means that this sight is constantly beholden to the weather
Check Latest Price

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Red Dot Sight Seeing

A red dot sight isn’t technically any better or worse than any other sight you could add to your firearms, but there are some distinct advantages to installing a red dot sight that really can’t be ignored. If you’re on the fence about a red dot sight here are some things to consider:

  • Reducing Scope Bite: This is the big one. It’s probably happened to us all at one point. You’re settling into a groove, you can feel yourself relaxing into a more natural position with your rifle. You line up the next shot, exhale, and suddenly you’re in a world of pain. Scopes offer a decent amount of eye relief, you’re usually a few inches away, but everyone makes mistakes. Getting a red dot sight gives you effectively infinite eye relief, you can line up your shots without ever worrying about taking another scope to the forehead ever again.
  • Target Acquisition: Red dot sights take advantage of the properties of light to give you an accurate representation of where your muzzle is pointing no matter what angle you look from and how far away your target is. This means that you can raise your firearm and at a glance, you’ll have all of the information you need to line up the perfect shot.
  • Weight: Because red dot sights take so much glass and aluminum out of the picture you’re going to end up with a much lighter sight. Red dot sights can slot onto your firearm without raising the weight of your gun by more than a fraction of a pound. If you want a sight but you don’t want to mess with the precious balance of your firearm, then a red dot is going to serve you well.

Our Winner

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The Burris Fastfire 3 reigns supreme. The accuracy it provides you with versus the compact design is incredible. Once you’ve set yourself up with this sight you’re basically never going to have to adjust it manually ever again. The brightness sensor is the best aspect of this sight. When you’re adding a red dot sight to your firearm you want to be able to lift the weapon and figure out where you’re aiming with the least amount of effort possible, and having the sight work alongside you throughout the day is an amazing addition to an already incredible sight. 

It’s incredibly light as well. Because you’re not altering your firearm too much after you’ve added this scope to it, the adjustment period is short and the results are amazing. On top of all that, this scope is hardy. The lightweight and compact design along with the high-quality materials it’s made from all work together to keep this piece shock-resistant and ready to weather the test of time. 

Bonus Tip: We understand. Picking out the perfect sight is daunting. If you’re still stuck here’s a video with a couple more tips for picking out the right one for you!

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Riley Draper

Riley Draper is a writer and entrepreneur from Chattanooga, Tennessee. As a world traveler, he has been to more than fifty countries and hiked some of the most elusive trails in the world. He is the co-founder of WeCounsel Solutions and has published work in both national and global outlets, including the Times Free Press, Patch, and Healthcare Global. When he’s not writing, he’s probably on a hiking trip or climbing in the mountains.

Riley Draper

Riley Draper is a writer and entrepreneur from Chattanooga, Tennessee. As a world traveler, he has been to more than fifty countries and hiked some of the most elusive trails in the world. He is the co-founder of WeCounsel Solutions and has published work in both national and global outlets, including the Times Free Press, Patch, and Healthcare Global. When he's not writing, he's probably on a hiking trip or climbing in the mountains.

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