Lately, I’ve been indulging myself in shooting as a hobby, and when it came to it, I couldn’t shoot without an optic! So I went for some online optical shopping and was confused between holographic and red dot sights. I’m sure some of you would be facing the same problem as I did, and a whole lot of misinformation and advertisements on the internet don’t help that much, either.
So, I took it up myself, and after thorough research, I cleared it all up and laid out all the information you need to know when choosing between red dot and holographic sight, and trust me, it’s an important decision when your target is on the move and even for practicing shooting.
Which is better holographic sights or red dot sights?
This article answers the question: which is better and what is the difference between the two?
Holographic sights have faster target acquisition, can sustain more damage, and do not increase their MOA when magnified. On the other hand, Red dot sights are cheaper, smaller in size, and have longer battery life.
So which is better? That depends on your personal choice, affordability, activity, and other factors. However, some general determining factors can decide which one is better. Let’s have a look at these factors.
Technological Point Of View
From a technical viewpoint, both differ in the technology used. It’s important to understand the difference between their working to see which one is technically better.
Red dot sights simply use an LED emitter coated with a glass lens with a reflective surface to reflect red light in the user’s eye. The reflection from the glass gives the red dot a little disadvantage because when the glass is stained or blurred, it will affect the red dot.
Holographic sights use laser projection. The laser emitted from the diode reflects through a series of reflectors (folding mirror and collimating reflector) to fall on a holographic grating that then creates a holographic image of a reticle appearing to be on the front screen right on target. This technology (more complicated, obviously) gives better durability to the optic. Even if it is abused more, has dirt on the screen, or somehow a crack, the reticle will still be there.
Holographic vs. Red dot design: Reticles, size, weight, and more
Holographic sights are generally wider and larger, meaning they weigh slightly more than red dot sights. Here red dot sights have an advantage. They can be easily mounted on a handgun. However, this factor didn’t bother me much when I tried both.
Another thing that I noticed in design is that the holographic sight gives a more three-dimensional look since it is literally a hologram. The looks of the reticle feel more grainy… which might annoy some users, but I liked it. A reticle in holographic sight is a dot surrounded by a larger reticle with little target-like dashes dividing the reticle into four.
A red dot, on the other, is a plain smooth dot that is more conventional. The red dot is generally 2 MOA on target 100 yards away (we’ll talk more about MOA below). It’s not necessarily red. Depending on the configuration, it can change in color and be an edgy point instead of a dot; the same goes for holographic sights.
Manufacturing POV: Is Holographic sight more durable?
Because of differences in technology, both have different manufacturability. Red dots are very simple, they require an LED and a concave mirror that reflects the red light back and allows maximum light to pass through. This makes red dot sights easy to manufacture but it also reduces their durability.
The durability mainly depends on two things: Battery life and functionality.
Battery life
When it comes to battery, LED does not need much to survive, so red dot sight wins in battery life. Although holographic sights still have pretty good battery life, it’s less when compared with red dot sights. Red dot sights typically have 50,000 hours of battery life and some products like vortex even offer 150,000 hours. In comparison, Holographic sights come with 500-600 hours of battery life.
Functionality
In functionality, red dot sights depend on the outer mirror that can be damaged or smeared, causing trouble in reflection. The holographic sight will still provide the floating image of the reticle even when the glass is not fully functional. Giving slightly higher durability to holographic sight. But it is difficult to manufacture.
Which one to choose?
Confused how to choose Holographic sight or Red dot sight. Here are some Determining Factors listed below.
MOA
We all know that MOA matters. You cannot talk about optics without mentioning MOA. For me, this was the determining factor in choosing between the two. Holographic sights, in general, will have a reticle of 1 MOA when the target is 100 yards away. This means the sight will cover 1 inch of the target. Red dots, on the other hand, cover 2 inches. Red dot sights have a reticle of 2 MOA. This gets more interesting when magnification is involved.
When using a Magnifier
If you use a magnifier with a red dot sight, the more you magnify, the greater MOA becomes, and the dot gets blurry. This is not the case with a holographic sight. Its reticle size remains the same even after magnifying the target three times. For instance, if a red dot sight is used with 1 MOA, its MOA will be 3 when magnified, but at the same target, if holographic sight is used, its size will be 1 MOA even after magnifying. This gives solid points to Holographic sight!
Field of view
It’s, again, a very important factor when it comes to optics. You should be able to see the target clearly while aiming.
With the rectangular window of most holographic sights, you get a clearer and much wider field of view that delivers maximum situational awareness. It can come in really handy in tactical situations.
While apart from some, most red dot sights like the ones from Aimpoint, etc., have tube windows that provide a lesser field of view.
Target Acquisition
Efficiency and precision both are necessary factors to look at when shooting. It’s all about hitting the target at the right time. So our optic must be faster in target acquisition. When comparing the red dot with Holographic sight, Holographic sight gives better target acquisition. This is because it does not rely on the focus line of the eye. It’s an image that is formed using a hologram. The red dot requires focus. It is a reflection of light. If you move your eye away from the screen, you will have to refocus to look at the target from the screen. Causing a little slower target acquisition. When using holographic sight, you can easily move your eyes away from the optic screen to see the target or gun’s direction and then look back without causing the reticle to move or get blurry.
Parallax Distortion
Another advantage that holographic sight takes over red dots is that it reduces parallax distortion because it’s a holographic image. Red dot sight is more susceptible to parallax since it depends on the focus line created with the eye. Meaning it will slightly change the dot’s apparent position if you look at it with a slight change in eye angle, causing a little off shot from the actual dot’s location. This reduces the precision of the target a bit, and it will take some time to keep your eyes straight. This is not a problem for conventional and trained shooters, but the error significantly increases when the distance between the target and the gun increases.
Astigmatism
Last but not least, many people might have astigmatism causing distorted images due to deflection in the eye’s focus. Since the red dot is directly reflected in the eye, it will also be shown as blurry or distorted. Again, this is where holographic sight shines. It will not cause any problems for people with astigmatism; they can shoot with a bull’s eye.
Budget POV
Red dots are cheaper due to easy manufacturability and tech, as mentioned above. Even the most expensive red dot sight will be cheaper than a basic holographic sight. Considering general product pricing, a typical red dot sight will cost you around $50 at the lower end and $150 at high-end prices, which is still way off the holographic sights starting from $400, which is worth the price but costly when compared with red dot sights.
Another factor is availability. Although holographic sights are available, the choice is very limited. Only a few good companies, such as Eotech and Vortex, are making these. On the other hand, red dot sights are widely available and have a good deal of choice.
Top 5 Holographic And Red Dot Sights
At the end, let me line up some of the popular red dot sights and holographic sights you can easily find in the market.
| Red Dot sights | Holographic Sights |
| Aimpoint PRO reflex sight | EOTech EXPS2-0 |
Trijicon MRO | Vortex AMG UH-1 |
| Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 | EOTech Model 512 |
| Vortex Venom | EOTech XPS2-0 |
Sig Sauer Romeo 5 | Holosun 510C |
Final Remarks
It’s pretty clear that holographic sight wins in most scenarios. While the red dot is not far behind, some factors improve holographic sights. However, many shooters prefer lightweight and size reduction over the accuracy or easiness of the optic aid, especially because they are used to the red dot, and it can be a little hard to use the holographic sight on a pistol.
Now you know which is better. And if you’re still confused, the best way is to try it out. It will most likely depend on your budget, your purpose with the gun, and of course, the type of gun you have. In the end, both have certain pros and cons. You just need to look at what factors are more important to you. If it’s size, weight, battery life, and cost, go for red dots. A holographic sight is the best for you if it’s better to target acquisition, magnification, ease of access, and precision.
I hope this review was helpful. See you next time in another review in an attempt to make your shooting journey enjoyable.
FAQs
Which EOTECH sight does the military use?
The U.S military currently uses EOTECH 553, while EOTECH EXPS3 has also been widely used in the past.
Do red dot sights have a shake awake feature?
Of course, red dot sights like HS510C or HS507C – usually the ones made by holosun have their signature shake awake feature that allows the sight to start working as soon as the gun is picked up and the slightest motion is induced.
It also saves battery timing since this feature causes the sight to shut off when not in use.
