Club Tests - Optics - The Villages Air Gun Club

Club Tests - Optics

ADCO International Alpha

This is a very high quality sight that is very light weight with one of the smallest red dots on the market. The dot size is 1.5 MOA. It also comes with eleven brightness settings and weighs about 3 ½ ounces. This sight is pricey. They start at $150.00 and go up from there. We only have two shooters using this sight at this time and both are happy with the performance of the red dot. This red dot holds true and the adjustments are much finer than on other red dots.

Aimpoint 3000

This is a very high end red dot used by the most discriminating shooters with a cost of $300 plus. You get the finest optics money can buy. This is a very old reliable red dot company. They are the pioneers of the red dot systems we use today. The only drawback to this sight is the battery position which is off to one side. This sight also takes a higher priced battery than other red dot systems. We have only three shooters using this sight at the present time. Most of these shooters bought the sight second hand to hold down the cost and they are very satisfied with their purchase. This sight is a 3 m.o.a. red dot with some models being as low as 1 ½ m.o.a. This sight is no longer in new production.

ATN Ultra Sight

This is a medium priced halo sight with an adjustable brightness for the red dot. This sight has been produced for years and has a very good track record. This is a slightly higher priced red dot that can be purchased for approximately $70.00 on the internet. This sight holds its settings very well and is well constructed. We have had very good success with ATN products and this sight is no exception. This sight is at their lower priced end but is still a high quality sight.

BSA RD 30 (PY-A-2944)

BSA RD 30

The sight we are testing is a BSA-RD30. This sight was one of the first red dots to come on to the market in a low cost form. We have used these sights early on and had fairly good results. The newer sights had some problems when they made some quality and design changes. At that time, the sights would only last a few months before they would not hold adjustment. BSA now claims the new model has been corrected, they call the model the PY-A-2944. It has a slightly different look than the old one. It is still 30 mm in diameter but appears to have a sun hood on it. It also has 11 positions for brightness and is very low cost ($30.00). The newer models have not been tried but the old models worked well for several years without any problems. Remember there are 3 versions of this sight.

Bushnell Trophy Red Dot 73-0134

Bushnell Trophy Red Dot - TRS 25

This is a more moderate priced red dot. We have two shooters using this red dot and they are very satisfied with the performance. The red dot appears to be about a 4 m.o.a. dot but does well for offhand shooting. If you are bench resting you may prefer a red dot with a 3 m.o.a. or smaller dot. This red dot retails for approximately $90.00 but can be purchased over the internet for as low as $45.00. This is not a bad choice for a shooter who is just starting out. This can be used on either a pistol or rifle.

Millett SP-1

Millett SP 1 (RD00004)

I have a lot of comments on the red dot sights we used on the range over the years. Unfortunately you will have to look up photographs for them. The most popular red dot on the range today is the Millett SP-1. This red dot has a 3 MOA dot that is very controllable with very good optics. The sight is crisp and clear and we have minimal parallax problems at the 10 meter mark. With most of our shooters wearing glasses or having vision problems, we found this sight performs the best for the price. This red dot varies in price from different suppliers at $65.00 up to $90.00. This is a one inch diameter red dot that is very light, very friendly on battery (2032) use, has 11 settings for brightness and comes with rings to fit a weaver mount. If you are using this sight with a Daisy rifle you will have to buy an adapter mount or air gun rings in the one inch diameter. The next sight we found to compare with the level of this sight is the ADCO sight or the True Aim Point 1000 series. These sights start at $150.00 and go to $450.00. We have several shooters using these and with all red dots we recommend shooting a fellow club members gun with these sights to be sure they work with your glasses or vision needs. Gary.

NC Star Model DTB130

This is a 3 moa red dot that sells for approximately $40.00 on internet sites.

The open we tested had a nice clear dot on a fairly light casing with about a 30mm diameter in a square box design. The sight performed well holding its settings and was not overly heavy. This unit requires a single 2032 battery and has an adjustable brightness on it for the red dot. We have been using this type for about a month and a half and seems to be working well.

TASCO Accu-Dot

This is an older red dot made by Tasco and was their higher end red dot. The main drawback on this sight is that it is very heavy and required two 2032 batteries to operate. This sight is very crisp and clean and holds its’ settings well. I have had several of these over the years and everyone has been a good product. The only drawback is you would have to buy one of these used. The used price runs about $35.00 dollars.

Tasco Red Dot 1x30 mm

Some of our shooters have started with this sight. This is the answer to low cost red dots. The sight performs well and can be purchased for about $30.00. It seems to be lighter and a better value than the BSA. The sight seems to hold its setting quite well. The only drawback is the large diameter of the red dot which is 5 MOA. The weight on it is a little heavy at 6 ounces. Most of our shooters will progress as their shooting capability increases.

Sightron Model S33

This is an upper end red dot that had a 3 m.o.a. dot with very clear optics. Being a higher end sight all the optics are made of glass. The sight is a little heavier than other sights by approximately one ounce. We have two shooters using this on the range with good results. Unfortunately the cost of this sight is 3 -4 times the cost of a Millet sight. For our type of shooting it is hard to justify this cost due to the fact they are not using them in a hunting environment or under extreme conditions. This is a sight that our military wanted to use before going to a higher technical sight for longer battery life. If you can afford the extra dollars you will have a great sight for many years to come.

Ultra Dot AALUD30B

This is another high quality sight. Two of our shooters are using this red dot. They are quite pleased with the red dot because of the 4 MOA red dot. It is also very light weight at about 4 ounces. Plus the settings are at ½ m.o.a. per click which is half of what most red dots are. This helps with the fine tuning. The only drawback is the brightness control. They are having problems in the mid-range claiming either too bright or too dark for the very fine shooting. This is a high dollar item starting at $190.00. It does come with a lifetime guarantee. It also comes with a sunshade to reduce glare. This is a feature you do find on a lot of red dots once you break the $60.00 price range.

Walthers Multi-Reticle Sight MRS

Walther Multi-Reticle Sight MRS

We have tested this sight for approximately three years with good results. Most of our shooters only use the one setting which is a 3 MOA (Moment Of Angle) dot setting. The sight stays true as long as you take care in handling it. One of our shooters said his stayed true for over one year. It only required minor adjustments after the year. This sight sells for approximately $50 to $75. The only drawback is on sunny days with light coming directly to you, it is difficult to pick up the red dot. This would be a better choice for a pistol because of the light weight which is about 4 to 5 ounces.

Walther Top Point Sight 1 (TPS)

A couple of our shooters have purchased this sight and then later found that the red dot was too large for precision shooting. With a 10 MOA red dot which covered too much of the target for pinpoint shooting. Most of the shooters switched to a finer red dot and moved these sights to a .22 rifle or a pellet gun for their children to use. This is not a model we recommend for our shooters.

Gary's Preferred Sight

Fine optic glass. To be used with pistol only so shooter can hold it with the non-shooting hand. Alternatively, mounts on any competition pistol with a minimum amount of Duct-Tape so the balance is not affected. $5.34