Many hunters and rifle enthusiasts are drooling over the new holographic sight because of its easy use and optimal target surety.
Holographic sights don’t require you to squint and adjust one eye, which ends up saving a lot of time when the target is on the move. If you want to upgrade your gear from a red dot to a more advanced version, a holographic sight is what you should look for.
Most old-school hunters prefer their old red dot sight, but most of them do not wish to return to their old sight after trying these new and feature-filled holographic sights. These new sights are perfect for people who get a lot of eye fatigue after their hunting expedition.
If you use your firearms almost daily, it goes without saying that it is time to upgrade your gear for a smoother and fatigue-free shooting experience.
Let us find the best holographic sight for the money from our list of top 5 industry-leading sights.
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1. HOLOSUN – HS510C Holographic Sight
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2. EOTECH XPS2 Holographic Sight
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3. EOTECH 512 Holographic Sight
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4. Hiram Holographic Sight
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5. Sig Sauer SOR52001 Sight
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#1 Winner: HOLOSUN – HS510C Holographic Sight
Featured specs
- Manufacturer: HOLOSUN
- Material: Aluminum
- Sport Type: For hunting and military use
- Weight: 8.3 Ounces
Benefits
- This Holosun HS510C has an impressive quick launch and retrieve grip that gets attached to the body within minutes. No need for elaborate tools and devices to connect the gear.
- Holosun’s Solar Power Failsafe Technology allows the essential red dot to stay on the screen in case of a battery mishap. This technology indeed saves you during critical situations where you might not have easy access to an electrical connection.
- The powerful automatic brightness adjustment makes it easy to aim and shoot during different lighting conditions. For example, the reticle will automatically brighten up during harsh sunlight and comparatively dim during more dark ambient lighting conditions.
- The multi reticle system helps you toggle between a 2 MOA dot, 65 MOA open circle, or a fast acquisition circle-dot reticle.
- Holosun makes it a point to manufacture their optics using optical glass with a thick multi-layer coating to facilitate intense and optimal light transmission. It also helps in reducing glare and improving wear resistance.
Drawbacks
- This model highly lacks the night vision feature.
- The ultra-modern shake awake quality sometimes lags, so one needs to bump the side of their firearms to awake it.
Extra features
This holographic sight has Holosun’s Shake Awake Technology which triggers the onboard motion sensor to activate the LED quickly. In addition, the LED gets auto-off during long periods of inertia to save battery life.
Buying advice
We highly recommend this best holographic red dot sight if you are in the market for a quick-release lever, high-quality gear for daytime use.
#2 Runner-up: EOTECH XPS2 Holographic Sight
Featured specs
- Manufacturer: EOTech
- Material: Aluminum
- Sport Type: Hunting
- Weight: 226.79 Grams
Benefits
- This EOTech XPS2-2 Holographic Weapon Sight has an entire black metal body with a 68MOA Ring and 1 MOA dot reticle.
- The sight is highly compatible with both MIL-STD 1913 and 1″ Weaver rails.
- EOTECH XPS2 Holographic Sight has an impressive 20 level brightness setting that one can dial up or down as per the lighting scenario requirement.
- Its highly compact design fits in a comparatively smaller space and leaves extra rail space for magnifier or rear iron sights.
- The product comes with a whopping ten-year EOTECH HWS Prestige Warranty in case of any external damage.
- The sight works like a miracle even when obscured with mud or snow. The pinpoint precision and delivery will never fall flat even if the device gets partially shattered.
- There is no chance of red light bleeds, and one can quickly zero the settings with shell casings rather than using any special tools.
Drawbacks
- The on/off buttons do not work smoothly; one needs to require a firm push to register the command. This challenging setting can be troublesome during emergencies.
- The gear does not have nighttime compatibility for easier hunting or precision shooting.
Extra Features
This holographic sight is water-resistant and can be submerged up to 10 feet in depth without damaging the devices.
Buying Advice
We highly recommend this device if you are eager to shell out a considerable amount. The higher quality and features justify its price. Its compatibility is top-notch and mounts perfectly on ar15, making it the best holographic sight for ar15.
#3 Alternative: EOTECH 512 Holographic Sight
Featured Specs
- Manufacturer: EOTech
- Material: Aluminum
- Sport Type: Hunting
- Weight: 309 Grams
Benefits
- This holographic sight is mountable to a MIL-STD-1913 or a 1″ Weaver rail.
- The device offers multiple brightness settings in standard operating mode. The quick adjustability makes you ready to shoot your shot even when the lighting conditions are poor.
- The sight is powered by two 12.5 V AA batteries and highly supports alkaline, lithium, or rechargeable batteries. The batteries are easy to find and mount when you wish to go on an expedition.
- The holographic ring and dot do not expand with magnification resulting in pinpoint precision. This feature helps you shoot the target with ultra-precision without the aim getting magnified.
- The device works flawlessly even when shattered or if the sight window is covered with dirt, mud, or snow. In addition, it fogs less and gives you a clear picture even during humid conditions.
- The product is entirely made and assembled in the USA and goes through rigorous practices for the most ultimate and rugged quality.
Drawbacks
- This EOTECH 512 Holographic Sight lacks a night vision and a side button operation for quick maneuvering.
- The device does not give you smooth and quick button access. Instead, one requires two fingers to shut off the gear.
- This model takes up a considerable amount of rail space because of its oblong shape. You cannot affix any more gear when this one is mounted.
Extra Features
- The EOTECH 512 Holographic Sight is water-resistant and can withstand water pressure when submerged up to 10 ft of depth.
- The entire product comes with a sturdy hardshell case for storing the device when not in use.
Buying Advice
This product is a very compatible device to carry around anywhere. However, we advise you to remove the batteries after each use to prevent unwanted corrosion.
#4 Alternative: Hiram Holographic Sight
Featured Specs
- Manufacturer: Hiram
- Material: Aluminum-alloy
- Sport Type: Hunting
- Weight: 0.32 Kilograms
Benefits
- This holographic sight comes with a 1x magnification aperture of 33mm for a clear and crisp shot without squinting or adjusting the eyes.
- The dual illuminated reflex sight comes with four reticle types. Together the red sight laser and reflex sight help you aim and shoot the target with utmost accuracy.
- Its tubeless design with a comprehensive 33 mm reflex lens provides a broad field view that is exceptionally suitable for shooting moving targets or rapid firing.
- The device comes with a pressure pad and a switch button. Thus, you can choose anyone according to the situation’s requirement for operating the laser more easily and swiftly.
- This holographic scope fits any standard 20mm Weaver and Picatinny rails.
- Its functional switch and step-less intensity controls provide excellent and optimal visibility in any ambient lighting conditions.
Drawbacks
- The side laser mount of this device feels a little cheaply made, but if you think it causes hindrance, you can detach it.
- The red laser tends to be relatively weak for daytime use.
Extra Features
Not many devices come with additional tools and accouterments, but this product comes with 1x reflex sight, 3x wrenches, 1x cleaning cloth, 1x remote pressure pad, 1x instructions, 1xCR2032 battery, and 3x AG10 batteries.
Buying Advice
The reasonable price with decent features truly makes it the best cheap holographic sight on the market.
#5 Alternative: Sig Sauer SOR52001 Sight
Featured Specs
- Manufacturer: Sig Sauer
- Material: Aluminum.
- Sport Type: Hunting, Airsoft, Tactical & Military
- Weight: 0.15 Kilograms
Benefits
- The ultra-bright 2 MOA red dot provides ten illuminated settings for fine-tuning the sight for most light conditions.
- The product’s MOTAC (Motion Activated Illumination) automatically powers up when it senses a motion. In the same manner, it tends to power off when there’s no activity, thus saving the battery life of the sight.
- Its efficient, ultra-wide, and anti-reflection lens coatings drastically reduce any surface reflections.
- Its highly integrated M1913 Picatinny interface provides standard mounting options for numerous rifle applications.
Drawbacks
Since the scope comes with a rubber cover, it tends to tear apart when someone removes the soft shell to clean the device.
Extra Features
The device is waterproof as well as fog proof to increase the performance. In addition, this holographic sight is IPX-7 rated, issuing a strength of complete immersion up to 1 meter deep.
Buying Advice
Its universal compatibility makes it the best holographic sight for shotgun and all other types of standard firearms.
Holographic Sight FAQ
What should I look for in a holographic sight?
A holographic sight, or a red dot, becomes a must-have for maintaining and using a weapon. With many instruments available in the marketplace, it becomes difficult to choose the right fit for your gun. There are a few parameters that you should ideally go through before making a purchase.
The size of the holographic sight is its most important aspect. You must choose one that mounts on your weapon perfectly. If you are looking for a holographic sight for a small rifle, then you can go through the catalog of smaller sights. On the other hand, your rifle would require a bigger holographic sight. If the sight does not fit well with the gun, you will not be able to use it to your full potential.
Holographic sights are expensive. Therefore, it makes sense to choose one that is shock-resistant, non-corrosive, and fog-proof. It would be best if the sight were recoil-resistant, too. Gun companies have manufactured different types of reticles for different shooting distances. So make sure to buy the correct reticle on your holographic sight according to your needs.
A good holographic sight provides an excellent view of the playing field. When buying a sight, make sure it has a high aperture. It will enable you to shoot with both eyes open and eliminate blind spots. Also, check the brightness of the window so that it suits your vision correctly.
Lastly, it is crucial to verify the battery life of the holographic sight. If possible, look for smart sights that have the function to initiate a sleep mode of sorts to prevent power drainage.
Is holographic sight better than red dot?
Yes, a holographic sight is better than a red dot. While a red dot contains a red LED beam that directs you to aim your shot, a holographic sight has a much more complex mechanism. A holographic sight uses mirrors and a laser beam to send a hologram back to you without using the glass.
Both gadgets are equally durable, but holographic sights cost significantly more than red dots. This difference in costs is partly because only a handful of companies manufacture authentic holographic sights, while many companies make red dots. While red dots are made for all kinds of guns, holographic sights have not been made for handguns yet. They are heavier than red dots and a tad bulkier as well.
People who have a condition called astigmatism will see the reticle better in holographic sights than in red dots. Also, holographic sights have reticles that would allow you to aim more accurately and precisely than red dots. A holographic sight also performs better when magnification is used before it. While the red dot’s reticle will puff up under magnification, a holographic sight’s reticle will ensure that you hit your mark accurately.
Holographic sights also offer better field views than red dots. It is because you do not have to compromise your position if you are using a holographic sight.
While red dots will give your eye two things to focus on (the reticle and the target), holographic sights will provide you with both these things in one view. Therefore, holographic sights make shooting that much easier.
Which is better, reflex or holographic sight?
The primary difference between a reflex sight and a holographic sight is that a reflex sight uses an LED and an objective lens. In contrast, a holographic sight makes use of laser diodes and mirrors to form a composite image. You should know that a red dot is a type of reflex sight.
A holographic sight trumps a reflex sight in almost all tests, except the price range. Holographic sights are more expensive because there are not many manufacturers who make the product. However, other than that, holographic sights make for the best addition to your weapon. They offer better fields of view and more precise reticles.
While a holographic sight looks very similar to an open reflex sight, its internal functions are opposites. They use a powerful laser that operates through a caravan of mirrors and finally projects a hologram before your eyes along with the reticle. As a result, they offer extreme accuracy over large distances, a feat that is impossible with reflex sights.
Does the military use holographic sights?
Yes, and they have been doing this for a while now. According to the National Defense Magazine, ever since 2004, the US military has shipped professional holographic sights to soldiers embedded in the Middle East.
The US Special Operations Command has spearheaded the purchase of holographic sights from EOTech and has made sure that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have received them. SInce EOTech held the monopoly in the holographic sights market in 2004, the company formulated multi-million dollar contracts for roughly 77,000 pieces sold.
EOTech began developing the holographic sight tech back in 1996 in association with Bushnell, a company known for its binoculars and microscopes. Within five years, by the end of 2001, holographic sights began slowly trickling down into the US military.
This technology has ousted the military’s contracts with red dot manufacturers across the globe. As a result, the M68 red dots, which were a standard-issue before holographic sights came along, lost their place on top of military weapons.
As combat in close quarters became routine, the US military needed something better than a red dot for assistance. Enter the holographic sight, which was initially intended for hunting and sporting purposes. However, with the emergence of this disruptive tech, soldiers found it easier to practice the Bindon Aiming combat style with relative ease.
Now, a few other companies have started developing holographic sights. However, the military still prefers to use EOTech. Today, EOTech sights are also compatible with night vision and thermal imaging scanners.
These additions have enabled the military to develop new fighting techniques and brush up on their original ones simultaneously. Indeed, holographic sights were a breakthrough for all military organizations across the globe.
Conclusion
We hope our buying guide helped you by shedding light on the industry’s best holographic sight available on the market.
We assume that you have been using your plain red dot for centuries, but if you wish to upgrade your gear to stay updated with the trends, we highly recommend investing in a good-quality holographic sight.
All the products mentioned above feature excellent features and come in various price points suiting your needs and requirements.
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