Are you in the market for the best micro red dot sight for for just under $400?
Yes! something NOT an Aimpoint Micro or Trijicon RMR that can drain your wallet.
Most people mount a micro red dot sight on a pistol to increase accuracy and target acquisition speed while shooting with both eyes open without aligning the iron sights, and some use it as an offset optic on a rifle with a magnified optic.
Since then there are plenty of new sights introduced to the market for similar performance. we have come up with this list of great products to help you decide.
Best Micro Red Dot Sights Under $400 [Updated 2020]
Read More: Best red dot sights for handguns
HoloSun HE508T Reflex Sight – Best RMR Alternative
HoloSun has been winning the optics game by making affordable optics for a very long time. Now their NEW HE508T 2 MOA red dot sight is among one of their best products made with Titanium housing.
- Never Quit Working – Not only the sight lasts over 100,000 hours the solar power makes it even longer, Increased reliability with the Solar Failsafe feature to work continuously even if the battery fails to keep you in the fight longer
- Super Strong Material That Lasts – Built with the Grade 5 Titanium, increased body strength and durability to handle the heaviest recoil impulse and rough handling for better accuracy and durability. Highest mechanical strength than commerically available Aluminum including 6061 T6 & 7075 T6 by almost 35% stronger.
- Motion Activated Reticle – Just like the Sig Sauer MOTAC, increased battery life with HoloSun’s Shake Awake technology to activate the reticle with the last brightness setting recall to save battery and keep your gadget cutting edge
- INCLUDES: Holosun HS407C 2MOA Micro Red Dot Sight | Energizer Coin Battery-1
- SHAKE AWAKE: It comes equipped with Holosun's Shake Awake technology with last setting recall. .
- LONG BATTERY LIFE: up to 100, 000 hours, Other features found on the Holosun HS407C red-dot sight include shake-awake technology that automatically turns on the dot once movement is detected in order...
- FITS YOUR MOUNTING NEEDS: Industry standard footprint for your pistol mounting needs
Vortex Venom – Best For Beginner
Vortex is a growing brand that wins the optics market. They made the top of the line rifle scopes as well as red dot sights. Vortex Optics’ LIFE-TIME warranty keeps your money worth even if you break it multiple times on the range.
- Super Accurate In A Small Package – Lightweight and compact size are why many competition shooters love this little thing, increase accuracy by picking from its 3 or 6 MOA red dot sizes to hit target up to 200 yards
- Super Strong Low Profile Sight – Weighing only 1.1 oz built with rugged aluminum housing, enlarged lens window with multi-coated material to increase light transmission
- Large Field of View For Better Situational Awareness – Unlimited eye relief for rapid target acquisition along with parallax-free red dot that makes you shoot faster and more accurate on the clock
- The Venom Red Dot Sight-3 MOA promotes rapid target acquisition while providing a precise point of aim; getting shots down range and on target fast. The Venom's aluminum housing ensures this unit will...
- High quality, fully multi-coated lenses offer a clean, wide field of view. Power and dot intensity controls are conveniently located on the left side of the sight to choose between 10 brightness...
- The Venom also has an auto-brightness mode that uses an ambient light sensor to control dot intensity if the shooter prefers. Parallax Free
- 1 MOA wind age and elevation adjustments are super sleek and make sighting in a breeze. The top load system makes changing the CR1632 battery a breeze, as you will not have to remove your sight to...
Burris Fastfire III
The FastFire III is the best selling mini red dot available in 3 MOA or 8 MOA red dot sizes. It’s light, tough and It’s one of the best red dot optics for 22LR style guns.
- Light & Tough For Speed Advantage – Increase speed on target with this super small sight as the primary or backup offset optic
- Compatible With Very Optics Ready Handgun – Shooting pistols with a red dot sight is popular, hit targets more accurately with your handgun with this compact size optic and win your next shooting match
- PINPOINT ACCURACY – The FastFire III puts an unmistakable red dot at the point of impact within your field of view, giving you an immediate advantage in speed and accuracy.
- LIGHTWEIGHT OPTICS – With lightweight construction and durable design, the FastFire III can be used as a primary sight or paired on top of an existing sight.
- VERSATILITY DEFINED – Rely on the automatic brightness sensor to adjust to match the environmental conditions or choose one of the three manual brightness settings.
- RED DOT SIGHT – Choose a 3 MOA dot, popular on rifles or with anyone wanting more pinpoint accuracy, or choose the 8 MOA dot, which is ideal for short range shooters and fast acquisition. Windage...
Nikon P-Tactical Spur
Image Referenced NIKON
The NEW Nikon P-Tactical Spur is the first micro red dot released from Nikon. This thing looks edge and feels like something out of the Call Of Duty Modern Warfare game. In reality this 3 MOA dot optic has been a hot selling product for rim fire pistols and back up cant sight.
Here is why…
- Built to Excel – The Spur is sexy, rugged and high tech, wide 27mm large FOV with multiple-coated lens allows shooting two eyes open. Weighing only 1.1 ounce able to withstand full-power tactical shotgun slug without shifting zero
- Top Loading Battery Without Sight Removal – Removing the sight could shift the zero a little, eliminate the hassle of re-zeroing with the top-loading battery design to quickly change the battery without removing the sight to preserve sight zero
- Sexy Exterior Construction – Built with lightweight 6061 T6 Aluminum, this shockproof optic not only look sexy but it works on rifle & PCC carbines, shotguns and pistols with its Large FOV glass for fast on target acquisition
- Fully multicoated optics with true color coating to minimize bluish tint
- Waterproof performance (IPX7)
- 10 levels of brightness setting (initial 2 are night vision Compatible)
- 1x magnification. Overall length: 1.8 inch
Why We Like The HE508T and Vortex VENOM
When you sit down and compare the HE508T and Venom, they have similar specs and the biggest difference among other brands are the bigger window.
Having a big optic window allows the fast target aiming, and also keep track of the dot during fast follow-up shots without using iron sights.
Some people like to use it on a fighting rifle as an offset backup combat red dot sight. Click here to read about how to zero an offset sight at an angle.
Other Competitors On The Market
The Trijicon has always been the leader making the best red dot sights including the RMR miniature optic, and every other company was competing with them for better quality and price.
Trijicon RMR LED red dot sight is still the king as far as quality, but those sights are over $470 each, and some of them are about $550 or more, and not everyone has the money to get one easily.
if you’re interested to learn more about the Trijicon SRO click here to read the review
Core Features To Look For
- Large Window – Allows faster speed on target as soon as the shooter picks up the sight, and it will provide more room to track the dot during fast follow-up shots.
- Recoil resistant to retain zero – High G force during the slide cycle could throw off your zero. It’s very important the sight is well built.
- Brightness Settings Adjustment – Pick an optic that lets you can adjust the dot brightness with a wide range of settings for daytime and nighttime use.
- MOA Red Dot Size – 1 to 2 MOA dot size is common on red dot sights for distance shooting with a finer dot, and 4 MOA or up is for close range.
- Strong Front Lens Frame – This allows the shooter to rack the slide easily against something for tactical reasons without damaging the lens.
For more information on how to use a pistol red dot, please check out the Pistol Optics Fundamental 101.
For Angled Offset Use
Adding an offset red dot sight adds lot of flexibility when shooting around corners and barricade.
If you decide to mount a angled micro red dot on your medium / long range rifle, please check out our guide for 45 angled offset mount
Round Up
Micro red dot sight works great on pistols, shotguns and rifles, and they are here to stay.
They help the shooters to acquire targets faster and more accurately without lining up the iron sights. For people with aging eyes, aiming with a red dot is much easier than using irons.
These best pistol red dot sights are lightweight, durable and affordable under $400, for long time usage.
The Vortex Venom and HE508T are the two best products we recommend for their quality, popularity, and performance if you get them you will not disappoint.