High quality red dot sights are pretty easy to find these days… and as a consumer, I think that’s awesome…
It’s just a matter of finding a sight with the individual features that will suit you and your situation best…
Now two of the optics manufacturers that seem to keep getting things right are Aimpoint and Holosun, and right now, two of their most popular sights are…
- The Aimpoint PRO (Check Price On Optics Planet – Over 515 Reviews)
- The Holosun 510c (Check Price On Amazon – Over 1,985 Reviews)
So in this Aimpoint PRO Vs Holosun 510c comparison, we’re going to put these two awesome sights up against each other in the following 6 categories…
- Durability And Toughness
- Reticle And Lens Clarity
- Size Comparison
- Battery Life And Brightness Settings
- Extra Goodies Included With The Optic
- Price Comparison
In the end, I’ll tell you if I prefer the Aimpoint PRO or the Holosun 510c, and you should have all the information you need to determine which optic will work best for you…
Let’s start the comparison!
Durability And Toughness…
Aimpoint PRO
Aimpoints are pretty much known for their durability and reliability, and since the Aimpoint PRO actually stands for ‘Patrol Rifle Optic’…
…you know that it’s intended to be used in serious situations, and it definitely lives up to Aimpoint’s legendary reputation.
To start off with, it’s an enclosed tube-styled sight with a high strength aluminum alloy housing, so it can definitely withstand a lot of abuse…
And the sight housing is also hard anodized, which will help protect the surface of the sight from corrosion and the elements…
In addition to that, the windage and elevation adjustments are set fairly low, and I like this design choice because it makes it highly unlikely that they’ll be bumped or snapped off accidentally…
Now the Aimpoint PRO is also a waterproof optic. It’s rated to be waterproof in up to 45 meters (150 feet) of water, and it can easily handle duty in rainy, wet, or snowy weather conditions…
Last, the PRO is also a shockproof optic, and this means that it can handle the recoil from being mounted on high-powered rifles, shotguns, and pistol caliber carbines or submachine guns…
All in all, the durability and reliability that you get with the Aimpoint PRO is extremely impressive.
Holosun 510c
The Holosun 510c is also a very durable red dot sight. It has a sight housing that’s constructed from high strength aluminum, and it also has an anodized finish that will protect the sight from the elements…
In addition to that, the 510c actually has a titanium hood over its lens, and that gives you a lot of extra protection in an area that could have been a weak point without it…
On top of that, the windage and elevation adjustments on the 510c are recessed completely into the sight housing, which makes it impossible for them to get accidentally bumped or snapped off…
And it also keeps the optic slick-sided which prevents it from getting snagged on something like clothing or a sling…
The Holosun 510c is also a waterproof optic. It’s rated to be waterproof in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes…
I think it can actually handle much more than that, but regardless, it can easily handle rainy or snowing conditions without having any issues at all…
The 510c is also a shockproof optic, so it can also handle being mounted on high-powered rifles, shotguns, and PCCs…
Now the one criticism I have in regards to the 510c is simply that it is an open-style red dot sight. That has some benefits which we’ll talk about later in this comparison…
But the biggest drawback is that the emitter (which projects your reticle onto the lens) is actually exposed…
This is an issue because, theoretically, it’s possible for an object to fall into the sight and block the emitter from projecting the reticle onto the glass…
Now that’s not something I’ve ever seen happen, and I don’t know anyone who has run into that issue either, so I think it’s highly unlikely to happen…
But as I said, it is theoretically possible. So I think it bears mentioning in this section of the comparison.
Durability And Toughness Conclusions…
So in this category, both of these sights are known for being incredibly durable. They’re both constructed from very strong material, and they’re both shockproof and waterproof…
That being said, the Aimpoint PRO has a much better waterproof rating than the 510c (even though the 510c’s waterproof rating is still pretty good)…
But there’s also the fact that the PRO is an enclosed red dot sight and the 510c is an open-style sight. And even though it’s highly unlikely that something will end up accidentally blocking the emitter on the 510c…
It is something that’s theoretically possible, whereas on the Aimpoint PRO it is not. So even though I think both sights are pretty tough and reliable, I’m going to give the win in this section to the Aimpoint PRO…
Winner: Aimpoint PRO
Reticle And Lens Clarity…
Aimpoint PRO
The lens clarity on the Aimpoint PRO is very good. You don’t get any of the annoying blue tint that is common on some other red dot sights (such as the Trijicon MRO)…
And the glass is very clear which allows you to get a clean sight picture when looking through the optic…
In addition to that, the Aimpoint PRO is a full-sized red dot sight with a 30mm tube, and because it’s a large sight, you get a pretty generous field of view…
It’s a better field of view than you’ll get with a micro red dot sight (such as the Aimpoint T2), and that’s one of the main benefits you get by going with a larger optic…
Now the reticle on the Aimpoint PRO is a simple 2 MOA (minute of angle) red dot, and I think it’s a good reticle on this style of optic…
The 2 MOA dot is large enough to attract your eye fairly quickly, which allows you to shoot quickly…
And at the same time, it’s small enough that it allows you to aim precisely at small targets or targets that are at further distances…
So all in all, I think it’s a good reticle because if you practice with it, it allows you to shoot very quickly and with a high degree of accuracy.
Holosun 510c
The lens clarity on the Holosun 510c is also very good. Just as with the Aimpoint PRO, you don’t really get any of the annoying blue tint that’s found on some red dots…
And overall, you can see clearly through the sight and establish a very clean sight picture…
In addition to that, the 510c is a full-sized open-style red dot sight, which offers you a couple of advantages…
First of all, because it’s a full size sight (just like the Aimpoint PRO), it gives you a pretty generous field of view when looking through the optic…
But on top of that, because it’s an open-style red dot, you don’t have any of the constricting feeling that you get when looking through a tube sight (again, like the PRO)…
Everything feels wide open, so you can see a lot of what’s going on down range, and you also have great situational awareness because you’re looking through a large sight window rather than focusing through a tube…
Now with the 510c you get Holosun’s Multiple Reticle System (MRS), which means that you get 3 reticles to choose between in the same sight…
The 3 reticles are…
- A 2 MOA dot surrounded by a 65 MOA ring (the Holosun Circle Dot Reticle)
- A 2 MOA dot
- A 65 MOA ring with no dot in the center
Now the 2 MOA dot surrounded by a 65 MOA ring is called the Circle Dot Reticle, and it’s pretty much my favorite style of reticle on a red dot sight…
It’s very similar to the reticle that you’ll find on Eotechs as well, and it’s a great system for a couple of reasons…
First of all, the large 65 MOA ring attracts your eye insanely fast, which means you’ll be able to shoot faster…
But at the same time, you still have that small 2 MOA dot in the center for shots that require a high degree of accuracy…
So it helps you shoot faster without sacrificing precision, and that’s why I’m such a big fan of it…
Now the second option is the simple 2 MOA dot, which is the exact same reticle that you get on the Aimpoint PRO…
Again, I really like this reticle too because it’s pretty fast and also very precise, and it’s a good reticle if you feel that the Circle Dot Reticle is too cluttered or busy…
The last option is the 65 MOA ring with no dot in the center. This is my least favorite of the 3 options, but let me explain to you why some people like to run it…
Because you have the big 65 MOA ring, it’s a very easy and quick reticle for your eye to pick up, which allows you to shoot very fast at large targets up close…
But at the same time, you don’t have anything obstructing your view of the target in the center of the reticle. So you can see a little bit more of what you’re shooting…
The obvious downside is that you have no precise aiming point for shots that require a lot more accuracy, and that’s why it’s not a reticle that I personally like to use…
Overall, all 3 reticles have their strengths and weaknesses, but the great thing about the 510c is that they’re all included. So you can try shooting with all 3 before settling on which one works best for you…
Last, the regular Holosun 510c (HS510C) comes with a red reticle. However, Holosun also makes a model that comes with a green MRS system (the HE510C-GR)…
Personally, I prefer red on all my sights and optics because it’s just a little bit fast for my eye to pick up, but there are a lot of shooters out there who really like green…
So whichever one you decide to go with will really come down to your own personal preference, and I think it’s nice that Holosun offers both models.
Reticle And Lens Clarity Conclusions…
In this category, we have a lot of important differences between these two sights. First of all, they both have an extremely clear lens which allows you to get a clean sight picture…
But that being said, the open style of the Holosun 510c allows you to see a little bit more when you’re shooting and have a little bit better situational awareness than the 30mm tube of the Aimpoint PRO…
In addition to that, you only get a 2 MOA dot reticle with the PRO, whereas you get 3 reticles with the Multiple Reticle System on the 510c…
The MRS includes the same 2 MOA reticle that you get on the PRO, but you also get the Circle Dot Reticle (which is my favorite) and the 65 MOA ring reticle…
So in the end, you get a little bit better field of view with the Holosun 510c, and you get 3 reticles as opposed to 1. So it’s the clear winner in this section.
Winner: Holosun 510C
Size Comparison…
Aimpoint PRO
As I mentioned before, the Aimpoint PRO is a traditional full-sized red dot sight with a 30mm tube, and because of that, it’s much larger than a micro red dot sight like the Aimpoint T2…
That’s ok with me because larger sights do offer some benefits over micro red dots sights in areas like durability and field of view, even though they may be bigger and heavier…
Now the actual dimensions of that Aimpoint PRO are the following… The height comes in at 2.2 inches, and the width also measures in at 2.2 inches…
In addition to that, the overall length on the PRO measures in at 4.5 inches long, and it has a weight that comes in at 7.8 ounces.
Holosun 510c
Like I mentioned earlier, the Holosun 510c is a full-sized open-style reflex sight, so it’s also fairly big compared to something like a micro red dot sight…
It has a height that measures in as 2.31 inches, and a width that comes in at 1.80 inches. In addition to that, the overall length on the 510c is 3.30 inches long, and it has a weight that comes in at just 4.94 ounces.
Size Comparison Conclusions…
Both of these optics are full-sized red dot sights, but because they’re two totally different designs, they actually have a lot of differences in this category…
To start off with, they both have similar heights and widths, but that being said, the Holosun 510c is shorter in terms of overall length, and it’s also much lighter in terms of weight…
Even though a few ounces here or there might not seem like much, the ounces can quickly turn into pounds when you’re adding optics and accessories to your rifle…
And you don’t want to be running around with a heavy rifle because it’ll be more weight for you to carry around (remember you can carry more ammunition if your rifle is more lightweight)…
And it makes your rifle slow into action. So weight is actually a pretty important factor for me when it comes to rifle optics, and because of that, I’m going to give the win in this section to the Holosun 510c.
Winner: Holosun 510c
Battery Life And Brightness Settings…
Aimpoint PRO
The Aimpoint PRO uses one 2L76 or DL1/3N type battery which is able to power the sight for around 30,000 hours on setting 7…
30,000 hours is over 3 years worth of battery life, and I love it when red dot sights have super long battery life like this…
The reason why having long battery life is important on a red dot sight is because it allows you to keep the sight turned on all the time, so that the optic is ready to go at all times…
If you ever have to use your optic in an emergency self defense situation, you probably won’t have time to start fiddling around with the buttons just to get your sight turned on…
So having that long battery life allows you to keep your sight ready to go, and at the same time, you won’t have to worry about your optic’s battery dying on you at the wrong time…
Especially if you follow the typical advice of replacing your battery at least once a year (most people say to do it on your birthday)…
Now with the Aimpoint PRO you get a total of 6 daylight brightness settings, 4 night vision settings, and 1 extra bright setting…
The daylight brightness settings are very powerful, and you won’t have any problems seeing the reticle even on a sunny day…
And if the conditions get really extreme, you still have that extra bright setting that you can bump the sight up to…
The 4 night vision settings will have to be used with night vision equipment, and I like that they’re included with the PRO which isn’t always the case with premium red dot sights (like the Eotech XPS2)…
All in all, I like the long battery life and brightness settings that you get with the Aimpoint PRO.
Holosun 510c
The Holosun 510c uses one CR2032 battery which is able to power the sight for around 50,000 hours on setting 6…
50,000 hours is over 5 years worth of battery life, so it’s even longer than the 3 years of battery life that you get with the Aimpoint PRO…
Again, I love long battery life like this on my red dot sights because it makes it very unlikely that the battery will end up dying on you at the wrong time…
Another cool feature that you get with the Holosun 510c is the Shake Awake technology. Basically, this means that your optic will automatically turn on after a period of non use…
And it will automatically turn on when the optic senses motion. This is an awesome feature because it saves your battery life (which is already super long)…
But at the same time, it keeps your optic ready to go because as soon as you touch your gun, the sight will turn on…
On top of that, the 510c has a solar panel on top, and this is a cool feature for two reasons. First of all, the solar panel is a backup power source that you can use if your battery dies (as long as you have some sunlight)…
And secondly, it can save your battery life even more if you switch to the solar setting when you take your gun out to the range…
Now with the 510c you get a total of 10 daylight brightness settings and 2 night vision settings. Just as with the Aimpoint PRO, the settings are very bright and you won’t have any trouble seeing the reticle even on a bright, sunny day…
And I like that the NV settings (which will have to be used with NV equipment) are included in the optic at no additional cost…
So overall, the Holosun 510c is packed with features that are really useful to you as the shooter.
Battery Life And Brightness Settings Conclusions…
Ok, so in this category, these two sights have a number of differences. First of all, they both have super long battery life and very powerful brightness settings (which include night vision settings)…
That being said, the Holosun 510c has over 5 years worth of battery life whereas the Aimpoint PRO only has 3 years worth…
On top of that, the 510c has the Shake Awake feature which saves your battery life and keeps your optic ready to go at the same time, and it has the solar panel which backs up your battery and saves your battery life even more…
So considering those extra features which are actually very useful, I think the clear winner in this section is the Holosun 510c.
Winner: Holosun 510c
Extra Accessories Included With The Optic…
Aimpoint PRO
The Aimpoint PRO comes with some pretty cool accessories. First of all, you get 2 flip-up lens covers. The front lens cover is blacked out like you normally find, but the rear lens cover is actually clear…
This might seem strange, but there is an actual purpose behind this set up. You see, even with both covers closed, you can still see the reticle because of the clear rear lens cover…
And if you shoot with both eyes open, the reticle will actually superimpose over your target even with the blacked out front lens cover…
It’s just the way your brain works, and it’s cool because it allows you to keep both covers closed but at the same time, you can still make a quick shot in an emergency…
In addition to that, the PRO actually comes with a mount. It’s called the QRP2 mount which stands for ‘Quick Release Picatinny’, and it’s a pretty high quality mount…
It sets you up for a cowitness with back up iron sights (BUIS) on an AR style rifle (AR-15s, AR-10s, etc…), but it also has a removable spacer which allows you to lower the sight when mounting it…
This makes it more ideal for rifles that favor a low mount such as shotguns, AKs, and some pistol caliber carbines…
So all in all, I think it’s a great mount because of that adjustability, and it adds a lot of value to the Aimpoint PRO because you wont end up having to search out an aftermarket mount and pay more money just to start using your sight.
Holosun 510c
The Holosun 510c also comes with a mount, but it is a little bit different than the mount that comes with the PRO…
The mount that comes with the 510c is a QD (Quick Detach) mount, and it sets you up for a co witness with back up iron sights on an AR platform rifle…
It can still be mounted on rifles that favor a low mounted optic such as shotguns and AKs, but it will sit the optic rather high, which is not really ideal…
Since most people will be putting their optic on an AR-15, I don’t think this is a huge problem, but it is something to be aware of if you have another style of rifle or carbine…
That being said, I think the inclusion of this mount also adds a lot of value to the Holosun 510c because if you’re putting it on an AR-15 or an AR-10…
…your sight will be ready to go right out of the box, and you won’t have to go searching for a mount or spend any extra money.
Extra Accessories Conclusions…
So in this section, there are a couple of important differences between these two sights. First of all, the Aimpoint PRO comes with flip up lens covers…
And they’re pretty cool because they offer your sight a little extra protection, and you can still use the sight to make an emergency shot if you have to…
You don’t get any form of cover with the Holosun 510c (even though you can buy some separately). In addition to that, even though both sights come with mounts…
The Aimpoint PRO’s mount is adjustable as a high or low mount, and the 510c’s mounting system is limited to just a high mount…
Again, that’s not a concern if you’re going to put the sight on an AR-15, but I do think it adds a little extra value to the Aimpoint PRO’s mounting system…
So because of the adjustable mount and flip up lens covers, the winner in this category is the Aimpoint PRO.
Winner: Aimpoint PRO
Price Comparison…
Unfortunately I won’t be able to give you exact numbers in this category because the prices of these sights are known to change as the optics market fluctuates…
But that being said, in general, you’ll usually find that the Holosun 510c is around 135 to 145 bucks less expensive than the Aimpoint PRO…
That’s a pretty significant amount of money for most people (me included), and it could be a major factor if you’re trying to determine which is the right sight for you…
So if you are on a budget and trying to keep the price of your sight as low as you can, then the 510c is definitely going to be the less expensive option for you.
Winner: Holosun 510c
Aimpoint PRO Vs Holosun 510c – Final Thoughts…
So to sum it all up, in the Durability And Toughness category, both sights are very tough and reliable, and they’re both shockproof and waterproof…
However, the Aimpoint PRO has a superior waterproof rating to the 510c, and it’s also an enclosed optic…
…which makes it impossible for something to get in the sight and block the emitter. So because of that, the PRO came away with the win in this section.
In the Lens Clarity And Reticle category, both sights have a very clear lens which allows you to get a clean sight picture…
However, the field of view is a little bit larger on the 510c, and it gives you 3 reticles (including the Circle Dot Reticle) as opposed to just one with the Aimpoint PRO. So I gave the win here to the 510c…
In the Size Comparison, both sights have similar dimensions in terms of height and width…
However, the Holosun 510c is shorter in terms of length and more lightweight than the Aimpoint PRO, so I gave the win to the 510c in this category…
In the Battery Life And Brightness Settings category, both sights have super long battery life and powerful brightness settings…
However, the 510c has longer battery life, the Shake Awake feature, and the solar panel. So it came away as the winner in this section…
In the Extra Accessories category, the Aimpoint PRO comes with flip up lens covers and a mount that can be adjusted to be a high or a low mount…
Whereas the Holosun 510c only comes with a high mount. So the PRO came away as the winner here…
And last in the Price Comparison, the Holosun 510c is usually around 135 to 145 dollars less expensive than the Aimpoint PRO…
So which of these sights do I prefer? I prefer the Aimpoint PRO…
PriI prefer the Aimpoint PRO for a few reasons. First of all, it’s a more durable sight than the 510c. Aside from being an Aimpoint (which are legendary for their durability and reliability)…
It’s also an enclosed optic. And even though it’s highly unlikely that a piece of dirt or debris will fall into the 510c and block the emitter, it is something that can possibly happen…
I also like that the PRO comes with high-quality lens covers, which will give extra protection to your sight…
And I like that the mount that comes with the PRO can easily be adjusted as a high or a low mount. So you can set it up on any rifle or carbine that you have.
Now if you want the Circle Dot Reticle (which is an awesome reticle), you’re happy with an open-style sight, and you want to save some money…
Then feel free to go with the Holosun 510c because it’s still an amazing optic…
Either way, I hope I was able to show you the major similarities and differences between these two fantastic red dot sights!