Are you experiencing blurry vision when looking through your reticle?

If so, you may have astigmatism. In this article, we will explore the 5 best red dot sights for astigmatism

No red dot sight can 100% fix astigmatism problems right away, but the reticle selection matters.

Best Red Dot For Astigmatism

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Product

Details

  • Best Overall
  • Best For The Money
  • Best Open Emitter
  • Best Micro Red Dot
  • Best Large Dot

Vortex AMG UH1 Gen 2 - Best Overall

vortex uh 1 gen 2 side view

The Vortex AMG is features a open section holographic reticle to help shooters with astigmatism to aim better. The reticle is large to pick up and has no emitter glare under low light.

Larger Viewing Window - Rear window is larger than the original AMG Gen 1.

No Glass Tint - No visible glass tint this time for better clarity during day and night

vortex amg uh 1 ebr cqb reticle 2

Spring Loaded Base - Functions like the ELCAN SpecterDR to retain zero and damp out receiver recoil impulses 

NV Mode - Works with night vision goggles 

vortex amg 50 yards

Vortex AMG UH1 Gen 2 Review

Features:

  • Magnification: 1X
  • Window Size: 1.35"X 1.15"
  • Eye Relief: Unlimited
  • Reticle Type: 1 MOA + 65 MOA Ring [EBR CQB open section reticle]
  • Turret : 0.5 MOA / Click
  • Length: 3.9 inches
  • Weight: 11.6 oz
  • Battery: 1 CR123A
  • Battery Life: 1500 hours

Vortex Spitfire AR - Best For The Money

Kriss vector with vortex spitfire ar prism sight

The Vortex Spitfire isn't exactly a red dot sight, but its 1X prism design offers the sharpest glass etched reticle with or without illumination.  The reticle is so sharp that any shooter with astigmatism can use, and it feels like aiming while wearing glasses.

Rapid Sight Acquisition - Just like a red dot, The dual ring reticle design pulls the eye into instant alignment with the reticle center and target.

Works For Cross Eye Dominance - Tilt the rifle to the dominance eye while maintain good cheek weld position using a tall mount.

VORTEX spitfire ar scope shadow from right

Up to 700 Yards - Perfect for limited division 3-Gun competitors or range-goers who wish to engage targets from point blank to extended range up to 700 yards.

Shockproof -  Rugged construction withstands recoil and impact.

Vortex SpitFire AR Review

Features:

  • Magnification: 1X
  • Objective Lens: 25mm
  • Eye Relief: 3.8"
  • Reticle Type: Glass etched DRT reticle
  • Turret : 0.5 MOA / Click
  • Length: 4.3 inches
  • Weight: 11.2 oz
  • Battery Life: Infinite

Holosun 510C - Best Open Emitter

cz evo s3 sbr with holosun 510c side view

Why buy the Holosun 510C - The 510C is by far the best budget open emitter red dot sight great for people with astigmatism with multiple reticle selections available.

Multiple Reticle Options - Cycle through 4 different reticles from a single dot to a 65 MOA ring reticle.

holosun 510c reticle emitter

Fast Target Acquisition - Large CQB 65 MOA reticle circle for range estimation, perfect for accurate close-range shooting with a rapid holdover reference point

Near Infinite Battery Life - Solar failsafe technology extends the battery life longer to keep you in the fight longer without ever changing the battery

Check Out Holosun 510C Review 

Features:

  • Magnification: 1X
  • Objective Lens: 35mm
  • Eye Relief: 2.39"
  • Reticle Type: TA11 BDC
  • Turret : 0.33 MOA / Click
  • Length: 8 inches
  • Weight: 14 oz
  • Battery Life: 50,000 hours

Trijicon RMR RM07 - Best Durability

trijicon rmr on fnx 45 tactical

Trijicon RMR is the gold standard for all small size open emitter red dot sights. The RM07 model in particular features a adjustable brightness 6.5 MOA dot, and it's perfect for shooters with astigmatism.

Rounder Dot Appearance - 6.5 MOA dot gives that big center reticle without looking smeared for 

Rugged Body - Combat proven durability with forged 7075 T6 aluminum body, and the rounded hood edges divert impact stress away from the glass to withstand physical abuse

rmr red dot sight

Adjustable LED Dot Brightness - Dial to whatever setting is right for you for daytime or night time use.

Auto Lock Out Mode - Lock a particular brightness setting for conceal carry without accidently dialing the adjustment under clothing or tight holster fit

Trijicon RMR fov

Tighter Battery Grip - Type 2 RMR features a brand new battery compartment to grip the CR2032 battery much tighter to prevent lose electrical contact

RMR Footprint - Mount on pistol, rifle and shotgun. Plenty of aftermarket RMR mounting solutions available

Features:

  • Magnification: 1X
  • Objective Lens: 0.9" x 0.6"
  • Eye Relief: Unlimited
  • Reticle Type: 6.5 MOA dot
  • Turret : 1 MOA / Click
  • Length: 1.8 inches
  • Weight: 1.2 oz
  • Battery: CR2032
  • Battery Life: 4 years 

Shield RMS - Lightest Weight

springfield hellcat RMSc

Why use Shield RMSc – The RMSc shares the same mounting footprint as the original RMS red dot, and it has the clearest lens and dot as far as for shooters with astigmatism. They gonna love it!

Durable polymer glass - Withstands up to 10X greater shock impact than glass optics plus minimal lens reflection for shooters with stigmatism

LED Insert: The LED insert comes in two sizes, 4moa, which is very energy efficient and suitable for a wide range of applications, and 8moa is best for astigmatic eyes to see crystal clear.

Perfect for single stack pistols - Fits flush on the Hellcat OSP slide. Looks great, feels great and built tough.

Super lightweight for CCW - Carry it any where you go without feeling like there is weight on you. 

Features

  • Magnification: 1X
  • Eye Relief: Unlimited
  • Reticle Type: Red Dot
  • Turret: 1/4 inch at 20 yards
  • Length: 1.7 inches
  • Width: 1.0 inches
  • Height: 0.9 inches
  • Weight: 0.61 oz
  • Battery Life: 2 to 3 years

Common FAQ

What Is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is when your eye's shape is not perfect, which makes it hard for light to focus and can cause blurry vision. Eye doctors also call this "Refractive Error".

This may include:

  • Nearsightedness or myopia
  • Farsightedness or hyperopia

Bottom line - Our eyes aren't completely round, they are more like an oval shape. This can sometimes make it so we see reflections of light in a different way than usual. Sometimes, the clear front part of the eye, called the cornea, can be misshapen in a way that can cause light to focus in front of or behind the retina, which can cause blurry vision

eye shape astigmatism

Astigmatism exists within ~25 - 36% of the population have astigmatism according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Did you know ? You could have a perfect 20/20 vision and still have some astigmatism

To learn more please reference WebMD

How Does Astigmatism Affect Reticle Clarity Through An Optic?

Here is what shooters with astigmatism see when looking through a red dot.

shooters with astigmatism see this

A reflex red dot sight is created with a collimating minating mirror. In a normal eye, those beams of light all have one focal point.  

However in an astigmatic eye, those beams of light are refracted into multiple multiple focal points. So the shooters with poor eye sight will see the blurry reticle that looks smeared, starburst and distorted.

This problem can be very annoying for some shooters when using a BDC reticle like the 68 MOA Eotech Reticle, a distorted reticle may hinder your ability to aim precisely.

A large size MOA dot, 6 MOA or more generally appears much rounder and with less starburst compared to a tiny 1 or 2 MOA dot

As mentioned above, get your eyes checked or renew prescription is important to fight astigmatism to get accurate aim.

How can you determine whether a problem lies with your optic or with your eyes?

In order to clearly discern the disparity, capture an image of the reticle using a camera devoid of astigmatism. If the reticle appears as a distinct and circular shape on the camera, then the source of the problem lies with your eyes

To test this, please assume:

  • No ambient light reflection in the background
  • No glaring sunlight
  • Clean lens & emitter
  • No oily lens surface
  • No smeared fingerprints on the lens or emitter
  • Reticle brightness isn't too high