Introduction

The red dot optic market has become a whirlwind of options. Today we are looking at a few options to put on your carbine or rifle. Red dots make a handy sighting device for short and medium range firearms. Whether it be a rifle carbine, pistol caliber carbine, or even a shotgun. The rapid targeting advantage of red dots make quick shooting with accuracy a reality. There are plenty of articles discussing the best red dots, today I will be discussing my recommended best red dots for your rifle.

Vortex Strikefire II

There are plenty of decent red dots out there, and some of them are made in a country famous for its red flag and cheap manufacturing. The Vortex Strikefire II is one of those, and while it may not enjoy the legendary status and service record of other popular red dots, it is still a decent option for a carbine.

The Strikefire II has the added benefit of illuminating in either red or green, the dot itself is a 4MOA. It utilizes a 30mm main tube for a larger objective than many other comparable red dots. It also has an auto-off function should you forget to power it down, if you don’t, you should keep some extra CR2 batteries around. The included mount also gives it optimal height for most carbine rifles, it also comes with some handy flip-caps.

All this is included for the MSRP of $275.00, but if you hurry you can find it on Optics Planet for under $140. I’ve had a couple of these red dots for several years now, and while I wouldn’t consider my purposes abusive, they have stood up to everything. I really appreciate the ease of swapping them from one gun to another.

Primary Arms SLX

Primary Arms has stomped their way into the affordable optics market with an impressive host of options. Every PA optic I’ve had the good fortune to use has been more than adequate for everyday shooting purposes. The SLX also features a larger objective, for a broad field of view. It is available with different reticle options like the traditional 2MOA dot, as well as PA’s popular ACSS CQB reticle which feature a circle-dot style reticle with several holdover points. Its lightweight aluminum construction keeps it light, and the included mount makes it just the right height for most carbine rifles.

The SLX uses the very popular CR2023 battery, and using its auto-shutoff feature will greatly extend your useful life of the SLX red dot. It would be silly of me not to mention that PA makes a great companion magnifier for the SLX that renders the two of them a medium range duo.

Prices for the SLX start at $150 and go up if you want to add the better reticle or accessories. Again this presents a great value for everyday shooters, and when affixed to a good carbine we have greatly enjoyed medium to short range shooting fun.

US Optics TSR-1X

Another great little enclosed emitter red dot for carbines is the US Optics TSR-1x. The TSR-1x is a little more compact than the above mentioned red dots, which results in a slightly smaller objective and field of view. This may or may not be a big deal to some, you be the judge. The compact TSR-1x is made from aluminium, keeping its weight down. Like many others it uses the CR2023 coin battery, giving it an expected use of two to three years. The TSr-1x has 12 brightness settings you can adjust for ambient light or even night-vision. You can also have it in any color you want as long as it is red. regardless of brightness setting the 5MOA dot gives a great aimpoint for fast shooting. It also comes with a Zro Delta FRZ™ QD mount that allows you to quickly change between rifles without needing any tools.

The US Optics TSR-1X has an MSRP starting at $250, though it can be found for less in places like Optics Planet or Euro Optic. The price comes as no surprise as names like US Optics typically command a higher price point. I’ve used them now for several years, and have again swapped them between too many rifles to mention. After all these years, I’ve yet to change a battery. And the only thing I’ve ever had to do is retorque the mounting screws with a droplet of blue loctite.

The QD mount has made the TSR-1X one of my go-to red dot sights. Being able to quickly swap between guns in the field without tools is very handy. The various brightness settings also make it convenient for different shooting conditions.

Sig Sauer Romeo 5

Sig Sauer’s Romeo 5 is another affordable red dot for your carbine, particularly if you are a big fan of the brand like me. The Romeo 5 is a 1X red dot that uses a 20mm objective enclosing its emitter. The Romeo has ten brightness settings; eight for day use, and two additional ones for use with night vision. The five ounce Romeo features a 2MOA red dot powered by the same CR2023 battery for over 40K hours. The turrets, like several other mentioned here today are easily adjusted using the turret cap reversed to easily make adjustments in the field. True to the name, the Romeo is only available with a red emitter.

The Romeo 5 might win as the most affordable optic mentioned here today. You can buy it direct from Sig Sauer for $140, or you can find it for even less from Euro Optic. While I have perhaps a little less time behind the Romeo 5, I still find it be a great little red dot. Perhaps the fact that my wife bought it for me has influenced my judgement…

Sig also offers the Romeo 5 in combination with the Juliet 3 Magnifier, making the two units together a great medium range combination. The Romeo is perhaps a little more tedious to swap between firearms than other models, and the included bikin cover will likely be lost on the first trip to the range. But it is still a great little dot.

Trijicon MRO

If you thought the TSR-1X was a bit expensive, you might just skip this part. Because we are about to discuss the Trijicon MRO, perhaps the gold standard in enclosed emitter red dot sights. The Trijicon MRO is available in a variety of mounting configurations, designed to be able to use with other sight options such as magnifiers and co-witnessing with iron sights. The MRO also uses the same CR2023 battery to illuminate its red or green reticle. The reticle is available as either a red or green 2MOA dot, or as a circle-dot reticle. The control is situated a the top of the MRO for use with either hand, and gives the user 8 different brightness settings and two additional night vision options. The large objective gives a wide field of view, and is filled with Trijicons high quality glass and coatings.

Trijicon has a well known duty service with the MRO, so it should come as no surprise that it is priced well above the rest. With an MSRP starting around $600, it is probably not for the fair-weather shooter. But even with various mounting options available, the MRO can be had for well below the MSRP, with some options as low as under $400 from Optics Planet.

Like many of the other red dots mentioned here, I have been using the Trijicon MRO for years. I’ve never had to change the battery, nor do anything else to it. It usually finds itself mounted to my “Oh Sh*t ” carbine, and there it typically stays. The bright dot does well when used together with a light or Trijicon’s 3X magnifier.

Final Thoughts on Enclosed Emitters

This is certainly not meant to be a complete list of good red dots. These are just some great options that I have had a great deal of experience shooting. Whether you want an inexpensive sight to throw on a cheap AR for your kids to shoot, or if you have a serious defense shotgun in need of a sight. You will find some good options here. There certainly are other good options out there, and I intend to try them all. Let us know in the comment section what your favorite enclosed emitter red dot sight is.

-CBM