I just purchased a Tasco Red Dot from Wallyworld to try before I purchase a more expensive one. My plan is if it works great, then I would keep it and if it doesn't I will return it and buy a better one.

The look and feel seem good for a $33 red dot. The only thing is that the dot has some artifacts (ghosting the term?) to the NW of the dot. It is not as bright as the dot but it is bigger and less bright/ less dense.

Is this just how it performs or did I get a lemon?

I have two of them and they are great for the price. I shoot steel plates at 50 yards with one on my Ruger 22/45. Take yours back for an exchange.

Quick question, I noticed that it doesn't co-witness with my from sight. It seems a bit low. It I just take the iron front sight off, should I still add a riser?

no, thats how they are. i've had 2 or 3 of them now and they dont have a very clean dot in the middle. I have noticed alot of that pixalation goes away when outside in bright day light

Co-witness with the front sight? I'm not sure what you mean by that. Co-witness means you can use either the dot or the iron sights(both front and rear) through the red dot sights glass. It does not mean you combine the dot into aiming with one of the iron sights. The only reason you would need to worry about co-witness is if your red dot went down you could continue to use the weapon without having to remove the red dot. I guess you could also zero one sight to a differrent range than the other.

In my experience when switching to the red dot sight it seemed blurry and to have odd artifacts as well. In my case it was because I was not used to focusing on the target like one would do with a red dot. I always used iron sights and was accustomed to focusing on that front sight. I'm not saying this is your case but I think it's something to consider.

I had the same problem with a NCStar red/green dot sight. At first I thought I got a lemon from the batch. After a visit to a local store and examined another NCStar, it had the same problem.
I saw a similar sight (red only) from BSA on a friend's gun and his sight looked clean. I sinced returned the NCStar and ordered BSA...it cost about $5 more.

you get what you pay for. buy a better sight you'll be happier in the long run.

Good point. Quite often it is the user eyes, glasses and/or their point of focus. Ghosting is one symptom, and/or the dot appearing as several small dots.

Here is what the user can do. Take the scope off the firearm. Rotate the scope while looking through it. If the ghosting and/or dots stay in the same position (they don't rotate with the scope) then the scope is not the problem, it's the operator.

Since I moved my Bushnell to my 5.56, I put my cheap Tasco RedDot back on my 15-22, and it works fine. Yes, I had to put a riser on my 15-22 to get a comfortable sight-line:
Old pics
Once I put the riser on, I did get what some people call an "absolute co-witness" (where the dot sits on top of your front sight post since the optic and irons are on the same sight plane).
However, since I'm now using the rear MBUS on my 5.56, I just removed the front MBUS.

What riser are you using?

This one:
Leapers UTG Deluxe Medium Profile Picatinny-Style Riser Mount AR-15 Flattop Matte - MidwayUSA

Leapers/UTG gear is pretty inexpensive and I would not run it on a 5.56, but it works fine on the 15-22.

Co-witness means you can use either the dot or the iron sights(both front and rear) through the red dot sights glass.

Can you ever prefectly Co-witness??? At 25 yards my iron sights are dead on. With my red/green dot looking dead on through my appature sights the dot right on the front site point I am slightly low. If I chick up on the Aimpoint. I am slightly high. If I try the sight's that came on it does the exact opposite, so I am on the very edge.

Is this the nature of the beast??? Never tryed Co-witnessing before.
Also shooting $.50 cent size groups either way.

Guy22

Tasco is going back to Wallyworld.

I have a Primary Arms M4 on its way. Hopefully it will be a bit better quality. Also it looks to have a high mount so it should cowitness.