The use of optics on handguns has exploded in recent years, and I think it’s pretty easy to see why…
Plain and simple, an optic helps you shooter faster and aids you in terms of accuracy, and this is true for both rifles and handguns…
The problem with red dots on handguns used to be, that miniature reflex sights were either way too expensive or just not durable enough…
So, not a lot of people wanted to pony up 700 bucks just to put a red dot on their handgun or to put a cheaper dot on there that would just end up breaking after a few hundred rounds…
Lucky for us times have changed, and right now, Holosun is making some incredible optics at an affordable price that are designed to be mounted on a handgun…
Right now, two of their most popular models are:
- The Holosun 507c (Check Price On Amazon – Over 1,670 Reviews)
- The Holosun 508t (Check Price On Amazon – Over 232 Reviews)
So in this Holosun 507c Vs 508t comparison, we’re going to examine how these two fantastic sights stack up against each other in the following categories…
- Durability And Toughness
- Lens Clarity And Reticle
- Size Comparison
- Battery Life And Brightness Settings
- Extra Accessories Included With The Optic
- Price Comparison
In the end, I’ll tell you if I personally prefer the 507c or the 508t, and you should have all the information you need to determine, which sight will be right for you…
Let’s get started!
Durability And Toughness…
Holosun 507c
The Holosun 507c is a pretty durable little optic. To begin, it’s sight housing is made from 7075 T6 Aluminum, which is a strong material and helps make the sight very robust…
And it also has an anodized finish, which helps protect the optic from the elements. In addition to that, the windage and elevation adjustments sit flush along the sight housing…
This is an important design choice in my opinion because they can still be easily adjusted with the use of a small screwdriver, but at the same time, they can never be bumped or snapped off accidentally…
The 507c is also rated to be waterproof in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. It can probably handle much more than that…
But it’ll easily handle any rainy, snowy, or wet conditions you throw at it, and it’s also shockproof, so it can handle the recoil from being mounted on a pistol slide (which is actually pretty tough on an optic)…
All in all, I’m pretty impressed with just how tough of a sight you get with the Holosun 507c…
Holosun 508t
The Holosun 508t is also a very durable optic. For starters, the “t” in its name stands for titanium, and that’s the material used to construct its sight housing…
That titanium helps make it an extremely robust optic, but on top of that, it’s still relatively lightweight, which aside from the overall strength, is one of the chief benefits you get from titanium…
In addition to that, the 508t also has an anodized finish which, again, will help protect the sight from the elements, and its windage and elevation adjustments are also flush with the sight housing, so they can’t get bumped or accidentally snapped off…
On top of that, the 508t is also rated to be waterproof in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes, so it will handle rainy or wet conditions without any issues…
And it’s also shockproof, so it’s not going to get beat up when mounted onto a handgun slide…
All in all, the durability of the 508t is also pretty impressive.
Durability And Toughness Conclusions…
So in this category, we have one major difference between these two sights. First of all, they are both built to a very high standard and are very tough optics…
They both have windage and elevation turrets that are flush with the sight housing, and they’re both waterproof and shockproof…
The difference is that the sight housing on 507c is made from 7075 T6 aluminum, and the sight housing on the 508t is constructed from titanium…
7075 T6 aluminum is a very strong material, however, titanium is stronger. So in this category, the Holosun 508t is going to take the win…
Winner: Holosun 508t
Lens Clarity And Reticle…
Holosun 507c
The Holosun 507c has a very clear lens. It’s actually clearer than many of its competitors from other optics manufacturers, even some that cost a lot more money such as the Trijicon RMR…
And that clear lens allows you to get a clear view of your target and a very clean sight picture…
Now in terms of the reticle, the 507c has a feature called the Multiple Reticle System or MRS. Basically, this means that you get 3 different reticles on your 507c that you can choose between. The 3 reticles are…
- A 2 MOA (Minute Of Angle) dot surrounded by a 32 MOA ring (the Holosun Circle Dot reticle)
- A 2 MOA dot
- A 32 MOA ring with no dot in the center of it
The first of the reticle options is a 2 MOA dot that has a 32 MOA ring around it, and it’s also called the Circle Dot reticle…
This is my personal favorite reticle when it comes to red dot sights and there are many reasons why. First of all, the 32 MOA ring gives you a huge reticle, and your eye is able to pick it up very quickly which allows you to shoot extremely fast…
But at the same time, the 2 MOA dot in the center of the reticle gives you a fine aiming point which allows you to aim very precisely at small targets or targets that are far off in the distance…
It’s a reticle that gives you both speed and precision in the same sight picture, and for me, it seems to work really well…
Now the second option included in the MRS is the 2 MOA dot reticle. This is a more simple reticle, but I also really like it…
The 2 MOA dot is big enough that your eye can catch it fairly quickly, but again, you have a very fine aiming point…
It probably won’t allow you to shoot quite as fast as the Circle Dot reticle will, but the 2 MOA dot will still serve you very well if you want a less cluttered sight picture…
Last, you have the 32 MOA ring reticle.This is my least favorite of the 3 options, but let me explain why some people like to use it…
Basically, it gives you the same speed as the Circle Dot reticle, but you can see all of your target because there is no dot in the center…
It’s a little less cluttered, and it can work really well when you’re shooting at large targets up close. The downside is obviously that you don’t have a precise aiming point in your reticle, but again, if you’re focused on speed shooting at large targets, that’s really not an issue…
In the end, all 3 reticle options have their own strengths and weaknesses, but as I mentioned earlier, my favorite is the Circle Dot reticle because I feel that it gives you both speed and precision (the best of both worlds)…
Last, you can actually get the 507c with either a red reticle or a green reticle. The green dot model is called the Holosun HE507C-GR…
I personally prefer the red reticle because I feel like my eye is able to pick it up just a tiny bit quicker than the green…
But there are many experienced shooters out there who really like the green model. So the one you should get is really going to come down to your personal preference…
Although, the green dot version is just a little bit more expensive.
Holosun 508t
The Holosun 508t also comes with a very clear lens. It’s just as clear as the lens on the 507c, and again, it allows you to get a very clean sight picture…
In addition to that, you also get the Multiple Reticle System on the 508t with the same 3 reticle choices…
Again, I really like the Circle Dot reticle, but the other 2 reticles certainly have their strengths as well…
Last, the 508t also comes in a red reticle version and a green reticle version. The green dot version is called the HE508T-GR…
Again, I like the color red on all my sights and optics, but if you’re a fan of green reticles, I’m glad that Holosun gives you the ability to get the green dot version of this sight…
Lens Clarity And Reticle Conclusions…
In this category, there really isn’t much that separates these two sights. They’re both Holosun optics, so they both have a very clear lens that allows you to get a clean sight picture…
They also both feature the Multiple Reticle System which gives you 3 reticles to choose from on your sight (again, I prefer the Circle Dot Reticle)…
Last, you can get either of these optics in a red dot version or a green dot version. I wish I could call a winner, but in this section we really have to call it a draw…
Winner: Draw
Size Comparison…
Holosun 507c
The Holosun 507c has a height that measures in at 1.54 inches. It’s width comes in at 1.24 inches, and it’s length measures in at 1.78 inches…
In addition to that, it’s pretty lightweight with a weight of only 1.5 ounces. All in all, the 507c is a fairly compact little reflex sight.
Holosun 508t
The Holosun 508t is a similar size to the 507c, but there are a few differences in its measurements…
It has a height that measures in at 1.08 inches. In addition to that, it has a width that measures in at 1.21 inches, and its length comes in at 1.77 inches…
On top of that, the 508t’s weight comes in at 2.0 ounces…
Size Comparison Conclusions…
Like I said, in this category, the dimensions of these two sights are similar. That being said, there are a couple of small differences…
First of all, the height on the 507c is just a little bit taller than the height on the 508t. So with the 508t, you get a slightly lower profile out of your optic…
In addition to that, the 507c weighs around half an ounce less than the 508t. I think the lower profile of a mini reflex sight is a little more important than a few ounces here or there…
So in this category, I’m going to give the slight edge to the Holosun 508t…
Winner: Holosun 508t
Battery Life And Brightness Settings…
Holosun 507c
The 507c uses 1 CR1632 battery which is able to power the sight for up to 50,000 hours when the optic is on setting 6…
That’s an awesome amount of battery life, and I think super long battery life like this is a very important feature on a red dot sight…
The reason why it’s such an important feature is because you don’t want your optic dying on you at the wrong time…
I’ve had red dots die on me at the range before, but it’s much more concerning to think about them dying on you in a life or death emergency…
With 50,000 hours worth of battery life, it’s very unlikely that your optic is going to die on you especially if you just swap out the battery once a year (which is what most people recommend)…
Speaking of replacing the battery, the old 507c had its battery replacement underneath the optic, much like the Trijicon RMR…
This was a pain in the neck because it would require you to take the optic off of your gun just to swap out the battery…
And then, after you had put the optic back on, you would have to re-zero your sight. It was kind of a huge hassle…
The good news is that the new versions of the 507c the (V2 and the X2 versions) have a side loading battery tray…
The tray means that you can keep your optic mounted on the gun, and swap out the battery without any of the hassle of removing your sight and then having to re-mount it and re-zero it…
Now another feature included with the 507c is the Shake Awake technology. Basically, this means that your optic will automatically turn off after a period of non use…
…and it will automatically turn on again as soon as it senses motion. I think this is a great feature because it will help save your battery life, but at the same time, your optic is always ready to go because it will turn on as soon as you touch your gun.
Another cool feature on the 507c is the inclusion of the Solar Panel on top. The Solar Panel is cool for two reasons…
First of all, it backs up your battery because you can actually use your sight without a battery as long as you have sunlight…
And second, it can also help save your battery life, if you program your optic to the solar setting when you go out to the range…
Now with the 507c, you get 10 daylight brightness settings and 2 night vision settings. The daylight brightness settings get very bright and won’t wash out in the sun…
I know because I live in the Nevada desert where it gets extremely sunny during the summer time, and my Holosun’s are super bright even in those conditions…
But you also get the 2 NV settings. Now most people won’t ever use the NV brightness settings, but some people with NV equipment will use them…
And I like that Holosun includes them at no additional cost…
The last feature I want to discuss in this category is the Lock Mode. Basically, this allows you to lock the brightness setting on your optic…
That way, if the brightness buttons get knocked or accidentally pushed, you’re not going to have any surprises…
Again, I think a feature like this is very important because if you ever have to use your firearm in a life or death situation, you definitely want the brightness of your reticle set to the right level…
All in all, the Holosun 507c is packed with features that I think are really useful to the shooter.
Holosun 508t
The 508t also uses one CR1632 battery, and it powers the sight for 50,000 hours on setting 6. Additionally, the 508t has a side-loading battery tray just like the 507c…
Again, I love the super long battery life that you get with these optics, and I also love that it’s not a hassle to simply swap out your battery when the time comes to change it…
Also, just like with the 507c, the 508t comes with Shake Awake technology, which will help save your battery life and keep your optic ready to go as soon as you touch your gun…
On top of that, the 508t also has a Solar Panel which you can use to save even more battery life or as a backup power source for your optic…
And the brightness settings that come on the 508t are also the same as those on the 507c. So you get the 10 daylight brightness settings and 2 NV settings…
Again, the daylight settings get extremely bright, and you won’t have any issues even in extremely bright conditions…
Last, the 508t also features the Lock Mode, so you can set your optic to the perfect brightness level and then lock it in as you carry around your handgun.
Battery Life And Brightness Settings Conclusions…
Alright, so here we have another category in which these sights are very similar… Scratch that, they’re exactly the same…
They both have super long battery life and a side loading battery tray. They both have the Shake Awake feature, Solar Panel, and Lock Mode…
And they both have 10 daylight brightness settings and 2 NV settings. Like I said, they’re exactly the same here. So once again we’re going to have to call it a draw…
Winner: Draw
Extra Accessories Included With The Optic…
Both the 507c and 508t come with the same accessories. First of all, they come with a CR1632 battery, which I think is cool because you won’t have to run to the store just to be able to start using your optic…
On top of that, you also get a lens cloth which is typical when you purchase pretty much any optic. Those things aside, the most important thing you get with the 507c and the 508t is the Trijicon RMR footprint…
The RMR footprint is the most common footprint when it comes to these miniature reflex sights, and that means you’re going to have a lot of options when it comes to mounting your 507c or your 508t…
Most people who pick up one of these sights will be putting on a handgun slide. If your handgun came from the factory setup for optics, it will probably include a plate allowing you to mount the Trijicon RMR, which is what you’ll use for the 507c and the 508t…
In addition to that, if you wanted to pick a slide for your gun that is pre-cut for an optic, you’ll find tons of them that are cut for an RMR which again, will fit both the 507c and the 508t…
On top of that, if you want to mount these optics on a small carbine, a shotgun, or a personal defense weapon, the aftermarket is filled with mounts for the RMR which will also work with these sights…
In the end, I love that Holosun decided to go with the RMR footprint on both of these sights, because that is going to make it easy on you, when you’re ready to mount your optic…
And since these two sights are exactly the same in this category again. We have to, again, call it a a draw…
Winner: Draw
Price Comparison…
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to give you exact numbers in this section because the prices of the sights are known to go up and down a little bit depending on a variety of factors in the market…
But that being said, in general, you’ll usually find that the 507c is around 55 to 60 bucks less expensive than the 508t…
To me, that’s not a huge difference in price, but it can definitely be a factor if you’re on a budget…
So if you’re trying to keep the price as low as possible on your optic, the 507c is definitely going to be the less expensive option for you…
Winner: Holosun 507c
Holosun 507c Vs Vortex Venom – Final Thoughts…
So in the end, in the Durability And Toughness category, both sights are waterproof and shockproof, and overall, they’re both very tough optics…
However, because the 508t is made from titanium rather than the 7075 T6 aluminum used in the 507c, I gave the win to the 508t…
In the Lens Clarity And Reticle category, both sights have a very clear lens that allows you to get a clean sight picture…
And both sights feature the Multiple Reticle System giving you 3 reticle choices, including the Circle Dot reticle. So in this section I called it a draw…
In the Size Comparison, both sights are similar in terms of dimensions, but because the 508t sits just a little bit lower than the 507c, it came out on top just by a hair in this section…
In the Battery Life And Brightness Settings category, both optics have super long battery life, a side loading battery tray, the Shake Awake feature, a Solar Panel, the Lock Mode, and great brightness settings. So we had to call it another draw…
In the Extra Accessories category, both sights come with a battery and a lens cloth, and both feature the RMR footprint which is very common. So once again I called it a draw…
And last, in the Price Comparison, the 507c is around 55 to 60 dollars less expensive than the 508t…
So which of these sights do I prefer? I prefer the Holosun 507c…
I prefer the Holosun 507c for a few reasons. Even though the 508t is a little bit more durable of an optic, the 507c is still extremely rugged…
It’s regarded as one of the toughest miniature reflex sights you can get, even though it’s made of a slightly less impressive material than the 508t…
Aside from that, the Holosun 507c pretty much gives you all of the same features as the 508t including a very clear lens, super long battery life, the Shake Awake feature, the Solar Panel, the Lock Mode, and the Multiple Reticle System…
…which includes the Circle Dot reticle that will aid you whether you’re trying to shoot quickly or aim precisely. And it does all of that at a lower price point…
So you’ll end up saving money by going with the 507c…
Now if you want an optic with insane durability, and you don’t mind paying a little bit more money, then feel free to go with the 508t because it’s still an amazing optic…
Either way, I hope I was able to help you as you try to decide between these two incredible sights from Holosun Optics.