I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again… I love Holosun optics…

They just create super high quality red dots that are packed with features, and they focus on keeping the prices affordable…

Now two of their most popular options in the ‘mini open-style reflex sight’ category are…

• The Holosun 407c (Check Price On Amazon – Over 364 Reviews)
• The Holosun 507c (Check Price On Amazon – Over 1,670 Reviews)

And in this Holosun 407c vs 507c comparison, we’re going to first go over how these two sights are similar (or exactly the same), and then we’re going to get into what makes them very different. 

In the end, I’ll tell you which of these sights I prefer, and you should have all the information you need to decide which optic will work best for you…

Let’s jump into it!

Holosun 407c vs 507c – What Are The Similarities?

Durability And Toughness…

Both the Holosun 407c and the 507c are very durable red dot sights. First of all, the sight housing on both sights is made from machined 7075 T6 aluminum…

..and they both have an anodized surface treatment to help protect the optic from the elements. 

In addition to that, they are both waterproof in up to 1 meter of water. So you’re not going to have any issues using them in rainy, snowy, or wet conditions.

Last, both models are tough enough to handle the recoil from shotguns, high-powered rifles, pistol caliber carbines, and of course, pistol slides…

This is important because an optic mounted on a pistol slide has to be able to take a lot of abuse as the slide moves back and forward on every shot…

…and both the 407c and 507c were built for this purpose from the start. All in all, both of the Holosun models are (equally) very tough mini reflex sights.    

Lens Clarity…

Both the Holosun 407c and 507c have great lens clarity. There is a tiny bit of blueish tint on both model’s lenses…

…but it’s very subtle and much less noticeable than the blue tint you get on the Trijicon RMR. All that being said, both sights give you a very clean and useful sight picture. 

In addition to that, the sight window on both the 407c and 507c is pretty large, especially for a miniature open-style reflex sight. 

The sight window (on both optics) is larger than a lot of the competitive options out there, and it’s impressive that Holosun still maintains such a durable optic given the large size of the sight window.

In the end, both the 407c and the 507c have great lens clarity and the same large sight window.  

Battery Life And Brightness…

Another similarity between the 407c and 507c is that they both have outstanding battery life.  Both models are powered by one CR2032 battery and the battery can last between 50,000 to 100,000 hours. 

Ultra long battery life like this is something I’m always looking for on my red dot sights because you don’t want your optic dying on you at the wrong time… 

…and as long as you swap out your battery once a year, you’ll never have to worry about it going out on you when you need it.

In addition to that, both of these Holosun models include the “Shake Awake” feature.  This basically means that your optic will turn off after a period of non-use and automatically turn on once the sight senses any motion at all.

This is another great feature because it helps save your battery life (which is already pretty long), and it keeps your optic always ready to go at the same time. 

Also, the “c” designation on the 407c and 507c actually means that these models come with a solar panel on top. 

So even in the off chance that your battery does stop working, your optic will keep working as long as you have some sunlight to power it up.

Last, both the 407c and the 507c have 10 daylight brightness settings and 2 night vision settings. 

The daylight brightness settings get very bright and you shouldn’t have any problems with your reticle washing out even on a sunny day…

And even though most people won’t use the NV settings, some people with NV equipment will, and I think it’s nice that Holosun includes them at no additional cost.     

Extra Accessories Included With The Optic…

Both the 407c and the 507c come with a detachable low mount for a picatinny rail. This mount is very useful if you intend to mount your optic on a firearm that favors low mounts such as a shotgun or an ak…

…but if you intend to run your Holosun on an AR, you’re going to have to invest in a high mount. Luckily both of these Holosun models use the Trijicon RMR footprint…

…and since the RMR footprint is one of the most popular footprints out there, you shouldn’t have a problem easily finding a mount.

Now, if you intend to use either of these Holosuns as a pistol optic, you won’t be needing a mount…

…and the fact that they both have the RMR footprint means that you shouldn’t have a difficult time getting them mounted on your pistol slide (again, because the RMR footprint is so popular).   

What Are The Differences Between the Holosun 407c and 507c?

Reticles Options…

Holosun 407c

The major difference between the 407c and the 507c is the reticle. The reticle on the 407c is a simple 2 MOA (minute of angle) dot…

I think a 2 MOA dot is a good choice for this style of optic because it does a good job of balancing speed and precision…

It’s easy for your eye to pick up a 2 MOA dot quickly, but at the same time, it’s precise enough to allow you to aim easily at small targets or targets off in the distance.

In addition to that, you can get the 407c with a red 2 MOA dot reticle or with a green 2 MOA dot reticle. 

Personally, I prefer red on my sights and optics because I find that it draws in my eye very fast, but there are a lot of people who really like the green dot. 

Either way, I like that Holosun offers the 407c in either a red or a green option.  

Holosun 507c

With the 507c you get 3 reticle choices that you can cycle between…

• A 2 MOA dot
• A Circle Dot (2 MOA dot surrounded by a 32 MOA ring)
• A 32 MOA ring with NO 2 MOA dot

The 2 MOA dot is exactly the same as you get on the 407c, and again, I think it’s a good reticle for a red dot sight…

But the Circle Dot reticle is my favorite reticle on a red dot sight. The reason why I like it so much is because the 32 MOA ring draws your eye in very quickly, but you still have that 2 MOA dot in the center to give you precision. 

I really like it, and it’s a very unique feature in the world of miniature reflex sights. Last, you have the 32 MOA ring with no 2 MOA dot…

I personally don’t have much of a use for this reticle because I think the Circle Dot Reticle does the same thing but also gives you precision…

…but it’s there if you find it to be a useful option. Last, just like the 407c, you can get the 507c with either red reticle options or green reticle options. 

Reticle Conclusions…

So, when it comes to the reticle, I definitely think the 507c is superior to the 407c… With the 507c you get the same 2 MOA that the 407c has…

But you also get the Circle Dot reticle and the 32 MOA ring reticle. Even though the 2 MOA dot reticle is good…

…I think the Circle Dot reticle is better because it’s just a little bit quicker for your eye to pick up, but still just as precise with the 2 MOA dot in the center.  

Price Differences…

Unfortunately I won’t be able to give exact numbers in this category because the prices of these optics are changing all the time…

That being said, you can usually find the 407c for around 60 to 70 bucks less expensive than the 507c…

Holosun 407c vs 507c – Final Thoughts…

So to sum it all up, both the 407c and the 507c are durable mini reflex sights. They both have great lens clarity…

They both have ultra long battery life. They both have great brightness settings, and they both come with a low mount for a picatinny rail and have the Trijicon RMR footprint.

The differences are that the 507c has 3 reticle options for you to cycle through, whereas the 407c only has the 2 MOA dot…

In addition to that, the 507c is around 60 to 70 bucks more expensive than the 407c.

So which of these optics do I prefer? I prefer the Holosun 507c.

Click The Button Below To Check The Holosun 507C Price On Amazon (Over 1,670 Reviews!)

I prefer the 507c because it’s exactly the same as the 407c except it has 2 more reticle options. Like I said earlier, I really like the Circle Dot reticle because it’s very fast and very precise…

And even though it is more expensive than the 407c, it’s only by around 60 to 70 bucks (which isn’t too much of a difference in my mind).

Now if you do want to save a little bit of money, and you’re happy with just a 2 MOA dot reticle (still a great reticle), then feel free to go with the Holosun 407c because it’s still a great optic…

Click The Button Below To Check The Holosun 407C Price On Amazon (Over 364 Reviews!)

Either way, I hope I was able to show you the major similarities and differences between these 2 awesome reflex sights from Holosun!

Let’s be honest, Trijicon makes some pretty cool optics…

They’re a well known name and they have a well-deserved reputation for putting out quality sights. On top of that, I think it’s pretty cool that Trijicon makes sights for the U.S. military… 

Now two of they’re most popular options right now are:

• The Trijicon MRO (See Price On Amazon – Over 341 Reviews)
• The Trijicon RMR (See Price On Amazon – Over 968 Reviews)

And in this Trijicon MRO vs RMR comparison, we’re going to see how these two sights stack up against each other in the following categories…

• Toughness And Durability
• Lens Clarity And Reticle
• Battery Life And Brightness Settings
• Extra Accessories Included With The Sight
• Price Comparison

In the end, I’ll tell you which of these sights I prefer, and you should have all the information you need to determine which one will work best for you…

Let’s jump into it!

Durability, Toughness, and Size…

Trijicon MRO

Trijicon has built up a reputation over the years for producing very tough optics. For years, the U.S. military has used the Trijicon ACOG…

…and the same high standards of ruggedness and durability have been put into the MRO. Now, MRO actually stands for “Miniature Rifle Optic”, and it’s Trijicon’s version of a micro red dot sight.

Like I said earlier, it’s built to be very tough. The site housing is made from 7075-T6 aluminum, and it’s hard anodized to help protect the optic from the elements. 

In addition to that, the windage and elevation turrets are recessed into the site housing, which prevents them from being snapped off or spun accidentally. 

The MRO is also waterproof and can be submerged in up to 100 feet (3 meters) of water. So it can easily handle rainy, snowy, or wet conditions…

…and last, it’s shockproof and can easily handle recoil from high-powered rifles, shotguns, or pistol caliber carbines.

At a weight of 4.1 ounces, the Trijicon MRO is a compact and durable little red dot sight, and it has a track record of reliability that goes back for a few years now.   

Trijicon RMR

The RMR is also a very durable little optic. Just like the MRO it has the Trijicon name and reputation behind it…

…and it was built with toughness and reliability in mind. Now instead of being a micro red dot sight, the RMR is a miniature open-style reflex sight.

In fact, RMR actually stands for “Ruggedized Miniature Reflex Sight”, and as I mentioned before, it was built with toughness in mind. 

The sight housing of the RMR is made from a forged military-grade aluminum alloy, and just like the MRO the windage and elevation turrets are recessed into the sight housing, which protects them from being bumped or snapped off.  

In terms of handling recoil and shock, the RMR Type 1’s did have some problems when mounted on pistol slides with the reticle flickering on and off intermittently…

It was basically a battery connection issue, and Trijcon completely corrected that issue with the RMR Type 2, which can easily handle the recoil from shotguns, high-powered rifles, pistol caliber carbines, or being mounted on pistol slides.

In addition to that, the RMR is extremely compact and only weighs 1.17 ounces… So it has become a popular choice as a pistol optic or a very minimal carbine optic. 

My one major knock on it in terms of reliability would be that it is an open-style sight, which means mud or debris could get into the open area and possibly block the emitter projecting your reticle (so you would have no reticle)… 

That’s just the way open-style reflex sights work, but aside from that, I think the RMR is a pretty durable little optic. 

Durability, Toughness, And Size Conclusions…

Ok so in this category, we have the MRO which is basically a micro red dot sight, and the RMR which is an mini open-style reflex sight…

Both of these sights are from Trijicon, so they’re both built with high-quality materials and toughness in mind…

…But because of the nature of the open-style reflex design and the simple fact that the MRO is a larger and beefier sight, I’m going to give the win in this category to the MRO.

Winner: Trijicon MRO

Lens Clarity And Reticle…

Trijicon MRO

The lens clarity on the MRO is pretty good. You do notice a slight bluish tint when looking through the optic, and honestly, I would prefer if it were more clear…

…but it’s not too distracting and I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. Trijicon says they put that coating on their lenses to make them stronger and to give you greater contrast when looking through the optic…

There is some truth to that, and even though I would prefer it to be more clear, you’re still able to get a very clear and clean sight picture through the MRO. 

In addition to that, the MRO has a 25mm objective lens, which gives you a huge field of view. This is an awesome feature…

…and it really sets the MRO apart from other micro red dot sights because you’re simply able to see more of what’s downrange when looking through your sight. 

Now the reticle on the MRO is a simple 2 MOA (Minute Of Angle) dot. I’m a big fan of the 2 MOA dot reticle on my red dot sights because it captures your eye very quickly when taking aim…

…but at the same time, it’s small enough to give you a fair amount of precision when shooting at small targets in the distance. 

Basically, it’s simple, fast, and precise, and I’m glad Trijicon decided to go with a 2 MOA dot reticle rather than something larger like a 4 or 6 MOA dot.  

Trijicon RMR

The lens clarity on the RMR is also very good. Just as with the MRO, there is a noticeable bluish tint when looking through the sight…

But again, you still get a clean sight picture, and the lens is very strong and gives you great contrast.

Now you can get the RMR with either a 3.25 MOA dot reticle or a 6.5 MOA dot reticle. Personally, I prefer the 3.25 MOA dot because similar to the 2 MOA dot on the MRO…

…it gives you more precision, but is still quick and easy for your eye to pick up.    

Lens Clarity And Reticle Conclusions…

Ok so in this category we have some similarities and some major differences between these two sights. First of all, they both have a slight blue tint on their lenses…

Again, I would prefer they both be a bit more clear, but it’s not a deal breaker, and the blue tint is the same on both sights…

Now, I do prefer the 2 MOA dot reticle on the MRO over the 3.25 MOA dot on the RMR because it’s just a little bit more precise and just as fast and easy for your eye to pick up.

In addition to that, I love the 25mm objective lens on the MRO, which is obviously much larger than the lens on the RMR, because it gives you a huge field of view when you’re looking through the sight. 

So in the end, I’m going to give the win in this category to the MRO because of the more precise reticle and the much larger field of view.

Winner: Trijicon MRO

Battery Life And Brightness Settings…

Trijicon MRO

The Trijicon MRO uses 1 CR2032 battery which is able to power the sight for 5 years of continuous use (on daylight brightness setting 3)…

I love ultra long battery life like this on my red dot sights. I’ve had red dot batteries die on me in the middle of range trips and it gets pretty annoying…

…but the more important reason for have long battery life on your optic is that you can keep your sight turned on all the time so that it’s ready to go if there’s an emergency…

All you have to remember to do is swap out the battery once a year, and you can leave your sight turned on without having to worry about it dying on you. 

It keeps things simple, which I really like. Now with the MRO you get a total of 8 brightness settings… 5 daylight, 2 night vision, and 1 extra bright.

The daylight brightness settings get very bright, and you shouldn’t have any problems seeing them even on a sunny day. 

And if the conditions get really extreme, you have that extra bright setting as well. Most people won’t ever use the night vision settings…

…but some people with NV equipment will and I like that Trijicon includes them at no additional cost. 

Trijicon RMR

The RMR also uses 1 CR2032 battery which can power the sight for 4 years.  Even though that’s not quite as long as the MRO it’s still pretty impressive for battery life…

…and as I mentioned before, I like my red dot sights to have very long battery life because you can keep them turned on and ready to go all the time. 

Now the RMR has 8 daylight brightness settings, 2 night vision settings, and 1 extra bright setting. Just as with the MRO, the daylight brightness settings get very bright even on a sunny day and you still have that extra bright setting for very extreme conditions…

Again, even though most people won’t use them, I like that the 2 NV settings are included at no additional cost…

But in addition to all that, Trijicon includes an auto adjustment feature in the RMR. This feature allows the sight to adjust to whatever your lighting conditions are automatically…

I think this is a pretty cool feature, but if you’d rather control the brightness levels yourself, you can switch the optic over to manual mode pretty easily.  

Battery Life And Brightness Settings Conclusions…

Ok so in this category the MRO can run for 5 years on the same battery whereas the RMR can run for 4 years…

In terms of brightness settings I think they’re pretty on par with each other because they both have bright daylight settings, NV settings and an Extra bright setting…

And last, the RMR has the auto adjustment feature, which can be turned off if you prefer to manually control the brightness on your optic. 

This is a close one, but even though the RMR battery life is pretty good, the MRO’s battery life is better, and for me, that’s the most important feature in this category…

So I’m going to give the win here, again, to the MRO.

Winner: Trijicon MRO

Extra Accessories Included With The Optic…

Trijicon MRO 

So when you pick up an MRO you have quite a few options available. You can get the Trijicon MRO with no mount, with a factory low mount, with a lower ⅓ co witness mount, or with an absolute cowitness mount. 

The low mount will make the MRO pair nicely with a shotgun, an AK, many pistol caliber carbines, and any other firearms platforms that favor mounting your red dot low…

The lower ⅓ cowitness mount and the absolute cowitness mount are both for use with an AR-15 (or another AR platform carbine, pistol, or rifle)…

Personally, I prefer an absolute cowitness with my back up iron sights, but there are many shooters who like the lower ⅓ cowitness.

In addition to that, there are many companies making aftermarket mounts for the MRO. QD (Quick Detach) mounts, ultra light mounts, and super strong mounts are all readily available…

So if you have a mount in mind that you’d prefer over the factory mounts, I think it’s good that Trijicon gives you the option of getting the MRO with no mount for a slightly lower price… 

Trijicon RMR

Just as with the MRO, you can get the RMR with no mount, a low mount, a lower ⅓ cowitness mount or an absolute cowitness mount.

Again, the low mount will be useful if you plan on mounting the RMR on a shotgun or an AK, and the higher mounts are for use with an AR-15…

There are also many aftermarket mounts including QD mounts made for the RMR, so it shouldn’t be difficult for you to find a mounting solution no matter what type of firearm you have…

Last, if you intend to mount the RMR on a pistol slide, the RMR footprint is one of the most popular footprints out there. So again, it shouldn’t be difficult to get your optic mounted.  

Extra Accessories Conclusions…

Both the MRO and RMR can be purchased without mounts, with low mounts, and with high mounts. They’re also both very popular optics, so many companies have made aftermarket mounts for them…

I don’t see much that separates these two in this category, so I’m going to have to call this one a draw.

Winner: DRAW

Price Comparison…

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to give exact numbers in this category because the prices of these sights are changing all the time…

That being said, you’ll generally find that the MRO is around 50 to 70 bucks less expensive than the RMR. So the slight winner in this category is the Trijicon MRO.

Winner: Trijicon MRO

Trijicon MRO Vs RMR – Final Thoughts…

So to sum it all up, in the Durability and Toughness category, the MRO came out on top because it’s a larger and more robust design…

In the Lens Clarity and Reticle category, the MRO also came out on top because I prefer it’s slightly more precise 2 MOA dot reticle…

Next, in the Battery Life and Brightness Settings category, the MRO was once again the winner because it has a little bit longer battery life than the RMR…

After that, in the Extra Accessories category, I called it a draw because both sights can be purchased with a variety of mounts or no mount at all…

And last, in the Price Comparison, the MRO was the slight winner because it’s just a little bit less expensive than the RMR…

So which of these sights do I prefer? I prefer the MRO…

The MRO is an awesome optic for any tactical rifle, carbine, or shotgun… First of all it’s super tough and can handle any abuse you throw at it…

But it also has a great reticle which is fast and precise, and it’s battery life is extremely long so it’s not going to die on you. On top of all that, it’s a little less expensive than the RMR…

Now if you want a sight for your rifle, carbine, or shotgun that is super lightweight and compact OR if you want a pistol optic, then feel free to go with the RMR because it’s still a great sight…

Either way I hope this comparison was able to show you the major differences between these two awesome sights from Trijicon! 

Long time followers of my blog know that I’m a Holosun fanboy…

I love their optics because the quality levels are high and they’re pretty affordable…

Recently they came out with the Holosun 508T V2 (Version 2), and I think it’s a huge improvement over the V1…

First of all, it looks cooler which is actually a small factor for me haha, but there were some other important changes as well…

And in this Holosun 508T review, we’re going to go through all the features the new V2 has to offer in each of the following categories…

• Durability And Toughness
• Len Clarity And Reticle
• Battery Life
• Brightness Settings
• Extra Accessories Included With The Optic
• Pros And Cons

In the end, I’ll give you my final thoughts about the Holosun 508T, and you should have all the information you need to determine if it’s the right optic for you…

Let’s get started!

In a hurry? Here’s a quick summary of my review… I think the Holosun 508T is the best pistol optic on the market…

• It’s built like a tank!
• It has 3 awesome reticles (including the circle dot reticle which I really like)
• It has ultra-long battery life
• Includes the Shake Awake feature (turns off after nonuse and on when it senses motion)
• It has a solar panel on top (saves your battery life)
• And last, it’s pretty AFFORDABLE (especially considering all that you get)

I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a pistol optic or a mini reflex sight for a carbine or shotgun.

Check The Price Of The Holosun 508T (V2) On Optics Planet: Click Here

Durability And Toughness…

The Holosun 508T is a very durable little red dot sight. To start off with, the “T” in the model number stands for titanium, which is what the sight housing is made from…

This is one of the main things, along with the overall shape of the sight, that separates it from the Holosun 507c, which is made from aluminum. 

Titanium is super strong but also incredibly lightweight, and the fact that this optic’s sight housing is made from it really sets the 508T apart from many of its competitors…

In addition to that, the windage and elevation turrets are recessed into the sight housing. They can still be easily accessed with a small screwdriver or maybe the rim of a cartridge…

…but I like that they’re flush with the body of the sight because it means they can never be spun or snapped off accidentally.  

The 508T is also waterproof in up to 1 meter of water. It can easily handle rainy, snowy, or wet conditions as long as nothing blocks the LED emitter (but that’s true for all open-style reflex sights). 

Last, the 508T can easily handle the recoil from high-powered rifles, shotguns, pistol caliber carbines, and pistols.

Now since most of us will be mounting these little sights on pistol slides, it’s really important that it can handle the abuse of being on a reciprocating slide, and since Holosun built it with that purpose in mind, it definitely can.

All in all, I think the 508T is built like a tank and because it’s made from Titanium, it’s without a doubt one of the toughest little red dot sights in its class. 

Lens Clarity And Reticle… 

The lens clarity on the Holosun 508T is pretty good. I can’t say it’s crystal clear because there is a slight blue tint that you’ll notice when looking through the optic…

…but honestly, I don’t think it’s too distracting, and it’s a lot less noticeable than the blue tint that you’ll find on it’s main competitor, the Trijicon RMR. 

All that being said, the lens is pretty clear, and more importantly, it gives you a very clean sight picture and great contrast when you’re looking through the optic. 

Now in terms of the reticle, Holosun includes what they call the “MRS”, which stands for Multiple Reticle System…

This means that there are 3 reticles you can choose from included in the 508T…

• The 2 MOA dot
• The 2 MOA dot surrounded by a 32 MOA ring (The Holosun Circle Dot)
• The 32 MOA ring with no dot in the center

The 2 MOA (minute of angle) dot is awesome if you want a simple sight picture with no bells and whistles that just gets the job done…

But my favorite reticle is the Holosun Circle Dot… I love it because the large 32 MOA ring draws your eye in very quickly so you can acquire a sight picture very fast…

It’s also really easy to track, so if you’re trying to fire multiple shots you’ll be able to get the reticle back on target very rapidly…

At the same time, the 2 MOA dot in the center of the reticle gives you a lot of precision if you need to make a shot at a small target off in the distance. 

It really is a great reticle, and like I mentioned earlier, it’s my favorite of the 3 options. The last option is the 32 MOA ring only reticle…

Honestly, I don’t really have a need for this one, but if it’s a reticle that works well for you, it’s an included option in the optic. 

Last, you can actually get the 508T with either a red reticle or a green reticle. The model number for the red reticle is the HE508T-RD and the green reticle is the HE508T-GR…

Personally, I prefer red on my sights and optics, but there are a lot of people who really like the green option.  

Watch The Holosun 508T Vs Trijicon RMR Video Below:   

508T Battery Life…

The battery life on the Holosun 508T is very good. It uses one CR1632 battery which is able to power the sight for 50,000 hours (5 years) on the medium setting (setting 6). 

I love ultra long battery life on my optics, and the 50,000 hours you get with the 508T is extremely impressive.

I’ve had red dot batteries die on me at the range before, and it can get really annoying, but if you intend to put this optic on a home defense or a concealed carry pistol…

…you definitely want a battery that’s going to last for years. That way you can just swap out the battery once a year, and you’ll never have to worry about it. 

I also like that you can change the battery on the 508T V2 (Version 2) by opening a tray on the side of the optic (leaving it mounted on your gun). 

This is one of the changes made over the first version of the 508T, and I think it was a great choice by Holosun…

The reason why is because on the first version of the 508T you would have to take the sight off of your pistol slide (or mount), just to replace the battery…

Sights like the Trijicon RMR still require you to take the whole sight off to change out your battery, and it’s a pain in the neck because you’ll have to re-zero your optic once you put it back on.

Now in addition to the ultra long battery life, Holosun includes a solar panel and the “Shake Awake” feature in the 508T…

The solar panel is really cool, because it means you can use the optic without draining any of your battery as long as you have some sunlight…

And the “Shake Awake” feature is also very useful because it basically means the optic will power off after a period of non use and immediately turn on once it senses any motion at all.

Both of these features save your battery life (which is already very long) and the Shake Awake feature means your sight will turn on as soon as you pick up your gun. 

I really like all of these features, and I think they make the 508T a very attractive optic because it has features that even more expensive sights don’t have.  

Brightness Settings… 

Now the 508T includes a total of 12 brightness settings. Ten of the brightness settings are for use in the daylight, and 2 are for use with night vision equipment.

The daylight brightness settings get very bright, and you shouldn’t have any problems with the reticle washing out even on a sunny day…

And even though most people won’t use the 2 night vision settings, some people will take advantage of them, and I like that Holosun includes them at no additional cost.  

Extra Accessories Included With The Optic…

The 508T comes with a few pretty cool accessories. First of all it comes with a lens cloth and a battery, which is nice because you won’t have to head to the store just to get your sight working. 

But more importantly, it comes with a low picatinny mount.  This mount will come in handy if you intend you use the 508T as kind of a tiny sight on something like a pistol caliber carbine or a shotgun…

But if you intend to use it on a pistol slide (which is what I recommend), the 508T uses the same footprint as the Trijicon RMR…

This was a smart choice by Holosun, because the RMR is one of the most common miniature reflex sights out there, and most pistols that come cut from the factory for optics will have a mounting plate to fit it. 

That means it won’t be difficult mounting the 508T directly on to your pistol slide, and you won’t have any headaches searching around the internet for a mounting solution for your sight.   

Pros And Cons…

Pros…

• Super Durable (Titanium Sight Housing)
• Very Lightweight
• Clean Sight Picture
• 3 Awesome Reticle Options (I Love The Circle Dot Reticle!)
• Red Or Green Reticle Models
• Super Long Battery Life
• Easy Battery Replacement
• Solar Panel On Top
• Shake Awake Feature (Turns off after nonuse and on when it senses motion)
• 12 Brightness Settings Including NV
• Low Picatinny Mount Included
• Easy to Mount (Trijicon RMR Footprint)
• AFFORDABLE! 

Cons…

• Slight blue tint on the lens (not a deal breaker for me)

Holosun 508T Review – Final Thoughts…

So to sum it all up, I think the Holosun 508T is the best pistol red dot on the market right now…

I like it because it’s extremely durable, it has amazing battery life, it has awesome reticle choices, it’s packed with features like the solar panel and the Shake Awake feature…

…and on top of all that, it’s AFFORDABLE (especially compared to other sights in its class)

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it, if you’re looking for an awesome pistol optic or a super tough mini reflex sight for your carbine or shotgun.  

Aimpoint and Trijicon are two of the most trusted names in optics…

They both produce extremely high-quality sights, and they’re both used by law enforcement and military units…

Two of their most popular models are:

• The Aimpoint T2 (Check Price On Amazon – Over 85 Reviews)
• The Trijicon MRO (Check Price On Amazon – Over 341 Reviews)

And in this Aimpoint T2 Vs Trijicon MRO comparison, we’re going to put these two sights up against each other in the following categories…

• Toughness And Durability
• Lens Clarity And Reticle
• Battery Life And Brightness Settings
• Extra Accessories Included With The Sight
• Price Comparison

In the end, I’ll tell you which of these two optics I prefer, and you should have all the information you need to determine which sight will work best for you…

Let’s get started!  

Durability And Toughness…

Aimpoint T2

Aimpoint has a reputation for creating some of the toughest optics on the planet, and the Aimpoint Micro T2 definitely lives up to those standards…

To start off with, the sight housing is made from a tough aluminum alloy, and it’s hard anodized to help protect the optic from the elements. 

In addition to that, the sight housing is built-up over the windage and elevation turrets, which is important because it helps prevent them from accidentally getting snapped off under hard use.

The T2 is also submersible in up to 15 feet of water, which means it can handle rainy, snowy, or wet conditions without having any problems at all…

…and last,  it can easily handle the recoil from high-powered rifles, shotguns, and pistol caliber carbines. All in all, it’s a very rugged micro red dot sight.   

Trijicon MRO

Just like Aimpoint, Trijicon is known for making some of the toughest optics available right now. They’ve actually supplied the U.S. military with ACOGs for many years…

…and they put the same standards for durability into the Trijicon MRO (which stands for Miniature Rifle Optic – their version of a micro red dot sight).

Now the sight housing on the MRO is made from forged 7075-T6 aluminum, and it has a hard anodized finish to help protect it from the elements. 

In addition to that, the windage and elevation turrets are actually recessed into the sight housing, so there’s no way they can get snapped off accidentally.

The MRO is also waterproof in up to 100 feet (30 meters) of water. So you could actually take it SCUBA diving with you if you wanted, and it can easily handle rain or snow. 

Last, just as with the Aimpoint T2, the MRO can handle the recoil from shotguns, high-powered rifles, and pistol caliber carbines without any problems, and it really is built like a tank.

Durability And Toughness Conclusions…

As I mentioned before, both Aimpoint and Trijicon are known for making incredibly durable optics, so this is going to be a pretty close match up…

Both the T2 and the MRO are made from super tough aluminum, and both can easily handle the recoil from practically any rifle you could mount them on…

That being said, the Aimpoint T2 is submersible in up to 15 feet of water, whereas the Trijicon MRO is submersible in up to 100 feet…

So because of that, I’m going to give the edge to the Trijicon MRO in this category. 

Winner: Trijicon MRO

Lens Clarity And Reticle…

Aimpoint T2

The lens clarity on the Aimpoint T2 is very good. The lens is very clear without any annoying bluish or greenish tint (which you get with some red dot sights)…

…and you’re able to get a very clean sight picture when looking through the optic.

The reticle on the T2 is a simple 2 MOA (minute of angle) red dot. I think the 2 MOA dot is a great choice of reticle for a red dot sight. 

The reason why I like it is because the 2 MOA dot is very easy for your eye to pick up quickly (when you need to take aim quickly)…

…but at the same time, it’s small enough to give you precision when aiming at smaller targets in the distance. 

It really is a simple reticle that’s just fast and precise, and I’m glad that Aimpoint decided to go with a small 2 MOA dot reticle over something larger like a 4 or 6 MOA dot (which I think cover up too much of your target). 

Trijicon MRO

The lens clarity on the Trijicon MRO is fairly good. You do notice a distinctive blue tint when looking through the optic…

Trijicon says that this blue tint gives you greater contrast when looking through the sight, which there is a little bit of truth to…

…but personally I would prefer to have a more clear lens like you get with the Aimpoint. That all being said, the blue tint isn’t too distracting and I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. 

On a more positive note, the MRO has a 25mm objective lens which is HUGE for a micro red dot sight. This is a great thing because it gives you a greater field of view when looking through the optic…

…and being able to see more allows you to shoot at multiple targets faster and to have greater awareness of what’s going on around you and your target.

Now just like the Aimpoint T2, the Trijicon MRO has a 2 MOA dot reticle. Like I said before, I think this is a great choice because it’s simple, fast, and precise. 

Lens Clarity And Reticle Conclusions…

This is a really tough category to compare these two optics in… For one, the Aimpoint T2 has a very clear lens, and the Trijicon MRO has a slight blue tint…

But the MRO also has a huge field of view because of it’s 25mm objective lens. Now they both have a 2 MOA dot reticle (which I think is a great choice), so that doesn’t really factor in…

I’m tempted to call it a draw because the MRO’s lens tint isn’t that distracting and I really like that large objective lens.

But I’m going to give the slight win to the Aimpoint T2 because it definitely has a more clear lens.

Winner: Aimpoint T2

Battery Life And Brightness Settings…

Aimpoint T2

The battery life on the Aimpoint T2 is very good. It uses 1 CR2032 battery which can power the sight for 5 years.

I really like ultra long battery life like this on my red dot sights because it means you can keep your sight turned on all the time…

This is important because if you ever have to grab your rifle in an emergency, you don’t want to be stuck fiddling around with the buttons on your optic just to get it turned on…

You want it on and ready to go, so you can focus on dealing with the threat. In addition to that, I’ve actually had red dot batteries die on me in the middle of trips to the range, and it really is annoying. 

When your optic has really long battery life, as long as you swap out your battery once a year, you can keep your sight turned on all the time and never have to worry about it dying on you.

Now the T2 has a total of 8 daylight brightness settings and 4 night vision settings. The daylight brightness settings get very bright, and you shouldn’t have any problems seeing the reticle even on a sunny day.

Most people won’t use the night vision settings, but some people will take advantage of them, and I like that they’re included in this Aimpoint model.   

Trijicon MRO

The battery life on the Trijicon MRO is also very good. It also uses 1 CR2032 battery that powers the sight for 5 years (when on daylight setting 3). 

Like I mentioned earlier, I really like ultra long battery life like this because you can keep your sight turned on all the time and ready to go. 

Now with the MRO you get a total of 8 settings… 5 daylight brightness settings, 2 night vision settings, and 1 extra bright setting. 

Just as with the Aimpoint T2, the daylight settings get extremely bright, and you shouldn’t have any problems with the reticle washing out on you. 

You do have the extra bright setting if the lighting conditions get really extreme, but you’ll probably never have to use it. 

Last, you also have those 2 night vision settings, which again, most people won’t use, but Trijicon includes them at no additional cost, so I think it’s nice to have them. 

Battery Life And Brightness Settings Conclusions…

Ok, so in this category both sights use 1 CR2032 battery which lasts for 5 years… Long battery life on a red dot sight is pretty much a requirement for me, so I like that they both have that as a feature. 

They also both have daylight brightness settings that get very bright and night vision settings… I don’t see much that separates these two sights in this category. So I’m gonna call this one a draw. 

Winner: DRAW

Extra Accessories Included With The Optic…

Aimpoint T2

The Aimpoint T2 comes with flip-up lens covers. The lens covers are actually a bit unique too because the front lens cover is blacked-out but the rear lens cover is clear (so you can see through it)…

At first, this might seem silly, but there is an actual purpose behind it because in an emergency you can still see the reticle and take aim through the optic. 

All you have to do is keep both eyes open, and when you aim, the red dot will be superimposed on your target even though your front lens cover is blacked out. 

Again, this isn’t a method for aiming that you’d want to use all the time (even though there were some old optics that functioned this way), but if you had to make a quick shot up close, it could get the job done. 

Now in addition to that, you can purchase the Micro T2 with no mount, a high mount, or a low mount, and the cost increases if you choose to get one of those included mounts. 

The high mount is perfect for use on an AR-15, and the low mount will pair nicely with a shotgun, an AK, and many other firearms platforms. 

And if you choose to get the sight with no mount, there are a number of aftermarket mounts specifically made for the Micro T2. 

Trijicon MRO

The Trijicon MRO can come with no mount, an absolute co witness mount, a lower ⅓ co witness mount, or a low mount… 

And just as with the Micro T2, the cost increases if you choose to get one of the mounts included with your optic.

Now as I mentioned, there are two high mounts you can choose between… an absolute co witness mount or a lower ⅓ co witness mount…

Either one will work great on an AR-15, but I personally like to go with an absolute co witness if I have the choice between the two. 

Also, just like with the Micro T2, the low mount will fit nicely on an AK, a shotgun, or any firearm that requires you to mount your sight low.

Last, the Trijicon MRO has a ton of aftermarket mount options as well. So if you choose to get the sight with no mount, you’ll be able to choose between a variety of high quality mounts including QD (Quick Detach) mounts.  

Extra Accessories Conclusions…

I think these two sights are pretty evenly matched in this category. Both can be purchased at their lowest price with no mount, and both will cost you more if you get the optic with a high mount or a low mount included. 

The good thing is that if you choose to get either sight with an included mount, the mount will be high-quality, which isn’t always the case with included optics mounts…

All that being said, the Aimpoint T2 comes with flip up lens covers and the MRO does not. So because of that, I’m going to give the slight edge to the Aimpoint T2 in this category. 

Winner: Aimpoint T2

Price Comparison…

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to give exact numbers in this category because the prices of these sights are changing all the time…

That being said, even though these are both considered premium red dot sights, there is a significant difference…

You’ll usually find the Trijicon MRO for around 300-400 dollars less expensive than the Aimpoint Micro T2. So the clear winner in this category is the Trijicon MRO

Winner: Trijicon MRO 

Aimpoint T2 vs Trijicon MRO – Conclusions…

So to sum it all up, in the Durability and Toughness category the Trijicon MRO took the slight edge because it was much more waterproof than the Aimpoint T2…

In the Lens Clarity and Reticle category, I gave the win to the Aimpoint T2 because it has a more clear lens.

In the Battery Life and Brightness Settings, I called it a draw because both sights have very long battery life and similar brightness features. 

In the Extra Accessories category, I gave the slight edge to the Aimpoint T2 because it comes with flip-up lens covers.

And last in the Price Comparison, the clear winner was the Trijicon MRO.

So which of these sights do I prefer? I prefer the Trijicon MRO… 

I prefer the Trijicon MRO for many reasons… First of all, the MRO is built like a tank but still a very small and compact optic.

Even though I wish the lens had less of a blue tint, I don’t find it too distracting and you’re still able to get a very clean sight picture. 

It also has that large 25mm objective lens, which I really like because I can see more through the sight, and last…

The MRO is a lot less expensive than the Aimpoint T2 (so you’ll end up saving a lot of money).

Now, if you want a super clear lens and an even more compact optic (that’s still very durable), then go with the Aimpoint T2 because it’s still a great red dot…

Either way, I hope this comparison was able to show you the major differences between these two premium red dot sights! 

The MP5 is such an iconic and awesome little gun…

Even though it’s been around for decades, it’s still considered by many to be the king of submachine guns (and pistol caliber carbines)…

Lately, there have been a lot of companies producing high quality clones of the MP5, so many more people are becoming proud owners of a variation of this firearm…

And many are wondering about optics… They’re wondering… what’s the best optic for my MP5 and how do I mount it?

So in this article, we’re going to go over some of the best MP5 optics mounts, and I’ll give you my top 5 list of MP5 optics!

Let’s get started! 

What’s The Best MP5 Optic Mount?

Before we get into the top 5 list of optics, we need to discuss a few mounting options you have when it comes to your MP5, because like the AK, the MP5 is not the easiest platform for mounting optics…

In my opinion, the best option when it comes to MP5 mounts is to have a picatinny rail welded on top…

Now some of the MP5 clones coming out now already have this as a feature of the gun, but many will not, and if that’s the case for you, don’t worry because you have quite a few mount options to choose from.

Here’s a list of some of the most popular MP5 Mounts: 

The Battle Steel MP5 Mount – This is a great mount if you intend to run a micro red dot sight on your MP5. It comes in 2 versions… 

One version is for the aimpoint micro footprint which makes it compatible with all the aimpoint micro red dots, all the holosun micro red dots, the Sig Romeo 5, and many other red dot sights that use the aimpoint micro footprint. 

With this mount you get an absolute co-witness with your iron sights. So it’s one of the lowest mounting options available for the MP5. The second version is compatible with the Trijicon MRO.

Now the MRO is a little bit bigger than most other micro red dot sights, so if you use it with this mount you get a lower ⅓ co witness with your iron sights. 

Either way, this mount is a great option (depending on the optic you choose) because it keeps your sight mounted low.

The B&T MP5 Mount – This is an MP5 mount with a picatinny rail on it. It’s very high quality, and because it gives you a picatinny rail on top, you can pretty much mount any optic you choose.

The MFI MP5 Mount – This is also an MP5 mount with a picatinny rail on it. Again, it’s a high quality option, and you’ll be able to mount practically any optic you choose. 

The Kley-Zion MP5 Mount – This is another great low profile MP5 mount. It can also give you an absolute co witness if you’re running a micro red dot sight…

…but instead of attaching directly to the sight like the Battle Steel mount, your optic is mounted in a single picatinny rail slot with a low mount.

So unlike with the Battle Steel mount, you won’t have to use an optic with an aimpoint micro footprint.

There are many other great options out there as well, but if you need a solid MP5 mount, these 4 options are enough to get you started on your search. 

MP5 Red Dot Sights – My Top 5 List…

1. Holosun 503CU (My Top Pick!)

The Holosun 503CU is my number 1 choice for the best MP5 optic. If you’ve followed me for a long time, you know that I’m a huge fan of Holosun optics. 

I love the high quality level of their sights and the fact that they’re pretty affordable, and the 503CU is no different…

To start off with, the 503CU is a rugged little optic. The sight housing is made from a high quality aluminum, and it’s waterproof in up to 1 meter of water, so it can handle rainy conditions without any problems…

The lens on the 503CU is very clear without any of the greenish or bluish tint that you sometimes get on red dot sights, and you’re able to get a very clean sight picture. 

The battery on the 503CU will last for 50,000 hours (5 years), and it includes the Shake Awake feature, which means that your sight will automatically turn off after 10 minutes of non use and automatically turn on as soon as it senses motion. 

This is a feature I really like because it preserves your battery life, but at the same time your optic is ready to go as soon as you grab your firearm.

In addition to that, the 503CU gives you 2 reticle options to switch between. The first option is a simple 2 MOA (minute of angle) dot, which is a good reticle option for a red dot sight…

But the thing that really sets this sight apart from other red dot sights in its class is the second reticle option, the holosun circle dot. 

This is a 2 MOA dot surrounded but a 65 MOA ring, and I love it. The reason why is because the 65 MOA ring draws your eye in extremely fast and provides a huge aiming point for targets up close…

…but at the same time, you still have the precision of the 2 MOA dot in the center for small targets in the distance. It really is a fantastic reticle, and I think it’s a perfect match for a PCC (pistol caliber carbine) like an MP5. 

Now, you also get 10 daylight brightness settings and 2 night vision settings (if you’re using NV equipment) with the 503CU…

…and it comes with a bikini lens cover and 2 mounts, a high mount and a low mount. The high mount is for use with an AR-15, but the low mount will work great with any MP5 mount that gives you a picatinny rail on top…

And because the Holosun 503CU uses the Aimpoint Micro footprint, it can be mounted extremely low and co witness with your sights if you’re using a mount like the Battle Steel MP5 Mount. 

To sum it all up, the Holosun 503CU is a tough micro red dot sight with amazing battery life and an awesome circle dot reticle that’s perfect for an MP5!

Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Holosun 503CU:

2. Sig Romeo 5 (My Top Budget Pick!)

The Sig Romeo 5 is second on my list, and in my opinion, it’s the best red dot for an MP5 (or any rifle honestly) if you’re on a budget…

To start off with, the Romeo 5 is an extremely tough little sight. It’s waterproof in up to one meter of water and fogproof, so it can easily handle rainy, snowy, or wet conditions…

…and the sight housing is made from Aircraft grade aluminum. The reticle on the Romeo 5 is a simple 2 MOA dot, which I think is a good choice because…

…your eye can quickly pick up the dot when you present your carbine and take aim, but at the same time, the dot is small enough to give you precision when shooting at small targets in the distance.

Like I said before, I do prefer the circle dot reticle that you get with the Holosun 503GU, but a 2 MOA dot is still more than adequate to get the job done. 

The lens on the Romeo 5 is super clear (no annoying greenish or bluish tint), and the battery will last you for 50,000 hours (5 years). 

In addition to the super long battery life, Sig includes the MOTAC system, which is an auto on/ auto off system. 

It basically means that your Romeo 5 will automatically turn off after 120 seconds of non use, and automatically turn on if it senses any motion at all. 

This is a great feature because it saves your battery life but also keeps your optic ready to go, just in case you have to grab your MP5 in an emergency.

Also, the Romeo 5 has 8 daylight brightness settings to choose from and 2 NV settings (if you’re running NV equipment)…

…and last, it comes with a bikini lens cover and 2 mounts, a high mount and a low mount. Like I’ve mentioned before, the high mount is for use on an AR-15, but the low mount will work great with any MP5 mount that uses a picatinny rail on top…

And because the Sig Romeo 5 uses the Aimpoint Micro footprint, it can be mounted extremely low and co witness with your sights if you’re using a mount like the Battle Steel MP5 Mount. 

All in all, the Sig Romeo 5 is a very popular red dot sight because it’s tough, reliable, and it’s very affordable.

Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Sig Sauer Romeo5:

3. Holosun 507C

My number 3 pick for an MP5 optic is the Holosun 507c. I’ve already mentioned that I’m definitely a Holosun fan boy, but the 507C is very different from the 503GU that I mentioned earlier. 

The 507c is a tiny open-style reflex sight, and it’s perfect if you want an extremely compact and minimal optic for your MP5…

Even though it’s small, it’s still very tough and can easily handle the recoil and abuse from an MP5, and it’s packed with really cool features.

The lens is very clear (no annoying greenish or bluish tint), and its battery will last for 50,000 hours (5 years). 

It also has Holosun’s Shake Awake feature, so it will automatically turn off after 10 minutes of non use and automatically turn on as soon as it senses motion.

In addition to that, it has 3 reticle options that you can choose from, a 2 MOA dot, a 2 MOA dot surrounded by a 32 MOA ring, or a 32 MOA ring (with no dot in the center). 

Again, I’m a huge fan of the circle dot reticle, and I think it’s a perfect match for a PCC like an MP5, but the other 2 options are there if you prefer them. 

Last, the 507c comes with a low mount which means it will pair nicely with any MP5 mount that has a picatinny rail and it uses the Trijicon RMR footprint (so it will fit any RMR specific mounts). 

To conclude, the Holosun 507c is a super compact, tough little red dot sight, with awesome reticle options that will work great on an MP5!

Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Holosun 507C:

4. Trijicon MRO

Number 4 on my list of optics for the MP5 is the Trijicon MRO. The MRO is super rugged and super reliable. It’s built like a tank. 

The sight housing on the MRO is made from forged 7075-T6 aluminum, and its waterproof in up to 100 feet (30 meters) of water.

It also has a huge 25MM objective lens, which gives you a large field of view when looking through the optic, and even though it does have a bluish tint on the lens, it’s not too distracting.

The battery will last for 5 years on setting number 3, and it has 5 daylight brightness settings, 2 NV settings, and 1 super bright setting (for extremely bright conditions).

The reticle on the MRO is a simple 2 MOA dot, which like a said earlier, is a good choice because it’s both fast and precise…

…and it comes with a low mount which will make it a good pair with any MP5 mount that gives you a picatinny rail.

And like I mentioned earlier Battle Steel actually makes an MP5 mount dedicated to the MRO, which mounts this optic very low and gives you a lower ⅓ co witness with the irons sights. 

All in all, the Trijicon MRO is a great choice if you want a super tough optic, a huge field of view, and a lower ⅓ co witness mount on your MP5.

Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Trijicon MRO:

5. Aimpoint T2

Number 5 on my list of optics for the MP5 is the Aimpoint Micro T2. Aimpoint, just like Trijicon, is known for making insanely tough optics, and the Micro T2 is tough, but at the same time, smaller than the Trijicon MRO.

The sight housing on the Micro T2 is made from a high- quality aluminum alloy, and it’s submersible in up to 15 feet of water. 

In addition to that, the lens on the Micro T-2 is very clear (no annoying green or bluish tint), and the reticle is a simple 2 MOA dot, which like I’ve mentioned before is a fast and precise option. 

The battery on the Micro T2 will last for 5 years, and it has 8 daylight settings and 4 night vision settings. It also comes with a low mount, so it will pair nicely with any MP5 mount with a picatinny rail on top…

…and because it is an Aimpoint Micro, it will fit perfectly with the Battle Steel MP5 Mount, which will give you an absolute co witness with the iron sights on your gun. 

All in all, if you want aimpoint reliability, a very compact sight, and an absolute co witness with your iron sights, the Aimpoint Micro T2 is a great option. 

Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Aimpoint Micro T2:

MP5 Red Dot Sights – Conclusions…

There are many other fantastic red dot sights that you can mount on your MP5, but if you stick to this list, you can’t go wrong…

Good luck, and I hope I was able to help you get an idea of which optic will work best for your MP5!

See you later!

-Red Dot Shooters

Trijicon and Eotech are two of the biggest names in optics…

They both offer high quality equipment, and they both have reputations for producing durable and dependable sights…

Two of the most popular optics available from these companies right now are…

• The Trijicon MRO (Get Best Pricing Here!)
• The Eotech XPS3 (Get Best Pricing Here!)

So in the Trijicon MRO Vs Eotech comparison, we’re going to see how they stack up against each other in the following categories…

• Toughness And Durability
• Lens Clarity And Reticle
• Battery Life And Brightness Settings
• Extra Accessories Included With The Sight
• Price Comparison

In the end, I’ll tell you which of these two sights I prefer, and you should have all the information you need to determine if either optic will work well for you…

Let’s get started!

Durability And Toughness…

Trijicon MRO

The Trijicon MRO is a very durable optic. First of all, Trijicon has built up a reputation for creating extremely tough sights. 

The Trijicon ACOG is actually used by the U.S. Military, and has proven to be extremely durable even when being used in war. 

So Trijicon knows what they’re doing when it comes to building tough optics, and the MRO (Miniature Rifle Optic) is no different. 

Now the sight housing on the MRO is made from forged 7075-T6 aluminum, and it’s hard anodized to help protect it from the elements…

In addition to that, the windage and elevation turrets are recessed into the sight housing, so they can never be snapped off accidentally.

The MRO is also waterproof for up to 100 feet (30 meters), and it can easily handle the recoil from high-powered rifles, shotguns, and pistol caliber carbines. 

Last, the MRO only weighs 4.1 ounces which is pretty incredible considering just how rugged it actually is. 

Eotech XPS3

The Eotech XPS3 is also a very durable sight. A few years ago, Eotech was taking a lot of heat because some of their optics were having problems, especially in extremely cold weather. 

Those problems have been completely fixed, and the Eotechs that are being produced now and very tough optics. 

Now the sight housing on the XPS3 is made from a high quality aluminum, and the lens is guarded by a tough aluminum protective hood.

Just as with the MRO, the windage and elevation turrets on the XPS3 are recessed into the sight housing (so they can never be snapped off accidentally), and it’s waterproof in up to 33 feet (10 meters) of water. 

It can also easily handle the recoil from shotguns, high-powered rifles, and pistol caliber carbines, but it’s a little bit chunkier with a weight of 11.2 ounces.  

Durability And Toughness Conclusions…

Both of these optics are very tough… In fact, I consider both of them to be among the toughest red dot sights that you can currently get.

But that being said, the MRO is a little bit more waterproof, and actually comes in at a much lighter weight than the XPS3…

So in this category, I’m going to give the slight edge to the Trijicon MRO

Winner: Trijicon MRO

Lens Clarity And Reticle…

Trijicon MRO

The lens clarity on the Trijicon MRO is pretty good. First of all, it has a 25mm objective lens which is very unique for a “micro red dot sight”…

That large objective lens gives you a larger field of view when you’re looking through the optic, and I think that’s important because it allows you to see more of what’s going on down range. 

In addition to that, there is a noticeable blue tint when looking through the MRO. Trijicon says this tint is intentional because it gives you greater contrast when looking through the sight… 

There is a little bit of truth to that, but I personally would prefer a more clear view with no tint. That all being said though, the blue tint isn’t too distracting, and I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. 

The reticle on the MRO is a simple 2 MOA (minute of angle) dot, which I think is a good choice for a red dot sight. 

I much prefer a 2 MOA dot reticle over something like  4 or 6 MOA dot on optics like this because a 2 MOA dot is small and precise, but still pretty easy to see quickly.

All in all, I think it was a good choice by Trijicon to go with a 2 MOA dot because it’s a simple and effective reticle.  

Eotech XPS3

The lens clarity on the Eotech XPS3 is very good. First of all, it’s a holographic sight, and because it uses holographic technology to project the reticle, the lens is crystal clear without any bluish or greenish tint.

In addition to that, the sight window is HUGE… It’s very easy to acquire a clean sight picture, and you can see a lot of your target area down range. 

Now the reticle on the XPS3 will depend on which specific model you choose to go with.  With the XPS3-0 model, you get a 1 MOA dot surrounded by a 68 MOA ring…

With the XPS3-2 model, you get 2 stacked 1 MOA dots surrounded by a 68 MOA ring… And with the XPS3-4 model, you get 4 stacked 1 MOA dots surrounded by a 68 MOA ring.

The stacked dots on the XPS3-2 and XPS3-4 models are basically BDCs (Bullet Drop Compensators), and are going to become useful if you use your optic with a magnifier…

I tend to use low powered scopes when I want magnification (rather than a red dot and magnifier combination) so my prefered model is the XPS3-0…

This model uses the reticle that Eotechs are famous for, and honestly, it’s my favorite style of reticle on a red dot sight.

The 1 MOA dot in the center gives you a lot of precision when aiming at small targets in the distance, but at the same time, you have the large 68 MOA ring that draws your eye in extremely fast. 

In fact, at large targets up close all you have to do is put the 68 ring on target and you’ll hit your mark (assuming the optic is zeroed and your marksmanship fundamentals are solid).

So like I said, I really like the XPS3-0 because the circle dot reticle is extremely fast and precise…

…but if you intend to use your optic with a magnifier, the reticles on the XPS3-2 and XPS3-4 models are also very effective and useful.  

Lens Clarity And Reticle Conclusions…

Ok, in this category we have some major differences. First of all, the MRO has a large objective lens even though it’s still a very compact sight…

It also has a slightly blue tint when looking through the optic, and it uses a 2 MOA dot reticle, which is a good option for a red dot sight. 

On the other hand, the XPS3 has a huge sight window, a crystal clear lens, and a lot of really cool reticles to choose from depending on the model you go with…

In my opinion, the Eotech was built for this category, and I think it’s the clear winner here because of the clear lens, large viewing window, and very useful circle dot reticles. 

Winner: Eotech XPS3

Battery Life And Brightness Settings…

Trijicon MRO

The Trijicon MRO uses one CR 2032 battery which is able to power the sight for 5 years (on daylight setting 3). 

Ultra long battery life like that is very important to me because it means that you can leave your sight always turned on. 

The reason why this is important is because it allows you to grab your rifle in an emergency situation and simply go to deal with the threat. 

You won’t have to fumble around with buttons trying to get your sight turned on before going out and dealing with a problem. 

It makes things simple, which is something that I like, and as long as you swap out your battery once a year, you’ll never have any problems with your battery dying on you. 

Now the MRO has a total of 8 brightness settings. That includes 2 night vision brightness settings, 5 daylight brightness settings, and 1 super bright setting. 

The daylight brightness settings are very bright, and they’re easy to see even on a sunny day. If the lighting conditions are very extreme, you’ve also got that extra bright setting which will definitely still be visible. 

Now most people won’t use the 2 night vision settings, which require NV equipment to be able to see, but some people will take advantage of them, and I like that Trijicon includes them at no additional cost.

Eotech XPS3

The XPS3 uses a CR123 battery which is able to power the sight for around 1,000 hours. That’s OK battery life…

…but to be honest, I would like to see a lot more hours of battery life especially since the Eotech is a premium optic. One feature that Eotech includes to try to offset the mediocre battery life is an automatic shutdown. 

That means the optic will automatically turn off after a certain period of non use (either 8 hours or 4 hours depending on what you program the sight to do).   

Now the XPS3 has 20 daylight brightness settings to choose from and 10 night vision settings…

The 20 daylight brightness settings get very bright on the higher settings, and you shouldn’t have any problems with your reticle washing out even in bright daylight conditions. 

Also, having 10 night vision settings is pretty impressive, and it’s one of the features that distinguishes the XPS3 from the Eotech XPS2, which only has daylight brightness settings. 

Usually you’ll find the XPS3 is a little more expensive than the XPS2 so that is an additional feature that you end up paying for, but at least you have a wide variety of capabilities with the 10 NV settings.  

Battery Life And Brightness Settings Conclusion…

These two optics are very different in this category… The MRO uses a CR2032 battery, whereas the XPS3 uses a CR123 battery…

Also, the MRO has 5 years worth of battery life whereas the XPS3 only has 1,000 hours. Now they both have bright daylight settings and NV settings…

…but I really like that the MRO has a lot longer battery life and uses a less bulky battery. So for me, the easy winner in this category is the Trijicon MRO

Winner: Trijicon MRO

Extra Accessories Included With The Optic…

Trijicon MRO

The MRO comes with a factory high mount or a factory low mount depending on which version you choose to pick up…

And the included factory mounts are actually pretty high quality, which isn’t always the case when you get an included mount with a red dot sight.  

The high mount is perfect for use on an AR-15 because it sets you up for an absolute cowitness with back up iron sights (which is what most people will do)…

But if you intend to run it on a shotgun, an AK, or any number of other firearms platforms, you’ll definitely want to go with the low mount.

Also, because the MRO is a pretty popular optic, there are a lot of companies who make aftermarket mounts for it. 

So if you’re looking for something like a QD (Quick Detach) mount, it won’t be difficult to find one that is very high quality.  

Eotech XPS3

Like most Eotech optics, the XPS3 has a mount already built into the sight housing, and if you’re mounting the sight on an AR-15, you’re set up for an absolute co witness with your back up iron sights. 

In addition to that, the included XPS3 mount is a QD (Quick Detach) mount, which I think gives this sight a pretty nice bump in value. That all being said, there is one downside…

Mounting an optic on an AR-15 means that you’re mounting it rather high, and because the mount is built into the sight housing, you don’t have any way of lowering it. 

Again, this isn’t a problem is you intend to use this optic with an AR, but if you ever wanted to use it with something like an AK or a shotgun, you’d have to keep your sight mounted high, which is less than ideal.

Extra Accessories Conclusions… 

So in this category, we have the MRO which can be purchased with either a high or a low mount, and we have the XPS3, which comes with a mount built into the sight housing…

Both optics give you added value by including a mount, which is something I like because they’re not always included, and both optics will pair nicely with an AR-15…

But I think the MRO gives you more flexibility because it can be mounted easily on an AK, a shogun, and many pistol caliber carbines (if you go with the low mount)… 

So for that reason I’m going to give the edge here to the Trijicon MRO…

Winner: Trijicon MRO

Price Comparison…

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to give exact numbers in this category because the prices of these optics are changing all the time.

That being said, in general, you’ll usually find that the Trijicon MRO is around 200 bucks less expensive that the Eotech XPS3…

That’s a pretty significant chunk of change, so the clear winner in this category is the Trijicon MRO.

Winner: Trijicon MRO

Trijicon MRO Vs Eotech – Conclusions…

Ok, so here’s a summary of how it all played out. In the Durability and Toughness category, I gave the slight edge to the MRO because it has a bit better waterproofing and comes in at a much lighter weight.

In the Lens Clarity and Reticle category, the clear winner was the XPS3 because of it’s super clear lens and awesome reticle options.

In the Battery Life And Brightness Settings category, the MRO was the clear winner because it has much longer battery life.

In the Extra Accessories category, I also gave the slight edge to the MRO because you can get it with a high mount or a low mount.

And last in the Price Comparison, the MRO came out on top by a significant margin…

So which of these sights do I prefer: I prefer the Trijicon MRO…

Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Trijicon MRO:

I prefer the MRO for many reasons. First of all, it’s built like a tank so you can definitely rely on it in tough conditions, but at the same time it’s actually pretty lightweight.

It also has really long battery life, which I like because it means you can keep the sight turned on (and ready to go) all the time, and I think the 2 MOA dot reticle was a good simple choice by Trijicon.

On top of all that, it’s significantly less expensive than the XPS3…

Now if you don’t mind the battery life and really like the circle dot reticle options from Eotech, then feel free to go with the XPS3 because it’s still a great optic…

Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Eotech XPS3:

Either way, I hope this comparison was able to show you the major differences between these two awesome red dot sights!