Looking for the new king of $100 red dots that might de-throne the Sig Romeo5?
The AT3 Tactical Alpha red dot is it.
We’ve been testing several units close to a year and we now whole-heartedly recommend it as our favorite budget red dot with its performance and build quality that bats above its price range.
See view-throughs for the red dot and also green dot version. Plus see how it fared in our torture testing.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
How We Tested the Alpha Red Dot
The Pew Pew Tactical team has been testing 4 units (three red and one green dot) for close to year across multiple guns from full-auto 9mm to 5.56 and 12ga.
Our ammo counts have been ~1000 full-auto 9mm NATO rounds, ~1000 5.56/.223, and 100 12ga rounds ranging from birdshot to 00 buck.
We tested the Alpha for impact resistance and zero-hold by dropping it while attached to an unloaded AR-15 from a distance of 3 feet onto a wood bench 10 times. We shot groups before and after the drops.
We also tested the IPX7 waterproof rating by submerging it completely in water for 30 minutes.
AT3 Tactical Pros & Cons
Pros
- 50,000 hour battery life
- Shake awake technology
- Comes with two height risers
- Great build feeling
- Water and impact tested
Cons
- Battery cap screw is soft
- Emitter slightly visible at 4 o'clock
AT3 Tactical Alpha Red Dot Specs
- Weight: 6.5 oz
- Battery Life: 50,000 Hours (5.7 Years)
- Illumination Settings: 9 Daytime & 2 Night Vision
- Dot Size: 2 MOA
- Objective Lens: 20mm
- Waterproof: IPX 7
- Footprint: Aimpoint Micro T1/T2
- Battery: CR2032
- Price: $119 with free shipping
AT3 Tactical Alpha Features
Red dots are getting way better in terms of features for the price.
The Alpha brings 50,000 hours of battery life off a common CR2023.
And a shake-awake function that turns the dot off after 15 minutes of inactivity and turns it on as soon as you move it again. Now there’s no reason not to just leave it on.
Another great feature for the price is the addition of two risers that give you three optic heights: low, absolute co-witness, and 1/3 co-witness.
I dig the low for AKs and shotguns while the taller risers are good for AR-15s and however you like to run your irons. And it has the Aimpoint Micro footprint so you can have your choice of third-party mounts.
Fit & Feel
The first thing I thought when I brought out the Alpha was “wow, this thing feels quality” with its weight and nice anodizing.
The elevation and windage adjustments are easy with a cartridge rim or screwdriver. And are in that nice Goldilocks zone that lets you know with a tactile and mild-auditory click that you made an adjustment.
My only complaint is that the battery cap on top (which is good placement) got dinged up when I used a large screwdriver. However, nothing a little Sharpie can’t fix.
The illumination knob itself is a little stiff but we felt it get slightly looser with use. You won’t have trouble changing it based on your environment and it won’t change by itself at the slightest knock.
The mount was also good for the price and it wasn’t too hard to change the heights. However, be sure to use some Blue Loctite when you put a new mount back on to prevent vibrational loosening.
AT3 Alpha View-Through
It’s pretty good…no green hue in the lens that you see from really cheap optics.
Plus it’s way crisper in actual eye-ball view than through the camera. See it in motion here:
However, there is a little bit of seeing the emitter at the 4 o’clock region…but nothing like the TRS-25 of yesteryear.
You can’t tell the Alpha’s emitter when you’re actually looking at targets or the dot.
The 2 MOA dot is perfect for close-up rifle work and we made it work out to 200 yards on a 14.5″ AR-15.
Torture Testing
We first put the Alpha on a 9mm MAC11 that we always bring out with friends who want to try full-auto for the first time.
The blow-back action and heavy weight punishes optics more than 5.56 so we’ve been pleased with how it’s held up around 1000 rounds (and more in the future).
We also did a drop test of what we think most people could possibly see with their rifle. We used a 14.5″ BCM AR-15 that was unloaded and dropped it optic-first onto our wooden table from a height of three feet.
We did this 10 times trying to vary the angle a little bit each time.
There was no discernible damage besides a little dirt and the illumination knob turning because of a direct hit.
And of course we shot some groups with it before and after the drop test. This was conducted at around 15 yards.
Oddly, we got more accurate after the post drop test…
We also shot around 100 rounds of 12ga through a Beretta 1301 with the low mount.
We didn’t zero with slugs but all impacts stayed consistent through our use of bird shot and 00 buck.
Lastly, we tested the IPX7 waterproof rating by submerging an on unit in water (enough to cover up to the top of the mount) for 30 minutes.
It passed with full function and no fogging.
Who Is the AT3 Alpha Red Dot For?
It’s for someone who has around $100 and wants the best in-class red dot for their important rifle.
It has the battery life, build quality, multiple mounts, and reliability down.
By The Numbers
Affordability: 5/5
It’s durable with 50K hours of battery life, nice looking dot, and two additional risers. All with a street price of $119 and free shipping from AT3 direct.
Looks: 5/5
It looks different from other stuff out there and is nicely coated. Plus it just feels great in the hand. The mount system is robust and looks good too.
Reliability: 5/5
We’ve tested several units over thousands of rounds with no failures. The shake-awake works well and the red dot has survived even our drop and water immersion testing.
Overall: 5/5
Given our testing of 4 units for almost a year and thousands of rounds…we give the Alpha our seal of approval.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Final Verdict
Move over Romeo5…we have a new winner in the $100 red dot challenge.
3 Leave a Reply
This is my first optic. It's on my first and only AR-15. I only shoot at a 25-yard indoor range. Why, with such limited experience, do I recommend the AT3 Tactical Alpha Red Dot Sight? Because I'm 70, with lots of old guy vision problems, including myopia that can no longer be corrected to 20/20; early stage cataracts; and slight astigmatism. I now shoot accurately (with both eyes open; another first), and, for the first time since I got my AR, shooting's fun. It's easy to zero, and I can feel the windage and elevation knobs click (a great help at an indoor range). Even with my lousy vision, I see a bright, crisp dot at brightness settings low enough to keep the dot small, so it doesn't cover the target or get fuzzy. Now my training is much more efficient, and I don't waste ammo as before. Other red dot sights in this price category may perform as well or better; I don't know and don't really care. It works very well for me.
David, thanks for sharing your experience. We feel like the Alpha represents a great value at this price.
Just what the market demands! More garbage!