Best Budget Red Dot Sight for Guns – 2022

If you are looking for some best budget red dot sights? then you’re at the right place.

You must know that red dot sight offers a better target acquisition and give you a better shooting experience when compared to iron sights. You know how good the red dot sights are.

Everyone knows that good red dot sights are mostly costly and can have a huge impact on your pocket. Just to help you with the best budget red dot sights, I am here to list out the top red dot sights that you can buy under your budget.

You will find the best red dot sights for more than $400 usually. I did a quick go through and found some of the best budget red dot sights under $200 for you. You can use these red dot sights on your AR-15 pistol or any gun. You will also find some more budget-oriented options as well.

Preview

Holosun HS403C - best budget red dot

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Vortex Crossfire

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Bushnell TRS-25

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List of Best Red Dot Sight In Market-

1- Holosun HS403C & HS403B

Holosun HS403C - best budget red dot

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Holosun is my favorite when it comes to budget red dot sights for my rifles and carbines. They are really good at what they offer in a budget price range.

If you are someone who is just a beginner and have a tight budget then they are going to be your first choice. They offer a wide variety of products in under $200 budget. You don’t have to worry about the durability and reliability of these products. I’ve done the research and the people who use Holosun products who recommend this to everyone.

You will not find some of the Holosun features in any of the other brands. However, they offer some really great features like the extended battery life of up to 50,000+ hours and some other unheard features as well.

With these amazing features at such a budget price range, Holosun becomes the #1 choice for best budget red dot sights for self-defense or the range.

The best one is Holosun HS403C. In other words, I’m saying this after reviewing countless options available in the market and I’ve also considered Holosun HS403C as the best red dot sights under $200 for my AR-15 rifle. You can use it in any other rifle/long gun.

Advantages

They are famous for their USP i.e the “Solar Failsafe” technology. With this feature, the HS403C optic can use the sunlight to get energy/charged. You can also use battery power in case of low light conditions.

With these dual sources of energy, there will always be a power backup option for you.

According to the manufacturers, they claim that the battery of the HS403C can alone power the optic for about 50,000 hours at the standard brightness level. I’m sure that they won’t disappoint you but I will recommend you to replace the batteries in case you are using it for something serious.

Features of HS403C Red Dot Sight

  • Solar and battery-powered
  • Up to 50,000 hours of battery life
  • Automatic or manual brightness adjustments
  • 2 Night vision settings
  • 2 MOA dot size
  • 20mm window
  • Comes with low mount and lower 1/3 co-witness mount
  • Weighs 4.3 oz
  • 2.44″ X 1.18″ X 1.45″
  • 6061 aluminum housing
  • Functional between temperatures of -22°F to 140°F
  • Submersible up to 1 meter for half an hour
  • 0.5 MOA adjustments

Vortex

Vortex is also a great optic manufacturer that is known to manufacture high-quality budget red dot sights. They are really good manufactures of sights, rifle scopes, and binoculars.

In conclusion, the company offers a wide range of products in different price ranges. No matter how tight or high is your budget, they have got everything in almost every price range. This is the reason I am a great fan of Vortex.

You can get budget red dot sights in under 200$ as well.

You will get great quality products from Vortex, it’s high-quality products and no questions asked warranty makes it different from other manufacturers.

They offer 2 different red dot sights. Let’s have a look at each of them

2- Vortex Venom – Best Budget Pistol Red Dot Sights Around $200

Vortex Venom - BEST budget red dot

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Okay, this one isn’t always priced under $200, but it’s usually right around there. In addition to a pistol light, a red dot sight is one of the best accessories you can add to any pistol, and this red dot lets you do this at an affordable price.

The Venom is available with either a 3 MOA or 6 MOA dot size. While it’s most often used for pistols, it also comes with a Picatinny mount for use on rifles, shotguns, and carbines.

It uses a CR 1632 battery that can last up to 30,000 hours on the lowest setting and 150 hours on the brightest setting. The Venom has 10 brightness settings in total, and it offers automatic brightness adjustments, as well as an automatic shutoff after 14 hours. I also love that the battery can be replaced from the top without needing to remove the optic.

Vortex’s Venom sight has an ultra-low profile and weighs just 1.1 oz.

3- Sparc II

Vortex Sparc II

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The Sparc II is likely the most rugged red dot sight you’ll find for under $200; its robust housing and protective lens covers make it feel like the most durable choice on our list. It’s also the largest optic we’ll be covering in this guide (3.1″ long by 1.1″ tall, weighs 5.9 oz).

In terms of performance, the Sparc II has exceptionally clear glass, especially for an optic at this price range, with a 22mm objective lens.

Unfortunately, the Sparc AR is missing some of the features found in the similarly priced Holosun HS403C. The battery life is only 300 hours at max brightness and 5,000 hours at minimum brightness. It has an automatic shutoff feature after 12 hours but does not have motion sensors to turn back on like the HS403B.

Therefore, I prefer an optic I can always leave on and be sure it’ll have power for use on a self-defense rifle, leaving me favoring the Holosun options above for use on my AR-15.

With that said, the Sparc II is a good choice if Vortex’s lifetime warranty is important to you.

  • 2 MOA Dot
  • 10 Brightness Levels
  • 1 MOA windage and elevation adjustments
  • Absolute and Lower 1/3 co-witness mounting heights
  • Waterproof and Shockproof

4- Vortex Crossfire

Vortex Crossfire

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Priced below the Sparc II, this is my favorite budget red dot sight for target practice and casual use.

It actually offers far better battery life than the SPARC II at 50,000 hours on its medium brightness setting according to its manual. This setting is plenty bright for most indoor use or cloudy days. Though it doesn’t have an auto-shutoff feature, you can turn it off by moving the dial between any of its 11 brightness settings. This makes it easier to quickly turn it on to the same setting you last used.

I bought this for the lightweight AR-15 I use for plinking because it was so affordable, but it’s also a reasonable option for a budget home-defense red dot sight.

  • 2 MOA Dot
  • 11 Brightness Settings
  • Up to 50,000 hours of battery life
  • 1 MOA Adjustments
  • 2.5″ Long by 1.1″ Tall
  • 5.2 oz
  • Clear Glass
  • Skeletonized Lower 1/3 Mount
  • Waterproof

5- Ozark Armament Rhino – Best Red Dot Under $100



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While there’s no perfect option priced this low, the Ozark Armament Rhino is the best red dot sight under $100 that I’ve used.

Relative to other ultra-budget options, it feels rugged. The manufacturer also claims it’s able to handle recoil up to 50 BMG. While I haven’t tested it to those extremes, it’s done a relatively fine job maintaining zero on my AR-15s.

It has both a red and green 4 MOA dot with 5 brightness settings each. The sight picture isn’t the best, but I like it more than other options under $100.

My only complaint is that the mount it comes with doesn’t seem to be a perfect fit.

With that said, it’s the best option I’ve found at such a low price.

  • Both Red and Green Dots In the Same Sight.
  • 4 MOA Dot Size Brightness Settings for Each Color Dot.
  • Up to 3,000 Hours of Battery Life at Medium Setting (1 CR2032 Lithium Battery).
  • 28mm Objective Lens
  • 9.7 oz w/ Lower 1/3 Mount
  • Roughly 5″ Long w/ Lower 1/3 Mount
  • 0.5 MOA Windage and Elevation Adjustments

6- Bushnell TRS-25

Bushnell TRS-25

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You are not going to get a lot of options of best red dot sights in $100, the Bushnell TRS-25 is the only option you can have for your rifle. It can be considered good for casual range use. It is going to be the best choice and will be in your use if and only if you have a tight budget of $100. You can choose this one if you want to avoid using the iron sights.

I’ve got the Bushnell TRS-25 from Amazon. It was a best-seller at that time and my first experience buying a red dot under $100. I must say, It’s a good option in this price range.

Features Of Bushnell TRS-25

  • 3 MOA Dot
  • 11 Brightness Settings
  • 25mm Objective Lens
  • 2.48″ Long
  • 4.0 oz
  • It does not come with the mount, but you can pair it with this cheap Picatinny Short Riser Mount.

Conclusion

Wrapping up my list of best budget red dot sights, I would recommend you to go for the Holosun HS403C if you have a budget. You can also look for the red dot magnifier for better zoom in. I’ve kept it on the top of the list because the value it provides as such a price range is exceptional.

In case, you have a tighter budget you can easily for the Vortex’s Crossfire. It is also a good option for the best red dot sights. Bushnell TRS-25 can also be your choice if you are looking for best red dot sights under 100$ ( it has limited features and it won’t provide such value.)

Happy Hunting!

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