The 10 Best Reflex Sights of 2021: Open & Tube
A reflex sight (reflector sight) is an optical tool that is mostly used with guns and it allows you to look through a partially reflecting glass, hence its name.
LEDs are usually used to illuminate a projection point or reticle, which is superimposed on the view ahead to help you determine where the bullet will go. As a result, you get better accuracy when hunting or doing target practice.
Another advantage that reflex sights have is that they lack eye relief. This enables you to keep both eyes open as you aim at the target.
That said, we have compiled a list of the best reflex sights to help you pick the best one that suits your hunting needs. Let’s get right into it.
-
10 Best Reflex Sights – Review
- 1. Best Overall Reflex Sight: Sightmark M-Spec
- 2. Best Budget Reflex Sight: Hiram Reflex Sight
- 3. Best Tubed Reflex Sight: Cvlife Tactical Gun Sight
- 4. Best Multi-Sight Reflex Sight: Pinty HRG0000
- 5. Best Wide-View Reflex Sight: Feyachi RS-30
- 6. Best Energy-Efficient Reflex Sight: Holosun HS510C
- 7. Best 2-in-1 Reflex Sight: Feyachi RSL-18
- 8. Best Reflex Sight for Nighttime Use: MidTen Reflex Sight
- 9. Anti-Glare-Coated Reflex Sight: Cvlife Reflex Sight
- 10. Complete Reflex Sight Set: Feyachi ZY-SIGHT-004
- How to Buy the Best Reflex Sights
- FAQs
- Conclusion
10 Best Reflex Sights – Review
IMAGE |
PRODUCT |
FEATURES |
|
---|---|---|---|
1. Sightmark M-Spec (Best Overall) |
|
||
2. Hiram Reflex Sight (Best Budget) |
|
||
3. Cvlife Tactical Gun Sight (Best Tubed) |
|
||
4. Pinty HRG0000 (Best Multi-Sight) |
|
||
5. Feyachi RS-30 (Best Wide-View) |
|
||
6. Holosun HS510C (Best Energy Efficient) |
|
||
7. Feyachi RSL-18 (Best 2-in-1) |
|
||
8. MidTen Reflex Sight (Best for Nighttime Use) |
|
||
9. Cvlife Reflex Sight (Anti-Glare-Coated) |
|
||
10. Feyachi ZY-SIGHT-004 (Complete Set) |
|
PRODUCT |
---|
1. Sightmark M-Spec (Best Overall) |
2. Hiram Reflex Sight (Best Budget) |
3. Cvlife Tactical Gun Sight (Best Tubed) |
4. Pinty HRG0000 (Best Multi-Sight) |
5. Feyachi RS-30 (Best Wide-View) |
6. Holosun HS510C (Best Energy Efficient) |
7. Feyachi RSL-18 (Best 2-in-1) |
8. MidTen Reflex Sight (Best for Nighttime Use) |
9. Cvlife Reflex Sight (Anti-Glare-Coated) |
10. Feyachi ZY-SIGHT-004 (Complete Set) |
1. Best Overall Reflex Sight: Sightmark M-Spec
- Dot Size: 2 MOA
- Reticle Color: Red
- Battery Type: CR123A
- Brightness Settings: 10
Starting off the list is Sightmark’s M-Spec and it takes the top spot due to several reasons. To begin with, it is night-vision compatible. It features 6 built-in night-vision brightness modes that give you better visibility when paired with this extra component.
That said, the lens has an advanced anti-reflective coating that prevents glares from blinding you, and this is further boosted by a built-in sunshade. The sunshade also keeps rain and debris from messing up with the reticle.
This glass has a durable double-lens design that is scratch-resistant, shockproof, and dustproof while the system is parallax-corrected (beyond 10 yards) for accurate aiming.
You also get 10 daytime brightness settings and the light is motion activated with a 12-hour auto-shut-off for battery conservation.
Other features include an illuminated circle-dot reticle (65 MOA), 1 MOA windage and elevation adjustment with 120 MOA max adjustment, a 200-2000-hour battery lifespan, and a low battery indicator. However, the sight is quite expensive.
Pros:
Cons:
2. Best Budget Reflex Sight: Hiram Reflex Sight
- Dot Size: 4 MOA
- Reticle Color: Red & Green
- Objective Lens: 20mm
- Battery Type: CR2032
- Brightness Settings: 7
If you are looking for an affordable, high-quality reflex sight, be sure to check out this piece from Hiram . It has red and green dot reticles that you can switch to according to your preference. These reticles have 7 brightness adjustment settings that enable you to hunt from dusk to dawn.
The unit is built to fit on 20mm Picatinny rails and a 0.83-inch riser is included to customize your setup by raising the lens. This helps to prevent your gun’s iron sight from blocking the red dot.
More features include precise 4 MOA fingertip windage/elevation adjustment and a closed design with a tough aircraft-grade aluminum alloy construction. This housing is also sealed for waterproof and fog-proof performance.
However, the piece has a very small 20mm objective lens that gives you a small field of view. It also lacks lens covers for protecting the glasses.
Pros:
Cons:
3. Best Tubed Reflex Sight: Cvlife Tactical Gun Sight
- Reticle Color: Red & Green
- Objective Lens: 35mm
- Battery Type: CR2032
- Brightness Settings: 5
Cvlife’s tactical gun sight is the best option to consider if you are looking for a tubed reflex sight because it has spring-loaded flip lens covers. These protect both the ocular and objective lenses from damages.
The entire tube housing is water-resistant and shockproof, which is especially important due to recoil. Inside, the cavity is nitrogen-purged for fog-free performance, which ensures you always get a clear line of sight.
Aside from that, the sight has red and green reticle lighting options with 5 brightness settings that give you enough options for hunting at dusk or dawn.
Other features include fully adjustable windage & elevation settings for easy setting to an accurate zero, a cantilever mount for easy fitting on 20mm Picatinny & Weaver rails, and a large 35mm objective lens that gives a wide field of view.
The only problem is that the unit has a relatively low runtime of 110-220 hours of a new CR2032 battery.
Pros:
Cons:
4. Best Multi-Sight Reflex Sight: Pinty HRG0000
- Reticle Color: Red & Green
- Objective Lens: 33mm
- Battery Type: CR2032
- Brightness Settings: Stepless
With 4 interchanging reticle patterns and two reticle colors (red & green), Pinty’s HRG0000 offers you 8 sighting options to finetune you aiming from dusk to dawn.
These patterns include a dot, starburst, cross, and bullseye. Their brightness can be adjusted in a step-less design to suit different lighting conditions for easy viewing.
The sight has an open design with a relatively wide 33mm objective lens that gives you a wide field of view for aiming at close to mid-range targets. It also has a tough aircraft-grade aluminum alloy construction that is waterproof, shockproof, and fog proof.
More features include a 20mm Picatinny mount system and a cleaning cloth accessory. On the downside, the unit’s lens lacks an anti-reflective coating for easy target spotting if experiencing a glare.
Pros:
Cons:
5. Best Wide-View Reflex Sight: Feyachi RS-30
- Reticle Color: Red
- Objective Lens: 40mm
- Battery Type: LR44
- Brightness Settings: 5
Feyachi’s RS-30 is fitted with a 40mm reflex lens, which is the widest in this review. Combined with its open design, this gives you a very wide field of view for quick target acquisition and to maintain situational awareness.
In addition to this, the unit can project 4 different reticle patterns to help you meet various hunting requirements.
These are a star, cross, bullseye, and dot, but they are only projected in red light. On the bright side, the brightness is adjustable in 5 levels to suit different hunting needs.
The sight’s windage & elevation are adjustable via Allen wrenches, and two are included in the set to help with this. You also get a durable high-grade aluminum alloy construction and a built-in 20mm mounting system for Picatinny and Weaver rails.
Pros:
Cons:
6. Best Energy-Efficient Reflex Sight: Holosun HS510C
- Dot Size: 2 MOA
- Reticle Color: Red
- Objective Lens: 32mm
- Battery Type: CR2032
- Brightness Settings: 12
This reflex sight features advanced power-saving LEDs that can run for up to 50,000 hours to project the reticle on a new CR2032 battery.
Additionally, the unit is equipped with a solar cell, which powers it when there’s sunlight then the battery takes over in dark or low-light conditions. There is also a motion-sensor built-in with a shake-awake feature for additional power efficiency.
Other than that, the piece has an open, streamlined design with push-button controls for minimal obstructions as you aim at your target. This is further boosted by a large 32mm x 24mm objective lens, which gives you a wide field of view.
More features include a 3-reticle system (a 2 MOA dot only, a 65 MOA ring only, or both) to select as preferred, a quick-release mount system, and a shock-resistant titanium-alloy hood that is built to withstand recoil.
The problem is that the sight is very costly and it only has a red-illuminated reticle. However, this has 12 brightness settings to adjust according to your preference.
Pros:
Cons:
7. Best 2-in-1 Reflex Sight: Feyachi RSL-18
- Reticle Color: Red & Green
- Objective Lens: 33mm
- Battery Type: CR2032, AG13
- Brightness Settings: 5
Apart from having a 33mm reflex sight, Feyachi RSL-18 includes a red laser light (class 3R) that is independently controlled and fully adjustable.
This component makes the sight ideal for long-range targeting while the wide 33mm lens with an open design help to maintain situational awareness and make target acquisition easy.
The sight features 4 reticle patterns (dot, cross, star, and a bullseye) that are either illuminated in red or green with 5 brightness adjustment settings. All these reticles are parallax-corrected with unlimited eye relief, which means the bullet goes where the dot is.
You also get a durable aluminum alloy construction, a cleaning cloth, and a rubber lens cap cover. On the downside, no riser is included to prevent blocking of the red dot if your rifle’s iron sight is too high.
Pros:
Cons:
8. Best Reflex Sight for Nighttime Use: MidTen Reflex Sight
- Dot Size: 2 MOA
- Reticle Color: Red
- Objective Lens: 25mm
- Battery Type: CR2032
- Brightness Settings: 11
MidTen’s reflex sight is characterized by multi-coated optics, which enhance visibility in low light conditions so that you can easily spot the target. Additionally, it has 11 brightness adjustment settings for adjusting to any light conditions.
The low settings (1-5) are ideal for dim conditions, 6-9 for bright sunny days while 10 and 11 are best for middle days.
A shockproof aluminum tube houses the lenses and the interior is nitrogen-purged then sealed using O-rings. This ensures it is fully waterproof while a matte black finish on the metal exterior makes it scratch resistant.
More features include a 1-inch riser mount, lens covers, a cleaning cloth, and a storage box. However, the unit only has a single reticle (red dot). It also has a relatively small 25mm objective lens, which does not give a wide field of view.
Pros:
Cons:
9. Anti-Glare-Coated Reflex Sight: Cvlife Reflex Sight
- Dot Size: 3 MOA
- Reticle Color: Red & Green
- Objective Lens: 33mm
- Battery Type: CR2032
- Brightness Settings: 5
With its anti-glare reflective coated lenses, Cvlife’s reflex sight is designed to give you good optimal clarity, especially if you are hunting while facing towards the sun.
Apart from that, the unit offers 4 reticle patterns for versatile use, and these are illuminated in either red or green with 5 different intensity levels to suit bright or dark lighting conditions.
You also get a 20mm mounting system for Weaver, Picatinny, or RIS rails, a high-grade aluminum alloy construction, and multiple accessories such as an Allen wrench, a rubber protective cover, etc.
On the downside, the piece lacks multi-coated optics for enhanced low-light visibility.
Pros:
Cons:
10. Complete Reflex Sight Set: Feyachi ZY-SIGHT-004
- Reticle Color: Red & Green
- Objective Lens: 33mm
- Battery Type: CR2032
- Brightness Settings: 5
Rounding up the list is Feyachi’s ZY-SIGHT-004 and this comes as a complete set. It consists of a rubber lens cap cover, a CR2032 battery, 2 adjusting wrenches, a cleaning cloth, and, of course, the reflex sight.
The unit is equipped with 4 reticle types and these are illuminated in either red or green so that you can switch easily to the one you prefer most.
More features include an open (tubeless) design that is waterproof and shockproof, a 33mm objective lens that gives a wide field of view, and precise 1 MOA click adjustments. This moves the windage and elevation settings at 1-inch per 100 yards.
However, you don’t get an anti-glare coating and the lens is not multicoated for enhanced nighttime visibility.
Pros:
Cons:
How to Buy the Best Reflex Sights
1. Housing Structure
Open
An open reflex sight consists of a glass window through which the red dot reticle is projected to give you a marked spot on your field of view. It has a very simple and compact design that fits on pistols and large rifles.
This type also has unlimited eye relief with no parallax error, which makes it possible to mount it on any spot on the rifle’s rail. The main flaw is that the lack of a tube housing makes it impossible to have protective covers or filters for easy red dot spotting.
Tube
Tubed reflex sights resemble scopes because they have two lenses on the far ends of a metal housing with a cavity inside. However, they don’t have any magnification power. They also have zero parallax error and unlimited eye relief.
In comparison to the open type, these can have additional filters in the lenses to help you spot the red dot more easily. They also come with protective covers for the lenses to prevent scratches or any other damages.
On the downside, they occupy a lot of space on the rail. As such, they are better for large rifles.
Buying Guide: If you have a small rifle such as a pistol, we recommend getting an open reflex sight. However, for a large piece, either type can do.
2. Reticle & Dot
There are a couple of things to consider when it comes to the dot and reticle. First is the dot’s size, which is measured in MOA (Minute of Angle). Generally, the best dot size should be from 1-4 MOA, in which 1 MOA translates to about an inch at 100 yards.
Second is the pattern and there is a dot, cross, bullseye, or starburst. The best thing to do is to buy a sight with all four options so that you can switch to the one that suits your needs.
Lastly, there is color, in which you can have a red or green dot/reticle. Some people claim green is more visible while others prefer red. None is better than the other so you should buy based on personal preference.
The best option would be to buy one that has all options like Pinty’s HRG0000 .
3. Battery
Most reflex sights come with new batteries so you only have to worry about replacements when they run out of charge. That said, it is important to buy a unit that is highly energy efficient so that the battery lasts longer.
For instance, Holosun’s HS510C has efficient LEDs, a solar cell, and motion sensor technology, which collectively ensure you get up to 50,000 hours with the included CR2032 battery. We highly recommend this.
4. Adjustments
Windage and elevation adjustments are required for fine-tuning the red dot’s accuracy. However, it is important to know the click adjustment value, which is given in MOA.
For precise adjustment, a low value such as 1 MOA per click is best. This will ensure you make very small shifts on the field of view until you hit the right spot. For this, be sure to check out Feyachi’s ZY-SIGHT-004 .
5. Mounting
Most rifles either have Picatinny or Weaver rails. You should look for a reflex sight that is compatible with the rails on your gun for easy installation.
Ultimately, the best sight is the universally compatible type. You can check out Cvlife’s reflex sight , which can fit on Picatinny, Weaver, and RIS rails.
6. Durability
Almost all reflex sights have tough metal housings. For maximum durability though, ensure the one you get is waterproof, shockproof, and scratch-resistant.
FAQs
1. What is the Main Difference between a Reflex Sight and a Red Dot Sight?
A red dot sight is a general term used to categorize the whole range of sights that have a red dot reticle. These could be reflex sights, prisms, holographic , etc.
On the other hand, a reflex sight (reflector sight) utilizes a light source (usually LEDs) to project an aiming point, which can be a red dot, cross, bullseye, or starburst, on a lens. This light hits the lens, then is projected (reflected) to your eyes, hence its name.
Therefore, a reflex sight is a red dot sight but a red dot sight is not a reflex sight.
2. Are Reflex Sights Good for Long Range or Short Distance Targets?
They are good for short to mid-range distance targets. Long-distance targeting requires some magnification, which means the best tool to use is a scope.
3. How Far Can You Shoot with a Reflex Sight?
Regardless of the reticle type, reflex sights are ideal for accurate shooting at a distance of up to 100 yards. For long-range shooting, we recommend you buy a scope .
4. Can I Use a Reflex Sight with Other Optics?
Yes, you can. However, because the sight sits on your rifle’s rail, the only optic that you can use with it must not block the illuminated reticle. For instance, some sights come with laser lights, which are offset from its position.
Some rifles also have iron sights and these are usually placed in front of the reflex sight. In such a case, you might need a rail riser to elevate the reflex sight so that the red dot is not blocked.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we recommend Holosun’s HS510C as the overall best reflex sight because it has efficient LEDs that can run for 50,000 hours on a new battery. It also has a solar cell for sun powering and a versatile 3-reticle system.
For the best versatility though, check out Pinty’s HRG0000 . It has 4 interchangeable reticle patterns in red or green light colors, which gives you 8 in total.
However, if you want laser enhancement to extend your hunting range, we recommend Feyachi RSL-18 . It comes with a class 3R red laser light that is fully adjustable and independently controlled.