Purpose
I love me some good red dots for my pistols, and I’m always looking for more and better ones. In a quest to find a good dot for my Staccato XC 9mm pistol, I tried both the Holosun 507 Comp and the Vortex Defender XL. I figured while evaluating them individually, I might as well compare them head to head. So in today’s versus, I bring you the Holosun 507 Comp VS. Vortex Defender XL.
These two red dots fall into the “large category”, like many others they are ideal for competition shooting. The oversized window allows a larger field of view, making it easier to find and aim at your target.
Footprints
Initially I had hoped these two optics would have the same footprint, but as it turns out the Defender XL is an Deltapoint footprint and the Holosun is an RMR. The Defender XL wouldn’t go on my Staccato without an adaptor plate unfortunately, so instead I mounted it to another pistol I have shot extensively: the Shadow Systems DR920. Conversely, the 507 Comp would fit on the Staccato using the provided mounting plate and screws.
Having the two optics mounted on separate pistols would also allow me to shoot through both of them in succession. So I figured for purposes of comparing the two I’d keep them that way.
I definitely have to give Vortex points for their presentation. The Holosun did come with a tool and a couple different screw sets, but the Defender XL came with quite an inventory. It seemed like at least a dozen different screw sets of differing length and thread pitches and the tools to install them. As well as a picatinny rail mount that allowed me to mount it to my Panzer M4 shotgun. It also included a Glock MOS mounting plate. These little extras are incredibly convenient to have, and an incredible value ad for the Vortex Defender XL.
Comparisons
Both of these optics offer some advantages, and only you can evaluate which of the two will fit your needs. For example, I wanted the big window option from both of them, but that increases the weight. There are plenty of things you could do to go back and forth between them, I like the CR2023 battery mainly because I have so many optics that already use it. But I also wanted the reticle variation of the Holosun which uses the CR1632 cell.
You too will have to battle out in your mind which of the two feature set’s you’d like to play with. Both designs use a battery compartment that doesn’t require removing the sight from the pistol, so they are already ahead of the very popular Trijicon RMR. In fact, while were on the subject; Both of these use a great battery containment system.
The Defender uses a hatch that looks like something off a tiny scale submarine. The hatch is opened by first pushing in a tiny detent pin, followed by pressing a textured button on the right side. This took a second to figure out, as you must add a touch of down pressure on the hatch while pushing the release button for it to open.
The Holosun uses the tried and true Holosun design with a screw holding the battery compartment shut. A fine design no doubt, but requiring thread-locker as I found out. My screw came out while shooting, requiring the dreaded call to customer service. They were however very prompt, and got me a replacement as fast as I could have expected.
Reticle
Let’s face it, you’re here for the same reason I am. How bout them reticle’s you might say? I wanted the Holosun because I wanted to experience the reticle options. This is the one feature where the Holosun leaves the Defender behind. The Defender has two dot options in two colors as long as they are both the same shade of red. The Holosun can be bought as a red unit, or green. In addition the Holosun reticle can be user changed with the hold of a button. Holding down the – button for a second or two causes the reticle to jump from one configuration to another. Allowing you to select a 2 MOA dot with either an 8 MOA, 24 MOA, or 32 MOA circle around it. You can also select the circles without the dot, allowing you to circle the target while shooting.
While shooting between the two optics, I asked a friend which of the two options he liked. He said he kind of preferred the single dot of the Defender, as the circles obscured the target. But once I shew him the unfettered dot of the 507 Comp, he quickly changed his mind to that option.
The Defender offers significantly more movement in the reticle, with as much as 120 MOA in elevation. This would make it ideal for weapons you are trying to co-witness with other optics like a riflescope. In my experience most RDS cut handguns don’t need much movement to line up with iron sights. That said I had zero issues zeroing both sights.
Clarity
I’ve heard others complain about Vortex red dots and the dot dispersing on the glass. I think I know what they are talking about, as sometimes I see the dot flare up. Particularly when on a brighter setting. I have noticed this effect on both of my Vortex defender red dots, but I will also say it really hasn’t bothered me that much. Perhaps others have experienced worse.
Upon first looking through the Holosun, both myself and others noticed a little bit of a blurry reticle as well. But upon closer inspection, it seems to be like a parallax issue. We saw this when trying to focus on something very close, like within a meter or two. But once we got outside, and started looking at targets that were a little further away it was significantly clearer to the eye.
I guess I will say this about the reticle clarity of both units, I found them both to be very serviceable. And if they both had the same reticle options it would be much harder to chose.
Controls
Modern controls are available for both units. The Defender incorporates a smart system that you can configure to auto shut down after inactivity for a certain time. You can also configure it to stay on, and you can even lockout the buttons to avoid accidental changes to your settings.
The 507 Comp’s system is perhaps a little more simple. Using Holosun red dot’s popular shake awake system makes it easy to configure the dot to be always ready. And the simple adjustment of the reticle is also an easy feature.
While both systems have their good points I think I prefer the Holosun. It’s a little easier to understand and operate, which is good if you too were one of the kids who ate glue as a child.
Shooting the Vortex Defender XL vs. Holosun 507 Comp
Shooting with these two dots I was kind of surprised how much they were alike. What I mean is that despite their many differences, once you are pointing them at targets the differences seem to fade. For shooting at longer distances, I found the smaller 2 MOA dot of the Holosun to be easier to pinpoint the target. But to be fair, the larger dot of the Defender was faster to get on target. And for comparison the circle-dot reticle options of the 507 are just as fast.
The large windows of both units were great for finding the targets, and adjusting the reticle for conditions made them both very useful for putting hits down.
My Opinion
These two optics are competitively priced, often within 20-30 dollars of each other. Evaluating the two of them has led me to draw the following conclusion; If you like circle dot reticles, or the ability to adjust the reticle configuration. Then the Holosun 507 Comp is for you. If you like a simple dot then it becomes a more challenging decision. I think the Defender XL is a great value, especially with all the extras. And if it had a varied reticle option like the 507 it would win this competition. As much as I like both of them though, I think the 507 Comp will stay on the Staccato for now. And the Defender XL will stay right where it is too, as these two pistols get the most use at my house. If I was mounting them on a carbine, the Defender XL seems to have a better feature set.
Hopefully we’ve helped you see the value in choosing either of these two red dots. Let us know what you think of them, and what you’d like to see next.
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