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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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! 

Vortex really is an awesome company when it comes to affordable optics…

They’ve got so many options to choose from and the quality level on their products is honestly pretty high…

Two of their most popular options when it comes to affordable red dot sights are…

• The Vortex Crossfire (Check The Price On Amazon – Over 200 Reviews)
• The Vortex SPARC AR (Check The Price On Amazon – Over 350 Reviews)

And in the Vortex Crossfire vs SPARC AR 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 reveal which of these two sights I prefer, and you should have all the information you need to determine which one of them will work best for you…

Let’s jump into it!

Durability And Toughness…

Vortex Crossfire

The Vortex Crossfire is a very durable micro red dot sight. To start off with, the sight housing is made from high-quality aluminum, and it has an anodized finish that helps protect it from the elements.

In addition to that, the sight housing is built up around the windage and elevation turrets…

This is important because it protects them from being snapped off accidentally, which is something that can happen with some red dot sights on the market. 

The Crossfire is also waterproof and o-ring sealed, so you won’t have any problems in rainy, snowy, or wet conditions. 

And it’s also shockproof, so it can easily handle the recoil from shotguns, pistol caliber carbines, or high powered rifles. All in all, I think it’s a very durable optic. 

Vortex SPARC AR

The Vortex SPARC AR is also a very durable red dot sight… The sight housing is made from aircraft-grade aluminum, and it also has an anodized finish which will help protect it from the elements.

Also, just like with the Crossfire, the sight housing is built up around the windage and elevation turrets protecting them from being snapped off or spun accidentally. 

The SPARC is also waterproof and fog proof, so using it in rainy, snowy, or wet conditions won’t be a problem…

And last, it’s shockproof and can easily handle the recoil from high powered rifles, shotguns, and pistol caliber carbines. All in all, it is also a very durable red dot sight. 

Durability And Toughness Conclusions…

Both of these sights are made by Vortex, so naturally, they’re going to be similar in terms of materials and construction… 

Both of them are made from high-quality aluminum and both have a sight housing that protects the windage and elevation turrets. 

They’re also both waterproof and shockproof. So taking all of that into consideration, I’m going to have to call it a draw between these two in this category. 

Winner: DRAW

Lens Clarity And Reticle…

Vortex Crossfire

The lens clarity on the Vortex Crossfire is very good. When you look through the optic, the lens is very clear…

…and you don’t have any of the bluish or greenish tint that you get with some other red dot sights on the market. 

In addition to that, the reticle on the Crossfire is a simple 2 MOA (Minute Of Angle) dot. Personally I’m a big fan of a 2 MOA dot on a red dot sight for a couple of reasons. 

First of all, I like that it’s very fast and easy to pick up (with your eye) which is something that comes in handy when you need to make a quick shot at a large target up close. 

Secondly, a 2 MOA dot is small enough that it allows you to aim with precision at small targets in the distance. 

So it’s fast and precise which is exactly what you want out of an optic, and I think it was a great choice by Vortex to go with a 2 MOA dot reticle rather than a larger 4 MOA or 6 MOA reticle. 

Vortex SPARC AR

The lens clarity on the SPARC AR is also very good. Just as with the Crossfire, there’s no bluish or greenish tint when you look through the sight, and it allows you to get a very clean sight picture.

 In addition to that, the reticle on the SPARC is also a 2 MOA dot. As I mentioned before, I’m a big fan of a 2 MOA dot on a sight like this because it’s simple, fast, and precise. 

Lens Clarity And Reticle Conclusions…

Once again in this category, these two optics are very similar. Both of them have extremely clear lenses and both of them use a 2 MOA dot reticle. There really isn’t much that separates these two here…

So even though I don’t want to, I’m going to have to call it a draw again (don’t worry, we’ll be getting to significant differences between these two sights soon… keep reading!)

Winner: DRAW 

Battery Life And Brightness Settings…

Vortex Crossfire

The Vortex Crossfire uses one CR2032 battery which is able to power the sight for 7,000 hours when it’s on the medium brightness setting (setting 5). 

Honestly, that’s not the best battery life I’ve seen on a micro red dot sight, but it’s not bad considering the price range of this optic. 

In addition to that, the control dial on this sight makes turning it on and off very easy, and as long as you don’t forget to turn off your optic when it’s not in use, I think the battery life will be more than sufficient for you. 

Now the Crossfire has 11 brightness settings. The medium and high brightness settings get very bright, and I don’t think you’ll have any problems seeing the reticle even on a sunny day.

Unfortunately, there are no night vision settings on the Crossfire, but the truth is that most people won’t need them…

…and if you ever intend to run your optic with night vision equipment, then just be aware that this isn’t the sight for you. 

Vortex SPARC AR

The SPARC AR uses one AAA battery which is able to power the sight for 300 hours on the maximum brightness setting and 5,000 hours on the lowest brightness setting. 

Again, that’s not the best battery life you’ll find on a red dot sight, and it’s considerably less than the Crossfire, which lasts for 7,000 hours on the medium brightness setting. 

Now the SPARC has a total of 12 brightness settings. 10 of those settings are for daylight brightness and 2 of them are for night vision. 

Just as with the Crossfire, the daylight brightness settings get very bright and you shouldn’t have any problem seeing the reticle even on a sunny day. 

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

Battery Life And Brightness Settings Conclusions…

Okay, we finally have some major differences between these two optics…

First of all, the Crossfire has 7,000 hours of battery life on its medium brightness setting, and the SPARC only has 5,000 on its lowest brightness setting. 

On the other hand, the SPARC includes night vision brightness settings, whereas the Crossfire only includes brightness settings for use in daylight. 

So here’s the deal, even though the SPARC has night vision settings, most people won’t end up using them, and the battery life on the Crossfire is significantly better than on the SPARC. 

To me, longer battery life is always a good idea on a red dot sight. So I think the clear winner in this category is the Vortex Crossfire.

Winner: Vortex Crossfire 

Extra Accessories Included With The Optic…

Vortex Crossfire

The Vortex Crossfire comes with some pretty cool accessories. To start off with, you get a bikini lens cover which will come in handy whenever you want to add a little extra protection to your optic. 

In addition to that, you get 2 included mounts with the Crossfire, a low mount and a high mount…

 The high mount is unique in this price range of red dots because it’s skeletonized (which makes it more lightweight), and it sets your optic up for a lower 1/3 cowitness with backup iron sights on an AR-15. 

The low mount makes this optic perfect for use on other firearms platforms such as shotguns, AKs, and pistol caliber carbines. 

All in all, I really like that you get a low mount and a high mount because it makes this optic a great option no matter which firearm you choose to run it on. 

Vortex SPARC AR

The Vortex SPARC also comes with some pretty cool accessories. First of all, you get a rubber cover that protects the body of the sight and has lens covers for a little bit of added protection. 

In addition to that, it comes with a high mount. It’s important to remember that the SPARC AR is designed to be used with an AR-15 and that fact is definitely reflected in the included mount.  

It sets the side up for a lower 1/3 cowitness with backup iron sights on an AR-15, but it includes a removable shim which gives you an absolute cowitness if that’s what you prefer. 

Extra Included Accessories Conclusions…

Both of these sights have included lens covers but they’re very different when it comes to the mounts that are included. 

The SPARC only comes with one mount which is adjustable for a lower 1/3 cowitness or an absolute cowitness, but it does limit you to using the optic on an AR-15. 

The Crossfire comes with a low mount and a skeletonized high mount. That makes it a great option for an AR-15 (which is what most people use it for)…

…but it also means it can be used on AKs, shotguns, pistol caliber carbines, .22 rifles, and many other types of firearms. So because of that, I think the Crossfire is the clear winner in this category.

Winner: Vortex Crossfire 

Price Comparison…

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

That being said, in general, you’ll usually find that the Crossfire is around 15 to 20 bucks more expensive than the SPARC…

That’s not a huge difference, but it could be a factor for some who are really on a tight budget. And that means the SPARC is the slight winner in this category. 

Winner: Vortex SPARC AR 

Vortex Crossfire Vs SPARC AR – Conclusions…

So to sum it all up, here’s how these two vortex red dots compared in the individual categories…

In the Durability and Toughness category, I had to call it a draw because both of these sights were about the same. 

In the Lens Clarity and Reticle category, I had to, again, call it a draw because these two sights were so similar. 

In the Battery Life and Brightness Settings category, I gave the win to the Crossfire because it had better battery life.

In the Extra Accessories category, I also gave the win to the Crossfire because it comes with a low mount AND a high mount. 

And last, in the Price Comparison, the SPARC AR was the slight winner but only by a few dollars. 

So which of these sights do I prefer? I prefer the Vortex Crossfire.

I prefer the Crossfire for a few reasons. First of all, it has significantly better battery life than the SPARC AR, and I’m always trying to get the best battery life I can out of my red dot sights.

I also like the fact that it uses a CR2032 battery rather than the AAA battery used by the SPARC because it’s less bulky and more lightweight. 

Another thing I like is that you get a high mount and a low mount with the Crossfire, so you’re not limited to running your optic just on an AR-15.

Now if you prefer the use of a AAA battery because it’s a little more common AND you know you’re going to use the optic with an AR 15, then the SPARC AR is still a great option…

Either way, I hope I was able to show you the major differences between these two awesome budget red dot sights from vortex optics!

Pistols with red dots mounted on them have really started to become popular in recent years…

The reason why is that more and more, gun companies are offering handguns that are cut (from the factory) for use with optics…

And the truth is that most people (as long as your marksmanship fundamentals are squared away) can shoot their pistol faster and more accurately with an optic…

Right now, two of the most popular options when it comes to miniature reflex sights (pistol red dot sights) are:

• The Trijicon RMR (Check Price On Amazon – Over 250 Reviews)
• The Vortex Venom (Check Price On Amazon – Over 800 Reviews)

So in this RMR Vs Venom comparison, we’re going to examine how these two pistol red dots 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 which of these optics will work best for you…

Let’s get started! 

Durability And Toughness…

Trijicon RMR

The Trijicon RMR is a very durable red dot sight. Trijicon has a reputation for making some of the toughest optics in the world (even for the US military)…

…and RMR actually stands for Ruggedized Miniature Reflex sight. Now the RMR Type 1 did have some problems when mounted on pistol slides. 

It had an unsecure battery connection, and because of that, it was common for the reticle to flicker on and off intermittently due to the force of the slide reciprocating.

Those problems have been completely eliminated by the Trijicon RMR Type 2 which is able to easily handle the recoil from high powered rifles, shotguns, pistol caliber carbines, or pistol slides… 

Now the sight housing on the RMR is made from a military-grade aluminum alloy and the windage and elevation turrets are recessed into the sight housing…

To me, this is an important feature because it means the adjustment turrets can never be snapped off or spun accidentally, which is something that can happen with some other red dot sights. 

Last, Trijicon puts multiple coatings on the lens of the RMR to make it scratch-resistant, and for such a small optic, it really is built like a tank and has a long track record of success behind it. 

Vortex Venom

The Vortex Venom is also a very tough miniature reflex sight. To start off with, the sight housing is made from high-quality aluminum, and just as with the RMR…

…the windage and elevation adjustments are recessed into the sight housing. In addition to that, the Venom is O-ring sealed and waterproof…

And because it’s shockproof, it can easily handle the recoil from high-powered rifles, shotguns, pistol caliber carbines, and pistol slides. 

Last, the lens is toughened up by a special coating that Vortex calls ArmorTek, which makes it scratch-resistant, and even though it doesn’t have the track record of the RMR, it’s a pretty durable sight. 

Durability And Toughness Conclusions…

Even though both of these sights are made from high-quality materials, the RMR’s reputation and long track record for durability come into play here.

In addition to that, the protection around the lens is more rugged on the RMR than the Venom… So in this category, I’m going to give the win to the Trijicon RMR. 

Winner: Trijicon RMR 

Lens Clarity And Reticle…

Trijicon RMR

The Trijicon RMR lens clarity is very good. You do get a slightly bluish tint when looking through the optic, but Trijicon says this gives you better contrast (which there is some truth to)…

…and you still get a very clean sight picture. As for the reticle, there are two different models of the RMR that you can choose between. 

There is a 3.25 MOA (Minute Of Angle) dot reticle model, and a 6.5 MOA dot reticle model. Personally, I prefer the smaller 3.25 dot reticle for a pistol red dot sight like this…

…because it’s large enough for you to pick up (with your eye) very quickly, but at the same time, it’s small enough that it allows you to aim precisely at smaller targets or targets that are off in the distance. 

The 6.5 MOA dot reticle can still work well, but again, I just prefer the precision of the smaller 3.25 MOA dot. 

Vortex Venom

The Vortex Venom lens clarity is also very good. Again, you get a slightly bluish tint when looking through the sight, but it’s not very distracting and you still get a very clean sight picture.

Just like with the RMR, there are two models of the Vortex Venom and the one you get is based on the size of the reticle you prefer. 

There is a 3 MOA dot reticle model and a 6 MOA dot reticle model. Again, I prefer the 3 MOA dot reticle over the 6 MOA dot because I feel it’s just as fast but more precise. 

Lens Clarity And Reticle Conclusions…

Both of these sights have very good lens clarity and give you a clean sight picture with a slightly bluish tint, so they’re pretty even in that respect. 

In addition to that, both have two models to choose from based on the size of the reticle you prefer… 

Again, in both cases I prefer the smaller 3 MOA or 3.25 MOA dot because they are more precise than the larger dots, but still easy to see.

All that being said, there isn’t a lot that separates these two sights in this category, so I’m going to have to call it a draw.  

Winner: DRAW

Battery Life And Brightness Settings…

Trijicon RMR

The Trijicon RMR uses one CR2032 battery which powers the sight for up to 4 years…

For me, ultra long battery life is extremely important on a sight like this because it means you can leave your sight turned on all the time.

All you really have to do is remember to swap out your battery once a year, and you can leave your sight turned on and be ready to go in any emergency situations that might pop up.  

Now the RMR has 8 daylight brightness settings, 2 night vision settings, and 1 extra bright setting…

The daylight brightness settings give you a clearly visible reticle (even on a bright day), and if the conditions are really bad, you’ve got the extra bright setting.

Also, Trijicon includes an automatic brightness adjustment feature with the RMR. This feature allows the sight to automatically adjust to whatever lighting conditions you find yourself in.  

I really like this feature because it helps you get a crisp and clear sight picture in any lighting conditions, without having to worry about pressing buttons to get your reticle set on the right level of brightness. 

That said, if you don’t like this auto adjust feature you can turn it off, and manually adjust the brightness exactly how you like it.    

Last, even though most people won’t use this optic with night vision equipment, some people will, and I like that Trijicon includes the 2 NV settings at no additional cost.

Vortex Venom

The Vortex Venom uses one CR1632 battery, and it’s able to power the sight for 150 hours on the highest brightness setting and 30,000 hours (3 years) on the lowest brightness setting. 

That’s not quite as long as the Trijicon RMR, but it’s pretty close, and I think it’s still very adequate battery life. Now with the Vortex Venom you get 10 brightness settings…

There are no night vision settings included, but the higher brightness settings get very bright, and you won’t have any problems seeing your reticle even in very bright conditions. 

Just like with the RMR, the Venom includes an auto brightness feature that will adjust the brightness intensity of your reticle to whatever the ambient lighting conditions are.

Again, I like the auto brightness adjustment feature, but if it doesn’t work well for you, it’s easy to swap the sight over to its manual adjustment setting for brightness.   

Battery Life And Brightness Settings Conclusions…

Both of these sights have great daylight brightness settings and an automatic brightness adjustment feature. So they’re definitely pretty even in that area. 

That being said, the RMR does have night vision brightness settings whereas the Venom does not, and even though that won’t matter to most people, it could be an important factor for some. 

In addition to that, the battery life on the Trijicon RMR is better than the Vortex Venom because it gives you 4 years of battery life instead of 3 years. 

Now 3 years of battery life is still very good, but in this category I have to give the win to the Trijicon RMR. 

Winner: Trijicon RMR 

Extra Accessories Included With The Optic…

Trijicon RMR

The standard Trijicon RMR Type 2 doesn’t really come with any extra accessories unless you’re willing to pay a higher price for a sight and mount combination. 

To me, that’s not really a problem because I think miniature reflex sights like this are best used on pistols rather than being mounted on rifles like AR-15s or AKs (I prefer micro red dot sights for that)…

And included with most pistols that are cut for optics, you get mounting plates that allow you to mount your red dot directly onto the slide of the gun (so you don’t actually need a mount).  

All that being said, it is a little bit disappointing that Trijicon doesn’t include any extra goodies when you purchase a standard Trijicon RMR. 

Vortex Venom

The Vortex Venom comes with a couple of pretty cool accessories. First of all, it comes with a protective rain cover…

I like this accessory because I think it’ll come in handy when you want to give a little bit of added protection to your sight.

In addition to that, the Venom comes with a low mount that attaches the sight to a picatinny rail. Now because it’s a low mount, it’s not really useful for mounting this sight on an AR-15…

….but it could be very useful if you wanted to mount this sight onto something like a shotgun, an AK, or a pistol caliber carbine.

Again, I personally wouldn’t mount a mini reflex sight like this on anything other than a pistol, but if you did want to mount this sight onto one of those larger firearms platforms…

…I think it’s pretty cool that a mount is included.

Extra Accessories Conclusions…

The Vortex Venom comes with a rain cover and a low mount, and those two things are included at no additional cost.

The Trijicon RMR comes with no additional accessories unless you’re willing to pay more for a sight and mount combination. 

Even though I wouldn’t use a picatinny rail mount with either of these two sights (because for me they are both strictly pistol optics)…

…it’s still nice to get extra goodies included with your sight because things like protective covers and mounts give you more value for your money and more options when it comes to your optic.

So in this category, the clear winner is the Vortex Venom.

Winner: Vortex Venom     

Price Comparison…

Unfortunately I won’t be able to give you exact numbers in this section because the prices of these two pistol red dot sights are changing all the time…

That being said, in general, the Vortex Venom is around 200 to 250 bucks less expensive than the Trijicon RMR…

That’s a pretty significant difference, so the clear winner in this category is the Vortex Venom.

Winner: Vortex Venom

RMR Vs Venom – Conclusions…

So to sum it all up, here’s how the categories broke down…

In the Durability and Toughness category, I gave the win to the Trijicon RMR because of its long track record for durability and reliability. 

In the Lens Clarity and Reticle category, I called it a draw because these two optics were about the same. 

In the Battery Life and Brightness category, I gave the win to the RMR because of it’s longer battery life and NV settings. 

In the Extra Accessories category, the Vortex Venom came out on top because it comes with a low mount and a rain cover.

And last in the Price Comparison, the Venom was, again, the clear winner because it’s nearly half the price of the RMR. 

So which of these two sights do I prefer? I prefer the Vortex Venom.

I prefer the Vortex Venom (3 MOA dot reticle model) because it has great battery life and gives you a clean sight picture…

It’s also plenty durable (even though it doesn’t have the track record of the RMR) and it comes with some useful accessories (the low mount and the rain cover)…

And don’t forget, it’s around half the price of the RMR! 

Now if price isn’t a big factor for you, and you want the toughest mini reflex sight possible, then I recommend you get the Trijicon RMR because it is the more durable option of the two…

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

Vortex has really become one of my favorite optics companies in recent years…

I love the high-quality levels they put into their optics, and they’ve got a lot of sights you can choose from (many of them being budget-friendly)…

One of their most popular options right now is the Vortex SPARC red dot, which stands for “Speed Point Aiming for Rapid Combat”, and it comes in 2 models…

• The Vortex SPARC AR (See Price On Amazon – Over 350 Reviews!)
• The Vortex SPARC 2 (See Price On Amazon – Over 800 Reviews!)

Now don’t let the names fool you because these 2 sights have some pretty significant differences, and in this Vortex SPARC Vs SPARC 2 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 which one will work best for you…

Let’s begin!

Durability And Toughness…

Vortex SPARC AR

The Vortex SPARC AR is a very durable micro red dot. To start off with, the sight housing is made from aircraft-grade aluminum and it has an anodized finish which helps protect the site from the elements. 

In addition to that, the windage and elevation knobs are protected by raised portions of the sight housing, and it’s unlikely that they’ll be snapped off accidentally.  

The SPARC AR also comes with a rubber cover that gives added protection to the body of the optic, and it’s a fog proof and waterproof sight, so you won’t have any problems using it in rainy, wet, or snowy conditions.

Last, it’s also shockproof and can easily handle the recoil from an AR-15, which is the rifle this optic is designed to be used with. All in all, I think it’s a  pretty tough little optic. 

Vortex SPARC 2

The Vortex SPARC 2 is also a very durable optic. Just as with the SPARC AR, the sight housing is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and it has an anodized finish to help protect it from the elements.

Also just like with the SPARC AR, the sight housing is built up around the windage and elevation turrets protecting them from being snapped off accidentally. 

It’s also fog proof and waterproof, so it can be used without problems in the rain or snow, and it’s shockproof too…

…So it can easily handle the recoil from high powered rifles, shotguns, and pistol caliber carbines. 

Durability And Toughness Conclusions…

Both of these sights are made by Vortex Optics, and they’re both versions of the SPARC red dot sight… So naturally, they’re going to have a lot in common when it comes to the way that they’re built. 

That being said, they’re both made from the same tough materials, and they’re both waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof… So in this category, we really do have to call it a draw.

Winner: DRAW 

Lens Clarity And Reticle…

Vortex SPARC AR

The lens clarity on the SPARC AR is very good. When you look through the optic, the lens is very clear and there’s no annoying bluish or greenish tint (which is something you find with some other red dot sights).

Because of that, it’s very easy to get a clear and clean sight picture through the optic. Now, the reticle on the SPARC AR is a 2 MOA (Minute Of Angle) dot.  

Personally, I’m a big fan of the 2 MOA dot reticle on red dot sights. I like it because the 2 MOA dot is very easy for your eye to quickly pick it up when you aim at large targets up close…

…but at the same time, it’s small enough to give you precision when you really need to bear down at small targets in the distance.

It really is a great choice and I’m glad Vortex decided to go with a 2 MOA dot over a larger reticle like a 4 MOA or 6 MOA dot. 

Vortex SPARC 2

The lens clarity on the SPARC 2 is also very good. Once again, the lens is very clear and you don’t have any of the annoying bluish or greenish tint. 

In addition to that, the reticle is also a 2 MOA dot which, as I mentioned before, is a great choice for a micro red dot sight because it’s simple, fast, and precise. 

Lens Clarity And Reticle Conclusions…

Once again we have a very close call because these two sights are very similar. Both of them have an extremely clear lens and give you a clean sight picture… 

And both of them I have a 2 MOA Dot reticle which, again, I think is a great choice by Vortex. I really have no other option than to call it a draw once again in this category (don’t worry, we’ll be getting to the significant differences soon!).

Winner: DRAW

Battery Life And Brightness Settings…

Vortex SPARC AR

The SPARC AR uses a single AAA battery which is able to power the sight for 300 hours on the maximum brightness setting and 5,000 hours on the minimum brightness setting. 

I would prefer that battery life to be longer, but I do feel that it’s adequate for a sight in this price range…

Also, to help save you some of that battery life, Vortex includes an automatic shut off feature on this sight. 

It will automatically turn off after 12 hours of non-use, and I think that’ll come in handy if you ever forget to manually turn your sight off.

Now, with the SPARC AR you get 10 brightness settings… 8 of those settings are for daylight brightness and 2 of them are for use with night vision equipment. 

The daylight brightness settings get extremely bright, and your reticle is very easy to see even if you’re shooting on a bright, sunny day. 

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

Vortex SPARC 2

The SPARC 2 uses one CR2032 battery which is able to power the sight for 300 hours on the maximum brightness setting and 6,000 hours on the minimum brightness setting.

Once again, I think that’s adequate for a red dot in this price range, and it’s important to note that you do get a few more hours with the SPARC 2 over the SPARC AR.   

Also just like with the SPARC AR, the SPARC 2 has the automatic shut off feature after 12 hours of non-use. 

Again, I think that’s a very useful feature, and it’s going to help you extend the life of your battery. The SPARC 2 also has 8 daylight brightness settings and 2 night vision settings… 

…and just as with the SPARC AR, the daylight brightness settings get very bright (even during a  sunny day), and I like that the 2 night vision settings are included at no additional cost.

Battery Life And Brightness Settings Conclusions…

OK, in this category we have some significant differences between these two sights. First of all, both sights have the same 8 daylight brightness settings and 2 night vision settings…

…but they’re very different when it comes to their batteries. The SPARC AR uses one AAA battery and the SPARC 2 uses one CR2032 battery. 

Personally, I prefer the CR2032 battery on the SPARC 2 because it’s smaller, lighter, and less bulky than the AAA battery on the SPARC AR.  

In addition to that, you also get a little bit better battery life on the SPARC 2… So for me, the winner in this category is the Vortex SPARC 2.

Winner: Vortex SPARC 2 

Extra Accessories That Come With The Optic…

Vortex SPARC AR

The SPARC AR comes with a few pretty cool accessories. First of all, you get a rubber cover that helps give the sight a little bit of added protection. 

Included on the cover are two lens caps, and the whole rubber cover is removable if you want to run your optic in a more minimal way. 

Also included with the SPARC AR is a mount that gives you 2 height options.  Now, to be clear, the Vortex SPARC AR is intended to be used with an AR-15, and the included mount reflects that.  

I say this because you can set the mount up for either a lower ⅓ cowitness or an absolute cowitness with back up iron sights on an AR-15. 

To get the absolute cowitness you simply remove a shim in the mount, but just be aware, that there is no real way to mount the optic lower than these two heights (because of where the battery is stored for this optic). 

So only consider this sight if you intend it to be used on an AR-15.

Vortex SPARC 2

The Vortex SPARC 2 also comes with some accessories that are pretty cool. First of all, it comes with flip up lens covers…

These flip up lens covers are removable if you don’t want to use them, but I really like them because they’re fitted snuggly onto the optic and it’s unlikely that they’ll slip off accidentally. 

In addition to that, Vortex includes what they call the “Multi-Height Mount System” with the SPARC 2. 

Basically, this means that you get 2 included mounts with the sight, a high mount and a low mount… 

The high mount is perfect if you intend to use this sight on an AR-15 because it’s adjustable and can give you either a lower ⅓ cowitness or absolute cowitness with your backup iron sights.

The low mount is great because it allows you to mount the sight on shotguns, AKs, .22 rifles, pistol caliber carbines, and many other firearms platforms. 

And because the low mount is also adjustable, you can really dial in exactly where you want your optic mounted. 

These 2 adjustable mounts are a very cool inclusion with the SPARC 2 because they make this optic an ideal choice for almost any firearms platform you choose.  

Extra Accessories Conclusions…

So both of these sights come with some pretty cool accessories. They both have lens covers that help give you added protection for your optic, but the mounting systems are very different. 

The SPARC AR is intended to be used on an AR-15, and it would be very difficult to mount it on something like a shotgun or an AK…

However, the SPARC 2 comes with two mounts that are both adjustable, and it can easily be mounted on an AR-15 or on a variety of other firearms platforms. 

So for me, the clear winner in this category is the Vortex SPARC 2.

Winner: Vortex SPARC 2

Price Comparison…

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

That being said, you’ll probably find the SPARC AR at a lower price that the SPARC 2…

Typically, you’ll see that the SPARC 2 is 50 to 70 bucks more than the SPARC AR… So, the winner in this category has to be the SPARC AR.

Winner: Vortex SPARC AR

Vortex Sparc Vs Sparc 2 – Conclusions…

So to sum it all up, here’s how these two red dots matched up in the individual categories…

In the Durability And Toughness category, we had to call it a draw because these sights are so similar in the way that they’re built.

Next, in the Lens Clarity And Reticle category, we also had to call it a draw, again, because of similarities in these two optics. 

In the Battery Life And Brightness Settings category, I gave the win to the SPARC 2 because the battery life was a little bit better and because it uses a CR2032 battery rather than a AAA battery.

In the Extra Accessories category, I also gave the win to the SPARC 2 because it has 2 mounts (rather than just 1) and can be mounted on a variety of firearms platforms.

Last, in the Price Comparison I gave the win to the SPARC AR.

So which of these sights do I prefer? I prefer the Vortex SPARC 2. 

I prefer the Vortex SPARC 2 because it has a little bit better battery life than the SPARC AR and because it uses a CR2032 battery which is lighter and less bulky than a AAA battery.

I also like that it comes with a high mount and a low mount, so you’re not only limited to mounting it on just an AR-15.

(Again the low mount is great if you want to mount your optic on a shotgun, an AK, a Pistol Caliber Carbine, and many other firearms platforms)

Now if you like using AAA batteries because they’re a little more common than CR2032 batteries, AND you intend to mount your optic on an AR-15…

…then I think the SPARC AR is a great option for you 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 awesome red dot sights from Vortex Optics.

Optics have really come a long way in recent years… And it’s exciting to me because there are some pretty high-quality options out there right now… 

Two very popular choices that won’t cost you an arm and a leg are:

• The Vortex Strikefire 2 (See Price On Amazon – Over 200 Reviews)
• The Vortex Spitfire 1x (See Price On Amazon – Over 80 Reviews)

Now obviously, both of these optics are from Vortex, but because one is a red dot sight and the other is a 1x prism scope they are very different sighting systems.

So in this Vortex Strikefire Vs Spitfire comparison, we’re going to put these two sights up against each other and see how they compare 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 if either of these sights will work for you. 

Let’s jump into it!

Durability And Toughness…

Vortex Strikefire

The Vortex Strikefire 2 is a very durable red dot sight. To start off with, the sight housing is made from a tough aluminum alloy, and because it’s a large-bodied red dot, it’s incredibly rugged. 

In addition to that, it has a hard anodized finish that helps protect it from the elements, and it’s fog proof and waterproof, so even if you get caught in rainy, snowy, or wet conditions, your sight will keep working.

Last, because it’s shockproof, it can easily handle the recoil from high-powered rifles, shotguns, and pistol caliber carbines. All in all, I think it’s a very tough red dot sight. 

Vortex Spitfire

The Vortex Spitfire 1x is also a very durable optic. Just like with the Strikefire, the body of the optic is made from a tough aluminum alloy. 

Also just like the Strikefire, it has a hard-anodized finish to protect it from the elements, and it’s fog proof and waterproof. 

Last, it’s also shockproof, so recoil from any of your typical firearms won’t be a problem. 

Durability And Toughness Conclusions…

Both of these optics are made by Vortex, so it’s only natural that they’re built to similar specs and with similar features.  

For example, they both have a sight housing made from anodized aluminum alloy, and they’re both waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof. 

Honestly, there’s really not much that separates them in this category, so I have to call it a draw.

Winner: DRAW

Lens Clarity And Reticle…

Vortex Strikefire

The lens clarity on the Vortex Strikefire 2 is very good. The lens is very clear, and it allows you to get a very clean sight picture. 

You don’t get any of the annoying greenish or bluish tint that you get with some other red dot sights on the market…

…and  because it’s a large red dot sight as opposed to a micro red dot you have a pretty large field of view through the optic AND you can shoot with both eyes open. 

This is important because it allows you to see more of your target down range and because it allows you to be more aware of your surroundings when using your firearm. 

Also, because it’s a red dot sight rather than a prism scope like the Spitfire, the eye relief on the Strikefire is unlimited. 

That means it doesn’t matter how close or far your eye is in relation to the optic. You’ll be able to see clearly through it…

…and that’s something that will come in handy if you end up having to make shots quickly or from awkward shooting positions. 

Now the reticle on the Strikefire 2 is a 4 MOA dot, and there are actually two models of this optic that you can choose between…

• The Bright Red Dot
• The Red/Green Dot

I personally like the color red when I’m dealing with optics and sights, but some people do prefer green and I think it’s great that Vortex gives you that option with this sight. 

As for the 4 MOA dot reticle, I personally prefer a smaller reticle like a 2 MOA dot, but the advantage of having a larger 4 MOA dot is that your eye picks up the reticle very fast…

This allows you to shoot very quickly, especially at large targets that are at close range. So for that purpose, it’s a pretty useful dot size to go with. 

Vortex Spitfire

The lens clarity on the Spitfire is also very good. Once again, the lens is very clear and it allows you to get a very clean sight picture. 

That being said, because the Spitfire is a 1x prism scope rather than a red dot sight there are many differences from the Strikefire 2. 

First of all, because it’s a 1x scope, the Spitfire has critical eye relief and an eye box. The good news is that the eye relief is a generous 3.8 inches and the eye box is also fairly forgiving. 

That’s exactly what you want with a 1x scope because it means your eye doesn’t have to be in the exact same spot every time just to see clearly through your optic (this is important for fast shooting)…  

…And it is very different from a red dot sight like the Strikefire, which has unlimited eye relief.

Now, the reticle on the Spitfire is called the DRT Reticle, which stands for Dual Ring Tactical Reticle…

This reticle is unique to the Spitfire, and it has a 3 MOA dot in the center, which is surrounded by a small inner ring and then a very large outer ring. 

I actually like this reticle quite a bit because it’s built to allow you to shoot fast. The 3 MOA dot in the center gives you a fair amount of precision when you need it…

…but when you need to shoot at large targets up close, you simply aim by putting the large rings (which your eye picks up very fast) over your target.

All in all,  it’s a very well designed reticle, and I really like it a lot. Last, I have to mention that you do have the option on the Spitfire to change the illumination color between red and green.  

Like I said before, I prefer red on my sights, but if you’re someone who prefers green, it’s good to know that it’s included in this optic. 

Lens Clarity And Reticle Conclusions…

This is kind of a hard category to judge because these two optics are very different. One is a red dot sight and the other is a 1x prism scope, so they both have strengths and weaknesses. 

Now, they both give you a clear sight picture through the optic, which is an important feature on any sight… 

…and I do prefer the unlimited eye relief on the Strikefire 2, even though the Spitfire’s eye relief is pretty generous for a prism scope. 

But when it comes to the reticle, I really prefer the DRT Reticle on the Spitfire over the 4 MOA dot that you get with the Strikefire. 

Again, the 4 MOA dot is a little large for my liking (although others do like it), and I just think the DRT Reticle is really cool… 

So in the end, I’m going to give the win in this category to the Vortex Spitfire. 

Winner: Vortex Spitfire

Battery Life And Brightness Settings…

Vortex Strikefire 

The battery life on the Vortex Strikefire is different depending on which model you get…

Both models use one CR2 battery, but if you get the Red/Green Dot model,  your battery life is 300 hours on the maximum brightness settings and 5,000 hours on the minimum brightness settings.  

Honestly, that’s okay but it’s a little low when compared to some other popular red dot sights on the market right now. 

That being said, the Bright Red Dot model gives you 80,000 hours a battery life (when it’s on brightness settings 6).  

That super long battery life makes me a lot happier because it means you can leave your sight turned on all the time, which will be important if you ever need to grab your rifle in an emergency situation.

In addition to that, both models do have an automatic shut off feature in which the sight will automatically turn off after 12 hours of non-use…

…and that’s good because it will help save your battery life regardless of the model you choose to go with. Now, with both models you get 8 daylight brightness settings and 2 night vision settings…

The daylight brightness settings get extremely bright and you won’t have any problems seeing them in bright outdoor conditions (I live in the Nevada desert). 

Also, I like the fact that the night vision settings are included. Most people won’t use them but some people will, and they’re included at no additional charge.

Vortex Spitfire

The Vortex Spitfire uses 1 AAA battery which only gives you 250 hours of illumination on the maximum brightness setting. 

That’s fairly low, but it doesn’t concern me very much on a 1x prism scope (as opposed to on a red dot sight).

You see, a red dot sight requires battery power just to be able to see your reticle when looking through the optic…

…but on a 1x prism scope you have an etched reticle that’s always there and your battery is only important for illuminating that reticle (it will just appear black without the illumination). 

So with the Spitfire, your scope is still 100% usable even if your battery dies or you don’t have a battery in the optic (a huge benefit of using a prism scope).  

In addition to that, Vortex built in a feature that dims your illumination after 2 hours of non-use and completely turns it off after 12 hours of non-use. 

This will help save the battery life you have, and I think it’s a pretty cool feature that they’ve included. 

Now, with the Spitfire you get 10 daylight brightness settings for your illumination and the 2 night vision settings. 

Once again the daylight brightness settings are very bright, and I like that the night vision settings are included at no extra cost.

Battery Life And Brightness Settings Conclusions…

Once again this is a hard category to compare these two very different sights in…  The brightness settings are pretty much a draw, but things are very different when it comes to battery life. 

The Strikefire 2 is a red dot sight and needs battery power for you to even see the reticle. The good news is with the Bright Red Dot model you get 80,000 hours (8 years) of battery life. 

With the Spitfire the battery life is less impressive, but you don’t even need to have a battery because with a 1x prism scope you have an etched reticle.  

It’s a tough call, but in the end I’m going to give the win here to the Vortex Strikefire 2 because 8 years of battery life is pretty impressive for any optic.

Winner: Vortex Strikefire 2 

Extra Accessories That Come With The Optic…

Vortex Strikefire

The Vortex Strikefire 2 comes with some pretty cool accessories. First of all, you get flip up lens covers that fit snugly on to the sight and won’t easily slip off (which can get pretty annoying).

You also get an offset cantilever mount that sets you up for a lower 1/3 cowitness with backup iron sights on an AR-15 (the cantilever mount is an upgrade over the mount from the old Vortex Strikefire 1). 

I really like that Vortex includes this mount because it’s pretty high quality, and it means you won’t have to spend extra money on an accessory that you’ll need to be able to use your optic.

Vortex Spitfire

The Vortex Spitfire also comes with flip up lens covers that fit snugly on to the scope…

In addition to that, it also comes with a mount that sets you up for a lower 1/3 cowitness on an AR-15. However the mount includes a removable riser which, when taken out, lowers the height of the scope. 

This is a pretty cool feature because the lower 1/3 cowitness height is perfect for an AR-15, but if you want to mount your optic on a shotgun, an AK, or a pistol caliber carbine, you’ll want to mount the sight lower. 

The removable riser allows you to mount your sight lower, and it makes this scope compatible with a number of firearms platforms right out of the box.

Extra Accessories Conclusions…

Both of these sights are from Vortex Optics, so they both come with removable flip up lens covers, but the included mounts are very different. 

The cantilever mount included with the Strikefire is perfect for use on an AR-15, but it’s probably not the best choice if you ever want to mount this optic on other firearms platforms. 

The mount that comes with the Spitfire, however, is perfect for an AR-15 but includes a removable riser that makes it more suitable for other firearms platforms as well. 

So in this category I’m going to give the win to the Vortex Spitfire. 

Winner: Vortex Spitfire

Price Comparison…

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

That being said, the Vortex Strikefire 2 is typically around 40 to 50 bucks less expensive than the Vortex Spitfire. So the clear winner in this category is the Vortex Strikefire.

Winner: Vortex Strikefire 2

Vortex Strikefire Vs Spitfire – Conclusions…

Wow! This was a pretty interesting comparison for me because these two sights are very different, but here’s how it all played out… 

In the Durability And Toughness category, I had to call it a draw because these two optics were about the same. 

In the Lens Clarity And Reticle category, I gave the win to the Spitfire because of its unique reticle. 

In the Battery Life and Brightness Settings category, the Strikefire got the win because of its impressive battery life.

In the Extra Accessories category, the Spitfire took the slight edge because of its adjustable mount…

And last, the Strikefire won in the Price Comparison…

So which of these sights do I prefer: I prefer the Vortex Spitfire…

I like the Spitfire because I think the DRT Reticle is very cool. It’s a great reticle for shooting fast, but the 3 MOA dot in the center still gives you some important precision.

I also like that the mount is adjustable, so the optic can be used on an AR 15, but also used very effectively on other firearms platforms as well.

All in all, I think it’s a great optic if you’re ok with using a 1x prism scope… 

If you’re not ok with a 1x scope and you want a true red dot sight with unlimited eye relief, then go with the Vortex Strikefire because it’s still a great optic!

Either way, I hope I was able to show you the major differences between these two popular options from Vortex Optics.  

There are some really exciting options available these days in the world of micro red dot sights… 

They’re exciting because they won’t really cost you a lot of money, but at the same time, they perform at a very high level…

And today we’re going to be comparing 2 very popular options:

• The Sig Sauer Romeo 5 (Check Price On Palmetto State Armory – Over 2,710 Reviews)
• The Vortex SPARC AR (Check Price On Amazon – Over 715 Reviews)

Both of these red dots have a lot to offer, and in this Sig Romeo 5 Vs Vortex SPARC AR 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 2 sights I prefer, and you should have all the information you need to determine if either of these red dots are the right optic for you…

Let’s get started!

Durability And Toughness…

Sig Romeo 5

The Sig Romeo 5 is a very durable little red dot sight. To start off with, the sight housing is made from aircraft grade aluminum, and it has an anodized finish that helps protect it from the elements. 

In addition to that, the sight housing comes up over the elevation and windage turrets and that protects them from being accidentally snapped off, which is something that can happen with some red dots. 

The Romeo5 is also fog proof, shockproof, and waterproof in up to one meter of water, and it will hold up easily if you mount it on a high-powered rifle, a shotgun, or a pistol caliber carbine.

So all in all, I think it’s a very durable micro red dot sight.

Vortex SPARC

The Vortex SPARC AR is also a very durable micro red dot. Once again the sight housing is made from aircraft grade aluminum…

…and just like with the Romeo 5, the sight housing is raised up to protect the windage and elevation turrets from being snapped off accidentally.  

It’s also shockproof, fog proof, and waterproof, and it has a rubber cover that also gives the optic a little bit of added protection (it’s removable if you don’t want to use it). 

All in all, the SPARC AR is also a very durable red dot sight. 

Durability And Toughness Conclusions…

In the end, I think both of these sights are pretty durable… They’re both made from aircraft grade aluminum.

They both have frames that protect the windage and elevation turrets, and they’re both waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof. So in this category, I think we have to call it a draw.

Winner: DRAW 

Lens Clarity And Reticle…

Sig Romeo 5

The lens clarity on the Sig Romeo 5 is very good. It gives you a very clear sight picture and you don’t get any of the bluish or greenish tint that you sometimes have with other red dot sights. 

In addition to that, the reticle is a simple 2 MOA (Minute Of Angle) dot. I think a 2 MOA dot is a great reticle to have on a red dot sight… 

It’s large enough so that you can easily pick it up (with your eye) if you need to make a quick shot, but it’s also small enough so that you can still aim precisely at targets in the distance. 

I really like it, and I’m glad that Sig decided to go with a 2 MOA dot rather than a larger 4 MOA or 6 MOA dot on the Romeo 5. 

Vortex SPARC

The lens clarity on the Vortex red dot is also very good. Just like with the Romeo 5, the lens is very clear and you don’t have any of that annoying bluish or greenish tint.  

Also just like with the Romeo 5, the reticle is a simple 2 MOA dot, and like I’ve already mentioned, I think that’s a great reticle to have on a sight like this because it’s fast, easy-to-use, and precise.

Lens Clarity And Reticle Conclusions…

So once again we have a lot of similarities between these two sights (that makes sense because they are natural competitors in the marketplace)…  

Both have a very clear lens, so you can get a good sight picture and both have a simple 2 MOA dot reticle.

In this category they really are neck-and-neck, and even though I don’t want to… I have to call it a draw once again (don’t worry, they won’t all be draws).

Winner: DRAW

Battery Life And Brightness Settings…

Sig Romeo 5

The battery life on the Sig Romeo 5 is really fantastic. It uses one CR2032 battery which is going to last you for 50,000 hours (5 years). 

I’m a big fan of ultra long battery life like this on my red dot sights because you don’t want your optic dying on you in the middle of a trip to the range (something I’ve had happen to me with other red dots). 

In addition to that, long battery life like this allows you to keep your optic turned on all the time. This is important because if you ever need to use your rifle in an emergency situation…

…you won’t have to fiddle around with buttons trying to turn it on before going out to deal with the threat.

Now in addition to that long battery life, Sig also includes a feature called the MOTAC system, which stands for Motion Activated Illumination. 

It basically means that the Sig Romeo 5 will automatically turn off after 120 seconds of non-use, and it will automatically turn on as soon as it senses any motion at all. 

I really love this feature because it saves your battery life, which is already very long, even more, and the motion activation is sensitive enough that it will easily turn on if you simply pick up your rifle.

So it’s saving you battery life, and it turns on automatically if you even touch your firearm. I think that’s pretty cool.  

Now with the Romeo 5, you get 8 daylight brightness settings and 2 night vision settings for your reticle. 

The daylight brightness settings get extremely bright on the higher end, and you won’t have any problems seeing the dot in extremely bright conditions. 

For example, I go shooting in the Nevada desert, and the Romeo 5 is very bright even during the summer months.

Also, even though most people won’t use the 2 night vision settings, I do like that they’re included because…

…some people will want to take advantage of them, and they don’t really add any additional cost. 

Vortex SPARC

The battery life on the Vortex SPARC is not as impressive as the battery life on the Sig Romeo 5…

First of all, it uses a triple A battery (AAA), which some people will like because it’s a little more common than the CR2032 battery used by the Sig. 

And it powers the SPARC for 300 hours on the maximum brightness levels and for 5,000 hours on the lowest brightness setting. 

That’s actually very disappointing to me because most red dot sights in this price range offer much longer battery life than that. 

Now the SPARC does turn off after 12 hours of non-use which will help you save your battery life, but it’s not a motion activated red dot like the Romeo 5…

…so you’ll have to manually press the buttons to get your sight working again. Last, just like the Sig Romeo, the Vortex SPARC has 8 daylight brightness settings and 2 night vision settings. 

Again, the daylight brightness settings get very bright, and I like that the night vision settings are included at no extra cost. 

Battery Life And Brightness Settings Conclusions…

As for the brightness settings, these two micro red dots are very similar, but things change very quickly when we start talking about battery life. 

The Sig uses a CR2032 battery and the SPARC uses an AAA battery.  I prefer the CR2032 battery because it’s lighter and less bulky than the AAA battery used by the Vortex SPARC.  

In addition to that, the battery life on the Sig is 50,000 hours as opposed to 5,000 hours (at best) on the  Vortex SPARC… 

And we can’t forget about the MOTAC system included with a Sig, which will automatically turn the sight off after non-use and automatically turn it on when it senses motion.  

All in all, I think the easy winner in this category is the Sig Romeo 5.

Winner: Sig Romeo 5

Extra Accessories Included With The Optic…

Sig Romeo 5

The Sig Romeo 5 comes with a few pretty cool accessories. First of all, you get a bikini style lens cover which you can use when your rifle is being stored. 

In addition to that, you also get 2 mounts… a low mount and a high mount. 

The high mount is perfect if you intend to use this sight on an AR-15 because it sets you up for a lower 1/3 cowitness with your backup iron sights. 

And the low mount will allow you to use the sight on shotguns, AKs, and even on some pistol caliber carbines. So I really like that you get 2 very useful mounts with this optic. 

Vortex SPARC

Like I mentioned before, the Vortex SPARC comes with a rubber cover that helps protect the body of the optic, but it also has lens covers attached to it. 

I think this is a pretty cool accessory to include with the sight because it offers protection for your lens AND for the sight housing. 

In addition to that, you also get a mount with the Vortex SPARC. Now, this sight is officially called the Vortex SPARC AR which means it’s intended to be used on an AR  platform rifle…

…and the mount that you get sets you up for either an absolute cowitness or a lower 1/3 cowitness with backup iron sights on an AR-15 (the mount can be adjusted for either type of cowitness you prefer).

Extra Accessories Conclusions…

Both sights come with rubber lens covers, but the Sig comes with 2 mounts as opposed to the 1 mount you get with the Vortex SPARC. 

And because having 2 mounts gives you greater flexibility when choosing which firearm to place your sight on, I’m going to give the slight edge in this category to the Sig Romeo 5.

Winner: Sig Romeo 5

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 find the Sig Romeo to be 20 to 50 bucks less expensive than the Vortex SPARC. So the winner in this category is, again, the Sig Romeo 5.

Winner: Sig Romeo 5 

Sig Romeo 5 Vs Vortex Sparc AR – Conclusions…

So to sum it all up, in the Durability and Toughness category both of these sights were neck and neck and we had a draw. In the Lens Clarity And Reticle category we also had a draw. 

When we got to the Battery Life And Brightness Settings category the Sig Romeo 5 was the clear winner.  Next, the Romeo 5 edged out a slight win in the Extra Accessories category…

…and last, the Sig Romeo 5 won in the Price Comparison as well. 

So which of these sights do I prefer? I prefer the Sig Romeo 5.

I like the Romeo 5 better because it has much better battery life than the Vortex SPARC and uses a CR2032 battery rather than an AAA battery. 

But in addition to that, it comes with a low mount and a high mount so it can be used on many different firearms platforms, rather than just on ARs…

And it’s also less expensive than the Vortex SPARC by a significant margin.

Additional note: Sig has a version of the Romeo 5 using AAA batteries as well (check it out by clicking the Sig Romeo 5 button above).  

Now some will still prefer the Vortex SPARC for a variety of different reasons, and that’s ok because it’s still a great sight.

Either way, I hope this helped you understand the differences between these two budget-friendly red dot sights!