Primary Arms 3x Prism Scope With Acss Reticle Review
Red dots have come a long way.
Now you tin can have a dependable red dot that runs 50,000 hours on for under $200.
We will cover 3 of the most popular budget blood-red dots and rank them in reliability, clarity, mounting options, blindside-for-the-buck-ness, and more. Get ready for some torture testing too!
Models we'll cover:
| Ruddy Dot | Price | Warranty |
|---|---|---|
| Holosun HS403A | $140 | 3 year, non-transferable |
| Vortex Sparc AR | $199 | Lifetime, transferable |
| Primary Arms Advanced Micro Dot | $170 | 3 year, non-transferable |
Tabular array of Contents
Loading...
Why Ruby Dots Are Awesome
I'm an advocate for learning how to shoot with irons and and then upgrading to cherry dots. If only to understand how awesome they are compared to onetime school stock-still sights.
Looking for other kinds of sights? We cover them in our Ultimate AR-15 Optics Guide.
At that place are four main reasons why I honey cherry dots.
1. Unlimited Centre Relief
Dissimilar other sights, unmagnified red dots take unlimited centre relief…which means at that place's no set up minimum/maximum altitude you need to mountain them from your eye.
2. Parallax Free
Red dots are substantially parallax gratis…this means when you lot move your head around, the ruddy dot moves with yous so you're still pointed at the aforementioned target. This style you don't need a super precise position to get the shot.
3. Co-witness
Yous tin also choose the height of your red dot so you co-witness your irons. This way in instance the red dots go downward…you lot still take your irons. Accented co-witness places the dot exactly on your irons while lower i/3 gives y'all more room for the dot.
4. Keeping Both Eyes Open
Blood-red dots are designed for you to keep both eyes open. Information technology's much easier with red dots compared to iron sights and by using both optics you get a virtually unlimited field of view while notwithstanding superimposing the dot on your targets.
Now enough about carmine dots…let's see our test subjects!
The Contestants
At that place'south going to be some red dot terms that aren't self-explanatory, here's a quick breakdown of what they mean:
- Dot Size (MOA): means minute of angle and describes the dot's size. For example, a two MOA dot will comprehend ii inches at 100 yards.
- Nighttime Vision Compatible: you will still exist able to run into the dot while using night vision equipment
Here's what I chose for what I run across equally the three near pop red dots nether $200 that come from well-known companies. If you lot want to get a picayune cheaper…check out our Best Red Dots Nether $100.
Master Arms Advanced Micro Dot
130
at Primary Arms
Prices accurate at fourth dimension of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
The PA Advanced Micro Dot is very well known in the upkeep optics infinite for being affordable withal reliable. Here are some of the of import specs:
- 50,000 60 minutes battery life (1x CR2032)
- 3-year warranty
- 2 MOA dot
- Waterproof to 2m for 72 hours
- Night vision uniform
- -4 F to 158 F working temperature
- Weight: 3.ix oz
- Does not come up with riser (Using Daniel Defense Mount)
Holosun HS403A
Best Red Dot Nether $200
146
at OpticsPlanet
Prices authentic at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Best Crimson Dot Nether $200
Holosun HS403A
$146 at OpticsPlanet
Prices accurate at fourth dimension of writing
TheHolosun HS403A is making a splash in the ruby-red dot world for really affordable sights with all the bells and whistles. Rumor has it that Holosun is the manufacturer of Primary Arms' red dots (to their specs).
- 50,000 hour bombardment life (1x CR2032)
- ii MOA dot size
- 3-year warranty
- 8-hour machine shutoff
- Waterproof to 1m
- Night vision compatible
- Weight: 4.2 oz westward/riser
- 14 F to 122 F working temperatures
- Comes with risers for accented/i-3rd co-witness
Vortex Sparc AR
Nearly Robust
199
at Amazon
Prices authentic at time of writing
Prices authentic at time of writing
TheVortex Sparc AR is a newcomer from the very well-known Vortex that is robust with clear glass.
- 5,000 hours battery life (1x AAA)
- two MOA dot size
- Unlimited & transferable lifetime warranty
- 12-hour auto shutoff
- Waterproof to 1m
- Night vision compatible
- Weight: eight.5 oz w/ riser
- -4 F to 158 F working temperatures
- Comes with risers for both co-witness heights
Driblet Testing
I bought these myself to test them out then this part hurt a little…only if something can't survive three drops from effectually 3 feet onto physical (without being attached to a rifle)…so I probably wouldn't trust it later anyway.
All three survived but I found out afterward that the Primary Arms one had a crevice on the rear window at seven o'clock…
It didn't affect function and it fabricated information technology through the side by side test with flying colors.
Waterproof & Temperature Testing
I don't have plans of pond with my guns simply in example I get caught in the pelting, I'd like for it to survive.
I combined this exam with the temperature examination and loaded up a pot with some hot h2o. I let it cool overnight for the lower terminate of the temperature spectrum.
Again, all three passed function testing in the morning.
BUT…
I made the mistake of not wiping them down. Some time passed before I went shooting with them and I found a expert amount of rust on the Primary Arms (track, adjacent pic) and Sparc AR (screws of the riser).
Battery Compartments & Risers
Here you can encounter the rust on the rails on the Chief Arms.
And how each red dot deals with its batteries. The Sparc AR has the added benefit of using AAA batteries merely weights almost 2x the weight of the others.
The Primary Arms' battery is on the side for easy admission while the Holosun is underneath and requires disassembly from the mountain.
I was a trivial scared at the flimsy safety housing but it held upwardly during the water testing and there'southward no rust on anything.
Ok…how about how the dots and glass look?
Dot & Glass Clarity
This movie is meant to showcase the glass clarity. I focused on the body instead of the dots so the dots announced fuzzier than in real life.
You tin can meet that the Holosun and Main Arms' glass is greener than the middle Vortex. I'd say Holosun edges slightly over the Master arms in terms of clarity.
Nevertheless, the view box of the Vortex is noticeably smaller (this was the primary affair people picked up on while I was at the range and request randoms to check out all three dots).
Here are pics of how the scarlet dots actually announced at around 3rd from the brightest setting.
The Holosun was just equally crisp as the Main Arms. And here is the Sparc AR.
Fit, Feel, & Adjustments
All three felt fine in hands only the Sparc AR felt extra beefy…similar I could have connected driblet testing all day long and information technology would still keep on going. The rubber comprehend besides doesn't injure although overall information technology is much heavier and bulkier than the other two.
The adjustments were also in different places. The Holosun and Primary Arms were on top while the Sparc AR is on the back. I take no personal preference and so they were all fine and peachy to me.
Keep in mind that the Primary Arms has no car-shutoff while the Holosun is 8 hours while the Sparc AR is 12 hours motorcar-shutoff. Some prefer to leave the ruddy dot on so it is set to go, while others desire to conserve bombardment life if they accidentally leave it on.
Shootability
I used all three ruby dots on my lightweight build with my carbon fiber Bandit Arms handrail and Faxon xiv.5 pencil barrel.
They all shot fine but there was a big difference of the Principal Arms and Holosun clarity & eyebox versus the Sparc AR.
The PA/Holosun had the slight bluish hue while the Sparc AR was much clearer. Simply the Sparc AR had the smaller eyebox.
Zeroes held fine as well even after the driblet testing.
Warranty
Primary Artillery and Holosun both have 3-year warranties. I used the Main Arms warranty to gear up the croaky rear glass.
It was very painless and later on a quick call, e-mail with attached pictures, and self-ship, they replied that they would be fixing it free of charge. I received the fixed sight shortly subsequently with tracking and everything.
Vortex, on the other manus, has an unlimited lifetime warranty that is completely transferable. I had to show my receipt for Primary Arms and so if you buy i 2d-hand…y'all might be out of luck.
Honorary Mentions
Yep…I couldn't get my hands on all the ruby dots out there (particularly since I'm ownership them out of pocket). Only here are some other sub-$200 ones that seem to do very well.
- AT3 Tactical RD-50 ($80)
- Sig Sauer Romeo5 ($150)
Conclusion
So subsequently all this stuff…what do I recommend?
All-time Cherry Dot Under $200
146
at OpticsPlanet
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at fourth dimension of writing
All-time Scarlet Dot Under $200
Holosun HS403A
$146 at OpticsPlanet
Prices accurate at time of writing
For best bang-for-the-buck I'd have to go with theHolosun HS403A. You lot get a great optic that passed all the tests, didn't rust, and comes with a riser included in the cost. You lot'll forego a piffling clarity on the drinking glass and convenience in switching out batteries though.
Still working great almost a year since the initial testing. What's your have on the Holosun?
Nearly Robust
199
at Amazon
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at fourth dimension of writing
For robustness and ease of maintenance, I become with theVortex Sparc AR. If weight is not a deal-breaker, I'm pretty certain this cherry dot can survive well-nigh anything. Aside from passing all the tests (recollect to wipe it dry), you get the ease of AAA batteries and the clearest glass of the bunch. However, there'south reduced battery life, extra weight, and a smaller eyebox.
Unfortunately, since thePrimary Artillery Avant-garde Micro Dot ($170) did crack on me, I won't exist recommending it (great warranty service though). Plus…it doesn't come up with a riser so you'll have to become some other one, which would heighten its price above the Vortex.
Whatsoever other budget red dots you'd like to see? What do yous currently run on your AR? Want to go cheaper? We now have a Best Under $100 Reddish Dots article and video.
Source: https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-red-dots-budget/