Red dot sights vs prism sights: what's the difference?
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Hey all, we here at True Shot Ammo want to go over red dot sights and prism sights. These two popular types of optics are used by a wide range of shooters. Our goal here is to provide an overview of these types of optics while delving into their features and traits. We will also examine the pros and cons of each type of optic. Without further ado, let’s explore red dot sights and prism sights.
What is a Red Dot Sight?
A red dot sight, like the name suggests, is a type of optic which typically features a single red dot as the reticle. These types of sights will typically be battery powered while some other models are powered by things such as tritium. While the color "red" is in the name, sights of this type are also available in different colors such as green. These types of sights offer no magnification themselves but are often paired up with magnifiers. It is also worth noting that these optics have "unlimited" eye relief and do not have restrictive eyeboxes like magnified optics. While red dot sights typically utilize simple dot reticles, there are some models which use more complex reticles. Typically, these other reticles will mirror the “donut of death” reticle popularized by EOTech holographic weapon sights.
Red dot sights are also available in a wide range of sizes and form factors. Micro red dot sights such as the Trijicon RMR and Aimpoint ACRO are incredibly versatile and can be mounted on multiple firearms in many ways. Classical style red dot sights, such as the Aimpoint PRO, feature 30mm tubes which are accommodated by a wide variety of mounting solutions. These types of red dot sights can serve as primary optics on a pistol, rifle, or shotgun or as secondary optics in a piggyback or offset capacity.
What is a Prism Sight?
Prism sights utilize etched reticles and are more like traditional optics than their red dot counterparts. These types of optics feature etched reticles, meaning that a reference point for aiming is always present with these sights. Prism sights will typically feature illuminated reticles powered by batteries, fiber optic systems, or tritium. Some models, like Trijicon ACOGs, will utilize both fiber optics and tritium to illuminate their reticle.
These types of optics can offer various levels of fixed magnification. Typically, prism sights can range from 1x to 6x magnification. Some prism sights, like the Elcan Specter DR, are capable of switching between multiple levels of magnification. Offerings with higher levels of magnification will often come with a reticle conducive to shooting at extended ranges. These reticles will typically include a form of bullet drop compensator (BDC) reticle which aid a shooter in ranging their target and predicting drop at different distances. Regardless of whether magnification is present, prism optics are incredibly versatile and efficient sighting solutions.
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Pros and Cons: Red Dot Sights
Pros:
- Rapid target acquisition.
- Multiple brightness levels allow an end user to tune the reticle to their preferences. Most red dot sights now have night vision (NV) compatible settings which make them appropriate for night shooting.
- Red dot sights can be mounted in a myriad of ways, making them very versatile. Many red dot sights utilize common mounting footprints.
- There are a wide variety of red dot sights on the market, giving potential buyers options in multiple price tiers.
Cons:
- If the shooter has an astigmatism, the reticle may appear fragmented and distorted. Essentially, one may see an odd, streaked reticle rather than the simple dot they are expecting to see.
- The reticle requires a battery to be visible. Simply put, the sight is functionally useless without a battery.
- Zero magnificiation is provided by standard red dot sights. If one desire magnification, they must pair their sight with a magnifier, requiring an additional purchase and taking up more space on the firearm.
Pros and Cons: Prism Sights
Pros:
- Prism optics have etched reticles, meaning that the reticle will always be present regardless of whether the optic is powered. If you have a battery powered prism optic and that runs dry, you will still be able to see the reticle.
- Shooters with astigmatisms will be able to clearly see the reticle on a prism optic. This is because these optics are not using the same collimator technology that red dot sights do.
- The magnification provided by some prism optics allows one to utilize a magnified optic in a compact package. A magnified prism optic takes up significantly less space than something like a scope.
- Several prism optics are able to accommodate micro red dot sights in a piggyback style mount. Sights like the Vortex Optics Spitfire HD Gen II 5x and most of the Trijicon ACOG models can easily accept piggyback mounted red dot sights.
Cons:
- One will have to work within the eye relief of their optic to use a prism sight. Unlike red dot sights, prism scopes have an eyebox which one must be aware of to achieve a proper sight picture. This must be considered when mounting the optic on a rifle.
- Fewer mounting options for these optics than their red dot counterparts. While aftermarket mounts exist, these sights cannot be mounted in the same ways that red dots can.
- There are fewer prism optic options on the market compared to red dot sights. This means that a potential purchaser will have less options to choose from when selecting an optic.
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Who Makes Red Dot Sights?
Red dot sights are some of the most common optics one will encounter on the market. Sights of this type are manufactured by companies such as Aimpoint, Lead and Steel, Holosun, and Trijicon just to name a few. Most companies that manufacture red dot sights produce a wide array of options which are suitable for many use cases. Red dot sights are typically manufactured in of countries such as China, Germany, and the United States just to name a few.
Who Makes Prism Sights?
There is a growing number of prism sight models available on the market. When people think of prism sights, their mind usually thinks of the ACOG series of sights produced by Trijicon. Besides Trijicon, companies such as Primary Arms, Vortex Optics, and Hawke Optics produce prism sights. Optics of this style are manufactured in the United States, China, and Canada. Presently, there are less optics of this style on the market than their red dot counterparts.
Conclusion
All in all, these two types of optics are trusted by shooters of all types. Both red dot sights and prism sights have been utilized by armed professionals and proven in hard use scenarios. Whether you end up running a red dot or prism sight is ultimately up to you to determine. A shooter should examine their potential use cases and pick the best optic to suit their needs. Regardless of the type of optic you choose, you will inevitably need to build proficiency and train with it. We here at True Shot have a wide variety of ammunition which will help you hone your skills.
Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at sales@trueshotammo.com for more ammo options.
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