6 Red Dots That Do It Differently

The red dot market has gotten very crowded in the last 5-10 years, but that’s not a bad thing. Having more options is always better, and the price of red dots is going down.

Not only are they more affordable than ever, they’ve consistently improved. Making a good red dot is fairly simple if you follow the standard, proven formula.

However, not everyone follows that simple roadmap. Some companies are still trying to innovate and develop new designs.

Today, we are looking at a handful of these red dots that take a departure from the normal design philosophy.

THE QUICK LIST

1. Most Affordable

   Ruger ReadyDot

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2. Smallest Footprint

   Leupold DeltaPoint Micro

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3. Most Feature-Rich

   Meprolight Foresight

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4. Best Direct-Mount Option

   Holosun SCS

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5. Integrated Rangefinder

   Bear Creek Arsenal Smart Red Dot

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How We Chose Red Dots That Are Built Different

For this article, we chose red dots that offered a little something extra — features or a design that bucked traditional red dots. 

All of the models listed below are ones we’ve either tested in person, evaluated at an event, or heavily researched based on our expertise in optics.

Leading this search is Travis Pike, a Pew Pew Tactical author and gun writer. Travis has spent thousands of hours at the range testing and evaluating gear as well as researching the best models available on the market. His experience as an NRA-certified instructor, concealed carry trainer, and competitor gives him unique insight into guns and their gear, including red dots. 

Red Dots That Do It Differently

1. Ruger ReadyDot – Most Affordable

Pros

• Extremely affordable
• No batteries required
• Plug-and-play installation

Cons

• Large reticle isn’t for every use case
• Non-adjustable for brightness or elevation/windage

Specs

• Reticle: 15 MOA dot
• Power Source: Fiber optic illumination
• Mounting Footprint: Shield RMSc
• Weight: 0.3 oz

Ruger releasing a red dot in 2023 was not on my bingo card. But after I saw how it worked, I knew I had to have one, especially with an MSRP of only $99.

What can you expect from a red dot sight at $99 or less? If it’s adjustments to zero or brightness settings, you’d be wrong.

This optic comes ‘pre zeroed’ from the factor and automatically adjusts for brightness depending on the ambient light. Yeah, that sounds a little crazy, but the sight starts to make a little more sense when you see that it uses a 15 MOA reticle.

Just put this massive dot on your target, and you are pretty likely to hit something. Mine tends to hit to the left, but it does hit.

This strange combination of features creates the red dot equivalent of a J-frame front sight. It’s fixed and accurate enough at typical ranges to get you on target.

You lose some of the advantages of a red dot, like the ability to take long-range precision shots. However, it’s simply a drop-and-go affair, and Ruger offers bundles with the red dot preinstalled on their MAX-9 handguns.

The Ruger ReadyDot does not use a battery; it gathers external light via fiber optics. The benefit is that it can sit lower enough to co-witness with standard iron sights, which is a good thing in case it’s too dark to generate the dot.

Am I completely sold on the Ruger ReadyDot? Not entirely. But I do appreciate the cost-effective and super simple approach that makes it easy for new shooters to try out a pistol dot.

2. Leupold DeltaPoint Micro Red Dot – Smallest Footprint

Pros

• Doesn’t require slide cuts or milling
• Small form factor
• Sight doesn’t have to be removed to change batteries

Cons

• Tiny viewing window
• Only available for Glock and S&W M&P pistols

Specs

• Reticle: 3 MOA dot
• Power Source: CR1632
• Mounting Footprint: Glock or S&W M&P rear sight mount
• Weight: 1.1 oz
• Battery Life: 30,000 hours

Leupold is rarely one of the first to do anything new, but they did go off the beaten path with their DeltaPoint Micro.

Most red dots require the slide to be cut in order to mount it, but not the DeltaPoint Micro. These simply replace your rear sight, resulting in much less bulk than a standard dot.

This is by far the smallest viewing window I’ve ever seen on a red dot optic. It’s a simple tube that looks more akin to a peepsight than a red dot. Inside that little tube, a 3 MOA dot gives you a precise aiming point.

Since the dot replaces the rear sight it doesn’t require any suppressor height sights to co-witness. In fact, it places itself in such a way that should the battery die, you can use the Micro as the rear sight.

The smaller window makes the dot harder to find if you have a not-so-stellar gun presentation. However, once you have practiced enough, it is easy to find repeatably.

The dot’s power source and electronics all sit below the gun, with the battery housing covering the back of your slide. Accessing and swapping batteries can be done quickly without removing the optic. The optic is fully enclosed, so it will work rain or shine.

There are some challenges when trying to use the DeltaPoint Micro at longer distances. It can be done, but a lot of your sight picture is taken up by the front sight, which, combined with the small window, can obscure much of the target.

Overall, it’s super convenient and requires no slide cuts to your gun. But sadly, the DeltaPoint Micro is only available for Glock and S&W M&P pistols.

3. Meprolight Foresight – Most Feature-Rich

Pros

• Can store up to 10 different zero profiles
• Unique heads-up display
• Compatible with smartphones

Cons

• Only rechargeable via USB-C
• Recently discontinued

Specs

• Reticle: 20 different user-selectable reticles
• Power Source: USB-C rechargeable internal battery
• Mounting Footprint: Picatinny
• Weight: 9.9 oz
• Battery Life: 50 hours

The Meprolight Foresight is the most Sci-Fi sight on this list. It’s the world’s first smart optic that can interface with your Android or iOS device.

The purpose of this connection is to allow you to customize the optic, zero the optic, and store up to ten different zero profiles.

So, what’s the benefit of having multiple zeroes that you can change with the push of a button?

If you mark the mounting position on your gun, it’s an optic that can switch from gun to gun without having to re-sight it in each time.

On a single gun, you can set different zeroes for different types of ammo. With a shotgun, you can have a zero for buckshot and another for slugs. With a .300 Blackout, you can set a zero up for both supersonic and subsonic ammo.

The app also makes zeroing super easy, and you never have to turn a turret if you don’t want to. It also has the ability to swap between a ton of reticles, which is a feature we don’t see on most optics.

The most futuristic part is that the Foresight provides a total heads-up display. Not only does it have a reticle, but it also has a battery monitor, a compass, and a level. The HUD is customizable, and the user can pick and choose what is displayed.

It might seem gimmicky, but in practice, the Foresight is a solid all-around optic. It’s precise, easy to use, and offers a number of unique features. Unfortunately, the Foresight has been recently discontinued, although some retailers still have existing stock.

4. Holosun SCS – Best Direct-Mount Option

Pros

• No batteries needed
• Direct, low-profile mounting
• Solar charging

Cons

• No manual brightness adjustment
• Battery life is lower than standard Holosun red dots

Specs

• Reticle: 32 MOA circle w/ 2 MOA center dot
• Power Source: Solar-recharged internal battery
• Mounting Footprint: Direct mount for Glock MOS, Walther PDP, HK VP9, Sig P320, S&W M&P 2.0
• Weight: 1.05-1.3 oz
• Battery Life: 20,000 hours

Solar-charged sights aren’t new, and Holosun has been producing optics with solar backups for a while now. But they recently introduced the SCS, or Solar Charging Sight, that runs exclusively off solar power.

The goal of the SCS is to eliminate the need to ever swap batteries again.

The optic has an internal rechargeable battery capable of lasting 20,000 hours. Any exposure to light will start the charging process, and there is a low power indicator.

The Holsoun SCS series lacks buttons to adjust the brightness but does offer an override function to shoot the battery to the highest setting for 30 minutes. Unlike other optics that automatically adjust, the SCS utilizes a series of multi-directional light sensors to get a more realistic adjustment.

This system works very well with weapon-mounted lights. It’s the only automatic adjustment system I’ve seen work to a proper degree for a multitude of situations.

The SCS series can directly mount to the Glock MOS system without the use of an adapter plate. The same goes for the VP9, S&W, and PDP series of guns. Their latest 320 version is an enclosed emitter that mounts directly to DeltaPoint Pro footprints.

Another huge bonus to the SCS is that these optics sit so low that you don’t have to use suppressor height sights to co-witness with your irons.

No batteries, an auto-adjust feature that actually works, and an ultra-low direct-mount profile make the SCS an attractive option.

What are your thoughts on the Holosun SCS? Rate it below.

5. Bear Creek Arsenal Smart Red Dot – Best Integrated Rangefinder

Pros

• Built-in laser range finder
• Reasonably small size, even with the range finder
• Not overly expensive

Cons

• Range finder limited to 400 yards
• No alternative reticle options

Specs

• Reticle: 4 MOA dot
• Power Source: CR2 battery
• Mounting Footprint: Picatinny
• Weight: 14.4 oz

Bear Creek Arsenal is known for their budget-minded AR-15s. But in 2022, they released the Smart Red Dot. This product combines your standard red dot with an integrated laser rangefinder.

This mini laser range finder makes it quick and easy to obtain a distance and adjust as necessary.

The Smart Red Dot uses a simple 4 MOA dot, features ten brightness settings, and has an integrated Picatinny mount. 

The range finder can be button pressed for one distinct range or set to scan mode to continuously display the range to target.

It is a bit disappointing that the range finder is only good out to a maximum of 400 yards. However, that still means it can be beneficial for things like subsonic .300 Blackout, .458 SOCOM, and other cartridges where the drop is significant, and knowing your ranges is critical.

I wish they had picked a more reticle dot like the bullet drop estimating EOTech-type reticle. I feel like this would make it easier to use with the range finder and would make it a bit more effective.

The use cases for the Bear Creek Arsenal Smart Red Dot may be niche, but it is budget-friendly despite offering a built-in laser rangefinder.

6. Holosun DRS-TH

Pros

• Thermal imaging capability
• Affordable as far as thermal optics go
• Small form factor for a thermal
• Ability to operate as a standard red dot

Cons

• Fast battery drain
• Resolution isn’t as high as dedicated thermal optics

Specs

• Reticle: 32 MOA circle w/ 2 MOA center dot
• Power Source: 18350 rechargeable battery
• Mounting Footprint: Picatinny
• Weight: 18.5 oz
• Battery Life: 10 hours (thermal sensor), 50,000 hours (red dot)

When Holosun announced their combination red dot/thermal overlay sight at SHOT Show 2024, they definitely caught everyone’s attention.

Thermal imaging is nothing new, but the technology is getting more compact and more affordable. The DRS Thermal series aims to bring thermal optics to the everyman.

While a price point of around $1,600 doesn’t seem cheap, it’s remarkably cheap when you look at other thermal optics.

On top of being a thermal optic, it still functions as a standard red dot. You can turn the thermal overlay off and use it like you would any other dot.

The Holosun DRS seems to be based on the AEMS design and provides similar features but without a solar failsafe panel. The optic is powered by two 18359 rechargeable batteries, which can be charged while they remain in the optic.

The bulbous design of the optic is due to the thermal sensor, which creates the overlay. The DRS can be connected to various other devices like a tablet or phone. Doing so lets you watch through the thermal imager and even record videos and take pictures.

While the DRS might not yet be up to military duty standards, the thermal design is well-suited for hunting hogs or recreational shooting. Trust me, thermal is just a ton of fun to play with and enjoy; shooting frozen water bottles is a blast.

The DRS-TH is set to release at the end of this month (September 2024).

Final Thoughts

Not everyone is looking for the most bomb-proof heavy-duty optic out there, and it is nice to see some different designs and approaches in a crowded market.

With the market ever-growing, I expect even more innovation and oddities to come our way in the near future — and I am here for it.

What are your thoughts on the optics on this list? Do you have any experience with any of them? Let us know in the comments below! And if you are looking for more traditional red dots, we’ve got you covered with the Best Red Dots.