You've built the perfect black rifle (or AR pistol). Now, you're ready to send some rounds downrange. But are you going to rely on good ole' iron sights? Of course not. We're in the modern tactical world and that means investing in a reliable, parallax-free, high-speed red dot sight or optic. We've taken feedback from three-gunners and professional shooters to source what we humbly think are some of the best red dots available for your AR platform. We offer trusted brands, quick shipping, and great prices so you can get more accuracy without breaking the bank.
Holosun and Sig Sauer are two of the most popular names in the red dot optic category for a few reasons: Their sights provide incredibly long battery life, they're compact and water-resistant or waterproof, shock-proof, and capable of taking recoil from hot loads like Grendel or Creedmoor without losing their zero. These low-profile sights provide excellent sight picture and clarity with simple co-witnessing with your iron sights (if you didn't invest in flip-up sights). Some other features we think are important are found on the red dots we've made available above:
If you're a new builder, you've got questions: A red dot is an illuminated glass optic that uses a small, built-in laser to artificially project a red (or sometimes green) dot onto your target downrange. This is accomplished without any laser beam actually being, well, "beamed" onto the target itself.
Red dots are a broad category of different laser optics, which include reflex sights, prism sights, and holographic sights. These different sights project the built-in laser in different ways, using either single or multiple planes of glass, or special reflective mirrors (prisms) to project the beam. Many reflex sights are ultra-compact since they only require one plane of glass, like the Holosun X2 MRs. Other red dots are configured as tube sights and look like a regular rifle scope, like the Sig Sauer Romeo5. Regardless of their design, all three red dot types provide the same benefits: A small, adjustable laser reticle with clear glass that provides quick target acquisition with unlimited eye relief and simple, parallax-free aiming.
This is why people love red dots. Unlimited eye relief simply means your head and targeting eye can be as close or as far away from the rear of the optic without losing your sight picture, clarity, or focus on both the reticle and the target downrange. That means length of pull becomes less important, as does your shooting stance. This complements parallax-free aiming.
Without getting too technical, parallax-free sights allow you to shift your head and eyes anywhere behind the optic, and the center of the reticle will generally remain correctly centered on the target or your original point of aim. This allows for quicker aiming and ultimately sending rounds downrange faster and more accurately, without worrying about your shooting stance and whether your cheek weld or grip is perfect on your rifle or pistol.
DISCLAIMER: “Sig Sauer” is a federally registered trademark of Sig Sauer, Inc. and is one of many trademarks owned by Sig Sauer, Inc. Neither 80% Lowers, a/k/a Tactical Gear Heads, LLC nor this site are affiliated in any manner with, or otherwise endorsed by, Sig Sauer, Inc. The use of “Sig Sauer” on this page is merely to advertise the sale of Sig Sauer pistols, parts, or components. For additional genuine Sig Sauer, Inc. products and parts visit www.sigsauer.com.
DISCLAIMER: If you are new to the world of DIY gun building, you likely have a lot of questions and rightfully so. It’s an area that has a lot of questions that, without the correct answers, could have some serious implications. At 80-Lower.com, we are by no means providing this content on our website to serve as legal advice or legal counsel. We encourage each and every builder to perform their own research around their respective State laws as well as educating themselves on the Federal laws. When performing your own research, please be sure that you are getting your information from a reliable source.
We are a national retailer of individual components and not all products depicted on this website are legal in every state. Shipping of various products found on this website are prohibited to some states (such as California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington). The information, pictures, text or products presented on this website are not a representation by us, and should not be understood by you, that any product or completed firearm is legal to assemble or own in your state of residence. We encourage each and every builder to perform their own research about the state and federal laws that apply to them. It is your responsibility to understand the law and we encourage you to consult with an attorney or your local ATF representative.