Red Dot Buying Advice

[Jamsandwich]

Hey guys, hoping you can help with a little advice.  I want to get a decent red dot/holo sight for my AUG but not too sure what to go for.

 

Requirements -

• I need something low profile so the market's wide open (sitting atop my AUG A2 rail).
• I'd like something that will be sufficient if I add a magnifier (flip) later on.
• If there's a good sight/flip magnifier recommendation I'd totally appreciate it as I might just get both depending on price.
• Prioritising a decent sight though, sub £100.

 

Are there any brands to avoid?  Any especially reliable brands in the lower price bracket?

Edited March 23, 2023 by Jamsandwich

[Badgerlicious]

I personally use a feyachi V30. I was convinced after I saw a video of a guy smacking it with an ammo box and it held zero on his real UMP45. Plus it comes with a kill flash so your sight is safe from direct impacts without having to use a protector or cut a custom piece of lexan. And it's just under £70 on amazon. I know some of bushnell's lower end red dots are also popular, since they are designed to be used on real guns, so they hold up super well on airsoft guns, but they tend to stray over the £100 mark. 

 

If you want some zoom, you could look into LPVO's. I have a victoptics S6 1-6x24, really nice scope in the 1-4 range (get's a bit poor at 5-6x). So you've got decent close range performance with good zoom for about £130. 

[Guest]

Buy a higher spec Vector Optics, they come with the same unlimited lifetime warranty as Vortex, for half the price.

 

Or, take a look at Aliexpress. You might find something decent there.

 

I’ve owned dozens and dozens, and ultimately, well known, expensive sights will last you a lifetime. 
 

I would double your budget, and buy used Vortex/Sig Sauer, but be aware they are a lot of Chinese clones out there

[JimFromHorsham]

https://rpisupplies.co.uk/products/vortex-optics-cf-rd1-crossfire-red-dot-upgraded-model
 

ex demo , reputable dealer , lifetime warranty . 

[Krisz]

18 hours ago, Jamsandwich said:

Hey guys, hoping you can help with a little advice.  I want to get a decent red dot/holo sight for my AUG but not too sure what to go for.

 

Requirements -

• I need something low profile so the market's wide open (sitting atop my AUG A2 rail).
• I'd like something that will be sufficient if I add a magnifier (flip) later on.
• If there's a good sight/flip magnifier recommendation I'd totally appreciate it as I might just get both depending on price.
• Prioritising a decent sight though, sub £100.

 

Are there any brands to avoid?  Any especially reliable brands in the lower price bracket?

All of them does the same job. Even the strongest recoil airsoft replica is laughable compared to real steel so I wouldn't worry too much about holding zero. It doesn't mean buy the cheapest rubbish you can find.

 

Low profile is always gonna be either an RMR or red dot which can co-witness. I use a Feyachi RDS-25 but had Aim-O T1 before they're fantastic little things. All of them need lexan or killflash. 

If you want to spend proper money on it Vortex has lifetime warranty and I think they exchange your damaged optics if a BB shattered it.

I would buy a proper scope and put an RMR on top of it or buy an offset rail piece and make it canted.

"Holo" usually starts at Holy Warrior S1 but you can go lower price wise but expect more ghosting and parallax in general. Also, some of them can be borderline useless in broad daylight coz it's too bright for that particular replica.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Krisz

[MrTea]

1 hour ago, Krisz said:

Holo starts at Holy Warrior S1 or you can go a bit lower price wise but expect more ghosting and parallax in general.

 

I can personally vouch for the SOTAC branded EXPS-3 ~£55. Use it on my Krytac and MP5 and never had an issue with it, works perfectly fine for airsoft. I've got a HW S1 but not had a chance to run it yet. Next week hopefully.

[RostokMcSpoons]

I'm very happy with my Sotac XPS3 as well, but I believe the Holy Warrior is supposed to be brighter, and that would be good when it in open areas... Is that extra brightness worth an extra £50? 

I'm not sure.. I think you're probably better off keeping the money and putting it towards the magnifier, but if you don't mind spending the cash then go for the Holy Warrior so you know you've got the best

 

Other thoughts...

You're having a sight rail that is quite high over the barrel... Personally I really like the AR platform as the 'height over bore' is quite small which is an advantage when peeking over cover, so when going with my other guns I like to keep low profile... The dirt-cheap Feyachi 'coyote'* sight works great. 

An LVPO on an AUG does look quite top-heavy, and with the high rail on the A2 it might feel that too...?

 

 

* you'll know it if you've ever played Battlefield 4

Edited March 23, 2023 by RostokMcSpoons

[Enid_Puceflange]

4 hours ago, Krisz said:

Even the strongest recoil airsoft replica is laughable compared to real steel so I wouldn't worry too much about holding zero. 

 

Nothing to see here then

Not real steel similar, but probably not a kick in the shoulder off it 

(According to Dr Garand when he did Milsim West)

 

 

[Krisz]

7 hours ago, Enid_Puceflange said:

Nothing to see here then

Not real steel similar, but probably not a kick in the shoulder off it 

(According to Dr Garand when he did Milsim West)

 

 

I shoot real steel every year when I go home so for me all of them are gimmick. For someone else it's the ultimate recoil experience. Nothing wrong with that. 🙂

Edited March 24, 2023 by Krisz

[RostokMcSpoons]

I happened to watch this on YT last night and thought of you...
 

 

An Aug with an Eotech + magnifier... but as you can see it's on the rail directly on the receiver, rather than the carry handle / riser of the A2... though I guess it's not that much higher than what's on show here (and on my AUG HC carbine)

[Enid_Puceflange]

15 minutes ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

I happened to watch this on YT last night and thought of you…

 
Aaaawwwww shucks, thanks man! ☺️

 

Edit:

just realised you didn’t mean me! 😁

Edited March 24, 2023 by Enid_Puceflange

[Jamsandwich]

Man that AUG looks sweet but I'm going off the idea of an EOTECH on my A2, think it might be a bit too chunky on that top rail (it's all about the looks right?).  And yeah the rail sits a good inch off the top of the rifle already so in terms of profile I'm pushing it a bit.  Anything on a riser is way out!

 

I think even the magnifier might be too tall though I think I've seen some lower versions, not sure I want to go down the canted sight route.  I'm gonna look into some of the suggestions here and handle the rif a bit to see what might work. Drifting towards Aimpoint style I think.

 

Thanks for the brand suggestions and great advice.  I'll let you know what I figure out when I get a minute to check things out.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Jamsandwich

[RostokMcSpoons]

God I'm easily distracted from work...
I chucked my main 3 sights on to my AUG in turn, hopefully it'll be helpful to you...

 

The LVPO is a great sight, but I wouldn't run it on the AUG.  It is too heavy, I wanted this as a lightweight run'n'gun / CQB rifle.

So the Feyachi / KIngScope is the preferred sight.  It's on a small riser, I could've taken it off that, but it's the same sight line as the Eotech clone, and it's comfortable.  (I wear a lower face mask + goggles combo which doesn't interfere much with the cheek weld)

 

Bah, I forgot my T1 clone, sitting in my kit bag or toolbox.  I'll get a pic of that later - it's the nearest thing to the V30 you mentioned.
 

Edited March 24, 2023 by RostokMcSpoons

[Enid_Puceflange]

14 minutes ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

God I'm easily distracted from work...
I chucked my main 3 sights on to my AUG in turn, hopefully it'll be helpful to you...

 

The LVPO is a great sight, but I wouldn't run it on the AUG.  It is too heavy, I wanted this as a lightweight run'n'gun / CQB rifle.

So the Feyachi / KIngScope is the preferred sight.  It's on a small riser, I could've taken it off that, but it's the same sight line as the Eotech clone, and it's comfortable.  (I wear a lower face mask + goggles combo which doesn't interfere much with the cheek weld)

 

Bah, I forgot my T1 clone, sitting in my kit bag or toolbox.  I'll get a pic of that later - it's the nearest thing to the V30 you mentioned.
 

 

Middle pic gets my vote👍

[Jamsandwich]

And now you're distracting me from my work 😒

 

Definately prefer the Eotech on the HC but just not sure it'll suit the A2.  The reflex is nice too actually and might look cool in front of a magnifier.

 

Hmm...too many choices!

[RostokMcSpoons]

More choices  Here's the T1 style sight, and the other sight on a lower riser, and none at all.  Just for completeness.

 

Edited March 24, 2023 by RostokMcSpoons

[Jamsandwich]

Thanks dude!  I started thinking about this a little late for my next game day, but it gives me time to find the right kit at least.