Sightmark Reflex or Barska Red Dot?

M

MOEinME

Member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Sightmark Reflex: $39.97
Scopes, Red Dot Scopes, Sightmark Multi - Reticle Reflex Sight, By Landmark at Sportsman's Guide

Barska Red Dot: $29.99
50MM RED DOT BARSKA SCOPE - AR-15 Scopes & Mounts by BARSKA

Can't decide between these two. I like the idea of the Sightmark because the one reflex sight I have used was very fun to look through. I don't know what brand/model that was since I wasn't paying attention at the time, and didn't have a 15-22 to accessorize. Also, I like the four-reticle feature. However, I need to be able to see it in sunlight.

The Barska is a good deal; it only has a red dot reticle, but for some reason I have it in my head that I'll be able to see this better in sunlight. Has anyone here used this sight? I haven't found this particular model mentioned on the forum yet.

I'm leaning toward the Sightmark, but am afraid of being disappointed and wishing I'd gone with the slightly less cool Barska.
 
Register to hide this ad
I can't argue that it may be 100 times better, but I'm looking for "dirt cheap" too, and $70 for the M3 is only "cheap." :-)

Buuuut, since you mentioned it, I'll ask another question: The M3 has a "ring size" of 30mm, while the Barska has an "exit pupil" of 50mm. Is the advantage of the much larger field of view of the Barska outweighed by the higher quality of the M3?

Lots of questions, I'm new to anything but my MOE's MBUS...
 
I have the same sight on my S&W 22A hand gun. I have around 600 rounds though the gun with it. IT works pretty well. I have used it indoors and out. It was very bright day and the reticule still showed up well.

I have ordered (2) Barska products. A 3-9X40 for $60.00 and it works. Not great, not total junk, some place in between. The other Barska product went back. The reticule was canted and after about 200 rounds through my Mini-14 the reticule started to get real fuzzy. I could have lived with the canted reticule, but when it started to go fuzzy, it went back.

I know with Chicom products, it can be hit or miss. Not sure I will order Barska again. Maybe if I hear good things about it, but not any time soon.


Buzz
 
I've got a barska 50mm and to be honest I was pretty disappointed with it they hold zero well but there fit and finish is horrible and you can't use the full 50mm the dot blurs out if you get over the least bit to far... add 10 dollars to that and buy a hammers off ebay for 50 shipped we have bought 3 of them lately and have been totally impressed with them
 
Look at the offerings from RRages dot com. He carries many clone sights and the descriptions are accurate, delivery was fast. I have two of the Aimpoint clones from him and they ain't Aimpoints by any stretch of the imagination, but both work well on the M&P15-22. Will mount one on a 5.56mm later in the summer and see how it holds up as well.

You need the "high" mount to allow the dot to co-witness with the iron sights. The sights come standard with low mounts that require removal of the M&P15-22 sights.

All the dots seem pretty big, 5MOA seems common. My real M68 COO (Aimpoint CompM) is a bit more precise at 3MOA.

All this stuff is ChiCom (PRC) but the quality seems pretty good. It's the optics (they're a bit dark) and electronics that are more basic, hence $80 - $120 for a clone vs. $450 for a real CompML2 which they'll be glad to sell you too! I prefer to spend less on the sight than the rifle!

M68 on top; clone on bottom:

26316329-IMG_2010_02_06_0121_s.JPG


-- Chuck
 
I have the SightMark.

Good- Has a very small sharp dot probably 2MOA. Holds zero well.

Not Good - Set screw adjustments not definite click. In bright sunlight the small 2MOA reticle fads away to near invisible and for that reason it will likely terminally rest in my gun closet optics box.

Rather than the Barska, you might consider going to Walmart and picking up the Tasco for $29. They are probably made at the same Chinese labor camp, but since you don't really know what you want..... if you find that you don't like the red dot you can take it back to Walmart. If you chose the Barska or Tasco (or any of that style) you will need a riser. Below is a pic of what it will look like-- not the most tacticool.
 

Attachments

  • DSC02309.jpg
    DSC02309.jpg
    102 KB · Views: 457
  • DSC01852.jpg
    DSC01852.jpg
    68.4 KB · Views: 398
MOEinME said:
I can't argue that it may be 100 times better, but I'm looking for "dirt cheap" too, and $70 for the M3 is only "cheap." :-)

Buuuut, since you mentioned it, I'll ask another question: The M3 has a "ring size" of 30mm, while the Barska has an "exit pupil" of 50mm. Is the advantage of the much larger field of view of the Barska outweighed by the higher quality of the M3?

Lots of questions, I'm new to anything but my MOE's MBUS...
Click to expand...


So you budget is more like under $50, correct? $70 for the Primary Arms (or 80 with the high mount) is a pretty good price for what it is, but there are other decent optics for less.

The largest problems you run into with cheap optics is the glass clarity and dot cohesion. Paying $400 gets you a perfectly clear, bombproof sight body with a dot that is a perfect circle. As you go cheap the glass will have a tint to it, or the lens grind will have an optical distortion which makes using your sights difficult or even looking through difficult.

The cheaper dots will not be concentrated well. The $70 Primary Arms dot I have is pretty decent for a cheap dot, but it's got a rough outline and has a bit of a tail toward the emitter. Even cheaper dots will be a ragged splotch and make it difficult to see the target.

In the matter of 30mm vs. 50mm: Red dots are best used with both eyes open, focusing on the target (contrary to focusing on the front sight for iron sight shooting). Keeping both eyes open will cause much of the body of the sight to ghost out of your field of view. The benefit of the 50mm is that as you get away from the centerline of the sight the dot will "follow" so you get more leeway in how your head is lined up behind the sight. For acquiring the dot this is good, for repeatable shooting this is bad. Ideally you would like to be in the same position for every shot so it really isn't necessary. The 50mm size will also allow more light into the lenses. This is the enemy of red dots, and you'll need to turn it to a higher intensity, which will further degrade the dot's cohesion in cheaper dots. A good dot will look exactly the same on setting 1 in a dark room as it will on setting 5 (or whatever the proper setting is) on a sunny day outdoors.

Here is a picture I took a few days ago through my Primary Arms M3. You can see with the MBUS sights up it's easy to use them, and flipping them down and raising your sightline up slightly will give you an unobstructed view. You can see that the glass is not clear. It's distortion free, but it has a greenish hue that the camera makes very apparent.
IMG_0490.jpg
 
It sounds like if I want to be happy with whatever I get, I need to look through some inexpensive optics and see if they meet my expectations.

gohtar, I didn't see a price on that sight at the link you posted. Do you use that cheap reflex in daylight? And does it hold zero?
 
I've got a Sightmark Sure Shot Reflex Sight SM13003B on my 15-22 and it seems to work just fine. It holds target quite well and seems plenty visible to me on a sunny day at the sand pit (I favor the cross.. ymmv with the dot). I have it mounted just forward of the point where the handguard meets the upper receiver and it's quick and easy to acquire a target with both eyes open. Battery life seems pretty fair and construction is better than I expected it to be for the price I paid (which was in the low $40's with shipping). When the budget allows I'll probably upgrade, but for now I'm quite happy with what I've got.
 
Last edited:
Stay away, stay FAR away from the Sightmark

That Sightmark was a POS for me. Both the original and the replacement. Non uniform dots, POA shifts for different dot styles, invisibility in anything but a dark and stormy night, etc...
 
Yeah, I have used it in daylight with no issue and it has held zero through about 700 rounds so far.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Grayfox
Replacement handguard?
Replies
8
Views
2K
Faulkner
Faulkner
N
Proper in/lbs of torque for red dot?
Replies
5
Views
5K
yeti
yeti
G
Need Help with Zero-ing Iron Sights and Factory Red Dot
Replies
5
Views
2K
bamashooter
bamashooter
T
Drop in Handguard & sight help!
Replies
0
Views
1K
Thirsty Traveler
T
MTC(SS)Ret
Riton Optics red dot question
Replies
0
Views
1K
MTC(SS)Ret
MTC(SS)Ret

Latest posts

Back
Top