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Red Dot Sight

Also known as: reflex sight

A non-magnifying electronic sight that projects an illuminated aiming dot, allowing fast target acquisition with both eyes open.

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A red dot sight projects a small illuminated reticle (usually a dot) onto a lens, so you simply place the dot on the target and fire. Because there's no magnification and the dot floats on the target plane, you can shoot with both eyes open for excellent situational awareness and very fast target acquisition. Common types include tube-style sights and open 'reflex' sights.

Red dots have largely taken over for close-to-mid-range use on rifles, shotguns, and increasingly pistols. The dot is parallax-free for practical purposes, so minor head position changes don't shift your point of aim much. The main considerations are battery life (leave it on), zeroing the dot to your load, and choosing an appropriate dot size — measured in MOA.

Community Q&A on Red Dot Sight

98Votes
1Answers
Red dot vs. LPVO for an AR-15 home-defense build?
51Votes
1Answers
What is the realistic effective range of a red dot on a pistol?
48Votes
0Answers
How much does a decent optic-ready carry setup really cost?
0Votes
1Answers
Do I need an enclosed emitter pistol optic?
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Best budget red dot for an AR-15?
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1Answers
Holosun AEMS vs Aimpoint — worth the savings?
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Is the Holosun 509T worth it over the 507C?
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Are Holosun optics reliable enough to trust?

Related Terms

MOA (Minute of Angle)ParallaxZero (Sighting In)Co-Witness
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