What is red dot sight?
A red dot sight, like the name advises, is a type of optic which generally specs a single red dot as the reticle. These kinds of sights will generally be battery run while some other models are run by things such as tritium. While the color “red” in the name, sights of this kind are also accessible in different colors such as green. These kinds of sights provide no magnification themselves but are generally paired up with magnifiers.
It is also worth noting that these optics have “unlimited” eye relief and do not have preventive eyeboxes like magnified optics. While red dot sights generally utilize simple dot reticles, there are some models which use more hard reticles. Typically, these other reticles will mirror the “donut of death”.
You can also use Olight Osight 3 MOA red dot with charger cover. This is a versatile product with different features.
What is prism sight?
Prism sights utilize etched reticles and more like old optics than their red dot counterparts. These kinds of optics spec etched reticles, meaning that a reference point for aiming is forever present with these sights. Prism sights will generally spec illuminated reticles powered by batteries, tritium, or fiber optic systems.
These kinds of optics can provide different levels of fixed magnification. Generally, prism sights on range from 1x to 6x magnification. Some prism sights are capable of switching between different levels of magnification. Provide higher levels of magnification will often come with a reticle conductive to shooting at extended ranges. These reticles will generally contain a form of bullet drop compensator (BDC) reticle which helps a shooter in ranging their target and predicting drop at various distances.
Prism vs. red dot sight
The term “red dot sight” is not a specific term. It is actually a more common term that can explain any kind of sight that uses an illuminated red dot as an aiming point. One example of a red dot sight is exactly a prism scope. Anyway, when you think of a red dot sight, you are likely thinking of a reflex sight. These come in many sizes and shapes, but are generally some of lens pane that has a battery run green or red dot sight.
A prism scope differs from a reflex-style red dot sight is that it is usually magnified and has an eye relief. Prism scopes don’t provide much magnification, but they do provide more than a traditional reflex sight.
For those that are unfamiliar, eye relief favors to how far your eye has to be from the ocular lens to look via the scope. A reflex style red dot slight has no eye relief, meaning that you can rightly shoot with it however you want. A prism sight will need that your eye be in the same spot to use it each time.
Another right is that the prism scope has an etched reticle generally. This means that if your battery dies or your illumination fails for whatever reason, you will still be capable to use the sight.
Pros and cons: Red dot sights
Pros
Quick target acquisition
Different brightness levels permit an end user to tune the reticle to their preferences. Most red dot sights now have night vision compatible settings which make them right for night shooting.
Red dot sights can be mounted in different ways, making them extremely versatile. Many red dot sights use general mounting footprints.
There are a big range of red dots sights on the market, providing potential buyers options in different price tiers.
Cons
- If the shooter has an astimastism, the reticle may emerge distorted and fragmented.
- Essentially, one may view a streaked, odd reticle rather than simple dot they are expecting to view.
- The reticle needs a battery to be visible. Just put, the sight is functionally useless without a battery.
Pros and cons: Prism sights
Pros
- Prism optics has etched retciles, meaning that the reticle will forever be present regardless of whether the optic is run. If you have a battery run prism optic and that runs dry, you will still be capable to view the reticle.
- The magnification offered by some prism optics permit one to utilize a magnified optic in a compact package. A magnified prism optic takes up significantly less area than something like a scope.
- Shooters with astigmatisms will be capable to clearly view the reticle on a prism optic.
- Several prism optics are capable to accommodate micro red dot sights in an affordable style mount.
Cons
- One will have to job within the eye relief of their optic to use a prism sight. Unlike red dot sights, prism scopes have an eyebox which one must be alert of to get a right sight image. This must be considered when mounting the optic on a rifle.
- There are a few prism topic choices on the market matched to red dot sights. This means that potential purchasers will have fewer choices to pick from when picking an optic.
Who makes red dot sights?
Red dot sights are some of the most general optics one will encounter on the market. Olight is one of the famous brand manufacturing high standard red dot sights, such as Olight Osight 3 MOA red dot with magnetic charger.
End words
All in all, these two kinds of optics are trusted by shooters of all types. Both prism sights and red dot sights have been utilized by armed professionals and proven in difficult to use scenarios. Whether you end up running a prism sight or red dot is ultimately up to you to determine. A shooter should check their potential use cases and pick the top optic to match their needs.