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Posted: 5/19/2009 2:28:45 PM EDT
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What's the best red dot that I could get for less than $100?
Thanks |
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Well, I kinda agree with the other posters, but to answer your question, maybe a Millet SP1 red dot. I have a couple for some range toys. They have taken a pretty good beating over the last two years and are holding up just fine. I prefer my Aimpoint, but wouldn't hesitate to take the Millets to a match in a pinch. |
| If your on a budget, I have used 2 different ones that have lasted, Famous Maker and Tasco and both cost about $30. The Tasco is about 5 years old, it has been passd down from 4 different guns and now resides on a RRA 9mm, it has never lost zero and always works. The FM is about 2 years old and sits on an AR pistol with no prblems both of them cowitness great. Dont get me wrong I agree you get what you pay for so I keep upgradeing my optics as $$ permits (i now have Eotech 553, AimPoint and TruGlo on my main rifles). But there is nothiing wrong with starting out cheap if that is all you can afford. Lets face it 99.99999999% of us will never need to rely on our toys as life saving device and if we do and the optics arent wooking we always have BUIS. |
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I'll go against the flow here & say this....
I bought a fake eotech originally. I now have a real 511. But I did try it out. It functioned very well. It was just a red dot dressed in eotech cloths. It seemed to be sold built. I ran it 1 range session on my AR. I have transfered it to my AK47 since. Now Idk if it can handle the excessive vibrations of an AR for that long. I'm not sure I heard yes & no. The AK has a side mount & the rail sits above the top cover so there's a lot less vibration transferred to the sight. |
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Quoted:
Well, I kinda agree with the other posters, but to answer your question, maybe a Millet SP1 red dot. I have a couple for some range toys. They have taken a pretty good beating over the last two years and are holding up just fine. I prefer my Aimpoint, but wouldn't hesitate to take the Millets to a match in a pinch. For cheap red dots, the Millet is it. I used one on a Mini-14 for a while, a rifle which has a reputation for eating cheap glass. |
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What's the best red dot that I could get for less than $100? Thanks You are better off using iron sights.. Learn them and you will be able to shoot much better with them and they can never fail you.. If you want to have the tacticool RDS look to your AR then I would go with a Aimpoint, They are the best. But as long as you spend at least $400 you should be able to find a EoTech, Trijicon Reflex or even a Mini Red Dot for around that price. If anything tho, learn your iron sights then buy a RDS and co-witness, you will be good to go.. |
Less than 100 ? Actually, for 'close' to a hundred, get an ULTRADOT here: http://www.ultradotwest.com/ultradot_2008_003.htm 135.99 for 25mm or 145.99 for the 30mm ....free ship! Made in "japan" - who heard of that anymore? lol They are quality, just not mil-spec, battle proven with NSNs and all that. Just bought one. If it can't be Aimpoint, then Ultradot for sure. |
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from reviews on this sight, millett or the vortex strikefire, anything else is a waste of money, trust me. whatever you do, dont buy the $30 bsa sights... it wont hold zero on anything >.22lr. Good advice. Those two are probably the best two NIBs in the price range. another thing to do is get to know other EBR shooters in your area, I know that I have been on both ends of the deal of selling used good gear cheap to fellow shooters. |
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OP, if you're still following your thread, why don't you explain what you're planning on using it for?
I've run across a couple of your other posts, and it seems like you must be building your first AR to use for plinking and varmints? Unless you aren't planning on shooting anything farther away than rats in the basement, you're probably going to wish you had saved the money you spent on any cheap red dot sight. |
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I've got a Tasco Propoint (PDP3) that has been handed down from a friend that has been a solid performer on .22s, 9mm carbines, and 5.56 carbines. I don't think it would hold up to harsh abuse, but it is fine for hunting, and range work. The dot is daylight bright and it holds zero quite well.
SWFA sells them for $99. Not "Tacticool" but it works well as a test mule, and plinking sight. |
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To the OP try here - http://www.vortexoptics.com/riflescopes/view/vortex-strikefire-red-dot-riflescope
It's not under a $100, but I have seen them as low as $130 on some web sites. It's an American company and it comes with a lifetime warranty so even if something happens and it breaks you at least have somewhere to ship it to inside the US (Texas I believe). The reviews I have seen on it so far have been good, but it is a new product so time will tell if they last. Another place to check for info is here on this site in the optics forum. There is a sticky http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=18&t=208728 that mentions the "Sightmark" red dot sight, which is a AIMPOINT clone, but apparently better quality and not made in China. Sight http://www.talonarms.com/talonarms/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22_400&products_id=1057 Mount http://www.talonarms.com/talonarms/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22_400&products_id=301 If an offbrand sight functions as it's supposed to and performs the same job as the more expensive sights then I don't see any issue with purchasing a cheaper sight. Sometimes I wonder if purchasing these Aimpoints and EOTechs are more a status symbol than anything else. I look at Aimpoints and EOTechs kind of like BMWs and Mercedes. Sure they are nice, but my Chevy gets me from point A to point B just the same. |
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Quoted:If an offbrand sight functions as it's supposed to and performs the same job as the more expensive sights then I don't see any issue with purchasing a cheaper sight. Sometimes I wonder if purchasing these Aimpoints and EOTechs are more a status symbol than anything else. I look at Aimpoints and EOTechs kind of like BMWs and Mercedes. Sure they are nice, but my Chevy gets me from point A to point B just the same.
If your plan is to shoot 500 rounds a year, fine. But I would bet money that one of these will break if you take it through a carbine course. Hell, I doubt they would even hold a zero for too long under heavy use. Jay |
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I've got a Tasco Propoint (PDP3) that has been handed down from a friend that has been a solid performer on .22s, 9mm carbines, and 5.56 carbines. I don't think it would hold up to harsh abuse, but it is fine for hunting, and range work. The dot is daylight bright and it holds zero quite well. SWFA sells them for $99. Not "Tacticool" but it works well as a test mule, and plinking sight. I too have an PDP3 from many years ago. Damn thing has been on everything from a .22 to a 12 guage. It took and impromptu fall of 15 feet out of a tree stand attached to a Redhawk. Still works like a champ. I't also has the roundest, clearest dot of all of mine. I'm not saying it would be my first choice as a combat optic, but this particular one I would trust my life to. I have no idea of the newer ones. But mine has been great. |
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The best sighting impliment for $100 are hands-down iron sights and ammo to practice with. Not trying to be a dick here, but for $100 you won't get anything worth having in the battery-operated optic category.
ETA: If you just want something to play with in the back yard, anything will do. Go to a pawn shop and find something cheap. |
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The best sighting impliment for $100 are hands-down iron sights and ammo to practice with. Not trying to be a dick here, but for $100 you won't get anything worth having in the battery-operated optic category. ETA: If you just want something to play with in the back yard, anything will do. Go to a pawn shop and find something cheap. bingo |
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Quoted:
Quoted:If an offbrand sight functions as it's supposed to and performs the same job as the more expensive sights then I don't see any issue with purchasing a cheaper sight. Sometimes I wonder if purchasing these Aimpoints and EOTechs are more a status symbol than anything else. I look at Aimpoints and EOTechs kind of like BMWs and Mercedes. Sure they are nice, but my Chevy gets me from point A to point B just the same.
If your plan is to shoot 500 rounds a year, fine. But I would bet money that one of these will break if you take it through a carbine course. Hell, I doubt they would even hold a zero for too long under heavy use. Jay If I am going through a course of fire with the AR15 the last thing I am doing is taking a bunch of battery powered crap. It's always the clown decked out in 50lbs of gear and cramming $1500 worth of optics on his rifle that has to stop in the midde of training because his batteries went dead or his fancy tac sling isn't adjusted right. I say go ahead and fool around with the cheap stuff at the range or for fun, but make sure you train with your iron. |
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The OP asked for the best option for a $100 RD. Not just use irons. Or if it's not $500 its crap and dont bother. 99.99% of the people here will never use there RD even in a class.
It might be the thing to do if the people with experience with the optics to let him know there experience with said optics. I've had great luck with a Tasco PDP3. And would not hesitate to use it for most things. I've also seen Millets and Ultrapoints handle some fair abuse and still work. Learning your irons is a must, But apparently this guy doesnt need an Aimpoint. Or cant afford one. Most people, even on this site will never see a class or any kind of defensive use. Telling him an Aimpoit is the best is great. But there are other options he can use till he decides if he needs better equipment. Just my thoughts. |
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+1 - not everybody needs a $500 red dot on every rifle. Some of us don't have the cash for high speed low drag everything.
Back to the OP's question, there are some decent choices under $100. I'd echo the recommendations to avoid the $30-50 red dots, as they're more of a gamble. Whatever you buy, make sure it's got good user feedback, both for the vendor and the item. I've got 3 Ultradots, bought used for under $100, that have held up well on a variety of gear. Primary Arms sells some inexpensive red dots that get very good reviews from AR users, they have a 1 year exchange warranty, and his customer support is excellent. Check Marsh1's listings in the old EE budget optics forum for user feedback. He also sells a T1 lookalike (out of stock now), and Konus currently sells the Atomic, a similar one, as do other vendors. Some have fixed bases and need a riser, others have removable bases and can use a mount, but this all adds to the cost. If I had to buy a new red dot for under $100 today, for mounting on an AR, I'd buy a Primary Arms M3 or M4 look-alike with the high mount, as they're ready to go out of the box. http://primaryarms.com/category.sc?categoryId=5 |
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