Holosun HS503C Review [Best Red Sight For The Money?]

Watch this video to find out why:

Check The Holosun 503C Price On Amazon (Over 180 Reviews!) – Click Here

Today, I’m going to tell you about the cutting-edge little optic that has become my favorite red dot sight…

You see unfortunately, it can be tough trying to find a high-quality optic that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Believe me, I’ve been there…

holosun hs503c for sale

Several years ago, when I bought my first AR 15 (a Colt LE6920), I knew I wanted to put a red dot on it…

There were a lot of options on Amazon, and the prices ranged from very low to extremely high.

I knew that most of the really cheap red dots were just going to either break or stop working on me…

…but I also didn’t feel comfortable paying 700 bucks for a top of the line optic.

So, I searched and searched and ended up getting an optic that worked…ok…

holosun 503c height

But it was bulky, the battery life wasn’t great, and it had a large MOA dot reticle (I prefer small MOA dot reticles).

I’ve since replaced that optic with the Holosun HS503C, and I couldn’t be happier with it!

It’s got several premium features that before, you could only get from optics that carried with them extremely high price tags.

And after continuing to study what’s out there on the market, I still wholeheartedly believe that the HS503C is one of the best red dot sights for the money!

So today, I want to share with you some of its really cool features.  And if you’re ready to start…Here they are…

The HS503C Has Outstanding Battery Life…

Holosun says that one CR2032 battery will last you for 50,000 hours in this optic.

So, you get about 5 years worth of battery life.

best distance to sight in AR 15

I love having long battery life in my sights because you can leave them turned on all the time.

This is important if you need your rifle in a home defense situation because you can simply grab it and be ready to go without having to fiddle around with your sight.

And what you can do is swap out the battery once a year, and your sight should remain well powered even though it’s always turned on.

Holosuns Are Waterproof…

This optic is also waterproof up to 1 meter… which, as a civilian, is all I really want in a red dot sight.

It can easily handle getting wet in the rain or snow…

And if you’re working your way through wet terrain, it’ll hold up well even if it gets splashed or falls in the water.

This Sight Has 11 Brightness Settings…

This sight is also pretty versatile because it has 9 Daylight Brightness settings and 2 Night Vision Compatible settings.

best budget red dot for ar15

So no matter what lighting conditions you find yourself in, you’ll be able to easily optimize the brightness of your sight.

This Holosun Red Dot Also Uses Solar Power!

I’ll be honest, this a feature that really excites me. I think its incredibly practical…

…because it means that you can run this sight without a battery (as long as you have sunlight available).

And while it’s set to run on solar power, it will automatically adjust the brightness of the reticle to your lighting conditions…

I really like switching to solar power when I go shooting in the bright Nevada desert…

…and I think that this is a CUTTING EDGE feature that really makes the HS503C stand out from almost every other red dot on the market.

However, It’s Also Manual Adjustment Optional…

Now if you’re worried that the auto brightness adjustment feature won’t work well when you go from bright conditions to dark or vice versa…

Don’t worry because you can easily have control over the brightness level…

best ar under 1000

…by switching the sight over to the manual setting with the simple push of a button.

From there, you just use the plus sign button to increase brightness and the minus sign button to decrease it.

The Holosun 503C Also Gives You 2 Reticle Choices…

Another feature I love about this optic is that you get TWO awesome reticle options…

First of all, you can use the 2 MOA (minute of angle) dot reticle, which is simple, clear and crisp when zeroing in on your target.

holosun zeroing target

I know a lot of shooters prefer it, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it…

But I personally love the Holosun Circle Dot Reticle.  It uses the same simple 2 MOA dot in the center, but it’s surrounded by a generous 65 MOA outer circle (the same reticle on the Holosun HS510c).

This is my favorite style of reticle on a red dot sight! I find that the 65 MOA outer circle helps increase my speed at targets up close because it’s highly visible…

But at the same time, I have that crisp 2 MOA dot in the center, which allows me to be precise when I’m aiming at targets in the distance…

I have yet to find another optic in this price range offering a similar style of reticle.

So, for me, this is a huge deal, and it really sets the HS503C apart from other red dots in its class.

The Holosun 503C Mount…

Don’t you just hate it when you buy something, and then find out later that you have to spend more money on it…

colt ar le6920

And then with optics, it becomes a hassle because you have to find a mount that fits your particular sight.

Well with Holosun, you won’t have to worry about that because it comes with 2 mounts.

The Included Low Mount…

With the Low Mount, you can easily mount this sight on a variety of shooting platforms including…

  • Shotguns
  • Rifles
  • Pistols
  • Air Rifles
  • Crossbows

The Included High Mount…

And with the High Mount, this Holosun becomes a perfect option for an AR 15…

best ar 15 setup for shtf

It sets the optic up for a lower 1/3 co-witness with your back up iron sights, which in my opinion is just the right height.

And so far, mine has proven to be pretty durable.

In the end, The Holosun HS503c Pros…

  • It has 50,000 hours of Battery Life…
  • It’s Solar Powered!
  •  2 included Mounts…
  • It’s waterproof up to 1 meter…
  • The AWESOME Holosun Circle Dot Reticle!
  • You get outstanding Customer Service from Holosun (I’ve used them)…

Cons

  • It’s a little bit heavier than some other micro red dots (but even then, its only by an ounce or two)

Holosun HS503C Review – Conclusions…

So in the end, is this Holosun an ELITE Red Dot Sight Worth Buying?

Answer: YES!

  • The Battery Life and Solar Power are incredible…
  • With the 2 included Mounts, you can be shooting almost instantly…
  • And the Circle Dot Reticle sets it apart from pretty much all other red dots under 300 dollars.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

sig romeo 5 warranty

I’ve been extremely happy with mine, and I think its without question the best red dot sight for the money!

Holosun HS503C: F.A.Q.s

Q: Where can I find this Holosun for sale?

A: You can buy your Holosun HS503c from Amazon by clicking the button above…

HURRY! You don’t want to miss out on getting the best red dot sight for the money TODAY because sometimes Amazon runs out of stock.

Q: Does this optic have magnification?

A: No, but combining this Holosun with a magnifier is very easy, and that combination will allow you to easily extend your shooting distances.

Q: What is a Parallax Free Optic? Is the Holosun Parallax free?

A: Yes, the Holosun is parallax free with unlimited eye relief.

A Parallax Free sight allows you to shoot accurately when looking through the optic from any angle or head position.

This is essential if you’re using it as a tactical optic because when you’re moving and shooting quickly, it’s difficult to put your head in the perfect position to make a shot.

Optics without this feature can cause you to miss your mark by several inches because the reflected reticle (or image) may appear in different places within your sight.

Q: Which is better? The Holosun 403 or the Holosun 503?

A: Both are great sights that I highly recommend…

Basically, the Holosun 403 has a 2 MOA dot reticle whereas with the 503c you have the option of using that same simple 2 MOA dot or the Holosun Circle Dot Reticle.

I prefer the Holosun Circle Dot because I personally find it incredibly FAST up close.

Yet, it still has that precise 2 MOA dot for shooting at smaller targets in the distance. 

In the end, I think the Holosun HS403b is a great optic because it’s high quality and under 200 dollars (Check out my review of the Holosun HS403B by clicking here)

…but because of the circle dot reticle, the Holosun HS503C is my favorite and I think its the best red dot sight for the money!

Q: What is a 2 MOA red dot sight?

A: MOA stands for Minute of Angle. 1 MOA is about the size of an inch at 100 yards.

So, a 2 MOA optic means that the small dot image you see will cover about 2 inches worth of your target at 100 yards.

In my opinion, the best red dot sights are 1 or 2 MOA because they allow a strong shooter to be more PRECISE when shooting at greater distances.

Q: HS503c vs HS503cu? Whats the difference?

A: They are pretty much the same sight. The only difference is the HS503cu has a little bit more protection around the windage and elevation knobs.

Q: Is this a good tactical reflex sight?

A: It’s one of the best red dot sights for tactical rifles

It’s AFFORDABLE!

It has INCREDIBLE Battery Life (and its Solar Powered!)

Plus, it has a lower 1/3 CO-Witness mount included.  So, it comes READY TO GO straight on your AR 15!

holosun 503c mount

Farewell, and have fun at the range!

-RDshooters