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  • Post last modified:January 12, 2024

Airsoft is a great force on force training tool for anyone in the tactical community. Even though 6mm BBs aren't pinpoint accurate, but they're quite effective up to 100 feet in CQB environments shooting around 350 fps using standard 0.2g BBs.

So Having a red dot helps with aiming abilities just like real guns. If you're searching for the best airsoft red dot sight for intense force-on-force CQB training, the Vortex Crossfire Gen 2 is the best quality with the best warranty under $170.

We have also listed a few great options below that won't break your bank. Here they're ranging from best value to best durability...

Best Red Dot Optics For Airsoft CQB Games

What Has Changed In The Airsoft Optic World?

In the past cheap unrecognizable knockoff branded sights have flooded the airsoft market, but now... brands like Vortex and Holosun are making great optics that can be used on both airsoft & real steel.

We highly recommend you NOT to risk your super expensive real steel optics in a force on force type airsoft game unless you use a lens protector.

Optics - Real Steel VS Clone

https://youtu.be/EbQ7HciEaAc

The most important difference between a clone and a real optic is the durability besides obvious reticle and exterior differences.

Optics Made For Real Guns

Real optics like the Aimpoint, EOTech are made to survive physical abuses include:

  • Drop, throw, toss
  • Sharp recoil impulses including semi-auto & full auto
  • Rapid temperature change
  • Pressure change, water & high altitude

And STILL, retain zero & doesn't fall off the rifle.

These things are made for mostly military applications, where most airsofters would never be in situations like deep water drive, high altitude parachute jump, and other things.

Check Out: Best Rifle Red Dot Sights

Clone Optics

Clone optics are NOT made to the highest mil-spec specifications, which is why they're cheap and they break if mounted on a real firearm. Just the recoil force alone would break weak internals of a cheaply made optic.

But NOT all of them... we like what Holosun Optics bring to the airsoft market without spending over $150, and they work on real guns too.

For force on force airsoft training, you will find yourself rushing behind cover, crawling through tight spaces where your gears will inevitably bump into things or hit something hard in the environment.

Since airsoft AEG or gas blowback guns don't produce much recoil at all, you don't have to worry about optic zero being affected by it.

However, the zero could shift if the optic was dropped on hard surfaces or bumped into something hard.

Optic Durability

Direct BB Impact Breaks The Glass [Real Optics Too]

No matter how these companies market their optics to be the most durable on the market, the glass is still the weakest part.

In CQB airsoft games, bbs fly back and forth like crazy, and there is a very high chance it will hit the optic head-on and crack the lens. Once the lens is broken you lose the reticle.

The bbs can hit anywhere else, but if it hit the lens at 350fps they will crack. Unless you really want to, using a budget red dot is a safer option.

The solution to this problem: Buy a mountable lens protector here on Amazon...Super cheap

Most people can risk $60 on a sight, but the pill will be too hard to swallow if you break a $600 or $1000 optic by direct lens BB impact, which happens a lot.

If you're interested in buying an optic that can be used on both real steel and airsoft please check out some awesome Holosun red dot sights.

What Distance To Zero Airsoft Red Dot?

Zeroing an airsoft red dot is the same as on an real steel firearm. The difference is that you're not doing it for pinpoint accuracy, instead, you're zeroing the red dot as long as you get effective hit.

https://youtu.be/UGVwASpeljc

For CQB airsoft games, typically zero the reticle up to 70 - 90 feet, and anything within that range you can hit a human size target fairly easily before the bbs steer way off course.

What's important is consistency, which the hop-up inside your GBB or AEG aren't consistent, and they change constantly due to temperature, number of rounds fired, length of burst and BB weight.

The important thing is to JUST ZERO IT to the sweet spot based on the BB's pattern.

Each airsoft gun performs differently, so the better you know your gun the better you know how to zero it.

Reticle Selection

Pick a bright 65 MOA type ring reticle or a 2 MOA dot just like the ones used on real guns for fast target acquisition.

What's cool about airsoft is that you can put your knowledge, skills, and gears to the test right away under stress, to see what's really practical and what's not.

Reticle is one of the things that you should pay attention to in a force on force scenario. Most of the time you have to wear protective eyewear and mask, which dramatically change your cheek weld and how you aim.

After that, you will know how important lens clarity, waterproof durability, battery life, reticle brightness, and field of view really are while you're playing under stress.

Battery Life

Nobody wants a dead reticle when they need it the most. Battery life is important for real optics and airsoft optics.

The experience of having a dead sight while other players are shooting back at you is an eye-opening learning experience.

The good news is that it's just BBs flying at you... if it's a real gunfight you gonna wish you picked the most fail-proof optic to save your life, and keep you in the fight.

It immediately teaches you a lesson on why durable optic & long battery is important.

  • Understand why hardcore mil-sim airsofters use real optics instead of budget ones
  • Understand why people trust Aimpoint optics on their real steel home defense guns
  • Understand why airsoft training is important

Switching battery isn't the hardest thing in the world, but most airsofters would agree that long battery life for about 1-2 years is great.

Round-Up

Airsoft is here to stay, and there is no better or realistic way to train force on force than airsoft.

It's way cheaper & more accessible than simunition

Using a red dot sight on an airsoft gun makes it fun, and it teaches you A LOT when movements, adrenaline, stress, taking cover & problem-solving are involved.

Holosun and Vortex brand optics are great options for hardcore mil-sim airsofters and real steel shooters. Damage to optics do happen in airsoft gun fights, and we love Vortex's VIP warranty policy, which will cover any damage at no cost to you.

If you want to use an expensive optic like the Aimpoint Micro T2, Trijicon MRO, or others, remember to get a lens protector to protect the lens from direct BB impacts, which could shatter the glass.