Red dots offer one of the simplest optics on the market. They’ve been around for decades, but they’ve barely changed. Put the red dot on the target and pull the trigger. That’s all there is to it. The simple nature of these optics has made them extremely popular. The overall concept of the red dot hasn’t changed, but they’ve gotten smaller in almost every way, including their price point.
In 2024, we have a pile of budget-ready red dot options that don’t suck. These days, you can spend less than $500 to get a quality red dot optic. Sure, some still suck, but we are bringing you the best budget red dots with a focus on finding the cheapest options that are still perfectly useable red dots.
Let’s dig into the best budget red dots of 2024.
Ruger ReadyDot
The Ruger ReadyDot, priced at around $70, is one of the most affordable red dots on the market. This makes it a great choice for shooters who are curious about the concept but don’t want to make a significant financial commitment. Before slapping your cash down, it’s important to understand both its strengths and limitations.
The ReadyDot offers a hassle-free experience with its battery and adjustment-free design. The optic automatically adjusts the brightness of the dot based on ambient light, and the optics are pre-zeroed, eliminating the need for manual adjustments. The dot, while large, ensures accurate shooting within typical pistol ranges. It’s a reliable choice for shooting from within ten yards.
One of the typical benefits of a handgun red dot is the ability to shoot further. You won’t have that capability with ReadyDot, however. I use mine on a plinking .22LR handgun. It wouldn’t be my first choice for self-defense, but the ReadyDot is great for learning how to use a red dot.
Sig Sauer Romeo-MSR
If you want a bare-bones optic for your AR rifle that will leave plenty of money in your wallet for ammo, at around $120, the Sig Sauer Romeo-MSR might just be for you. At first glance, it’s easy to dismiss this optic. I know I did. Who needs the slightly cheaper MSR in a world where the Sig Sauer Romeo5 exists? I got my hands on one a few years ago and decided to torture it.
I submerged it in water, froze it, heated it up, and dropped it over and over. In the end, I finally shot it with a load of birdshot. Guess what? It still worked. In fact, outside of the heat test, the optic never lost zero. Even the heat test only pushed it off by about 1 MOA. The MSR proved to be a very impressive optic for very little money.
The 2 MOA reticle isn’t the sharpest, but it’s perfectly usable. The adjustments are super tight for some reason or another, but you can work past it. It’s an AR height optic fixed to the mount. It is as simple as a red dot can get, but it is remarkably impressive.
Holosun HS403C
Holosun more or less owns the budget optics realm, and the HS403C is the premiere budgetary rifle optic. Holosun keeps the 403 simple with a tube-like design. The shape and design are borrowed from Aimpoint, which works because Holosun also borrows the Aimpoint Micro mounting platform, which allows you to mount it anywhere at any height.
That’s perfectly fine because it costs less than $250 all day, every day. We get all the Holosun features you could ever want for that low price. This includes the Shake Awake design, which shuts the optic off when it’s left in the gun safe but fires it up as soon as it detects movement. Up top, there is a solar panel that can power the optic if your battery dies. Between the solar panel and the Shake Awake feature, the battery lasts over 50,000 hours.
The HS403C comes in red and green options, it often comes with a high mount, but several different mounts are available, so it can fit everything from ARs to shotguns. The dot is okay; it won’t win any awards, but it’s crisp enough to use. The button controls are superior to the rotating dials we often find on budget red dots. It’s magnifier-ready, small, and the best dot you can get for less than 250 dollars.
Holosun HS407C X2
If you’re looking to outfit a defensive handgun with a capable red dot but need to do so on a budget, the HS407C is for you. It will cost around $250, which is plenty cheap for a capable defensive dot. The HS407C uses the Trijicon RMR footprint, which is one of the most common red dot footprints.
The 407C series comes with the same Shake Awake technology that Holosun made famous, and this unit comes with a micro-sized solar panel that acts as a backup power source. For a budget optic, both features are nice to see. The optic can take the beating a reciprocating slide offers it. Mine has lasted for several years now without a hitch.
Surprisingly, the 2 MOA dot keeps up with higher-priced competitors. It’s crisp, small, and doesn’t starburst much, if at all. It’s probably the best reticle you can get at this price point. For a handgun optic, I prefer a bigger red dot than the 407C’s 2 MOA option.
Vortex SPARC Solar Red Dot
For $300, the best red dot you can get is the Vortex SPARC Solar Red Dot Sight. Let’s just call it the SPARC because that’s too much to type. This compact red dot optic comes with a solar backup, which Vortex calls Auto D-TEC technology. This technology automatically switches from battery power to solar when possible, expanding your battery life to 150,000 hours.
The SPARC red dot has a 2 MOA dot that’s crisp and easy to see and can get insanely bright. When you pop behind the optic, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how clear the glass is on this budget optic. Typically, I expect a lot of blue tint from budget optics, and this isn’t the case with the SPARC.
The SPARC does the little things right, and Vortex made some smart choices. It uses an Aimpoint Micro pattern and even comes with both a low mount and an AR height mount. The buttons provide excellent feedback, and the turrets click nicely when adjusted. It’s a well-made optic, and you won’t go broke slapping it on your rifle.
Keeping It Cheap
You don’t have to spend a butt load of cash to get an awesome optic. Maybe it’s the fact they are only 1X optics, so you don’t always notice what you’re giving up for the price. Maybe there are so many excellent low-priced optics because of the high demand for red dots. I can’t for sure say why, but I can say we live in a golden era of optics, and you aren’t stuck paying the price of your rifle to get a good one.
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