Sig Sauer Romeo5X Gen 2 Review: Best Budget Red Dot?

“What red dot should I get?”

This question is repeated across numerous forums, social media pages, subreddits, and more. A common variation on this query is, “What’s the best budget red dot?”

That specific question almost always leads to the same answer — “Get a Sig Romeo5.”

Over the last few years, the Sig Romeo5 has become one of the defacto options for ARs, AKs, Scorpions, MP5s, and any other long gun that needs a red dot. Sig hit the perfect balance of performance and price to provide a rock-solid red dot that’s insanely common and easy to find.

Sig has finally released a Romeo5 Gen 2, and we got our hands on one to see if it lives up to the solid reputation of the OG Gen 1.

How We Tested the Sig Romeo5X Gen 2

For this review, we mounted the Sig Romeo5X Gen 2 on a Sig MP320 PDW chassis system. The initial sight was done at 50 yards from a benchrest position. A total of around 700 rounds were fired during the testing of this red dot.

From there, we moved to closer distances where we ran various drills and transitions to evaluate the refresh rate and dot clarity at combat speeds. The overall brightness settings were tested at peak sunlight hours outdoors as well as in dimmer indoor lighting conditions.

Specs & Features

Sig Romeo5X Gen 2 Specs

• Magnification: 1x
• Clear Aperture: 20mm
• Reticle: 2 MOA red dot
• Weight: 6.1 oz
• Battery Type: (1) AAA
• Battery Life: 50,000 hours
• Brightness Settings: 10 daytime / 2 night vision

Sig Romeo5X Gen 2 Features

• MOTAC motion-activated on/off
• Integrated mount
• Multi-coated lens
• IPX7 waterproof and fogproof-rated

Background

In 2024, Sig Sauer released a new generation of red dots, building on the success of their previous ones.

There wasn’t a big hoopla or some big SHOT Show announcement for the Romeo5 Gen 2. In fact, it seemed to be Cabela’s exclusive product for a little while.

Nevertheless, Sig eventually rolled out three new models of the Romeo5: the Romeo5X Gen 2, the Romeo 5XDR Gen 2, and the Romeo5 Gen 2.

The biggest difference between the three versions is the mount and battery. The 5X and 5XDR use a fixed mount and utilize AAA batteries. The standard 5 Gen 2 features a removable mount with a CR2032 battery and an Aimpoint T1/T2 micro-style mounting system.

There are some slight differences beyond mounting and battery. The Romeo5X has 10,000 hours more battery life, whereas the standard Romeo5 Gen 2 is a little lighter at 5.5 ounces (instead of 6.1). The Romeo5XDR sports a 2 MOA dot and a 65 MOA circle combination reticle.

Who Is the Romeo5X Gen 2 For?

The second generation of the Romeo5 series serves the same customers as the first. It’s an excellent, low-priced, red dot optic for those who want an optic for their long gun.

With the Romeo5X series, you have a sturdy mount system for the most finicky and picky users. It’s an AR height optic, so it’s expected that your rifle uses an inline stock. It remains affordable and easy to find while still offering motion-activated technology and long battery life.

Fit & Feel

As mentioned, the mount is super sturdy and backed by a massive bolt that is way bigger than the original Romeo5.

The buttons across the top are solid with a rubberized coating. They provide a tactile feel with instant activation and brightness changes. The Gen 2 series features 10 brightness settings with two additional night vision settings to top everything off.

One of the best features is the MOTAC function. MOTAC stands for motion-activated technology. When the optic sits still for an extended period, it automatically shuts off. When the optic detects movement, it automatically comes back to life at the same brightness setting you left it.

I suck at remembering to turn my red dot off, so MOTAC is perfect for me. It saves battery and ensures the optic is always ready to go. You can leave it by the nightstand until it is needed without worrying about a dead battery.

The view through the lenses is surprisingly crisp, with a much less noticeable notch filter than the previous generation of optics. Sig has an excellent emitter that provides a clean and crisp dot.

Sadly, the emitter does sit in the lower half of the optic’s view, which wasn’t something the first generation had. It’s not a problem, but I’m curious why Sig ended up shoving the emitter in our field of view.

With standard two-piece mount setups, you have to deal with both mount-to-gun screws and also the screws that attach the mount to the optic. But with the 5X series, you get an integrated mount that is rock-solid and has a durability advantage over two-piece setups.

The 5X Gen 2 uses a massive bolt that tightens the optic to the rail. It calls for 65-inch pounds of torque, which locks the optic quite tight to the rail of your firearm.

At The Range

With the Sig Romeo5X Gen 2 equipped on my Sig MP320, a chassis platform for the P320 pistol, I hit the range and did a quick zero.

The turrets provide 1 MOA adjustment per click. This makes the adjustments quick and easy to make at 50 yards to get a reasonably solid zero on the platform.

Sig’s turrets deliver great feedback and nice clicks, which makes it easy to count those clicks and adjustments. At 50 yards, each click was half an MOA, which meant about half an inch of adjustment. It was easy to get on target.

Our little red dot gives us a bright and crisp aiming point. In terms of brightness adjustment, the optic gets super bright and outshines the Florida sun at high noon. We can also dial the dot down to be dim enough to be comfortable to use in the dark.

After sighting everything, I was ready to move away from the table and rock and roll. The MP320 provides a PDW-style platform that aims to excel in close-range fighting.

At close distances, the dot sticks to the eye and is easy to drive between targets. Shooting classic drills like the El Presidente means going fast, and the Romeo5X Gen 2 allows you to swing from target to target with ease.

Sig’s dot doesn’t lag; it trails like a good dot should. The movement between shots and tracking during recoil impulse is great. We have a solid refresh rate that delivers a solid-performing reticle.

The glass allows you to see the world around you in bright, vivid colors. A notch filter means you get a slight blue tint, but it’s not disruptive and is more noticeable in low-light situations.

What Makes the Romeo5X Gen 2 Unique?

The Romeo5X Gen 2 delivers clear lenses, a crisp and bright red dot, excellent battery life, motion activation, and a solid mount.

While there isn’t much to a red dot, and the Romeo5X Gen 2 isn’t groundbreaking, it expertly mixes quality performance and design with a low price point that is downright impressive.

By the Numbers

Clarity: 4/5

The only way to make it clearer is to use a slightly less visible notch filter. Other than that, I have no complaints. It’s clear from edge to edge.

Ergonomics: 5/5

Ambi controls with excellent feedback make me happy. It’s easy to control the optic, and it delivers a fantastic experience all around. It’s light but tough, and I appreciate that.

Features: 3/5

There isn’t much to the optic, but it has everything I need to perform. It might not be fancy in a world where red dots have thermal layers and rangefinders built in, but it works, and that’s what I need it to do at the end of the day.

Value: 5/5

There is nothing at the $150 price point that is going to match the features, durability, or clarity of the Romeo5X Gen 2.

Overall: 4.5/5

Meet the Experts

Pew Pew Tactical author Travis Pike helmed this article. Travis spent a lifetime shooting as a kid and later joined the United States Marine Corps, where he spent five years as an infantryman. In the middle of his Marine Corps career, he began writing and never stopped. He has thousands of articles to his name with a variety of publications, including Pew Pew Tactical, and has spent countless hours testing and reviewing a myriad of guns, optics, and accessories.

Editing and adding to this article is Wyatt Sloan, Jr. Editor. Wyatt is an NRA-certified instructor with previous experience as a USPSA competitor. Wyatt personally owns over 200 firearms and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales. He has used his extensive experience with firearms at large to test guns and gear for Pew Pew Tactical — evaluating them based on our standards and metrics.

Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers. She is a National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.

Final Verdict

The Romeo5 won’t ever be credited as some revolutionary new optic or tool. However, it likely sits atop more rifles than any other red dot. Sig made a winner with this design, and it continues to impress with the second-generation Romeo5 optics.

The next time someone asks what optic they should put on their rifle, you can happily suggest a second Gen Romeo5.

What do you think of the Sig Sauer Romeo5X Gen 2? Let us know in the comments below! Need more optics? Check out the Best Red Dots!