Home EOTech Quick Tip: Red Dot vs Holographic vs Prism Sights

Quick Tip: Red Dot vs Holographic vs Prism Sights

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You’ll often hear their names used interchangeably, and often they’re all just lumped together as “red dot sights.” When you look through them at a target, they all project a red dot on the target. But there are differences between red dot, holographic, and prism sights, as Brownells Gun Tech™ @CalebSavant explains. RED DOT sights include compact pistol sights like the Burris FastFire and Leupold DeltaPoint or larger rifle sights like the Trijicon MRO and Aimpoint Duty RDS or Micro H / T series. Red dots typically have dots no smaller than 2 MOA but offer the longest battery life.

HOLOGRAPHIC sights, like the classic EOTech HWS series of rifle sights, are the most robust and offer the smallest dot sizes, down to 1 MOA. The reticles on red dots and holographic sights are usually just projected on the lens. A PRISM sight’s reticle is etched into the glass and then illuminated. The benefit is that if the battery dies or the (usually very robust) electronics fail, you can still see the reticle and use the sight. Many prism optics also have magnification, while red dots and holographic sights tend to be 1x. Popular prism optics include the Trijicon ACOG and the Swampfox Blade / Trihawk / Saber series.

If you’d want to take a deeper dive into these types of sights, check out our other video, “Tech Tip: Comparing Red Dot, Holographic & Prism Sights”

Link to the longer video-

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27 COMMENTS

  1. I’m trying to decide between a red or green PA 1x prism, for use with a flashlight, do you guys know if green would get washed out with the flashlight in low light conditions, or would it probably be fine?

  2. The principle advantage to a 1x prism is for those who have problems with bloom or streaking of typical red dots. This may be sign you have astigmatism in one or both eyes. Prism optics won't show those problems even if you have severe astigmatism. If you do see problems with a red dot break out your phone camera and look through the optic using your phone screen. Assuming you can get the focus to cooperate, if you don't see any distortions of your reticle on your phone then the problem is your eye and a prism sight is probably the solution. But also see an eye doctor about whether you should get corrective lenses.

  3. Question is : what to use or do if when you’re looking through the red dot and see star burst or 1.5 red dot … I like using red dot , but some times at 50 yard plus it’s hard to tell which one is the REAL red dot to use

  4. I'm really waiting for the perfect prism etched reticle true 1x with massive field of view and the size of a red dot😔, I'll pay 1,500 for one, still half the cost of lasik for astigmatism 😂😂

  5. I'm a prism convert and advocate. I've used many high end types. The prism was a game changer. Etched reticle, focusable reticle, good battery life due to etched reticle. I love me PA gen 2.

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