Red Dots - Sig Romeo 5 or Vortex Sparc?

[C-Diddy]

I'm in the market for a new red dot for one of my builds, and am looking at either a Sig Rome 5 or a Vortex Sparc, and wondered if anyone could chip in with their views or perhaps make a couple of suggestions along similar lines. 

 

I already have a Vortex Crossfire red dot, and that does its job just fine, but I have passed that to my son. I like the styling of the Sparc and that it's available in FDE is also a tick in the box. The lifetime guarantee is also attractive as it means I can do away with lens protectors, which kill the vibe a bit for me. 

 

The Romeo 5 seems very similar to the Sparc (same 2 MOA dot, small, relatively light etc) but not being available in FDE, lack of lifetime guarantee and the price - I prefer the XDR model - are niggling me. 

 

I have a repro EOTech EXP3 on another gun, with a G43 magnifier, and while it's a decent repro (not Holy Warrior though) I'm not after a holographic sight or similar. 

 

Any from Holosun I should consider in a similar price range? 

[Duff Beer]

I’ve got a Holosun 403B that I’m very pleased with.  The auto-wake was something I really wanted as a feature so I didn’t have to remember to turn it off, and in dark CQB environments the battery seems to be lasting an eternity.

 

It’s a sharp dot, easily dimmable for very dark environments, but super bright for the height of summer and doesn’t go squiggly when it is bright.  There’s no parallax past 5m, and what there is is so tiny it’s irrelevant.

 

The downsides are that there’s no thread for a protective filter/cap (the 50x series has that) so you’ll have to get a push on one from Patrolbase, and although you’ll only have to do it maybe once a year changing the battery requires an included tool.

 

All in all I love it, and the only thing I’d have bought instead would have been a 50x from them.

[JimFromHorsham]

Performance wise there isn’t a lot in it so For me it would be the vortex purely on the basis that the customer support is absolutely rock solid , SIG’s uk support is sketchy at best .

[Emergencychimps]

I'd avoid the SPARC. It's a great optic and does its job well, plus using a standard battery is nice. 

 

However, it can't be transferred to other mounts, it's a fixed height and that that. The crossfire (and previously mentioned Holosun) can be put onto other mounts. 

 

This isn't a huge thing, but once you've used a slightly higher mount (I use a 1.93 scalar clone) it's much more comfortable and frankly, is the cool modern look. 

 

Impressions don't seem to be anything anymore, but I'd also encourage thinking about it. 

 

I've been very impressed with the holy warrior range of red dots, their eotech clones are the best on the market and their T2 clones are fantastic (especially for the money). 

 

If money is no issue, looks aren't a concern etc then check out the Holosun aems (tactical kit stock them). 

[RostokMcSpoons]

The HW T2 clones are only £55? 
https://www.thecageairsoft.co.uk/holy-warrior-t2-micro-red-dot-sight/#description

That's a great price.  @C-Diddy wants to avoid an extra lens protector, do the flip down covers provide any protection or are they just for protection during transit?

[Haru]

just curious are there any real advantages of using a holo over a red dot?

[C-Diddy]

A T2 on a riser is a possibility. At £55 I'd be almost willing to take a chance and run it without a protector. 

 

One to think about 👍

[Monkman]

Vortex all the way... I have multiple optics from them and one time I had an issue with one of them, it was sorted within a matter of days...  Even the British Army are now buying Vortex for their new AR's..

[C-Diddy]

1 minute ago, Haru said:

just curious are there any real advantages of using a holo over a red dot?

My holo is ok, but I find a smaller reticule better. 

 

Even shooting with gen EOTechs I used to find hit and miss...generally miss 🤣 On a GPMG you can just walk your rounds on to the target though 👍

Just now, Monkman said:

Vortex all the way... I have multiple optics from them and one time I had an issue with one of them, it was sorted within a matter of days...  Even the British Army are now buying Vortex for their new AR's..

I am leaning that way. The Crossfire red dot was a favourite, and I have a Crossfire scope too. @Emergencychimpspoint is interesting though, as I use a 1.93" scope mount and find it really comfortable. 

[Haru]

i find that I sometimes lose my dot when im moving fast, i could do with a larger reticule to help with that

[C-Diddy]

I can understand that. Depending on the quality of the holo, parallax can be an issue when you're moving. 

[Duff Beer]

As mounts have been mentioned the 403B can go on a Unity/other mount

[C-Diddy]

Cheers Duff. I was looking at those on Tactical Kit over the weekend. Definite contender. 

[Haru]

any experience on romeo8t clones?

[C-Diddy]

Not personally, but Holy Warrior look to be affordable and their reputation for repro sights is really strong