Asking for help on Reflex red/green dot sights

Nightowl · Jan 27, 2025

I still prefer regular black Patridge front sights. But the lighting at the indoor range or my cataracts or both hide the front sight. I have some guns with the interchangeable front sights and have experimented with the white dot and gold bead. The white dot works best, but still not up to my expectations. So, I have decided that it is time to look into reflex systems. I have a Leupold red dot on my 629-5 Hunter plus, which is acceptable. So, I think I would like to find a green dot for indoor shooting at this range. I'm thinking of putting it on a 627-5. So my questions are:

1) Leupold apparently does not make a green dot so am thinking Holosun. Any suggestions?

2) Do I need a special mount or is there any reflex that can mount directly to the gun without setting the sight higher?

3) I have heard of the Allchin mounts, are they still in business?

4) I have read some not so complementary things about battery changes. Comments related to battery life?

Thank you so much for any advice. I know lots of you have a lot of experience here.

Chubbs103 · Jan 27, 2025

I've been looking at the same solution for a 625. As much as I hate to say Holosun, I think they are the answer right now. If you are OK with a plain dot, you can find deals as low as $220 for the 407. You are going to have pay at least $100 more if you want the 507 with a select-able dot/circle and dot reticle.

If your top strap is drilled and tapped, there are easy options for the mount. This is where I would like to hear peoples opinions. I am looking at the EGW mount.

Edited to add:
I forgot to address battery change. The Holosun has a sliding tray. No need to remove the sight to change the battery.

Farmer17 · Jan 29, 2025

I have a Holosun 507 on a Sig 365XL and a Holosun 510 on my 300 Blackout pistol with brace. THEY ARE AWESOME! They both have the circle dot reticle which I much prefer to a single dot and I will probably get rid of my Bushnell red dot sight. Both of them easily attached to my guns with no mounting plates but I don't know about revolver mounting. I've tried red and green and prefer red but I know many like the green. Give them a try at your local gun range with rental guns.

Onomea · Jan 31, 2025

I, too, am contemplating making the leap to a dot optic. I have red-green-brown colorblindness, and from my reading understand that green should show up better for me, especially if brightness is dialed up.

I also have astigmatism. Though that is corrected with my prescription shooting glasses, I think it would still affect how I view a dot.

Any colorblind members out there who could share their experiences and recommendations?

Fishinfool · Jan 31, 2025

Although they may exist, I am not aware of any Red Dot sights that mount directly to the top of a Smith & Wesson without using some kind of plate inbetween.

I have astigmatism as well, and I have found that how sharp and clear the dot appears can change by brand and even model. Some are pretty sharp, and some I have looked through I see nothing but a starburst pattern . For me, Vortex and Burris seem to work well. It pays to look through a bunch of different makes and models, and see what looks good to your eye. The same thing with DOT color. My eyes seem to do better with red, but a lot of people like green. I am not sure offhand which color works better for people who are color blind.

I am up to about a dozen handguns with some type of Dot sight-mounted. For older eyes, they just plain work.

Larry

GypsmJim · Jan 31, 2025

I have several red dots but they are all on Rugers. All have the WEIG-A-TINNY brand mount and I find them to be quite satisfactory. I have seen pictures of S&W models and they look similar.

The truth is that I rarely have to replace a battery. All my reflexes require removing the sight and when re-installed I really don't see a major deviation. In fact usually I don't have to make a change at all.

I have one Bushnell that has a top loading battery AND a switch for multiple apertures. It's on a Ruger Mark 2 long barrel. It's kinda cumbersome and clunky and I'm not sure I would put it on a revolver, though the battery change is easy.

I have astigmatism and cataracts and bifocals and the reflex has made a world of difference. A couple of rifles with both red and green. I usually use the red - better vision for me. I am NOT color blind.

I can eliminate fuzzy dots by head movement and glasses positioning. All the brands look the same to me.

A10 · Jan 31, 2025

Fishinfool said:
Although they may exist, I am not aware of any Red Dot sights that mount directly to the top of a Smith & Wesson without using some kind of plate inbetween.

I have astigmatism as well, and I have found that how sharp and clear the dot appears can change by brand and even model. Some are pretty sharp, and some I have looked through I see nothing but a starburst pattern . For me, Vortex and Burris seem to work well. It pays to look through a bunch of different makes and models, and see what looks good to your eye. The same thing with DOT color. My eyes seem to do better with red, but a lot of people like green. I am not sure offhand which color works better for people who are color blind.

I am up to about a dozen handguns with some type of Dot sight-mounted. For older eyes, they just plain work.

Larry

I think the Holosun SCS comes in a direct mount for the S&Ws. I have one on my Glock 20 MOS.

I have Holosun 510Cs the aforementioned SCS, and a Vortex Sparc Solar. The SCS uses a capacitor in place of a battery and in theory will run 100 hours without a light source to charge it. The Sparc Solar supposedly can go a quarter million hours between battery changes. The 510C is about 50,000 hours on a medium setting. I like that they all are motion activated. The Sparc is a single dot reticle while the Holosuns have the circle dot. Both work well for me. I also have astigmatism so the dots are a little fuzzy, but at the intended ranges that won't matter much.

EDIT:

SCS MP2-Holosun

Retail is less than MSRP

STORMINORMAN · Jan 31, 2025

There is an EGW mounting plate for S&W revolvers that accepts the Vortex/Burris/Doctor footprint AND has an adaptor plate available for the aimpoint/ACRO footprint as well.

This opens up a world of additional choices. One could go with a very inexpensive Vortex Viper ($110 at Optics Planet NOW!) but very fine basic red dot with a lifetime warranty to see if red dots work for you, then be able to look at other models with more features, even Enclosed Emitters, i.e. Aimpoint, Steiner, Holosun EPS, etc. (I have a Viridian RX45 Green Dot "mailbox-style" on my M&P 40 PC C.O.R.E. that I just LOVE!)

Just an alternative way to determine ju$t how far you wish to go...?

Cheers!

P.S. Replacing a battery is no big deal and seldom requires any further re-adjustment. Unless one has a problem getting the reflex sight adjusted the 1st time...?

Asking for help on Reflex red/green dot sights

Nightowl

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Chubbs103

US Veteran

Farmer17

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Onomea

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Fishinfool

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GypsmJim

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A10

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STORMINORMAN

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