In the past few years, the AR-15 market has exploded in terms of units sold, most of those rifles featured a flat top M4 style upper rail, a perfect spot to place a red dot style optic. We decided that after reviewing many optics over the last two-plus years that we would put together a list of red dot sight optics that we felt offered quality & affordability, at a price of under $300.
Why $300 you might ask? Our thought process is that a quality optic should cost roughly 1/2- 1/3 of the price of the gun it is sitting on. In the 2020 firearms market, we have been seeing most AR-15’s with a suggested retail price of between $700-$1200 dollars so we set our parameters accordingly.
At a Glance: Best Red Dots
- OUR TOP PICK: Sig Sauer Romeo 5
- BEST RATED: Holosun Paralow HS503G
- BEST PRISM SCOPE: Vortex Spitfire Prism
- RUNNER UP: Bushnell Optics TRS-25 Hirise Red Dot Sight
- MOST COMPACT: Sig Sauer ROMEO5 XDR Compact Red Dot Sight
So it’s not by chance that right around the time the AR-15 market grew that the number of red dot sight optics on the market also increased substantially. The problem with many of the optics on the market is that they often cost almost as much as the rifle they are sitting on. Aimpoint, EOTech, Trijicon were well-known and respected manufacturers who offered fantastic optics but were outside the price range for many budget-minded shooters. This fact was not lost on some manufactures and several have swept in to offer a wide range of well-built red dot sight, all price at levels that don’t put a huge hurt on your wallet.
We chose five optics that we listed below in no particular order. Each red dot sight is listed with a few highlights, an average price point, and at least one website where you can purchase them yourself. All of the optics listed have either been owned or reviewed by our staff.
THE LIST
#1.) Sig Sauer Romeo 5
The Sig Sauer Romeo 5 is a relatively new offering from Sig Sauer’s optics division and combines a waterproof aluminum case, a ridiculously long battery life, simple controls, and a 2 MOA red dot in a package that averages between $169.00-$259.00. The optic also comes with 1.41″ tall riser for shooters that want their optic to sit a little bit higher. To top it off it has 2-night vision modes and an on/off motion switch.
ROMEO 5 HIGHLIGHTS:
- 2 MOA Dot
- 40,000 Hour Run Time
- Simple two-button control
- Can be found for under $170.00
- Features Sig’s MOTAC automatic on/off feature
- 20mm Objective lens
- 10 Brightness settings
This optic is currently being reviewed long-term by us and has split time between a semi-automatic .22LR rifle and a .223 caliber AR-15 with a 16″ barrel.
#2.) Holosun Paralow HS503G
The Holosun HS503G is an optic that offers what we come to expect from a small red dot sight optic but with a few twists. Holosun has managed to build an optic that offers price, durability, simple controls AND a Close Quarter Battle (CQB) style reticle.
This reticle is the patented ACSS reticle that offers shooters the modularity of being able to use it and zero it correctly across several rifle calibers as well as 12 gauge shotgun chambering. When you combine all these features and offer it at $219.99 you have our attention.
HOLOSUN HS 503G HIGHLIGHTS:
- CQB Style Reticle
- Weighs 4.87 Oz
- Uses a single CR2032 battery
- Using “zero” ranges of 25, 50, or 100 yards, the ACSS BDC is compatible with the following calibers:
- 5.56 NATO / 5.45×39 from 100 to 600 yards
- 300 BLK / 7.62×39 from 50 to 450 yards
- 12 gauge 1 oz. slug from 25 to 150 yards
- 7.62x54R from 100 to 600 yards
- 7.62 NATO / .308 Win from 100 to 600 yards
- 300 BLK 220 gr subsonic from 50 to 150 yards
- .22LR 40 gr from 50 to 175 yards
- 9mm carbine 115gr from 25 to 200 yards
#3.) Vortex Spitfire Prism
Vortex is a manufacturer that we trust to deliver outstanding quality and price combined with a no question asked lifetime warranty. The company is well-known for its more expensive variable-powered optics but has been making waves with its non-magnified optics like the Spitfire Prism red dot sight. The optic uses a single AA sized battery and features a “non-standard” 25 mm objective lens. The reticle on the Spitfire is a dual circle pattern that aids shooters in target acquisition time. Lifetime warranty, easy-to-see reticle, and legendary Vortex build quality will run you an average of $249.00 well under our $300 price target.
VORTEX SPITFIRE HIGHLIGHTS:
- 25 mm objective lens
- Lifetime Warranty
- Dual circle reticle
- Uses one AA battery
- 4″ Overall Length
- Easy to use rotary illumination control
#4.) Bushnell Optics TRS-25 Hirise Red Dot Sight
The Bushnell TRS-25 is a red dot optic I have bought and sold a few times, usually, it leaves my collection when I trade rifles, and I generally regret it a few days after the trade. The TRS-25 is by far the cheapest red dot sight in the Top 5 line up but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in any way. Bushnell Optics TRS-25 Hirise 1x25mm Red Dot Riflescope with Riser Block
A 3.0 MOA dot and a 25 mm objective lens make up the heart of this little red dot sight. The overall length of the TRS-25 is roughly 2.4 inches and features a simple rotary control set onto of the optic in the 10 O’clock position. At under $100 the TRS-25 allows even the shooter on the tightest budget to get an optic with a lifetime warranty.
In short, this sight is the classic. It’s the #1 rated scope on Amazon and has thousands of positive reviews.. and for the price, this is a no brainer.
BUSHNELL TRS-25 HIGHLIGHTS:
- 11 brightness settings
- 25 mm objective
- Hi-Rise Mount Included
- 3 MOA Dot
- 2.4″ Overall length
- Uses one CR2032 battery
#5.) Sig Sauer ROMEO5 XDR Compact Red Dot Sight
The Sig Sauer Romeo5 XDR is the biggest and most expensive of all the optics in the Top 5 but slides in at just under our price cap. The Romeo5 XDR’s most notable attributes are its 30mm diameter aluminum body tube and it’s 2 MOA dot. The optic comes with a built-in low mount base which doesn’t allow users to run a higher base on the optic. There are ten brightness settings including two for infrared settings. This optic is currently undergoing testing on a Sig Sauer model 556 Classic Swat. The total round count that I have fired with this optic on my rifle is only 500 rounds at this time. It has recently dropped in price from over $350 to under 300 at some retailers to squeak into our top 5.
SIG SAUER ROMEO5 XDR HIGHLIGHTS:
- 2 MOA Red-Dot with 10 illumination options
- Features Sig Sauers MOTAC automatic on/off feature – which can enhance battery life to over 50,000 hours
- Can be found at well under $300.00
- Only available with low mount
- Uses one AA battery
- Small illumination control dial at rear of the optic
- Waterproof up to 1 meter and fog resistance lense
So, What is the Best Red Dot Sight Under 300?
Any of the five red dot sight optics we have reviewed would be a perfect addition to any carbine that features a picatinny style accessory rail. All of them offer simple controls and a wide range of illumination settings, many of them also have lifetime warranties. Our selections offer a little bit of something for everyone and cover several price points, we did this on purpose. In our mind the selection of the TRS-25 allows users to purchase and try a red dot style optic and not risk a large amount of money. If a shooter likes shooting with red dots they can always rotate the TRS-25 to another rifle and move up the food chain to more expensive and slightly larger optics like the Sig Sauer Romeo 5.
What are you using for red dot sight optics? Are you running a budget optic? a different model of Holosun or Primary Arms optic or did you save up and get a Trijicon MRO or Aimpoint T1 Micro? We want to hear from our readers and know what are you running and why?
For even less hurt on your wallet, we did a review onThe Best Red Dots for AR-15 Under $200
We will continue to update this review as new products are released.
